Ride before breakfast

[johnk1]

Has anyone tried going on a ride of about 25 miles without breakfast beforehand. What were your experiences?

[markjohnobrien]

Only 12 miles to work. Absolutely fine.

[markjohnobrien]

Sorry, I have done rides of 20 miles without food and before breakfast. Fine. No issues.

[Audax67]

Used to do that before I developed diabetes. Nowadays I need my carb load first.

[Godzy89]

Was reading about this in a chapter of a book only last night
He called it a fasting and a fat burning ride and said that its very good for that as the body uses stored fat reserves for energy but to make sure that you refuel properly once you get back home
Please come back and report how you got on

[Mike Sales]

One cold morning I went for a ride up Wharfedale. No breakfast, not even a cup of tea.
After perhaps forty miles I ran out of go. On a small rise I was unable to get the pedals round and felt forced to lie down at the side of the road. I was very cold and weak.
My companion just stood and looked. I dragged my jacket out of my bag and wrapped it round me because putting it on was too much effort.
Eventually I managed to get up and thumbed a lift the couple of miles to a caff. They fed me on credit until my friend arrived pushing the two bikes.
I rode the fifteen miles home with no trouble.
Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers.

[roubaixtuesday]

Has anyone tried going on a ride of about 25 miles without breakfast beforehand. What were your experiences?

I do ~20 most mornings before breakfast. No issues.

[Cyril Haearn]

Best to take some food and drink with you, justin case

[markjohnobrien]

Sorry, I have done rides of 20 miles without food and before breakfast. Fine. No issues.

For clarity: fine on the ride but did need to eat well when got back in.

[markjohnobrien]

One cold morning I went for a ride up Wharfedale. No breakfast, not even a cup of tea.
After perhaps forty miles I ran out of go. On a small rise I was unable to get the pedals round and felt forced to lie down at the side of the road. I was very cold and weak.
My companion just stood and looked. I dragged my jacket out of my bag and wrapped it round me because putting it on was too much effort.
Eventually I managed to get up and thumbed a lift the couple of miles to a caff. They fed me on credit until my friend arrived pushing the two bikes.
I rode the fifteen miles home with no trouble.
Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers.

Looks like you “bonked” on that ride and ran out of glycogen stores. Not nice and thankfully you were helped by people.

20 miles is my limit without food. 40 miles I’d have some bananas with me.

[Mike Sales]

Looks like you “bonked” on that ride and ran out of glycogen stores. Not nice and thankfully you were helped by people.

20 miles is my limit without food. 40 miles I’d have some bananas with me.

This is when I found out what was meant by bonking.
My useless friend is a biochemist who was able to explain the physiological mechanism.

I bonked years later on a Wild Wales Challenge. I was eating, but I guess not enough for the output.
It took more miles and hills but I again finished lying on the tarmac.
Another kind stranger gave me an energy bar and I even finished with a feeble sprint.

[markjohnobrien]

Looks like you “bonked” on that ride and ran out of glycogen stores. Not nice and thankfully you were helped by people.

20 miles is my limit without food. 40 miles I’d have some bananas with me.

This is when I found out what was meant by bonking.
My useless friend is a biochemist who was able to explain the physiological mechanism.

I bonked years later on a Wild Wales Challenge. I was eating, but I guess not enough for the output.
It took more miles and hills but I again finished lying on the tarmac.
Another kind stranger gave me an energy bar and I even finished with a feeble sprint.

It happened to me once, many years ago, and it felt like a vampire has drained all of the blood from your body - I felt awful and no energy - and rides over a certain distance I learnt to carry bananas.

[Mike Sales]

It happened to me once, many years ago, and it felt like a vampire has drained all of the blood from your body - I felt awful and no energy - and rides over a certain distance I learnt to carry bananas.

A good description.

[Mike Sales]

The advice must be, eat breakfast first!

[markjohnobrien]

It happened to me once, many years ago, and it felt like a vampire has drained all of the blood from your body - I felt awful and no energy - and rides over a certain distance I learnt to carry bananas.

A good description.

Thanks.