For fitness sake

[stb222]

That’s the opposite of what I usually hear. Most people I’ve talked with will eat the solids early in the long rides with the thought being it gives the body more time to break down and absorb the food. Being more fatigued also makes it harder for me to eat. Then as the ride goes on they will go to chews and gels. And then eventually they’ll only get calories through liquid.


Personally after 3 hours a cliff bar would be the last thing I would want. Now some haribo and a little can of coke would probably would be mouth watering.

Yeah, the drinks seem so damn sweet after you get dehydrated a bit and starts to upset my stomach. I always use gels and gummies, can’t imagine eating a cliff bar.

 

[iman29]

I think I can chime in here mostly because I do a good mix of short training rides of 1-1.5 hours during the week, while planning for longer endurance rides for the weekends (3-5 hours). Yes this is mostly road riding but generally we don't stop too much on the bigger group rides, we save the coffee/breakfast stops for the end or within a few miles of wherever the car is parked.

If I think about it more, I guess I end up with this approach subconsciously as my routine, since way before COVID I have been working at home/riding the last 5-6 years.

For my midweek training rides which vary between 1-1.5 hours, I typically make sure I have a little something at least 30 minutes before I ride (banana, granola bar). I also make sure I have at least 24oz of water in me from when I wake up until I head out for the ride after a decent breakfast (egg sandwich) which is usually around 630AM. You get dehydrated overnight automatically to a certain degree so its important to drink up in the mornings.
During the ride, I will bring a few gels and something light like these BelVita snack cookies (love the Blueberry ones) https://www.belvitabreakfast.com/
I always just bring water to drink no need to have Gatorade or anything sweet. If we did some intense intervals or if it was really hot when I get back I will have a small bottle of Gatorade (regular one) almost like an energy shot to replenish electrolytes.

For my longer weekend rides (3-5 hours) I always start off with 2 full bottles of G2 Gatorade (this version has much less sugar). A trick I have been using for about 5+ years is I also shake in some table salt for the extra sodium which you cant even taste. Breakfast is always 2 packages of Maple Oatmeal and a banana at least 1 hour before I ride. I might also have a half slice of bread with Nutella if I am still hungry. The oatmeal burns slowly and gives you a good head start on the burn to slow down your calorie deficit.
During the ride i use a combination of Clif gels, Fig bars and Clif bars. When we do a water stop, if the ride is intense I have to find a small can of Coke and some Fritos or a Pop Tart. Then I refill the bottles with only water to help flush things out and not load up my gut on more sugar.
At the end of these kinds of rides I always make sure I continuously drink water for the first 45-60 minutes, and do my best to get some good carbs and protein down. If I am heading straight home its usually some kind of egg sandwich. If we are hanging out somewhere I look for a Blueberry muffin and a banana.

This routine has been developed over a long period of time with a lot of trial and error, and as always what works for one person probably does not work for the other.

Bottom line - its just as important to think about pre and post ride fuel as it is for during the ride.

 

[Norm]

One of the things that people forget about fueling on rides is that most of us have to get on with the rest of our day when the ride is over. Very few people have the absurd luxury of taking a nap after the ride. Many of these training books & plans talk about napping. Somewhat absurd. You need to keep in mind that if you need to mow the lawn after the ride, you'll need to be ready for that.

And if you have kids under 10, you know a significant portion of your life is devoted to fueling your entire life.

 

[iman29]

You need to keep in mind that if you need to mow the lawn after the ride, you'll need to be ready for that.

This is usually what comes next after a weekend endurance ride mentioned above! I should have included that!

 

[jShort]

One of the things that people forget about fueling on rides is that most of us have to get on with the rest of our day when the ride is over. Very few people have the absurd luxury of taking a nap after the ride. Many of these training books & plans talk about napping. Somewhat absurd. You need to keep in mind that if you need to mow the lawn after the ride, you'll need to be ready for that.

And if you have kids under 10, you know a significant portion of your life is devoted to fueling your entire life.

I wish I had the time for a nap. I don’t think my body would even let me fall asleep if I had an opportunity. Lol.

Eating enough before, during, and after definitely keeps my energy levels up

 

[Pearl]

I remember reading a thread in trainer road about the effects of mowing your lawn and in what day to do it lol

 

[jShort]

I remember reading a thread in trainer road about the effects of mowing your lawn and in what day to do it lol

The website is a lot of kooks. But the podcast is full of useful information.

 

[JDurk]

I remember reading a thread in trainer road about the effects of mowing your lawn and in what day to do it lol

Mowing the lawn is always an activity on Strava for me.