[NotChrisFroome]

Hi All, 

 

Im relatively new to cycling, and currently only ride about 20-30 mile rides, although im looking to obviously increase this. 

 

The thing i would like opinions on is what is peoples pre ride routines? 

Reason i ask is currently when i ride, sometimes im fine and have energy etc(although obviously tire as ride goes on), BUT other times almost as soon as a i ride i feel like my legs are not working and have zero energy. 

My Friend who runs a bit, said i should use a ‘Pre Workout’ Drink, which is high in caffine as boosts energy… Question is, does anyone use something like this? I have looked and found something called High5 EnergySource 4:1 With Super Carbs, which seems to have good reviews, but it doesnt contain caffine.

 

Any advise or recomendations welcome, as it is frustrating that i dont know what is best and get despondant while riding. 

 

 

Thanks

Topic

[Daveyraveygravey]

peted76 wrote:

ClubSmed wrote:

It’s probably obvious but: No alcohol the night before makes a massive amount of difference. Even just the one drink has a noticeable effect.

I think that’s a personal thing, whilst I don’t drink a lot, I can’t say that having a drink or three effects my cycling detrimentally the following day.

Everything in moderation.

 

I agree too, I can have a couple of beers and maybe a bottle of wine on a Friday night and I don’t FEEL any different on the bike the next day, but I suspect I’m taking longer or working marginally harder.

I often get up early to do a reasonable ride before work, and can do about 2 hours with no food at all.  Some days it may be 90 mins some days it may be 150 mins before I feel I have to eat.  As others have said different strokes for different folks.  I had a phase of consuming a gel every hour (the packet recommends one every 20 mins!) but I find them too sweet now; I carry a gel or two on longer rides for emergency use.

[SingleSpeed]

ClubSmed wrote:

ClubSmed wrote:

It’s probably obvious but: No alcohol the night before makes a massive amount of difference. Even just the one drink has a noticeable effect.

 

Most of the times I’ve made a podium I’ve drunk a bottle and a half of wine with my pasta 😉

 

Pre Ride:

Train on empty.

Or if it’s a ‘club ride’ eat two Peanut Butter, Jam and Wholemeal Bread Sandwiches and a cup of Nescafe, perfect fuel (Hi and Low GI mix) for a 2-3hour cockwangfest.

Don’t buy nutrition crap for riding, only eat those in races where you have no other choice.

[simonmb]

For an early start; c. 100km

For an early start; c. 100km ride at tempo; it’s always the same: coffee on, porridge on. Drink water. Get dressed. Drink coffee. Eat porridge. If it’s going to be hot I’ll drink a hydration formula even before I go out. Try to get a shit out before putting my shoes on. 

If you’re not feeling it within a few minutes of riding, it’s not your nutrition you’re just not bike fit yet.

Keep riding – regularly.

 

[Dnnnnnn]

As others have suggested,

As others have suggested, everyone’s different but the vast majority of healthy adults shouldn’t need a special routine for a couple of hours ride at a moderate pace. Just eat a normal, balanced diet of good meals and the odd healthy snacks. Keep yourself hydrated too – but don’t become overly-fixated on any of this. 

Coffee is good for an easy boost (for anything, not just cycling), especially after a meal. 

If you’re relatively new to cycling it may be that your body and muscles are still becoming accustomed to it. Possibly your mind too – riding alone, you can over-analyse tiny differences and exaggerate them in your mind.

If you find that the difference between your peaks and troughs is extreme, though, it may be that there is something deeper going on, perhaps worth asking a GP about.

 

[Chris Hayes]

I generally ride 20 – 30

I generally ride 20 – 30 miles each morning – early – on an empty stomach and a cup of tea / coffee taking a single water bottle with a mix of apple / pineapple juice and water – because its refreshing and has a bit of sugar / fructose in it. For short rides, presumably ridden at 20+kph, you shouldn’t need to eat beforehand if you otherwise eat healthily.   Have a healthy breakfast when you get in.  

Once your rides get longer – say 40-50 miles or you move towards more structured training or ride later in the day then I”d start looking at a bowl of porridge or scrambled eggs.  This time with 2 water bottles; one water one apple/pineapple and water, taking a banana or fig rolls to nibble on after 20 miles.  I usually cut the bananas in half too… easier to squeeze out and eat, but not too much.  Also fits in your pockets better.   As you get stronger you probably won’t need to eat for these either.  

I tend to tool up for longer rides 60+ and sportives:  eating beforehand – porridge / eggs plus carb drinks (I like Torq and CNP as they’re not too sweet), plus Torq gels as they are yummy.  I also like those Colombian jellies that you can buy in certain places…pure energy…and fig rolls, which are £14 cheaper!  I tend to take my own stuff on sportives as a) stopping is a waste of time, and b) they tend to give out cheaper stuff or stuff you’re not used to that can lead to stomach cramps…  

If I have to drive to the sportive I usually put some porridge in a flask so I can eat beforehand. 

Best of luck. 

[Rapha Nadal]

I like a bowl of muesli and a

I like a bowl of muesli and a black coffee before the club run.  If on a shorter one, I generally have a sandwich as I need something after injecting – a hypo on a bike is not good!

[Canyon48]

I used to REALLY struggle

I used to REALLY struggle with eating correctly before a ride and I’d often feel out of energy after a short distance.

Having got fitter since then, anything up to about 15-20 miles, I don’t really need to think about fueling properly (unless I’m really going for it).

20-40 miles, a banana beforehand (and one on the bike) is usually enough.

For a longer tough ride 50+ miles, fueling has a massive difference for me! Night before, no alcohol, big bolognese usually. In the morning, porridge (with banana raisins and good stuff) and a double espresso/long black.

During the ride, I find homemade flapjack-energy bar is far easier to consume than SIS energy gels (they make me feel sick).

 

[peted76]

For me I try and eat

For me I try and eat something before I go out for a ride, but it depends on what type of ride as to what I eat.. typically I wake up and drink a bidon of water with the intention of a quick wee before I leave, if I’ve an hour before I have to start peddling, I’ll eat granola or muesli with milk (any longer and I’ll make myself porridge with honey),  if I’ve only fifteen mins I’ll grab a cereal bar (I’m quite partial to the 50p Banana ‘Hike’ bars from Aldi at the moment), anything under 30/40 miles I’ll just take water and maybe  down a gel midway if it’s really pacey, above that I use Zero tabs to add back in some of the salts and stuff you sweat out, long fast rides I’ll pack haribo, couple of gels, maybe some figs rolls or a hike bar, for long social rides, I’ll pack sandwiches individually wrapped in greaseproof paper, peanut butter is always easy. 

[Johnnyvee]

Took me a while to get to
Took me a while to get to current state bit happy to do 30 to 40 miles before breakfast
Do use electrolyte tabs in water as without get bad headaches.
Body has adapted to being more efficient over time and slow and steady rides help. Before that used to stress about similar but as others have said normal diet. Longer rides flapjack in pockets.
I feel worse if too soon after any food and the only time I tried carb powder in water I just got home to the loo in time… Bad bad cramps.

[peted76]

ClubSmed wrote:

ClubSmed wrote:

It’s probably obvious but: No alcohol the night before makes a massive amount of difference. Even just the one drink has a noticeable effect.

I think that’s a personal thing, whilst I don’t drink a lot, I can’t say that having a drink or three effects my cycling detrimentally the following day.

Everything in moderation.

[MoutonDeMontagne]

Ham Omelette and a double

Ham Omelette and a double espresso works well for me, Or sometimes to add a few carbs 2 poached eggs on toast if I’m not going out early. However for early starts generally a bowl of muselli and a coffee as  its quick. Porridge is just too heavy for me and makes me feel bloated and lethargic for the first hour of the ride. 

Generally found paying more attention to what you eat/drink on the bike is key when first starting out, learning what the signs are of when you start to crash and dip in energy and how to catch that. For example, I used to get a massive crash at around the 70km mark, which was when I’d used up all my breakfast, so learned to eat something small around 25 and 50km to manage things throughout. Oh, and generally leave the energy products for long rides, they’re really not good for your insides! Normal cereal bars etc are just as effective if not riding at super high intensity. 

[Al__S]

Cereal (porridge in the

Cereal (porridge in the winter or if I’m really feeling the need for it), bucket of tea, banna. Did 180k on Saturday and only stopped at that point as I had a ride to lead the next day (only 80k, but still, not a good look to be dangling off the back whilst “leading”). Couple of Saturday’s group had been out on the beers the night before and did the full 240k (I’d restricted myself to a large G&T at home, did have a beer or two as recovery on Saturday)- one of them was so happy when he got his bacon roll 90k into the ride

[madcarew]

sw600 wrote:

sw600 wrote:

Jam sandwich for me. And a double machiatto if I can avoid waking the kids up with the noise of the grinder and espresso machine. I don’t think shoving a bunch of stuff in immediately beforehand is going to make that much difference, just make sure that you keep eating. Once over 90 mins or so you’ll have run out of glycogen and will need to refuel. Unless you are one of these keto people (so they claim); I don’t know enough about it myself, but I’m always a little sceptical of faddy diet type things.

I regularly go for 60-80 mile training rides without food before or during the ride. It’s simply a case of getting used to doing without the food. The only reason you’d run out of glycogen after 90 mins is if you are riding pretty darn hard. You can only take on about 250 cal an hour, but will generally (at 170W / 15 mph) be burning through 650 – 700 cal an hour, so the balance is being supplied from fat stores. The more you use those fat stores, and the harder you ride while you are, the more you are able to use them. Doesn’t require a faddy diet. I simply eat a diet the same as perhaps anyone. Sandwiches for lunch, normal meals for dinner. Not so much what you put in, just how you use it. 

However, I’d never do  an event over 40 miles without food (as you tend to be riding pretty hard), but training without food will improve your overall fuelling endurance in events

[madcarew]

ClubSmed wrote:

ClubSmed wrote:

It’s probably obvious but: No alcohol the night before makes a massive amount of difference. Even just the one drink has a noticeable effect.

I think your mileage may vary on this. I have no problem going for a ride saturday morning after several wines on a friday night. Unless I’ve got completely legless (which hasn’t happened for many years now) I don’t notice the effect of the alcohol at all.

 

Personally my pre-ride ritual is 

• get out of bed
• get bike kit on
• Ablute
• Make coffee
• Catch up on overnight world cycling happenings on computer while drinking coffee
• Get on bike and go.
• If the ride is going to be over 80-90 miles I might have some porridge.

[theironduck]

A banana or pain au chocolate

A banana or pain au chocolate (the Lidl individually wrapped ones are good for taking on rides) before I head off and some jelly beans or a gel in a bar-top bag in case I need a pick-me-up half way through.  

Running friends swear by caffeine but I’ve never felt the need (and I don’t like coffee).

[Author]

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