Bike Noob

This might be the week that the B ride at our club hit its tipping point. We had eight riders out for the Sunday ride, double what we’ve been getting lately. We kept the ride deliberately short because of our ridiculously hot temperatures. It wound up at 30 miles round trip at about a 15 mph average. Nothing earth shattering, but the consensus was that this was the right ride to do on a day like today.

We stopped in downtown (I use the word loosely) Buda, Texas, a block short of where we usually make our turnaround. That’s at a stoplight at the town’s main intersection. But today, the shade of a big live oak tree attracted us, and we pulled under its branches to get a tad cooler (temp in low 90sF).

Besides gulping various concoctions of water and electrolytes, most of us pulled out some kind of food to fuel us for the return trip. Most of us, because I had forgotten to stick a bar in my pocket when I left the house this morning. I looked around at the other riders to see what they chose.

Clif bars seemed to be the number one choice, with several unwrapping one of those. One person preferred Clif Shot Bloks to the bars. There was a Power Bar, and one rider had a small chocolate and coconut bar that was passed out at the start of the ride a week or two ago. I forget what they’re called, but I remember that they weren’t bad.

A 10-year-old boy riding with us wanted to go one more block to a donut shop, but his mother nixed the idea. “No donut if you’re going to turn around and ride another hour,” she said. He was not pleased. He reached into his pocket and took out some Shot Bloks, and chewed three of them at once.

On the way back, we made another stop after a stretch of twisty, hilly road. This was conveniently at a convenience store. The store could be more convenient, however, because a sign over the sink says the water is not potable. Dandy water stop, with no drinkable water. I grabbed a bottle of G2, and looked in vain for some kind of nutrition bar to sustain me until we got back home. Nothing but candy bars. Finally, I asked the clerk, who pointed at an end display. One box of Nature Valley granola bars. Honey-oat. No other choice. I bought one, and scarfed it down.

I could probably have gotten by without it, since I had my usual large pre-ride breakfast this morning, but I like to eat something to keep going during a ride. My bar of choice is a Lara Bar, much like a Clif Bar, but my wife and I prefer their taste. On organized rides, I’ll always go for the half bananas at the rest stops, and if they have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut in quarters, I’ll have one of those, too.

But I don’t carry PB&Js with me on regular rides. Bananas, either, although I’ve seen them sticking out of other riders’ jersey pockets. What do you like for mid-ride food? How often do you eat during a ride?

Two weeks ago, we were on a group ride on a rolling hills route.  As usual, the A group riders left me far behind.  Although I felt fine, I turned back early, with another rider who couldn’t keep up either.  His friend tried to stay with the lead pack, but showed up at our Starbucks finish line about 10 minutes behind us.

“I just had nothing left,” he said.  ”I could barely make it up that final hill.  I could hardly move my legs to pedal.”

That sounded like a classic bonk to me, and I asked him what he had had for breakfast.

360 calories -- From The Diet Blog.

“An energy bar,” he said.  ”How about you?”

“A bowl of Cheerios with raisins and bananas, two frozen multi-grain blueberry waffles, a glass of orange juice and half a cup of coffee,” I replied.

“Man, I wish I’d done that,” he said.

The breakfast topic came up again on this morning’s ride.  My friend David asked me what I’d eaten this morning.  It was essentially the same thing as last time, but substituting toast with jam for the waffles.

“I had two scrambled eggs, bacon and toast,” he said.  ”Usually I like oatmeal dribbled with honey.”

Well, I’ve never been an oatmeal guy.  But I learned the hard way last year that you need to fuel up before a bike ride.

325 calories -- From The Diet Blog

The obvious thing is to bulk up on carbohydrates.  My cereal and banana work there.  Lance Armstrong’s training coach, Chris Carmichael, said in USA Today during Lance’s last Tour de France win that his breakfast is a big one: Two bowls of whole grain cereal topped with skim milk and fresh fruit, a three- or four-egg omelet and some pasta, rice or potatoes.

“And don’t forget the two cups of Peet’s Coffee,” Carmichael said.

That might be why I was never in danger of bonking last fall during my century ride.  I stopped at a McDonald’s on the way there, and had two sausage-and-egg burritos, a hash brown potato patty (yeah, I know — greasy — not a good thing) and coffee.  It was filling, and got me off to a good start.

I’ve read that you need about 400 calories for breakfast on ride day.  The breakfasts David and I had this morning should meet that target.  My only problem is, I’d like some variety in what I eat.

What kind of eating strategy do you follow for breakfast?  And what do you eat?  Let’s try to get lots of different suggestions.