Best on-the-go cycling snack?

Question

When cycling, what do you find best to keep you going... bars, fruit, gel, drink............

Answer 1

bananas.  they have moisture content, filling, easy to digest and the wrapper can be thrown away without guilt.

Answer 2

I like to eat a Powerbar Performance bar about 2 hrs into an 8 hr ride (after some good blueberry waffles at least an hour before the ride).    I bring along packets of the Gatorade-type powders to add to water I buy along the way and use 2-4 pkts throughout the ride.   At about the halfway point, I like to find a McD or C-store to buy a grilled chicken snackwrap and take a little longer break.   I usually mix in a Diet Mt. Dew somewhere along the way as the caff boost helps physically and mentally.  At about the 6 hr mark, I may do another Powerbar if it looks like I'm gonna be out longer than the 8 hrs, but usually I just do another Gatorade and maybe treat myself to a Rootbeer.

Answer 3

I always bring Eload Heat endurance sports drink (can be sold in Running Room and other specialty running stores), sometimes I pack a peanutbutter and banana sandwich on whole grain breads.  I make my own energy bars - easiest things to make and LOADED!

here is the recipe:

3 cups of uncooked oatmeal

1 cup of sunflower seeds

1 cup of dried cranberries or dried chopped fruits

1 cup of chocolate chips (dark)

1/2 cup of melted butter

1 can of sweet low fat condensed milk (eagle brand is what i use)

Ive added some 1/4 cup of ground flaxseeds if on hand.

mix all the ingredients together and put parchment paper on a deep cookie (jelly roll pan) sheet.  Spread mix and pack down evenly, put in preheated oven at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  Cool and cut into squares - I freeze them into individual snack pack bags and grab them as I go.

I always bring some money with me incase if i decide to go for a longer ride and buy something.

Answer 4

I usually nibble at a Carrot cake cliff bar when I'm on a lengthy ride. Yum.

Answer 5

best on the go cycling snack is banana butties

& mars bars so long as they`ve not melted

Answer 6

Bananas. They have a lot of potassium in them to improve energy. If I could carry only one thing, it would be a banana. If I could carry 2 things it would be 2 bananas. If it was hot out it would probably be a banana and a supply of water.

Answer 7

After many years of resisting, I've finally yielded to Cliff Bars when needing to refuel on the go (or on the bike!).  Cliff blocks & shots are a terrific short-term, get me home, pick-me-up.

Answer 8

Best on bike food depends on lots of factors.  

For example, on an early morning ride, when I didn't have time to get my full complement of coffee, I like Cliff gels with caffeine.  

On long rides I like to eat a variety of foods.  I'll carry Ensure, bagels with cream cheese, bananas, Cliff Shot Blox, Banana Nut Lara Bars, peanut bars, etc.  

One key to selecting food is knowing what you can eat when you ride.  I never try out more than one new food on a ride so that if I get GI upset, I have an idea of what did me in.

A second key is knowing how much your body can take in per hour.  If you try to eat more than your body can absorb you will cause yourself unending GI upset.  I can eat about 200 calories per hour.  If you ever finish a ride with bloating, gas, diarrhea, etc. you may have eaten more than your body was capable of absorbing while exercizing.

Your body is likely to burn more per hour than you can take in while on the bike.  You'll make up the difference with the rest of your regular daily meals.  

However, if your body runs out of stored sugar you'll notice a real drop off in your performance, perhaps even impared judgement, balance and coordination.  This is the dreaded "bonk".  On a long ride, to avoid bonk you need to take in as many calories as your body is capable of absorbing.  Because you can only eat so much per hour, it is best to eat frequently and regularly than wait until you are deep in a dark bonk hole and try to make up the deficit.

Hope this helps.

Answer 9

Powerbars, mars bars, bananas, and mint blocks kendal cake. Also pasta dish 2 hours before going out.

Answer 10

What you want to avoid is waiting to re-nurish after your body has already depleted most of the stored energy in your system.  The best practice is to constantly replentish your body BEFORE you feel the need to do so.  The idea is to consume nutrients that will quickly get to your muscles.  Like: meat is bad because it takes many hours to digest it into a useful form for your muscles, like the next day.  Our bodies digestive system has to "take apart" food that we eat and reduce it into simple sugars that flow through the blood network to the muscles for work.  Constantly eating/drinking substances that are easily and quickly digested is the best approach during a longer distance bicycle rides.  Your stomach has to add water to all solid foods to get the stuff to empty from the tummy and into the blood stream.  Liquids are ... well, already in liquid form, thus skipping the necessary step of your stomach having to add much water before digestion can take place.  Caution: real sugary drinks are too "thick" and your stomach will have to add more plain water to these sugar drinks before it can be totally digested.  If you drink a soda, for instance, follow it down with another equal volume of plain water to help the soda get diluted into your digestive system. Don't wait until you get the "bonk"!  I happen to use a cheap cool-aid type powdered drink mix (two packets to make one gallon) with a 1/8 tsp fake salt (potasium), 1/4 tsp reg. salt, and 66% of the sugar .

Answer 11

I prefer a mix.  Cytomax powder (mixed with water) in my bottles.  Really keeps lactic acid burn at bay.  I like Clif Kids bars (they are 1/2 the size of normal Clif bars) and Quaker Chewy granola for solid food about 1 per hour.  For the last 1/2 hour I use Power Gel.  Jelly Belly sport beans are good as well for something a little different.