Fuelling for cycles

dinneenp

Hi,
If this should be moved please do so.
I'm doing a 100km cycle on Tues,will bring jam & peanut butter sandwich, bananas, gels. I read that gels are good towards the end of the cycle, not throughout.
What bars from Aldi would you recommend to keepy energy up during the cycle.
Thanks
Pa
.

Seth Brundle

To be honest you possibly have enough there. I'd only bring two or three bananas. Are you stopping for a picnic?
More importantly, have enough water. If needs be, fill up as you pass a GAA club as they always have outside taps.

MayoSalmon

dinneenp wrote: »

Hi,
If this should be moved please do so.
I'm doing a 100km cycle on Tues,will bring jam & peanut butter sandwich, bananas, gels. I read that gels are good towards the end of the cycle, not throughout.
What bars from Aldi would you recommend to keepy energy up during the cycle.
Thanks
Pa
.

What is it with cyclists constantly overestimating their calorific consumption on long rides?

You never see runners wanting to bring packed lunches with them on 30k+ long runs yet cyclists on 100k spins are consuming in and around the same calories and think they need to bring the whole of aldi with them..lol

Peterx

I put food out the night beforehand on the route of my last 30k run. So technically you are correct, I didn't bring food with me

On a 100k road spin I would bring 3 of those fruit bars from Aldi (Cashew Crush, Bakewell Tart, Cacao&Orange) and a banana. I always eat the banana and eat the fruit bars some of the time.

Bring food if you want, you don't have to eat it. Nice to have it in your back pocket though if you feel the knock coming on..

I'd never bother with gels except in a race.

MayoSalmon

Peterx wrote: »

I put food out the night beforehand on the route of my last 30k run. So technically you are correct, I didn't bring food with me

On a 100k road spin I would bring 3 of those fruit bars from Aldi (Cashew Crush, Bakewell Tart, Cacao&Orange) and a banana. I always eat the banana and eat the fruit bars some of the time.

Bring food if you want, you don't have to eat it. Nice to have it in your back pocket though if you feel the knock coming on..

I'd never bother with gels except in a race.

Yeah not a knock on you pal as I see most doing it.

I usually carb up the night before and then morning of.

Bring 2 bottles of tailwind with me, banana, 2 homemade energy bars and 2/3 gels. I have to remember to eat most days too..

byrnem31

The aldi shorts are rubbish after using them now 2 weeks. The padding is like a tampon in them.

MayoSalmon

byrnem31 wrote: »

The aldi shorts are rubbish after using them now 2 weeks. The padding is like a tampon in them.

Decathlons will last ye much longer...I use them for the turbo

S_D

MayoSalmon wrote: »

Yeah not a knock on you pal as I see most doing it.

I usually carb up the night before and then morning of.

Bring 2 bottles of tailwind with me, banana, 2 homemade energy bars and 2/3 gels. I have to remember to eat most days too..

LOL your calories arent much less than the poster you were slagging above!!

iwillhtfu

MayoSalmon wrote: »

Yeah not a knock on you pal as I see most doing it.

I usually carb up the night before and then morning of.

Bring 2 bottles of tailwind with me, banana, 2 homemade energy bars and 2/3 gels. I have to remember to eat most days too..

For 100km :eek: I usually have a coffee and might go mad and have a caramel slice

MayoSalmon

S_D wrote: »

LOL your calories arent much less than the poster you were slagging above!!

His sounded like a picnic...mine match exactly the ride I'm doing...the above was for a 5 hour ride..

magicbastarder

85k for me today - had a mug of coffee and a baked potato (with some cheese and coleslaw) an hour or two before the spin; two homemade flapjacks and a banana while on it, and a can of coke and a flapjack when i finished. i then forgot to eat for the next six or seven hours.

according to strava, and other estimates, i'd have burned about 2.4k calories on the cycle.

a reasonably useful article here:
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/fitness/nutrition/calories-burned-cycling-everything-you-need-to-know-326362

G1032

dinneenp wrote: »

Hi,
If this should be moved please do so.
I'm doing a 100km cycle on Tues,will bring jam & peanut butter sandwich, bananas, gels. I read that gels are good towards the end of the cycle, not throughout.
What bars from Aldi would you recommend to keepy energy up during the cycle.
Thanks
Pa
.

30 - 60 grams of carbs per hour depending on intensity. If you had 40g per hour you'll probably be ok.

S_D

MayoSalmon wrote: »

His sounded like a picnic...mine match exactly the ride I'm doing...the above was for a 5 hour ride..

In 5 hours are you covering 100k?? That's still ALOT of food for 5 hours. LOTS of carbs and sugar!!

magicbastarder

how would a gel stock up against a banana, say? i.e. would it be similar to eating a banana?

i usually favour bananas because the wrappers are disposable.

MayoSalmon

S_D wrote: »

In 5 hours are you covering 100k?? That's still ALOT of food for 5 hours. LOTS of carbs and sugar!!

It's only 800 calories

S_D

magicbastarder wrote: »

how would a gel stock up against a banana, say? i.e. would it be similar to eating a banana?

i usually favour bananas because the wrappers are disposable.

Banana all day - slow releasing. When you start on gels they are very fast acting but also the bonk afterwards can come quick too. Which makes you then eat and take more

MayoSalmon

magicbastarder wrote: »

how would a gel stock up against a banana, say? i.e. would it be similar to eating a banana?

i usually favour bananas because the wrappers are disposable.

Try dates instead of gels.. they are harder to transport
of course but their fructose/glucose profile is very similar to gels

magicbastarder

S_D wrote: »

Banana all day - slow releasing.

my understanding has always been that unripe bananas are starchy and thus slow releasing, and ripe ones are sugary and therefore fast releasing. it's always worked for me, so even if you provide rigorous scientific proof that this is bunkum, i will likely respond that the scientists never talked to *me*.

magicbastarder

Weepsie wrote: »

Also you can take a bit of a banana every 5-10 km or so until it's gone, then have another.

managing an 'open' banana on the road sounds like a faff. is there a trick to it?

S_D

MayoSalmon wrote: »

It's only 800 calories

If that works for you, then cool!



Personally I'd be adding more tailwind (caffeine) (I use 4 scoops in 1 bottle) and dropping the gels at least. Try drinking the tailwind first over as long as you can and then the banana and see how far you can go. Then onto the bars if you really need them. Ideally progressing to eating less and getting the body adapting to using fat as energy and not carbs. Win win :cool:

secman

byrnem31 wrote: »

The aldi shorts are rubbish after using them now 2 weeks. The padding is like a tampon in them.

Curious to know how you know what a tampon feels like on a bike.... unless you are female and no explanation required.

secman

Usually for a 100km spin I'd have a large bowl of porridge pre spin and take 2 bottles, 2 bars and a couple of gels which i would only use if the pace was high and just in case there was a gallop at the end.

Wildly Boaring

Guys it's all relative on how fit you are.

One of the main components of fitness along with VO2max is efficiency.

So those with high efficiency due to training are going to expend less energy and need less input.

If you've never cycled more than 50k and even that takes you 3 hours, I'd say bring half the kitchen if that makes you more comfortable.

Then there's fellas who average 33kph and do a 100km cycle twice a week. With prefuelling they only need fuel for the last 70 or 80mins. A banana and carbs in drink be sufficient.

Personally did 70k with plenty climbing there the other day. One gel and a bottle of water. For 100k I'd need to fuel another hour. So a banana on top of the gel be sufficient but I'd probably bring a breakfast bar and another gel to be safe. Of course if it were pure flat might get away with less.

GCN had Conor Dunne cycle unfuelled till he dropped. The man lasted well over 100km of very hilly riding. (think he got to 130 or more)

magicbastarder

secman wrote: »

Usually for a 100km spin I'd have a large bowel of porridge

TMI

Wildly Boaring

magicbastarder wrote: »

TMI

The trick is empty bowels for 100k!!

pjmn

dinneenp wrote: »

Hi,
If this should be moved please do so.
I'm doing a 100km cycle on Tues,will bring jam & peanut butter sandwich, bananas, gels. I read that gels are good towards the end of the cycle, not throughout.
What bars from Aldi would you recommend to keepy energy up during the cycle.
Thanks
Pa
.

Did 126km today (all the way in to an easterly wind) brought and had one slice of fruit cake and had a bottle of miwadi orange with me.

Brian?

For a 100km spin I'd want a Turkish delight bar, a cappuccino and a blueberry muffin. All to be eaten at the mid way point, somewhere with a nice view.

I’d have my gels in my back pocket. They love a nice trip out, without ever getting eaten.

dahat

3 - 4 hrs with efforts I’ll have 2 x High 5 bidons with 2 bananas,2 high 5 bars with one or two gels used for the last hour.

dinneenp

MayoSalmon wrote: »

What is it with cyclists constantly overestimating their calorific consumption on long rides?

You never see runners wanting to bring packed lunches with them on 30k+ long runs yet cyclists on 100k spins are consuming in and around the same calories and think they need to bring the whole of aldi with them..lol

I blame the media, a lot of inches on eating for your cycle, talk of bonking etc. read a few articles on nurishmsnt for long cycles & got slightly difderent answers.

Re why don't runners eat while out- they don't eat while running as they don't have handy pockets built into their t-shirts!

It's my first 100km so after this I'll know for future long spins.

Enduro

Christ, a lot of cyclists have so many bad habits!

I can't remember the last time I ate on a cycle. That would includes lots of long hilly Wicklow efforts, big days out in Tenerife and GC, trips out to Athlone from Dublin etc etc.

Do you realise that you don't have to consume the energy you burn when you exercise whilst you're exercising. The human body is well able to deal with expending more energy than you're consuming for a long long long time. Measured with a calendar, not a watch. It's actually the human specialty. We have crap speed, but are the best persistence hunters (on land anyway).

dinneenp

Enduro wrote: »

We have crap speed, but are the best persistence hunters (on land anyway).

Surprisingly a human would beat an animal in a marathon. Our sweating system or something like that is our advantage.

Enduro

dinneenp wrote: »

Surprisingly a human would beat an animal in a marathon. Our sweating system or something like that is our advantage.

Yeah, there are actually "Man versus Horse" races (Should really be person versus horse!). Once you make it long enough it becomes an easy win for the human. I've plenty of personal experience of running for 24 hours without eating anything (which is considerably more energy-consuming than a 100km cycle).

I had rice crispy buns on my spin today as some easter eggs we bought in bulk when they were cheap hadn't been scoffed. We hid them from the kids then forgot them until the other day

I leave home with a banana and a rice cakes normally IF i bother to bring anything. If I head out in the morning I'd have had a coffee, and a bowl of porridge or wheetabix with fruit in it.

If you're necking gels and drinks for the love of god think of your teeth when you get home!!!!!!

Wishbone Ash

Jesus lads, a lots of faffing about with transporting food, home cooking :eek: and general overthinking about nutrition. Just stop at a shop/filling station and get a Mars bar and can of full fat Coke and a pack of Fruit Pastilles. Life's way to short to be planning about what you need to eat.

km991148

MayoSalmon wrote: »

What is it with cyclists constantly overestimating their calorific consumption on long rides?

You never see runners wanting to bring packed lunches with them on 30k+ long runs yet cyclists on 100k spins are consuming in and around the same calories and think they need to bring the whole of aldi with them..lol

Because cakes are brilliant!

MangleBadger

There is also the question of what is necessary versus what is optimal.
Can you do a 100km cycle without any food? Yes. Will you perform better if you eat during the ride. Also yes.

Same as hydration.

Enduro

MangleBadger wrote: »

There is also the question of what is necessary versus what is optimal.
Can you do a 100km cycle without any food? Yes. Will you perform better if you eat during the ride. Also yes.

Same as hydration.

Actually, It's not a given that you will perform better if you eat. I've certainly used competitor's "need" to eat against them in races.

silverharp

a 65km today, packet of cheese slices and 2 hard boiled eggs, it was my lunch so not extra as such. I normally bring one water bottle with salt and potassium added maybe some magnesium if I remember

MangleBadger

Enduro wrote: »

Actually, It's not a given that you will perform better if you eat. I've certainly used competitor's "need" to eat against them in races.

How is that?

Wildly Boaring

Enduro wrote: »

. I've plenty of personal experience of running for 24 hours without eating anythingl

On purpose?
Or for science?

MayoSalmon

Enduro wrote: »

Actually, It's not a given that you will perform better if you eat. I've certainly used competitor's "need" to eat against them in races.

What is a given is your recovery will be a lot longer and harder if you don't eat so depending on your training that is a massive consideration..

CramCycle

Everyone's different and unless at high level as an athlete, most of us will be fine with whatever we take out. I done 70km yesterday and all I had was a bidon of water. I have done 100km races where I have eaten nothing and the same where I have eaten a packet of Haribo Tangfastic (share bag size). Long story short, there are so many variables in regards intensity, distance, what you want to achieve after the ride, risk of being stranded etc. that none of you are right or wrong.

My own preference is the longer the ride, the less processed the food for me, so if doing Audax length rides, I try and aim for a cafe at different points. If its shorter and under 3 hours, not sure I'd bring anything except emergency bonking supplies. This is a personal preference and not the correct choice though.

magicbastarder

CramCycle wrote: »

Everyone's different and unless at high level as an athlete, most of us will be fine with whatever we take out.

this is the thing; much as I know Enduro knows what he is talking about, he's operating at a level which very few others on this forum are, and there's gotta be a certain amount of conditioning going on there.

i've 'bonked' (hate the term) a couple of times - both times when i've gone out and stayed out longer than expected. last time was when i went out to do what i expected was to be about 75km a few years back, but stayed out for around 100km i think (it was an all ireland final day, so the roads were gloriously quiet). so i'd probably last eaten around the 50km mark. when i hit about the 85km mark, the speed i could sustain fell fairly quickly by 5-10km/h on the flat, i couldn't go faster than maybe 20 or 25km/h without serious effort; i had started to recover maybe 5km before i got home.
as i'm not training for any events, or am seeking to push through that and condition my body, i stick to the routine of a banana an hour (or every 45 minutes if i know i'm going to be pushing harder than normal)

JimmiesRustled

Personally I'd always aim for 60 grams of carbs per hour in training. So a breakdown of that for a 5 hour ride would be:

Hour 0 - 1: Nothing

Hour 1 - 2: Half a cliff bar, half a bottle (Cliff bar has 40 grams of carbs, bottle has 80 grams of carbs so half and half is 60 grams.)

Hour 2 - 3: Finish the other half of the cliff bar and bottle.

Hour 3 - 4: Half a cliff bar, half a bottle.

Hour 4 - 5: Finish the other half of the cliff bar and bottle.

I see some saying you don't need any food on a spin and yeah you can get away with it but unless you're going down the fasted route (intermittent fasting, no breakfast, no eating on the ride etc) then you really should be eating as you won't be adapted to burn fat as efficiently.

Racing would be slightly more than 60 grams of carbs per hour and a little less structured. I try and stay as far away from gels as possible unless racing.

jethrothe2nd

I also think it comes down to knowing your own body and what works for you. I eat healthily but tbh I really don't know if what and when I am eating is optimal for the cycling I do. What I do know though is that anything up to 50km I don't need anything other than water. 50-70 add a banana and anything over that either a second banana or something that I can keep nibbling on. Sometimes a stop for a sandwich.

dahat

JimmiesRustled wrote: »

Personally I'd always aim for 60 grams of carbs per hour in training. So a breakdown of that for a 5 hour ride would be:

Hour 0 - 1: Nothing

Hour 1 - 2: Half a cliff bar, half a bottle (Cliff bar has 40 grams of carbs, bottle has 80 grams of carbs so half and half is 60 grams.)

Hour 2 - 3: Finish the other half of the cliff bar and bottle.

Hour 3 - 4: Half a cliff bar, half a bottle.

Hour 4 - 5: Finish the other half of the cliff bar and bottle.

I see some saying you don't need any food on a spin and yeah you can get away with it but unless you're going down the fasted route (intermittent fasting, no breakfast, no eating on the ride etc) then you really should be eating as you won't be adapted to burn fat as efficiently.

Racing would be slightly more than 60 grams of carbs per hour and a little less structured. I try and stay as far away from gels as possible unless racing.

Excellent post & something i try aim for as well but likely consume more. I think it's the fear of going bang in the ast 60mins of an spin with efforts in that hour has me cosuming a little over.

oisinog

Seth Brundle wrote: »

To be honest you possibly have enough there. I'd only bring two or three bananas. Are you stopping for a picnic?
More importantly, have enough water. If needs be, fill up as you pass a GAA club as they always have outside taps.

Do you know what I have been around GAA clubs all my life and I have never though of stopping for Water. Thanks for the great Idea

Wishbone Ash

Enduro wrote: »

Christ, a lot of cyclists have so many bad habits....

When did eating become a bad habit?

CantGetNoSleep

For 90-100k, I tend to go for a small bar after 1hr/1hr 15. Stop half way and eat a banana. Then I would normally have another bar and a gel with me. Eating the second bar depends on how tough the ride is, e.g. if I am with a fast group but I would probably eat it more often than not. The gel is really for emergencies only, I probably only have one less than one in ten rides and often it gets thrown out after puncturing having been in the jersey pocket for weeks at a time. When you need it is is really worth having though, e.g. with 25km to go on a rainy day

JimmiesRustled

dahat wrote: »

Excellent post & something i try aim for as well but likely consume more. I think it's the fear of going bang in the ast 60mins of an spin with efforts in that hour has me cosuming a little over.

To be honest, IMO, you're better off eating a bit more and completing the efforts than eating less and failing. Really just about trial and error. 60 grams of carbs per hour is enough for me to get through 4 - 5 hours with 3 - 4 10 minute tempo/threshold efforts at the end.

I generally tend to try and make sure I get 80 grams of carbs per hour in a race. This does change up the fuelling strategy though as, to be able to absorb 80 grams of carbs per hour I use a 2:1 ratio of maltodextrin to glucose otherwise I get an upset stomach. There's a pretty decent study on absorption rates done by Hammer nutrition, linked below.

https://www.hammernutrition.com/knowledge/advanced-knowledge/carbohydrates-101

All the above still doesn't stop me from getting dropped in races though

Brian?

JimmiesRustled wrote: »

Personally I'd always aim for 60 grams of carbs per hour in training. So a breakdown of that for a 5 hour ride would be:

Hour 0 - 1: Nothing

Hour 1 - 2: Half a cliff bar, half a bottle (Cliff bar has 40 grams of carbs, bottle has 80 grams of carbs so half and half is 60 grams.)

Hour 2 - 3: Finish the other half of the cliff bar and bottle.

Hour 3 - 4: Half a cliff bar, half a bottle.

Hour 4 - 5: Finish the other half of the cliff bar and bottle.

I see some saying you don't need any food on a spin and yeah you can get away with it but unless you're going down the fasted route (intermittent fasting, no breakfast, no eating on the ride etc) then you really should be eating as you won't be adapted to burn fat as efficiently.

Racing would be slightly more than 60 grams of carbs per hour and a little less structured. I try and stay as far away from gels as possible unless racing.

Severe lack of Turkish delight in there.