Cereal Bars/Food/Energy Supplements for Cycling

shapez

Hi Folks,

I normally take a banana, a tesco cereal bar & a small pack of sultanas on a cycle. Afterwards I would have some fried rice or pasta.

Is there anything else someone would recommend that is needed or advised, that can I buy in a supermarket and I can take with me on a cycle?

Many thanks.

tunney

First things first, how long do you cycle for? How far do you cycle? And where do you cycle?

shapez

I've just returned to it after a few years. I am cycling around 40-50k on a Sat. or Sun. morning. I spend about 2.5-3 hours on the bike. I cycle on country roads around Waterford city.

Raam

I used to only go for the Nature's Valley bars, but I found them very dry. If I am just going for an easy spin for a couple of hours I take some of them or some cereal bars. I avoid anything with mostly chocolate because it melts. Sometimes I take bananas. I would usually eat them first because they tend to go all mushy after a while.

If I'm going for a biggie (3+ hrs for me), then I'll take some energy gels as well as some cereal bars.

Membrane

shapez wrote: »

I've just returned to it after a few years. I am cycling around 40-50k on a Sat. or Sun. morning. I spend about 2.5-3 hours on the bike. I cycle on country roads around Waterford city.

I'd say you don't need any food at all.

My staple weekly run is 90k, it includes ~1400M of climbing, I do most of it in the anaerobic training zone (where your body preferentially burns carbs), and I take no food with me, just 2 bottles of sports drink.

I used to take energy bars with me, tried it without some time, it made no difference. The human body has enough carbs in store for about one hour of vigorous training. Unless you depart on an empty stomach you will have more carbs available from that food supply, and sports drinks contain another dose of carbs. That should be more than sufficient to last for a 3 hour non vigorous outing.

el tel

I eat Jordans cereal bars in addition to bananas when on the bike. I prefer the plainest ones with least flavour as the fruit ones can be a bit sickening after a couple in quick succession.

shapez

Membrane wrote: »

I'd say you don't need any food at all.

My staple weekly run is 90k, it includes ~1400M of climbing, I do most of it in the anaerobic training zone (where your body preferentially burns carbs), and I take no food with me, just 2 bottles of sports drink.

I used to take energy bars with me, tried it without some time, it made no difference. The human body has enough carbs in store for about one hour of vigorous training. Unless you depart on an empty stomach you will have more carbs available from that food supply, and sports drinks contain another dose of carbs. That should be more than sufficient to last for a 3 hour non vigorous outing.

Cheers for this. At present I actually head out on an empty stomach with just my bottle of water/sports drink. At the moment it's not just a casual cycle, I like to push it at stages throughout the cycle as well.
When I finish I have some pasta or rice.

Raam

shapez wrote: »

Cheers for this. At present I actually head out on an empty stomach with just my bottle of water/sports drink. At the moment it's not just a casual cycle, I like to push it at stages throughout the cycle as well.
When I finish I have some pasta or rice.

From what I've read in various articles and mags, heading out on an empty stomach is not the best thing to do.

shapez

I know. I sometimes go for a long run on the beach with an empty stomach. I read that in a few places that it is ok to go for a run or cycle and then other place say no it's not advisable.

Who do you believe??

As as wise person once told me, "Let your body be the judge."

shapez

Come on folks, quite a few views here.

What do you eat on a cycle?

niceonetom

shapez wrote: »

Come on folks, quite a few views here.

What do you eat on a cycle?

ok. my regime was (too dark and cold to do before work now) to go for a long spin first thing in the morning , on an empty stomach, drinking only water. it's hard work and 2 hours is about the max i can do without it being excessively masochistic. the thinking behind this is that i keep my heart rate below 150 and so should be burning more fat than carbs. might be nonsense to you lot, but i lost a load of weight this way over the summer. the up shot is that if i go out for a spin with loads of carbs in my system (i.e after a meal) i feel like a beast.

Raam

niceonetom wrote: »

...but i lost a load of weight this way over the summer. the up shot is that if i go out for a spin with loads of carbs in my system (i.e after a meal) i feel like a beast.

I'm the total opposite to you, I'm trying to put on weight!

Gavin

I was under the impression that aerobic exercise wasn't good for putting on weight... ?

I find that I really need something to eat in the evening before I cycle home. It's several hours since lunch and I'm starving before I leave. I shovel in a bananna and breakfast bar maybe. Seems to do the job, just about, I can get home without bonking.

tunney

How long is your commute how that you could bonk on the way home?

Gavin

Well I do pass by leeson st.

*pause*

aaaaaaahahahahhahahahaha. hohohoho.

[edit]
Crap. I should have said I cycle by tunney's ma's gaff on the way home
[/edit]

My cycle is only 15km on the way home, but I've found that once or twice I end up with the shakes and can barely get off the bike. I assume it's because I haven't eaten properly beforehand.

Raam

Verb wrote: »

I was under the impression that aerobic exercise wasn't good for putting on weight... ?

I find that I really need something to eat in the evening before I cycle home. It's several hours since lunch and I'm starving before I leave. I shovel in a bananna and breakfast bar maybe. Seems to do the job, just about, I can get home without bonking.

I don't cycle to put on weight, I do it cos I love it.

I normally have something to eat at about 4pm so that I'm not too hungry on the way home.

shapez

Folks, correct me if I'm wrong but it takes about 30 mins. for food to hit the stomach, surely eating something immediately before a cycle will not effect you until you are well on your way!?

Raam

shapez wrote: »

Folks, correct me if I'm wrong but it takes about 30 mins. for food to hit the stomach, surely eating something immediately before a cycle will not effect you until you are well on your way!?

yup, something like that, which is why I always eat something about a half hour before I leave on long cycles. For the work commute, I'm not bothered, work is only a half hour away.

blorg

Up to 2 hours definately wouldn't need to eat, just water and not even a lot of that (how much is very dependent on temperature for me.) On hillier routes- depending on what I had to eat before I set off- I have experienced the "bonk" at some point between 2 and 3 hours. Of course you will have to eat your snacks before you bonk for them to be effective. For the Wicklow 200 just ate the supplied bars +3 Alpen, a ham sandwich and some Lucozade and didn't bonk. Have done 60k+ on empty before breakfast without issue.

If you are trying to maintain a race pace I imagine this would all go out the window.

Rossonero

shapez wrote: »

Folks, correct me if I'm wrong but it takes about 30 mins. for food to hit the stomach, surely eating something immediately before a cycle will not effect you until you are well on your way!?

You shouldn't eat anything after 3 hours before a cycle.
Eat something 1 hour into the cycle, and every hour after that.
Avoid sugary foods, except for a quick fix.
I take a roll with me; turkey, sweetcorn, lettuce, etc.
cashew nuts are perfect for just after a cycle, figs are good also.

Chips Lovell

I'd usually have a light breakfast before heading out on a morning spin, i.e. banana and toast. On rides of less than 50 or 60k I wouldn't bring food. Anything longer I'd bring a few cereal bars with me.

Raam

Rossonero wrote: »

You shouldn't eat anything after 3 hours before a cycle.

Why not?

tunney

Don't eat three hours before??? Its b*ll*cks.

Some people can't eat x number of hours before training, some can eat 1 minute before. its all what you like and what you can do. Try it and see. If you puke you puke. if you feel like sh!t you feel like sh!t.

shapez

Many thanks for your input folks. It evident that people have their own routine and rituals. That's fine, that's what works best for your body then don't change it. I'm going to take the advice that was posted here and try some things out for myself.

As I said, "Let your body be the judge."

Thanks again.

If there are any others that would like to post up what you generally eat on a cycle, please feel free, I am interested to here as many as possible.

Membrane

shapez wrote: »

If there are any others that would like to post up what you generally eat on a cycle

Snot (recycling is good for the environment)

Raam

Membrane wrote: »

Snot (recycling is good for the environment)

Flies

Bicyclegadabout

What's people's general opinions on seeds, nuts, dried fruit and all that sort of natural hippy stuff?

I've taken to eating bags of sugar free trail mix which I get from The Hopsack in the Swan Centre. It's got Raisins, coconut chips, almonds, sunflower seeds, apple pieces, cashew pieces, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon and nutmeg.
I was warned off peanuts and some other things, so this mix suits me. It gives a fierce boost if you eat it all at once, or can last a while if you take nibbles of it over a long period.
I find it does at least.
Anyone else?

Other than that, my commute isn't really long enough to warrant serious nutritional thinking. But when I've to mix it with other exercise I'll just get lotsa water into me. That's the main thing.

david1two3

On Sundays I get up at 6:45am Full dose of porridge ,creatine ,Rego, two strong coffees ,pack some sultanas and two bananas,cycle 15 miles in 45 minutes to meet the guys ,eat one banana and ride for 2 hours before sandwich and coffee and two hrs home afterwards and if I can I will do another 25-30 to get it to 100. Not eating three hrs before a race is only common sense but Im told kids arent bothered like us old fellows.

animal

how soon not to eat before a race depends on how fast your metabolism is. Generally racing cyclists would start to eat 3 hours before a race and stop eating 2.5hrs before. just gives you time to digest the food properly as races can start off fast and you can be out there for 4 hours so you need a decent feed in you. completely different to a leisure cyclist doing 80kms training.
Generally, i'd have a bowl of porridge with honey as a sweetner. Then a quick cuppa tea, go to the jacks and get ready straight away. So eating about 30 mins before id start training.
On a 3-3.5hrs spin i'd eat 1 banana, 1 cereal bar (meuslix, nutri grain oats bars, special k or similar) and 2 bottles of Carbo drink. I may not drink the full 2 bottles. it's safer to take too much rather than too little food out with you. Nothing worse than gettin the bonk.
I think the carbo drinks have loads of energy in them. it could be enough but i always like to eat on the bike too. I'm skinny enough as it so dont really have a goal of loosing weight or anything like that.
To the original poster - your doing things right. As long as your stomach feels comfortable. Dried fruit etc. is also very good but i dont take it. If you take out sugary stuff with you (turkish delights are my favourite here) you eat them late in the spin in little bites.
I think energy bars and gels are too expensive to be eating out training over the winter. I use them racing alright.

shapez

Many thanks for your posts lads.

One question, when you mention carbo drink, do you mean the powdered stuff mixed with water or just a plain isotonic drink?

Cheers.

animal

I'd be talking about a powdered mixture. I use High5. You can get it in most decent bike shops. A big tub is about 40 euro but it lasts you a good while. Between 2-3 scoops in a bottle of water. You may find it hard on the stomach to begin with so maybe consider making it less concentrate. Or if you're bringing out 2 bottles take 1 water and 1 carbo. Dont gulp down the carbo drink. Small sips often is the best way to take it.