Eating on the bike

[Sweep]

I have never tried gels but they seem very interesting
Do they have disadvantages compared to real food?

Unless you are a racer, only to be used in extremis in my view. As a bonk relief. So may be handy to carry one. For general purpose use I think they are expensive and not very nice.

[Gazza81]

Rather like the sound of that gazza. Do you have a link, brand name?

This is the one i got

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Electrical ... SwWLBZ805K

Done all sorts in it in the past from dried fruit to beef jerky
If you dip the fruit in lemon juice before dehydrating it, it stops it turning brown too

[Vorpal]

I have never tried gels but they seem very interesting
Do they have disadvantages compared to real food?

Yes. They taste awful, and they are little more than sugar with a few other carbs thrown in.
Some people find them hard on their digestive systems, as well.

[thelawnet]

My procedure is something like this (bear in mind this is in 30 Celsius heat in Indonesia):

Cycle 1 hour (or so, it depends really on where's convenient), stop at local shop drink Sprite (full-fat, cold) or possibly some sort of hydrating drink, stop for 5 or 10 minutes.
Cycle around another hour, repeat until cycling complete.

I don't particularly find that I need or want to eat anything until at least an hour after cycling, I don't bring a water bottle or snacks.

[lvabd]

hi!

just another answer: it depends so much on the temperature, intensity, length of the ride, and your own taste.

In general sweet things don't work very well for me a part from when I am at the bottom of a 5 miles 8% climb (rare). I eat homemade ricecakes/oatcakes (carbs) baked with beans (proteins), cheese (fat and salt), olives (salt and minerals), and some other things to make them all taste not too much the same. and plain water, never any magic powder or soft drink. If I stop at a cafe I avoid big meal and cakes, and go for a small sandwich.
But I ride slowly (19-21 kph), for 10+ hours, in Scotland (between 5 and 15 degreesC). So dehydration is not a big issue, loss of minerals is not a big big problem, but loss of stored fat (not only glycogen) and muscle "proteins" are the things I am careful with.

I commute daily, 17km each way, 20 kph quite hilly roads, I never have any food on the bike during commutes, I just have a real breakfast (porridge don't do anything for me, I have wholegrain bread + eggs + veg + cheese)

[Sweep]

Thanks for the info above gazz.

[Marcus Aurelius]

A common effect of eating only sweet stuff on a long ride is that after a while you lose your appetite, and when you need more fuel taking it on board makes you feel sick.

This is very true. I tend to limit the amount of sweet stuff I ingest on a long ride, I prefer to eat something like an oat cake or two, with not much sugar, you don’t get the quick release boost that you get from something sugary, but you do feel like eating afterwards, which is better in the long term.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Along with lots I could talk about that's mostly been said.

As said effort..................and heart rate..............if you just plod along your heart rate stays low and you consume a higher rate of body fat compared with glycogen (energy stored in blood liver and muscles).

This might explain why some of you profess not to eat much.......................

Also a well trained person can tolerate lack of food and fluid...............I just wouldn't recommend it for someone starting out or moving up on mileage.

[tykeboy2003]

I did 41 miles today, I had 2 slices of toast with Marmalade and a coffee for breakfast at about 8am, and another coffee and a biscuit at about 10:00 before I went out at 10:30. My average speed was 13.4mph, my total climb was 1522 feet and I drank about 750cc of weak orange squash, eating nothing on the ride. My legs were tired when I got home but otherwise no ill effects at all. I rode up to Longford (West of Derby) and back it was beautiful.

I'm 62.

[Cyril Haearn]

I have never tried gels but they seem very interesting
Do they have disadvantages compared to real food?

Yes. They taste awful, and they are little more than sugar with a few other carbs thrown in.
Some people find them hard on their digestive systems, as well.

Dried fruit is the new gels: pears, apple rings, figs, dates, apricots, black bananas
Chew and suck them thoroughly
Sometimes one has desire for a certain food or drink for no obvious reason (ginger beer for me). Even when one is not pregnant
I give in to the temptation

[bovlomov]

Dried fruit is the new gels: pears, apple rings, figs, dates, apricots, black bananas
Chew and suck them thoroughly

Do these gels contain any fibre? Fruit is good because the sugar is contained within the fibre, so it takes longer to be released.
(I'm sure I read that somewhere. It may be rubbish)

[Audax67]

Dried fruit is the new gels: pears, apple rings, figs, dates, apricots, black bananas
Chew and suck them thoroughly

Do these gels contain any fibre? Fruit is good because the sugar is contained within the fibre, so it takes longer to be released.
(I'm sure I read that somewhere. It may be rubbish)

Drying fruit converts part of the fructose to glucose, which enters the metabolism a bit faster. It also liberates it from the fibre to an extent, which also makes absorption faster.

That's why diabetics can eat fresh fruit but not dried - unless, of course, they're on the bike.

[yostumpy]

Learn to ride 'fasted'. Took me a few goes without breaky, but that was a few years ago, now,I can easily go out at 7.30 am, and do a 60-70km ride without eating a bean, and often then have a brunch instead, minimal carbs. If I have a breaky efore a ride now, I feel lethargic and stuffed. Obviously can't do this if your ride is in the afternoon

[bovlomov]

Dried fruit is the new gels: pears, apple rings, figs, dates, apricots, black bananas
Chew and suck them thoroughly

Do these gels contain any fibre? Fruit is good because the sugar is contained within the fibre, so it takes longer to be released.
(I'm sure I read that somewhere. It may be rubbish)

Drying fruit converts part of the fructose to glucose, which enters the metabolism a bit faster. It also liberates it from the fibre to an extent, which also makes absorption faster.

That's why diabetics can eat fresh fruit but not dried - unless, of course, they're on the bike.

Thanks.

How does dried fruit compare with gels, in that respect?

[Mick F]

Hi,
Along with lots I could talk about that's mostly been said.

As said effort..................and heart rate..............if you just plod along your heart rate stays low and you consume a higher rate of body fat compared with glycogen (energy stored in blood liver and muscles).

This might explain why some of you profess not to eat much.......................

Out riding the other day. I left in the early afternoon and did close on 25 hilly miles.

Decent breakfast and a couple of cups of tea or so, and then skipped lunch.
2+ hours of hard hills with nothing. No water - I didn't take any - no food ditto. After getting home, I had a couple of glasses of beer, then nothing until 6pm when we had our evening meal.