Carbs and Fuelling

[anonymous-user]

[redacted]

[MelbourneWoody]

SIS offers Beta Fuel bars that I find are much more palatable while riding Vs gels. They have around 40gr of carbs from memory.

I switched to sugar water mostly for cost savings and ease of use. I'd recommend trying a few different brands and just see which one you prefer. I've not used certain brands in the past purely because the packaging can be too hard to open while riding versus others that I don't like the taste of so it's an individual choice.

[Robertb]

I’ve generally been very impressed with the Torq products. They are very palatable and effective, in drinks, snack bars and gels.

[jontysafe]

MelbourneWoody said:

SIS offers Beta Fuel bars that I find are much more palatable while riding Vs gels. They have around 40gr of carbs from memory.

I switched to sugar water mostly for cost savings and ease of use. I'd recommend trying a few different brands and just see which one you prefer. I've not used certain brands in the past purely because the packaging can be too hard to open while riding versus others that I don't like the taste of so it's an individual choice.

Your point about some brands being difficult to open is so damn true. I had a Secret Training "juice bar" couple of days ago that was just impossible. I`ll have the odd gel on more intense group rides and some of them near pull your teeth out trying to open them.

I`m normally either the oldest one or one of the oldest ones on these rides at 51 (in Dubai) and like OP I`d not bother feeding rides up to 2 hours before. I find recently if we`re doing 100km at 40km/h+ average (Dubai is V flat) if I don`t fuel I will very quickly get spat.

I have been using up to 120gms of table sugar in 590ml water with 10ml lemon juice and salts to good effect as my training mix. My preferred fuel (SIS Beta Fuel powder) is prohibitively expensive here so it`s just for the rare occasion I am racing. Every one laughs at me for making witches brews but I don`t care.

I ride 3 to 4 times a week and it would soon get proper spendy along with all the coffees etc.

[Scoobyshue]

MelbourneWoody said:

SIS offers Beta Fuel bars that I find are much more palatable while riding Vs gels. They have around 40gr of carbs from memory.

I go for the SIS Beta Fuel chews (rather than gels). They are like Rowntree's Jelly cubes. They are easy to get down and not messy like gels. Seem to work for me.

[christhreadgill]

STYRKR products are excellent, and contain 50-60g of carbs in each offering. Available as rice bars, gels, or in power form to mix into your drinks bottle.

I'll typically take a 500ml bidon with a 60g carb mix and a 50g rice bar on anything over 2.5hrs. And also a 50g gel as an emergency anti-bonk last resort!

[Mazinbrum]

Fig rolls 45p a pack, I did ride London without stopping on 1.5 packs.

[lauda]

Scoobyshue said:

MelbourneWoody said:

SIS offers Beta Fuel bars that I find are much more palatable while riding Vs gels. They have around 40gr of carbs from memory.

I go for the SIS Beta Fuel chews (rather than gels). They are like Rowntree's Jelly cubes. They are easy to get down and not messy like gels. Seem to work for me.

I prefer to chews to the gels too. I don't think the Beta Fuel gels are particularly pleasant. The drink is good too and an easy way to pack in a lot of carbs if you're on a long ride.

Veloforte gels are much nicer and their bars are really good too but they're quite dense and chewy so better when you've stopped for a snack rather than whilst riding.

[Harpoon]

Stuff like gels are all personal choices. For me, regular SiS gels are very medicinal and reserved for emergency use (eg sportive feed stations). I like the Torq gel flavours and stock-up when they have their very occasional offers. I did get some PowerBar gels cheap from CRC a good while back and they didn't taste bad in strawberry or vanilla.

OTE Duo Bars are nice but they seem to be having supply issues with them again. Their anytime bars are also nice but small.

A lot of sports specific stuff is very expensive. I like the Ma Baker giant bars. From Amazon or Wilton Wholefoods , you get 20 90g bars for £18 to £20 per mixed box. Decent amount of moisture so easy to eat on the move for me. I cut the top of the packet with scissors before leaving home to avoid on-bike wrestling.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ma-Baker-Giant-Mixed-Frui...
https://mabaker.eu/products/banana-vegan-flapjack

Are they super sports science based? Nope but they've help see me through loads of 2 to 12 hour rides home and abroad without GI issues.

[remedy]

73 miles with minimal fueling is good going. The bonk is not a nice place to be.
I vividly remember the first organised ride of the year in Feb 2018 when I was at my worst fitness. Only 58 miles but it's all hills. I was riding on a lane parallel to one of the biggest climbs when I heard my wahoo alert me I was turning right ahead. I looked up, realised where I was going and the bonk hit me. I was done halfway up and it was the first hill I'd ever walked up.

But, I find a banana, dried figs, those dense peanut protein bars in Lidl at the checkout, are all great.
If you are planning the ride, get a bowl of overnight oats down you first thing. Sugar rich foods are a last resort.

[Camoradi]

I use SIS beta fuel drink which gives 80g of carbohydrate in a bottle of water. I might slightly over dilute it in a 750ml bottle depending on how hot it is.

Earlier this year I did a 9 hour ride on 6 x 80g sachets plus a malt loaf and a couple of beta fuel gels, and was riding as fast in the last hour as the first hour.

Amazing stuff.

[oddball1313]

I think bananas are really good and those mini Soreen Malt loaf bars are fantastic as they taste good as well as the good little burst of energy they give you. Proper food every day over gels etc for me personally .

[johnpsanderson]

I always used to use SIS Go and what I think is now called ‘GO Energy’, more carbs whereas Go was just for rehydration really. Other than that I’m in the ‘fig roll’ camp although it’s usually the cheapest oaty kind of breakfast bar type thing I go for, really just on a cost basis…

I think the key is, try a few things and go with what you like / can stomach (I’ve never suffered but heard others having trouble with some nutrition) and you are prepared to pay for!

[okgo]

The greatest trick the industry ever pulled is to convince people they need specific sports food for club runs. Gels and the like are useful, when you’re racing and you can’t stop and you need something that goes in quick.

For any other riding - Normal food which costs much less works just as well, flapjacks from the corner shop even, soreen, breakfast bars, whatever. It all does a job.

[simkin911]

Typically use gels and cereal type bars but also have used the Kendal Mint products (after being introduced to them at Fred Whitton). More recently on longer rides I’ve also been taking peanut butter snickers - 3 small squares and easy to open and eat one at a time, I have a sweet tooth but these sugary treats work for me. Fuelling on the Mallorca312 was more of a challenge and I added in salted peanuts and a variety of bars together with gels etc.

[Steve vRS]

Most of the supermarkets sell flapjack and brownie bars as part of their meal deals. These are the ideal size for back pockets and are nicer than the sports stuff. I tend to eat these if I’m doing more than 60 miles.

I do use gels for events as well though but they are too expensive for normal rides.