It’s not always possible to eat like a cyclist, but it’s a vital part of your performance on the road. Food is fuel, some work better than others. Some aid your efforts, while others hamper it. Convenience stores, and mom-and-pop grocery stores have become a staple in long distance cycling because they’re everywhere. It’s not that difficult to find nutrition if you know what to reach for.

Lots of Choices

Some cyclists can eat anything they want to, but most cyclists agree that pop-tarts and cookies can cause your blood-sugar to spike and crash, leading you right into the wall. While not everything is edible in a convenience store, there are choices that can fuel your body better than others.

Calorie Rate

The calories burned biking varies per individual and the intensity that they ride; however, a ball park is that an average sized cyclist at a moderate pace will burn anywhere from 500 – 700 calories per hour and serious rides can last between 6 and 8 hours. That much time in the saddle depletes your fuel tank completely. But even if you’re not out there all day, it’s a good idea to consume around 300 calories an hour while riding. It keeps your performance from dropping, and helps you recover better after the ride.

Cycling Specific Calories

Cycling specific gels and other products are lightweight, and designed for cyclists to carry with them. They provide calories fast and efficiently. The average gel pack typically provides 80 to about 100 calories per serving. They’re perfect for cruising around the countryside, or shorter training rides. But on a century ride, it means that you would have to carry 15 or 20 gel packs or energy bars in your jersey pockets, underseat packs and heaven forbid, a pannier to store enough of them.

Hydration is Heavy

Hydration is another issue. Your fluid intake varies per cyclist, but it’s recommended that you drink one 16-ounce bottle per hour in cool weather, and up to as many as three bottles per hour in extremely hot weather. Your body can only process approximately 1.5 litres of fluid per hour. Can you imagine carrying this much weight, not to mention bulk, for the duration of longer rides.

Convenient Sustenance

It just makes good sense to plan your century or any long distance ride around aid stations in the form of convenience stores. It’s become the norm for long distance cycling. But what’s best? The shelves are filled with products of all kinds. Convenience stores are definitely not cycling specific. They’re geared to high-fat foods with lots of sugar that are more appropriate for truck drivers, travelers with the munchies, or children. With that in mind, what are some of the products that can fuel your ride without making you sick?

What To Eat On a Ride

The Fruit Group

Depending on the convenience store, fruit is sometimes available. Fruit is almost always a good choice if you can find it, but if you’re not accustomed to eating some types of fruit — grapes come to mind — they can actually upset your stomach, or worse, a case of diarrhea, one of the worst conditions a cyclists can suffer when on the road. It’s good to know your own body and how it reacts ahead of time before reaching for some types of fruit.

Bananas

Bananas have always been at the top of the list for cycling cuisine. It’s a no-brainer to grab them if the convenience store has them. The average banana has about 105 calories, 30 grams of carbohydrates, and 422 mg of potassium. They could be the perfect fruit for cycling.

Apples

Apples are great for sustained energy. One medium-sized apple contains about 100 calories and 17 grams of carbs. High in fiber, apples can help to make your empty tank feel full again.

Raisins

A handful of raisins is packed with more vitamins, electrolytes, anti-oxidants, and minerals than almost any other fruit, they’re a great source for energy. A one-ounce box of raisins has about 85 calories and 22 grams of carbohydrates. They also will give you 210 mg of potassium.

The Carb Group

Energy Bars

Lots of convenience stores stock energy bars, and you’ve probably got your favorites. But whatever you choose, make sure to look at the label before you buy it and eat it. Check to see if the product will make you sick, they’re not created equal. Some cyclists have special health plans, and all the additives may no be copacetic with overall health plans. Some of the “health” or “energy” bars are simply glorified candy or pastries, loaded with high fructose corn syrup and more chemicals than you can imagine.

Fig Newtons

Aside from the fact that they contain white flour and high fructose corn syrup, fig newtons are one of the best convenience store choices for cyclists. A 2-ounce package of fig newtons contains about 200 calories with 40 grams of carbohydrates. They also provide 200 mg of sodium, and 2 grams of protein. Fig newtons are not new to cycling, and could be considered the original energy bar.

Beef Jerkey

A one-ounce package of beef jerkey roughly contains about 130 calories, 26 grams of protein and 1470 mg of sodium, yea, it’s salty. But since there is only about 1.5 grams of fat in that same package it doesn’t typically impact digestion while cycling. Jerky can provide the thing that’s missing from other sweet snacks that don’t satisfy your hunger.

Dairy

If you prefer a high protein snack — doctors orders perhaps — a one-ounce stick of mozzarella has about 80 calories and 7 grams of protein. Milk and chocolate milk are also top choices by some cyclists, but others can’t tolerate lactose-based products on long rides. This is another product you should test before consuming on a long ride.

Vital Hydration

Sports drinks are always a good choice for hydration if you have no health issues prohibiting them. A 20-ounce bottle of sports drink such as Gatorade typically has about 130 calories and 35 grams of carbohydrates. Each bottle also has around 270 mg of sodium and 80 mg of potassium. Most convenience stores stock plenty of choices for hydration — that’s a huge part of their overall profit — and you’ve probably got your favorites. If you’re not sure, water will do just fine. Soda, even though it might be what sounds the best, should be avoided. The bubble action gives you the vapors.

What to Eat Before Cycling

In any endurance sport you are going to burn a lot of energy to complete your activity. In cycling a lot of this energy comes in the form of carbohydrates as well as fat. In general at lower intensities of exercise, closer to that of walking, your body is going to burn more fat than carbohydrates. As you ride harder and harder your body switches over to mainly using carbohydrates for energy as they can be converted to energy more quickly. The point at which this occurs depends on you personally and how you have been training as this point can change over time.

Having both carbohydrates and fat in any pre-ride meal is essential along with having a percentage of protein. In general, the focus should be around having slow burning carbohydrates such as oatmeal, whole grain pasta, or rice. Fat and protein can then be added to these basics to form a complete meal prior to your ride.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a great, easy pre-ride meal particularly for breakfast. It is slower burning so it can provide sustained energy. Add nuts or nut butters, seeds like flax seed, and fruit, to get a good ratio of carbs to fat to protein along with a tasty, easy to make breakfast.

Rice

Rice is largely the new “best” source of carbohydrates as gluten-free foods become more and more of a norm. Rice is easy on your stomach and converts quickly to energy, if white rice, and a bit longer if brown. Combining rice with protein options such as eggs or chicken, is a good way to include some protein in your meal. With rice, it tends to be more of a dinner option that is often served with vegetables. For a pre-ride meal, skip the vegetables as they don’t provide very much energy and can be more difficult to digest. Save them for dinner where their nutrient density can best be utilized. To get enough fat, throw in some olive oil or butter. Butter is often looked down upon but it can be a good fat option that is also tasty.

Pasta

Pasta is the tried and true tradition of cycling. When people talk of “carbo-loading” or what cyclists eat, pasta is often the first thing that comes to mind. It is for good reason as pasta is packed with carbohydrates and has a bit of protein. Whole grain pasta is a great lower GI (Glycemic Index) food that provides more sustained energy over time. Like rice, adding a protein option will give a good, well rounded meal including protein and fat as well.

Grains and Seeds

A newer trend that cyclist’s flock towards are grains such as quinoa, farro, spelt, wheat berries, and chia seeds to name a few. These grains and seeds pack a punch of higher nutrient density as well as more protein along with the added benefit of differing taste from that of conventional pasta and rice. These can be made any number of ways and due to their higher protein content, a side of protein such as chicken or eggs can be optional.

When to Eat

Eating the right foods before a ride will help your energy levels but to maximize performance as well as comfort on the bike, timing is important. Cycling is less harsh on your stomach in that you could eat a meal and go ride right after, unlike that of running where the jostling of your stomach would make you uncomfortable pretty quick. However, you still don’t want to eat a large meal right before riding. Right around three hours ahead of time is ideal as it gives your body enough time to digest while not yet being hungry for your next meal.

The Morning Ride

The timing of when you eat prior to a ride can be extra tricky with a morning ride because there simply isn’t enough time to eat far in advance. It is a good idea to eat something to keep you fueled but it needs to be on the lighter side. A small bowl of oats with berries and an egg is a great balanced option. Keep it mainly carbohydrate based also, such as a bagel or toast with nut butter and a side of fruit. With less fuel before your ride, you’ll have to make sure you bring something to eat during the ride to keep you fueled properly. Granola bars are a good easy, to-go option.

Eating the right foods at the right time will help your cycling in that you will be able to ride longer and faster while also feeling full of energy. There is no one food or one solution to fueling properly for cycling. Everyone is different and everyone has different tastes so using the above guidelines along with a bit of trial and error will give you the best foods for you to eat prior to riding.

What do you eat before a ride?