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

Weepsie

Today being Anzac day, I recommend you look up how to make anzac cookies and wrap some in foil and bring them. Super easy, loads of energy and very, very tasty.

Weepsie

S_D wrote: »

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

Also you can take a bit of a banana every 5-10 km or so until it's gone, then have another. I'd have a banana per 50km and some sort of snack and if going for 100km+, a pack of Jelly Babies or similar if possible.

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:

Weepsie

magicbastarder wrote: »

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

Just be careful when putting it back in the pocket really. It's only going to to be there for 30-40mins max.

I've normally eaten before going out. So wouldn't start eating anything til about 15-20km. Just small bites every 5 km or so, and grand going for a bit.

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.