Foods you carry whilst cycling?

[craig1985]

For me it is a case of gels, museli bars, and bananas and for very long rides (120km+) then I take a bread roll filled with jam. I tend to take more then what I need, but then I would rather have it on me and not have it and bonk. If I don't eat all my food then I just put it in the fridge and eat it on the next ride (like gels etc.).

 

[gogo419]

i always find that a nice break at a petrol station is always good.
mars bar, sometimes a pie or pastie i know its not the best food for you whilst riding but it fills you up well.

 

[BikeWriter]

Alternative to Gels...

If you're on a budget, and have one of those pop-top gel dispensers (like, GU, etc.), try filling it with any number of pancake syrups you can find at the local grocer.

Considerably less expensive than the gels you purchase in bulk. And, you might find a good number of "common ingredients" between the syrup and expensive gels.

For sandwiches, I like cream cheese & ham on whole wheat bread with the crust cut off. Sometimes, even a bagel with peanut butter, cut into 1/4th's.

 

[Bruce_Willis_97]

Nuts and gels all day

 

[pauloz]

Liquid diet consisting of complex carbs, protein and a few supplements. 1 hour to 7 hour rides, 4 hour centuries, and more, never had an issue with running out of energy. The 4 hour century was extremely tough, but I survived and recovered properly and felt great afterwards. Once I discovered what worked for me, I no longer had to fill my pockets with tons of bars, sandwiches, etc. Loving life on the bike

 

[titan_90]

I like to take Fig Newtons and some gels but every once in awhile I'll take a banana with me.

 

[BroDeal]

In the heat I like mostly liquid, plus gels if I need more calories than just the energy drink.

In the cold in the early season when they won't melt, I have been known to use things like Kit Kats and Peanut Butter Twix bars because they taste good. They are also cheaper than crap.

A cheap alternative for energy bars is breakfast fruit and grain bars, which are like giant fig newtons but individually wrapped with a choice of fruit filling.

 

[ambrose]

energy bars and gels are abit pricey, like to save them for racing.
can't beat a bannana, a couple of muesli bars and some powdered sports drinks. this gets me through 150km, the longer you go, the more bannanas you take. best energy food

 

[Bala Verde]

Mostly (nature valley) muesli/granola bars with nuts honey and fruit. On longer rides I add peanutbutter sand witches or cake/pies. It's not too easy to digest, and a mouth full of nuts makes breathing sometimes a little hard, when you are pushing it. On the other hand, it's inexpensive and can force you to take a break, stretch your back and sit up...

Oh and banana's when it isn't too hot... I don't like banana puree, especially not in my jersey pockets

 

[usedtobefast]

Mostly (nature valley) muesli/granola bars with nuts honey and fruit. On longer rides I add peanutbutter sand witches or cake/pies. It's not too easy to digest, and a mouth full of nuts makes breathing sometimes a little hard, when you are pushing it. On the other hand, it's inexpensive and can force you to take a break, stretch your back and sit up...

Oh and banana's when it isn't too hot... I don't like banana puree, especially not in my jersey pockets

that reminds me of a race where the climb was so steep, we were at walking pace, and the guy in front of me slowed. i hit his wheel and fell over. not really a crash, just fall over. i had a banana(this was a while back) in my pocket.
it was banana gu after that.

 

[St. Elia]

I use Hammer stuff and all liquid for all my rides and I have done centuries and La marmott, transalps and transrockies. Solid food takes too long to digest and you can't replace your glycogen stores quick enough in my experience. I also use a gelbot water bottle which works great.

 

[erickg]

I typically take all kinds of chocolate bars or muesli bars with me, mars, twix, snickers you name it, maybe occasionally an Apple, but it's always a hassle storing them. To drink I just go with water, no energy drinks of any kind.

 

[Irenaeus]

I never ride without...

I never ride without a suitcase of porridge. No, wait...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
(This is only my sixth post here and two refer to either a suitcase of courage or a suitcase of porridge. I'm just hung up on the expressions.)

 

[craig1985]

I have found that by having a decent sized dinner the night before and having solid bowl of weetbix and yoghurt in the morning means that I can go out on my training rides and I hardly have to eat. I might have a bar or a gel, but that be it (dpending on the distance etc.).

 

[badboyberty]

GU's new Chomps are cool. They're lollies rather than gels so they're easy to eat in small doses. Problem is if you work in a shop that sells them you can end up eating them when you're not riding.

 

[cromagnon]

Energy bars I try not to eat them unless it's a ride with the fast group of concentration camp survivor pencil neck f*ge*s, then I make sure am topping carbs and fluids up.

 

[Barracuda]

Ill add another twist to the question by asking what the average time of the posters is that they "drop back" a gel or energy bar to the time they can feel the effects??

I seem to have a gel about 20kms before a big climb (big for me) and hurt up the climb then get over the top and feel fine..... have tried to do the gels earlier and later but still the same result ....

However for me the gels and bars are easier to digest ... however hurt the pocket a bit.

Bert ...... what "Lollies" have you got at the shop and are they similar to the gels ?????

Thanks

 

[mherm79]

Barracuda, I normally keep my gels until after the 100km mark, mostly ~ 120-140km. I find it kicks in after about 20min.

but i'm not a big fan of gels and energy bars, if i have a few on a ride i feel like i've got a sugar rush

 

[badboyberty]

Bert ...... what "Lollies" have you got at the shop and are they similar to the gels ?????

Thanks

the lollies are GU "Chomps". The ingredients are essentially the same as a GU gel but with extra pectin to make them lolly like and each pack is roughly twice the price and twice the size as two gels.

Make a nice change from gels and it's pretty cool having caffeinated electrolyte "lollies". Solves the gooey pocket problem with gels too.

 

[mtnracer]

For really long rides I love taking KIND Fruit and Nut bars, bananas and apples plus Outlast endurance drink. For regular rides all I use is Outlast.

 

[Rock7586]

I score these fig type bars only a little bigger at Trader Joes 6 for a $1.69 150cal, 27g carb nice size and a few diffrent flavors Fig, Strawberry, Blueberry, and Apple.

 

[broken chain]

When I used to do longer rides I would take 6 oz's of honey.

 

[TheDude]

Banana always in the pocket. Granola or Cliff bar. Then I stop for Pizza, sushi, donuts, fries, beer, or whatever else looks good to me when I ride by.

 

[johnnymiller]

It depends what I have at the time but I like to take things like roasted almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans or raw cashews and walnuts. I also like to take hazelnut milk almond milk or hemp milk and I have a camel pack for my water so I use my water bottles for the milk.

 

[sampras38]

In the heat I like mostly liquid, plus gels if I need more calories than just the energy drink.

In the cold in the early season when they won't melt, I have been known to use things like Kit Kats and Peanut Butter Twix bars because they taste good. They are also cheaper than crap.

A cheap alternative for energy bars is breakfast fruit and grain bars, which are like giant fig newtons but individually wrapped with a choice of fruit filling.

Twix's and Kit-Kats can't be that good surely? High sugar/fat content and hardly slow release energy. And gels should really only be used as a last resort or at the end of a long ride such as a sportive for example.