pre-ride diet

just starting to ride my roadie alot more early in the morning to bet the brisbane heat. i,m finding i,m lacking energy and was just wondering what is a good pre-ride food intake?

I normally make sure i eat a solid meal the night before and then before a ride i have a coffee and a smoothie with like fresh mango, carrot, lime, ginger and orange juice… might eat a banana, then just keep my fluids up and if its a intense ride i might take some chews with me

Usually cereal and toast, followed by a orange, mango, epo, ginger, smoothie. Then I usuallly grab some jelly snakes at 7/11 for the the first water bottle re-fill.

Carb up the night before, rice or pasta - not beer.
I’m avoiding most dairy before riding, dairy is fine post ride but not before for me.
Toast, fruit & juice. Always take muesli bar or banana for anything over 2 hours.
Uncle Toby’s bars are a bit crap but that’s what we seem to consistently buy.
Some here was talking about either making their own or has a friend that makes a
muesli slice that looked really good.

smoothie works for me, cheers guys

English muffins, or cereal with either almond or rice milk as I’ve heard dairy and soy milk upsets stomachs more.
When me and my brother rode to Melbourne earlier in the year i was burning way to many calories on the ride and had to take maltdextrose in the morning to keep up my carb intake.

For my commute (32km) I don’t have anything, but I’m eating brekky (muesli and coffee) at work by 7am.
I have a pretty slow metabolism, so for long early rides I just make sure I had a decent dinner, then grab a muesli bar and a banana for the ride. Sometimes stop at a bakery mid ride for a danish or something.

+1 on day carbs before exercise from personal experience and some science

not much for brekky. i tried porridge before bed a few times. needed a lot of fluid next day - leg cramps etc.
diced bacon, scrambled eggs and sushi rice squashed together. add soy or whatever for extra flavour if you need it.
don’t need much and its all good stuff for riding. bit messy tho.

Banana/strawberry/honey smoothie, and 3 toots of salbutamol pre ride. A muesli/nut bar for halfway and a fun size cherry ripe or snakes for sugar low on way home if needed. Don’t eat pre commute as it’s only a 17 k sprint. As for night before beery carbs,riding off a hangover is the best cure i know.

“give me a toot, i’ll sell you my souuuull - pull… my strings… and i’ll go far”

For a big ride or racing then a proper carby meal before and carb loading dinner the night before. Normal morning training I never eat before… Maybe coffee then maybe some scrambled eggs after.
I’m trying to lose weight though… I’d prolly make more effort for a pre ride meal if I was ideal weight

No food unless I can eat 3+ hours before riding, esp If I’m doing any hills or racing.
If I’ve got 3+ hours before racing I’ll normally just have a banana.
Don’t over carb the night before (more than you normally would).

Banana, double espresso and 750mL - 1L of water (whatever you can gut comfortably) with a table spoon of glutamine a teaspoon of creatine and a teaspoon of endura.

Really Doug,

Me I don’t really eat much, if I’m having a long ride I have some toast,
I take a muesli bar and eat that while warming up or riding to meet the group.
If its a tough ride I take a gu or a bar,
I used to use endura but it gives me an upset stomach,
Switched to those tablets or Gatorade powder.
One of those an hour or so depending on heat and effort.

Recovery I have horleys ice weigh protein powder with some lactose free milk or almond milk.

A rule I was told was 30g of carb per hour for me and I’m 63kg

When are you hitting the wall? Start of ride middle end or all.

+1

I miss read yours Doug, I think the problem with endura for me is I was probably over doing it and it is high in magnesium, I’ve even gone to bars over Gu as that can upset my stomach.

I swear by uncle Toby’s yoghurt tops haha

I can’t do dairy before a ride, just have some water and toast. Usually take a muesli bar for the ride.

Wtf…no beer!
as if.

coffee, more the better is my pre ride. Banana or apple at Mt. Lofty 1/2 way.

Here is my Muesli bar recipe. I used to make these for a couple of euro teams at TDU when i had my cafes.

200 muesli of choice…if no muesli, improvise. double the oats and add coconut shavings/ dried fruit /sultanas/dates/figs…
200 rolled oats
25 sesame
25 hazelnuts
25 walnuts
25 almonds
25 apricots… rough chop the lot.

then in a pan:
200 butter
100 sugar
50 golden syrip
50 glucose…melt all these and beat together.
Add wet to dry. into a tray lined with baking sheet/ricepaper. press in to shape
Bake until just colouring up~ 160 degrees, roughly 25 mins. press again while hot.
Makes enough for ~ 20 bars. allow to cool and cut with a bread knife.

Hey dayne, yeah I get into the protein as well but obviously you got to get it into you ASAP after your ride. I don’t get an upset stomach on endura and alike but the key for me is LOTS of water or I cramp up like a motherfucker (so the magnesium is good for me) plus if your going to have glutamine and creatine you have to pump the water in or you will dehydrate catastrophically. Out of interest I stay miles away from any stimulating pre-workout, those thing make me feel like I’m coming off a three day MDMA/Charlie bender and the anxiety is intolerable.

Pea protein is way more absorbable that whey protein by the way. Drop into to Pod organics and whole foods at Stafford speak to my miss’s Rachel bout all this stuff, she knows her shit. It’s her shop and she stocks all natural (non cut) protines and alike, worth a look. And the coffee is gun! They should open on the the 2nd