What to eat on long rides???

[1crispy]

hey guys, just need help in want more food i can bring for a 150k++ ride, so far i bring 2 bars, 200g chicken, cup of brown rice, wheat bix, bannana, and some more, but anyway i always run out of food, so what do u guys eat for a 4- 5 hour ride?

[dsb]

.

[yongkun]

soft cakes

[majklnajt]

[Tapeworm]

I don't carry it with me but a bit of choc milk works well for me mid-ride. Nuts, dried fruit etc.

[dgasmd]

Funny that this came up as I was thinking about asking something related to it. I spent 2 weeks in France last year riding in the Alps and 3 weeks in Italy this year all over and never once saw a single rider carry any bars or supplements. I visited several bike shops and never saw a single things there either. Went to 3-4 supermarkets looking for something too and never found a single thing. This was incredibly surprising to me as in the US there is such a huge variety of just about everything you can think of everywhere. Bike shops are filled with all kinds of bars (dozens of brands and types), drinks, powders, supplement vitamins and such, etc. It is big business for them. You go to any supermarket and it seems almost an entire row can be found filled with these things. Now, a lot of that may be very much cultural as in the US we have more of a commercial mentality and the idea that the supplement or the bar will make you perform is very much tattoed in people's minds. But, it begs the question: What do people in these other countries take with them to eat while out riding?

[majklnajt]

pizzas and croasants?

[dgasmd]

pizzas and croasants?

That assumes you have to get off the bike, stop in a cafe somewhere, consume said pizza or croissant, then go again. I am talking about food you take with you to eat while riding.

[indie]

Two raspberry jam sandwiches and 1 litre of water for 110km.

[majklnajt]

dgasmd, I was joking

I am sure they take some food with them.

[bricky21]

Here is my favorite.

3 oz. of pretzels and a banana($1.50) along with two bottles of sugar water and I'm good for a 4+ hour ride, so long as I am properly hydrated and have eaten within a few hours before hand.

[dsb]

..

[dgasmd]

dgasmd, I was joking

I am sure they take some food with them.

I knew you were, although what you said was very common too. I'm sure they take food with them too, but what I really wonder is what is it that is popular there (Europe) and where do most people get it. I can see a ton of things in online places like wiggle, PBK, and others, so I know you can get it that way. However, I believe people in Europe in general are not as much into making a larger % of their purchases online like in the US. Maybe I'm wrong though.

bricky21:
If you can manage a 4 hr ride with 5K feet of climbing on a bag of pretzel, I must say "Congratulations". I would certainly need more than that not to mention that I wouldn't have enough room in my jersey pockets for a bag large enough to do the trick either.

[Powerful Pete]

Well, having spent quality time riding on either side of the pond, I can tell you what I ate on longer rides in the homeland:

1. Fruit;
2. Small sandwiches usually made with honey and or marmalade (individually wrapped in alu foil);
3. Small gelatin cubes (kind of similar to fruit marmalade/jello - but made of real fruit); and
4. Crostatine- not seen something similar here in the US.

And to confirm what others have said, would almost always stop on a long ride for a coffee and pastry in a roadside bar. Why ride if you do not enjoy it?

[prendrefeu]

What some people are calling "long rides" are rather short for some of us.

4-5 hours looks like this, for me:
-One banana
-One bar (any, see below about 'why' any will do)
-Bottles are one water, one mix (24/7, Perpetuem, or Prolong)
-one gel packet optional depending on how I'm feeling at the start
(this all fits in the back pocket along with tubes, tool, pump, no saddle bags)

8-10 looks likes this for me:
-two bananas
-one extra baggie of drink mix
-two bars
-gel flask
(saddle bag now being used solely for phone, tubes/tool/pump)

10-18+ will involve a stop or two in addition to the above for 8-10.



Why any bar?
Because you'll get bored of a certain flavor or consistency. Ultimately what you're looking for is just enough calories to cover you, some protein, some carbs, and so on. Most bars cover these, regardless of brand. Every time I go to a store and spot something new, I grab a few. If it's something super new I'll try out one of the ones I bought on the way home, to see if it's "ride capable." If it isn't, I'll hand them off to a friend to try out or the homeless. Sometimes grab a few of what I've already tried before if it tasted decent. I keep all of these bars in one drawer, intentionally not organizing it. Before a "long" ride (?) I grab a bar at random, usually without looking. It makes the "long" rides better that way.

Making a sandwich is nice if you have the time and it doesn't create a mess in the heat, while you eat it, and after you're done.
Banana peels will bio degrade quickly if you can't find a trash receptacle to toss them in.