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The fact that you need to fuel your body on the bike is obvious, but what isn't is exactly what
with, how often and how much.
Before we even get started on the fuelling side of things, there's a couple of things I
always take out with me in my pockets. The first of those things is my wallet - I tend to put that either
in a zipper pocket if I've got it, or in the central pocket where it's safest.
If I'm heading out on a four hour training ride then I tend to take out with me:
three energy bars and a couple of gels.
If you want to be able to ride your bike and eat at the same time it's a good idea
to prepare your energy gels or bars beforehand by cutting the top off the
wrapper so that it's much easier to get into.
However, I wouldn't advise doing this with your gels.
It's not uncommon for people to have problems digesting energy bars, gels and
drinks so if you're looking for an alternative I'd suggest homemade
flapjack, perhaps a soft roll filled with jam, honey or even Nutella,
that's something that the pros do. Or, like my colleague Simon Richardson will tell you,
bananas.
Whatever type of food you do end up choosing to take out on a ride, my rule of thumb is
always take out at least one item per hour of riding.
It's a good idea to start drinking from your bottles not long after you've set out on your ride, before
you get thirsty. The pros tend to drink two 500ml bottles per hour when the
weather's hot. It's a good idea when you do take your drink that you choose a straight, smooth road
and ideally you want to be able to replace it in your cage without looking down.
I tend to start my rides with two bottles of energy drink, but a lot of pros you see will
have one of water
and one of energy.
If you're heading out for a really long time under hot conditions it's quite a
good idea to take a sachet of energy power out with you in your pocket.
That way when you fill your bottles up at a stop
you can just empty the powder in.
Generally speaking there's two different forms of energy drink. One which contains only
contains only electrolytes, aimed at replacing what you've lost through sweat,
whilst the other one also contains a fast absorbing form of carbohydrates
which also adds to your calorific intake.
Which one you choose it down to your own personal preference. I personally tended to
stick to the carbohydrate mix
unless the temperature got over 30 degrees celsius.
While there are no hard-and-fast rules to refuelling on the bike, I'd
suggest at a minimum to take one solid piece of food out per hour and drinking one
500ml bottle per hour, but that is on a long ride.
If you're riding for less than an hour, you shouldn't need to take anything.
If you are setting out on a particularly long ride, it's a good idea to research
beforehand
where you're going to be able to stop en route to refill your bottles and buy some food.
What's your food of preference when you're out riding? Let us know in the comments
section down below.