Carrying and eating food on long rides

[scubadude]

I've moved to a roadbike after several years doing Sportives on my recumbent (lots of storage space in seat bag and easy to reach).

However I'm now having trouble carrying and eating enough easily.

I'm doing 50-70mile events mostly, I carry a couple of bottles on the frame and tools behind the saddle, jersey's got innertubes, jacket, phone and a few bits and pieces. That leaves a small bag on the top tube behind the stem to cram with gels, Jelly Babies and flapjack but can only carry a few and I find gels a pain to open and eat on the go despite that they are effective.

Any tips on gels, does anyone open them in advance for example?

Lastly- when to eat? Obviously want to eat little and often but just as an example, the Sportive I did on Sunday was non-stop, either massive climbs or manic descents, almost no flat sections to eat and drink, ended up just stopping which feels such a waste of time, effort and muscle heat!

I was trying to watch what more practiced riders where doing but they where just blowing past constantly, plenty of riders even greener than me struggling along on shopping bikes (hybrids) laden down with sandwhiches and cake mind you :-)

[Gargamel]

Sounds like you are carrying too much kit.

What do you really need for a 70 mile ride. Rain Jacket ? really - I find I get as wet sweating it on the inside.

I take 1 tube, two levers, small allen key tool.
Couple of patches, pump. - All in a small saddle bag, pump in jersey pocket.

One 500ml water bottle.
for a 50m ride, I would just have a cereal bar
for 70 I would add some Jelly babies and maybe a couple of mini mars bars.

Overfuelling is endemic in endurance sports.

[AyBee]

As above - what tools are you carrying? I tend to carry the below all in the 3 jersey pockets (no saddle bag):
- 1 x tube
- park tools stick on patches
- tyre levers x 3
- castelli squadra rain jacket
- multitool
- phone
- credit card + some cash

Pump on the frame and 2 water bottles = done and leaves room for a few energy bars and some gels - not that you actually need that (m)any on a 50-70mile ride if you eat properly beforehand.

[TonyHetherington]

I use High5 plus gels, and tried their Isogel. I found the isogels bloody difficult to open on the move whereas the plus gels absolutely fine. I've never tried other makes but that might be part of the reason

[ChrisMCoupe]

For the distances you are doing I would say you are carrying a bit too much food, but hey, we all like jelly babies

Regarding gels, a few TT'ers I have seen tape them to the top tube so they can be easily ripped off and consumed without reaching into your jersey pocket. You tape the part you tear off so that you are just left with the opened gel in your hand. I tried this once and was surprisingly useful, but not really needed unless you are racing.

[scubadude]

AyBee said:

As above - what tools are you carrying? I tend to carry the below all in the 3 jersey pockets (no saddle bag):
- 1 x tube
- park tools stick on patches
- tyre levers x 3
- castelli squadra rain jacket
- multitool
- phone
- credit card + some cash

Pump on the frame and 2 water bottles = done and leaves room for a few energy bars and some gels - not that you actually need that (m)any on a 50-70mile ride if you eat properly beforehand.

Tools wise, I only carry-
2x tubes (rural Dorset roads usually so frankly 2 is being brave)
Pair of tyre levers and tiny packet of sticky patches
A small multitool, could maybe just take a couple of allen keys but minimal difference
I have the pump on the frame and a pair of CO2 cylinders (can you tell I've had puncture issues in the past?)

Sorry but I can't not take a jacket of some kind, and its only light and one pocket gone- be mad not to have some way of modifying your outfit when going out for several hours plus down here big temp change from sunny warm valleys to sea breeze blown cliff tops (+/- 10degrees is easy in a few minutes)

I'm along way from fit enough to only need 500mls for 70miles, not sure thats safe frankly? You've not got any spare in case you end up stuck with hours of walking or waiting for pickup!


I only ask because I see alot of people carrying piles of bars and gels, advice on here and several other places is for huge intake (1xgel or similar ever 15min) which seems crazy to me- they have to carry it somewhere!

I've got space for maybe 4 (I don't like mixing things in pockets incase I go for a bite to eat and end up ejecting an innertube or mobile phone at speed!!!)
(I saw a chap at the weekend with gels taped along the crossbar, it looked like an armadillo, layers of them, must have had at least 10-12)

[TonyHetherington]

There was a thread recently with people discussing how many gels. No one is doing the 3 an hour that the packets recommend.

I seem to recall it was typically 1 after 1/1.5 hours then another every 45mins or so. So 4 on a 70 mile ride and I typically come back with 1 or 2 left still.

[Gargamel]

Which is obviously crazy. ( the bit about having 12 taped to the crossbar )

I have done a lot of endurance events, I see massive over eating all the time. People scoffing gels half way round a 10k run ! It is bizarre.

500mls on a 70 mile (well it would depend on the course and weather clearly) But thats all I would take, my reasoning is, if I need it I can always find a tap somewhere rather than carry another 500mls for 50 miles before I needed it.

Or stop at one of the many convienient "public houses" along the route for some re hydration

[scubadude]

ChrisMCoupe said:

You tape the part you tear off so that you are just left with the opened gel in your hand. I tried this once and was surprisingly useful, but not really needed unless you are racing.

Ah- that makes more sense of what I saw... and it sounds like it makes Gels much easier to use one handed, have wondered why they are so hard to use for a "action food"

Can just imagine that I would try it and tear off a square of frame paint instead of opening the gel though :-)

[okgo]

You don't need gels full stop.

Unless you are in a race where the pace is so frantic its impossible to digest anything else then gels are a waste of money and totally not needed. Normal food is easily eatable on a bike if you are prepared to slow down for a few seconds.

And if you are going hard then yes, 2 or 3 an hour is what you do, but obviously going hard is subjective, and though a slow rider may feel like he's going very hard he will be burning less calories than a strong rider riding at an easy (for him) pace. In a race I'm burning 1000 calories per hour so that is where the 2/3 per hour comes in, obviously I'm still at a huge deficit as gels have bugger all calories, just quick carbs. But truth be told if I could eat flapjack in a race I bloody would, its much nicer than poxy gels. But needs must.

Edited by okgo on Wednesday 15th May 12:07

[scubadude]

okgo said:

Unless you are in a race where the pace is so frantic its impossible to digest anything else then gels are a waste of money and totally not needed.

I agree... but they give them away for free so why not use them at events? :-)

okgo said:

Normal food is easily eatable on a bike if you are prepared to slow down for a few seconds.

With practice maybe... The "problem" with proper food (flajack, sandwhices etc) is they need to be in a bag or box which needs opening carefully then stowing after use without loosing anything else. While you can stop and eat something in 45seconds or less, on the move it takes a couple of minutes to do the same task while controlling the bike on roads round here (constant corners, hills etc)
I kid you not- finding 2 minutes of flat, straight road in the SW is impossible.

[okgo]

scubadude said:

With practice maybe... The "problem" with proper food (flajack, sandwhices etc) is they need to be in a bag or box which needs opening carefully then stowing after use without loosing anything else. While you can stop and eat something in 45seconds or less, on the move it takes a couple of minutes to do the same task while controlling the bike on roads round here (constant corners, hills etc)
I kid you not- finding 2 minutes of flat, straight road in the SW is impossible.

I buy flapjacks and just cut the tops of the packets off, then they slide out and can eat them with one hand, which is fine. Just put them in your pocket, they are fairly robust...

[AyBee]

scubadude said:

Tools wise, I only carry-
2x tubes (rural Dorset roads usually so frankly 2 is being brave)
Pair of tyre levers and tiny packet of sticky patches
A small multitool, could maybe just take a couple of allen keys but minimal difference
I have the pump on the frame and a pair of CO2 cylinders (can you tell I've had puncture issues in the past?)

Sorry but I can't not take a jacket of some kind, and its only light and one pocket gone- be mad not to have some way of modifying your outfit when going out for several hours plus down here big temp change from sunny warm valleys to sea breeze blown cliff tops (+/- 10degrees is easy in a few minutes)

I'm along way from fit enough to only need 500mls for 70miles, not sure thats safe frankly? You've not got any spare in case you end up stuck with hours of walking or waiting for pickup!


I only ask because I see alot of people carrying piles of bars and gels, advice on here and several other places is for huge intake (1xgel or similar ever 15min) which seems crazy to me- they have to carry it somewhere!

I've got space for maybe 4 (I don't like mixing things in pockets incase I go for a bite to eat and end up ejecting an innertube or mobile phone at speed!!!)
(I saw a chap at the weekend with gels taped along the crossbar, it looked like an armadillo, layers of them, must have had at least 10-12)

Pocket 1 - tube, multitool, patches
Zip Pocket (?) - phone, money
Pocket 2 - Co2 cylinders, folded jacket
Pocket 3 - tube, food

And if you've got a saddle bag, that eases the load on all of the above. Gels tucked under lycra on top of your shorts is the other way of doing it but as above, I don't think you really need them. I carry a couple because they're small and decent if you're struggling at the end of a ride but rarely use them.

P.S. Learn to ride with no hands, then opening gels etc is a doddle

[Rocksteadyeddie]

okgo said:

scubadude said:

With practice maybe... The "problem" with proper food (flajack, sandwhices etc) is they need to be in a bag or box which needs opening carefully then stowing after use without loosing anything else. While you can stop and eat something in 45seconds or less, on the move it takes a couple of minutes to do the same task while controlling the bike on roads round here (constant corners, hills etc)
I kid you not- finding 2 minutes of flat, straight road in the SW is impossible.

I buy flapjacks and just cut the tops of the packets off, then they slide out and can eat them with one hand, which is fine. Just put them in your pocket, they are fairly robust...

This. "Breakfast" and cereal bars are ok too and much better than gels. As Okgo says they really have no place outside of racing. I will usually take a couple of gels and a cereal bar for, say, a 70 mile race. I'll try and eat the cereal bar relatively early on when riding easy in the bunch and save the gels for when the hammer goes down. This, of course, all falls apart when you get in the early break. Trying to chew my way through Alpen's finest whilst breathing out my arse and trying to do "through and off" wasn't a whole load of fun!

[scubadude]

okgo said:

I buy flapjacks and just cut the tops of the packets off, then they slide out and can eat them with one hand, which is fine. Just put them in your pocket, they are fairly robust...

Cheers Ok, think I'll try that.

I really don't like riding no-hands, it was fine when I lived in/around London the roads are relatively smooth and few potholes (bet a few Londoners are laughing but believe it!) but down here there are holes and gaps in chip-seal every few feet.

[TonyHetherington]

okgo said:

I buy flapjacks and just cut the tops of the packets off, then they slide out and can eat them with one hand, which is fine. Just put them in your pocket, they are fairly robust...

Not a bad idea that, thanks

[okgo]

As long as your jersey isn't HUGE then the elastic should keep them the right way up so they remain intact, but yeh, makes it easier. Also the calories in a big flapjack far outweigh gels! Can do the same with a maltloaf, cut top off, then just take bites as you go

[80sMatchbox]

The flapjack idea sounds good. Beats trying to unwrap clingfilm with your mouth and one hand...

My brother got me into using gels, and I still usually carry a few, but flapjacks are my preferred fuel.

[richardxjr]

Gels are alright ... except they taste disgusting, are difficult to rip the top off (can take more energy than is in the gel ), and the near empty leftover wrapper makes a right old mess!

Anyway, I've now got 2 boxes of the bloomin things to get through

Going to try some of those indiv wrapped flapjacks though ... mmm cake

[anonymous-user]

It's a sportive not a grand tour stage, you are paying for the privilege of feed stops and a support car. Just pull over to eat and drink, there is no need to create ingenious solutions and time saving methods to enable you to fuel on the move...you might as well not bother entering the sportive and ride ln your own for free if you are filling up jersey pockets, saddle bags and bento boxes with food and tools!