What’s your favorite bike food?

jShort

2018 Fantasy Football Toilet Bowl Lead Technician
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Before, during, or after? What did you have today? Was it good?


Before- If I have a few hours before the ride, I’m going with a pbj, yogurt, and a banana.
During the ride -

During- I have a variety of stuff, but I’m grabbing the salted watermelon shot blocks. I usually have some formula 369 mix with a nuun tablet in my bottles.

After, it all depends on hard the ride was. If it’s an actual workout, I like the Swiss Rx recovery shakes. They are stupid expensive but they are cheaper if you subscribe and the feed usually has sales. Never pay full process for them.
 
I listened to the podcast today about what you rat compared to training load and how it changes bases on what the work out/ride will be.

Morning, gel 5 min before ride. 24oz Bottle with 2 scoops of tailwind, second bottle with just water. 3 bolt gummies at 60 min.

After was bagel. It was good.
 
Before...typically eggs and toast. Maybe a banana as well if it's a longer ride.

During...loving Skratch Chews (sour cherry or orange) and Tailwind Lemon in my bottle. That's about ~90g carbs, 360 calories. That's all I bring if I'm doing a workout sub 2 hours. 1 hour or less I don't bother with the chews.

After...We were doing a Taylor Ham tour of NJ (and sometimes pork roll) for a while. That seemed to hit the spot. If I make it home for lunch usually a quick bowl of cereal to replenish.
 
Probably for the past 8-10 years I literally have the exact same thing before any bigger ride ie long road ride like 40+ miles or longer MTB ride.

Breakfast at least 1 hour before:
2 packs of maple brown sugar oatmeal and i add a few shakes of table salt.
1 banana
Half slice wheat bread with Nutella
Water if it’s nice weather
Tea if it’s colder weather riding

During the ride I don’t eat all of this but it’s my stuff I keep on hand to potentially bring with me :
Clif gummies - usually 1 after 45 minutes and then 1 per hour depending on the intensity of the ride.
Clif bars (yes those evil ones) could be either PB Banana, blueberry, chocolate brownie or classic Choc chip depends what I have
I have been known to grab a PBJ uncrustables with me if I don’t feel like stopping for a longer meal.
*edit* 2 Bottles - Gatorade G Zero with a few shakes of table salt. used to drink G2 but they stopped making it.

Mid ride I keep it light maybe a tea and a Blueberry muffin.
If we are stopping for lunch or a meal then I look for something like a turkey sandwich and salty chips.

Since most of my rides end late morning I end up making 3 eggs with bacon and cheese either 3 fried eggs or I make like a frittata with leftover potatoes and veggies from the fridge.

I typically only drink water the first 1-2 hours after a long ride to help flush out all the toxins. If I’m feeling more dehydrated than normal I like the Gatorade recovery drinks lately but they are a bit pricey.
 
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During ride an egg & cheese on a hard roll. Best deal in Pine Island, NY $3.25

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Morning pre-ride, typically a bowl of cereal.

During ride - depends on the ride length. Recently, I've been trying to avoid eating anything during a ride under 2 hours, hoping to tap into my ample fat stores. Don't know if it's working, but I'm hopeful. For longer rides, it varies. Clif Shot Bloks; Powerbar gels if I can find the strawberry banana flavor; Powerbar Power chews - but like the gels have been increasingly hard to find; Nature's Bakery fig bars in various flavors are also a stand-by. Bottles or pack only contains water.

Post-ride also varies. If riding with a group and we get food afterwards, then pizza slices or a chicken Ceasar salad are common. For a long ride that ends at home, Buitoni Chicken * Prosciutto tortellini is a stand-by along with some of the styles.

For Gatorade, I'm a big fan of the G2 Grape flavor. It seems like supermarkets have stopped selling it, so I buy the mix powder now, which I actually prefer:
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For Gatorade, I'm a big fan of the G2 Grape flavor. It seems like supermarkets have stopped selling it,
Yeah I was all in on G2 for many years (Cherry, or Blue frost) since for me it was just the right balance of sugar. But ever since COVID times I also noted they don't make it in bottles anymore. Had to switch to the G-Zero which doesn't taste as good but I am learning to deal with it. I looked at some of the other sports drinks and decided to stick with at least the brand I know.

I've never done the mix before I might try it out and see if I can add that step to my routine.
 
Dawn patrol rides during the week
Before: 2 glasses of water and a sm. cup of coffee
During: 1 bottle of water
After: 1 glass of water and sm. cup of coffee
1st meal will be around 10:30am consisting of protein, veg, and healthy fat. If I'm feeling hungry prior to 10:30, piece of fruit or maybe some nuts

Race days, either XC or Endurance event
Before: meal of protein, veg, healthy fat and fruit about 3hrs prior
Pre-race: maybe a banana
During: XC - Hammer Nutrition Heed in bottles. Endurance - Hammer Perpetuem and Endurolytes. Snack on PBJ during or aid station snacks if available.
After: packed meal of protein, veg, healthy fat or make good choice at event food truck. Some cold beverages.

I do my best to avoid any processed foods other than drink mix and no caffeine during, the exception being maybe a shot of Coke. I was a Clif bar junkie many years ago and stopped using any energy bars or gels. I tried Honey Stingers for a bit, but they crumble and are hard to eat while riding.
 
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My mornings are oatmeal with walnuts, strawberries or blue berries and always half apple.
Local honey or maple syrup mixed in.
I will alternate in a Kodiak cake waffle or pancakes. These are the pre packed kind.
Coffee 8oz.

Most of my rides are after work. I'll have a electrolyte drink during the day.
Coffee and a bagel around 9:30 10.
During a ride. Electrolytes in 2 bottles. Switched to Tailwind this past weekend.
Lately I've been using untapped maple syrup as my gels. Salted coco. It's pretty delicious.

Race days same breakfast.
High carb drink mix.
Nothing to eat until after.
I'm not a red meat eater.
Occasionally I will have a burger.
So pizza, burrito , bagel with CC.
 
*Before: two eggs with a slice of 7 grain bread

*During: 1-2 GU packs (depending on duration) If it’s a long mountain bike ride (3+ hours), I add peanut M&Ms.

*After: Gatorade Zero for the drive home. A salad with some type of animal protein when I get back.

*This is serious Antonio’s menu. Otherwise replace before with “bagel w/ cream cheese”, during with “I probably forgot to bring anything” and after with “beer.”
 
Regular rides, not races. Generally 1-3 hours, easy to hard intensity.:

Before - Generally just want something in my stomach 1.5 to 2 hours before. Quick grab is two packets of oatmeal possibly with an egg mixed in. Sometimes overnight oats. Generally not concerned about carb/fat/protein just trying to stay away from high fat.

During - All depends on intensity, how I'm feeling. On the harder rides I'm doing Scratch in the bottle, Honey Stinger waffles or Chews. If it's a longer/more intense ride I'll actually stay on a half-ish hour interval for food. If the ride is an hour or less even if hard I'll try to skip, unless it's a hard ride with a lot of waiting like a bunch of my group rides. So there it's not just a mixture of intensity but time out there. If it's an easier ride I'll often do a Gu/Nuun Tab in the water.

After - I've been trying to have a protein shake pre-mixed as you can never get enough protein in. Often it's a post ride casual tacos/burgers/hangout food, if it's not a group ride it's whatever normal meal I would eat.

@jShort Thanks for the reminder on the Gatorade. I stupidly forgot about how cheap it is and honestly a tub of that will last me awhile as opposed to rationing out the $cratch powder especially as there's two of us in the house.
 
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