food and drink for cycling

[Jenny Hegmann]

I'm collecting some anecdotes, advice, and personal tips from cyclists of all levels for a book project I'm working on about food and drink for cycling. 

If you are interested, here are some questions to get you thinking:

How has your food/drink regimen helped or hurt your enjoyment, performance on (or off) the bike?

What  was your worst mistake as it relates to food/drink/riding; what was your best discovery?

Why do you prefer regular foods, snacks to commercial sports? (or don't you?)

Describe how you stay hydrated, fueled, energized during training rides, races, or brevets? 

What successful methods have you used to lose excess body-fat in the high season, or not to gain weight in the off-season?

What's your advice for a new biker on his first century, double century, or road race?

How does eating/drinking change for you with the type of riding you do--for instance, do you eat the same when mountain biking vs road racing vs touring around?

What's your strategy for buying food on the road?

What's your philosophy/strategy for eating healthy day-to-day? Breakfast tips? Lunch tips?

Thanks,

Please email me privately.

Jenny 

Jenny Hegmann, RD

jenny....@gmail.com

[Old5ten]

these are some pretty good questions.  i also think that others could benefit from each others answers.  a bit of a background: i dabble in brevets, doubles, and road racing, and have ridden everything from crits to pbp.  i'm pretty darn slow, but like the workout.

On Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 8:04 AM, Jenny Hegmann <jenny....@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm collecting some anecdotes, advice, and personal tips from cyclists of all levels for a book project I'm working on about food and drink for cycling. 

If you are interested, here are some questions to get you thinking:

How has your food/drink regimen helped or hurt your enjoyment, performance on (or off) the bike?

 

trying to eat more and more consistently has eliminated much of the ups and downs (nutritionally) i've experienced.  there's nothing quite like being in a lead group that just rode all night on a 400k, 10 miles from the finish, and having to ask others to slow up for you because you're bonking.

 

What  was your worst mistake as it relates to food/drink/riding;

there've been many, usually eating/drinking too little/too late.  but if one stands instance stands out, it has to be the start of the davis 600k brevet in 2007, the 'big' ride in our pbp qualifying series.  it was an evening start, so my wife and i had an early dinner in davis.

unfamiliar with our food choices, we walked around town and found a vegetarian place that served delicious raw food.  it looked good and tasted great.  about an hour later my stomach started a most frightening rumbling and a bit later i found myself seeking refuge behind a container trailer, which was parked in the dirt just adjacent to our parking lot. 

it was not a great way to start the ride, especially when i followed up this episode with forgetting my warm gloves and spent a futile half hour of trying to chase back on to the lead group.

what was your best discovery?

don't get too hung up on having your favorite foods.  they change over the course of time and over the course of long rides.  roll with what you have and what you can get.  don't dwell on how not having something is going to hurt your performance or make life miserable because then it will. 
 

Why do you prefer regular foods, snacks to commercial sports? (or don't you?)

especially on long rides i feel it is best to be a true omnivore.  it dramatically increases your choices.
 

Describe how you stay hydrated, fueled, energized during training rides, races, or brevets?

pre-hydrating has worked well for me.  taking in liquids with a bit of carbohydrate (sustained, cytomax) the day or two before a long event or a stage race.

eating more frequently.  i used to go for a gel or two per hour.  now i'm probably eating twice the caloric equivalent and try to eat every 20 minutes vs. every hour while on the bike.  in race situations it may be a bit less frequent and definitely more random and on brevets or long training rides i'll eat more at the controls.

i also try to eat strategically.  it's not very favorable to eat right before the hammer goes down.  most of the time one can anticipate the hard points in a ride, be it a race or a brevet.  it's good to be well fueled at that time, so think about how long it'll take to digest something and actually help you.  match eating with intensity.  if things are going to be low key for a while, that sandwich is okay.  if i don't know, a gel, some chomps, or fig paste will do.  if i'm going to redline any time soon, i'll get my carbs from a bottle.

 

What successful methods have you used to lose excess body-fat in the high season, or not to gain weight in the off-season?

ha, ha!  loose excess body fat?!  that's funny!  i remember drinking similac  to gain weight...
 

What's your advice for a new biker on his first century, double century, or road race?

go in with the mind set that you can do it.

don't dwell on set-backs and discomfort.  chances are pretty good that when things are really bad, they are that way for other riders also.

be safe/comfortable riding in a group and suck wheel!  not very glamorous, but a good way to save energy and finish.

eat even when you're tired, not hungry, you hate your food choices, or it seems like you just ate.  try to keep a regular schedule and check it on your watch.  this is not about things tasting good or feeling hungry, this is about having gas in the tank.

on long rides make sure you ingest some salt (V8 etc.) and digestible protein.
 

How does eating/drinking change for you with the type of riding you do--for instance, do you eat the same when mountain biking vs road racing vs touring around?

definitely not.  i try to eat more on brevets/doubles and i've found eating on those events much harder to do so vs. road races.
 

What's your strategy for buying food on the road?

this looks good.  it's got sugar, it's got protein, it has calories.  yum!
 

What's your philosophy/strategy for eating healthy day-to-day? Breakfast tips? Lunch tips?

easy on fatty meats.  easy on pure sugar/fat.  fruit tastes good!  vegetables can taste excellent.  become independent: learn how to cook and season food to your liking.  calories in vs. calories out.
 

Thanks,

Please email me privately.

hmmmm... that would really take the fun out of this!

elmar


 

Jenny 

Jenny Hegmann, RD

jenny....@gmail.com

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[Susan Otcenas]

Thanks,

Please email me privately.

 >> hmmmm... that would really take the fun out of this!

 I agree.  Seems to me that if Jenny is going to mine the list for data, it might be nice for all of us to benefit from listening to other folks' philosophies/ideas on food.   I'm always experimenting with food on brevets and looking for new ideas, so I hope more people will respond PUBLICLY.

 

Susan 

[Jim House]

I would like to think about this and reply to the list – that what this group is ALL ABOUT - the sharing of information.

 

Now if you move the survey to Survey Monkey (.com) and make it public, then it will help all by grouping and organization of your efforts.

And at the same time allowing all of us to go to one web site and read all the postings from all others – question by question.

 

Jim House

--

[Donald Perley]

On Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 4:53 PM, Susan Otcenas <su...@teamestrogen.com> wrote:

>  I agree.  Seems to me that if Jenny is going to mine the list for data, it
> might be nice for all of us to benefit from listening to other
> folks' philosophies/ideas on food.

You were supposed to have to buy the book.

One tip not on the performance scale: Out of concern for dental
health I've gone away from the frequent sips of energy drinks, which
were essentially soaking my teeth in sugar for the duration of the
ride. Now I'm more towards periodic gels or bars. WIth that, or even
if I am using energy drink, every time is followed by a drink of fresh
water swirled around the mouth.

[WMdeR]

Hi, All,

Jenny's questions have been mooted here before more than once--a
review of the archives may be in order, but here's my take:

> How has your food/drink regimen helped or hurt your enjoyment, performance
> on (or off) the bike?

On the Bike: eating and drinking is critical for brevet-length
riding, and individual toleration varies widely. Eat as much as you
can digest in small quantities and drink as much as you can absorb.
For me that's around 250Kcal of mixed carbohydrates, fats, and
protein, and under 1l/hour maximum, taken either as plain water,
diluted fruit juice with some salt, or some sports drink. Regular
food works fine as long as it isn't too high in fat. Acidic fruit and
spicy foods don't agree with me while riding. I like bananas, dried
or fresh, a lot, and they're much more appetizing than salt tabs. I
find eating a touch too little on rides is less problematical than
eating too much. The former takes a few minutes to recover from a
bonk, and the latter takes hours to work through (sometimes
literally). Caffeine in moderation seems to improve my performance
noticeably (and I'm happier).

Off the bike: I'm young enough and active enough that my eating
patterns are only now coming to affect my life. Check back in ten
years when I'm 50, and I'll let you know. A vegetarian diet is
healthier if I pay attention to it, but an omnivorous diet is easier
if one isn't keeping track. Eating at home with real food is the way
to go in either case.

> What  was your worst mistake as it relates to food/drink/riding; what was
> your best discovery?

Overeating at meals was the big mistake for me. I only have done it a
few times, and each time is a long and painful reminder of why it is a
bad idea.

> Why do you prefer regular foods, snacks to commercial sports? (or don't
> you?)

Like most randonneurs, I use a mix of commercial sports foods and
regular foods on brevets. I usually bring bars and Gu with me and
work on those for the first 200mi or so, supplementing my take-along
materials with what I can find at controls (so Gatorade, non-chocolate
candy bars, chips, orange juice, cokes with salt and diluted, meat
jerky if I'm eating meat, bananas, etc). Meal-replacement drinks work
for me if I'm not actively exercising, and I use them to supplement my
caloric intake before a nap. I try to eat one real meal both before
and after a sleep period. I carry an extra emergency supply of gels
in the most accessible pocket of my handlebar bag in case I bonk or
run out of food.

> Describe how you stay hydrated, fueled, energized during training rides,
> races, or brevets?

I fill my handlebar bag with a variety of foods, eat 250Kcal/hour or
so, and drink water, an electrolyte mixture, or a sports drink to
taste. I drink coffee off the bike, and I continue to do so at
controls. I'm happier with a bit of caffeine on board.

> What successful methods have you used to lose excess body-fat in the high
> season, or not to gain weight in the off-season?

I don't ordinarily drink sweetened drinks or candy snacks (including
all the nutriceutical energy bars etc) except when exercising. I aim
to eat real food. I try to get through my CSA vegetable and fruit
share every week (all those high nutrient density vegetables crowd
other things out of my diet).

> What's your advice for a new biker on his first century, double century, or
> road race?

Covered above. Eat and drink moderately and often. Enjoy yourself,
don't hit the red zone too often (except at the finish), and keep
track of what worked for you (or didn't). Relax--this isn't rocket
science, and your body isn't going to lie to you too often. If you've
got a bad attitude, then a bite to eat may be in order. Don't have a
cheese sandwich right before a sprint or a short, intense hill unless
you really need to see it again.

> How does eating/drinking change for you with the type of riding you do--for
> instance, do you eat the same when mountain biking vs road racing vs touring
> around?

When I'm touring, I just follow my nose, and I usually just eat real
food, and seek interesting places to eat. What's the point of touring
if you can't eat well?

Racing?

A crit? A Gel and a water bottle. Show up to the start really revved
up.

A road race? I haven't done one of those in over twenty years. Back
then, a salt ham sandwich or PB&J, a de-fizzed salted coke, figs,
bananas, water in the bottle, and a caffeine tablet for the last
hour. I can still ride well on that diet for a pretty long spell

Mountain biking? Choose your riding companions on the basis of their
culinary ability! Water, small quantities of real food at stops, sips
of single-malt whiskey (compare tastes/budgets), the occasional beer
at the top of the biggest hill, all enjoyed with others and ending at
a pub/bar/brewhouse that serves food. I stop to eat when offroad.
Basically a rolling pot luck.

> What's your strategy for buying food on the road?

When riding: I see it, It appeals to me, I get it, and eat a bit of it
at a time. I avoid spicy foods and acidic ones when I'm exercising.
No matter how much I want a glass of apple cider, I will resist or
have terrible stomach cramps and diarrhea. No heavy meals.

> What's your philosophy/strategy for eating healthy day-to-day? Breakfast
> tips? Lunch tips?

Eat small meals of real food. Avoid sweetened drinks, drink alcohol in
moderation if at all, and eat white foods only when actually
exercising. Enjoy cooking and eating. It is a pleasure.

Read and review Velocio's food recommendations. Follow them, and
prosper.

Cheers,

Will
William M. deRosset
Fort Collins CO

[John Hughes]

I'm excited that Jenny's working on a new book project!  I've long used as a reference the book that she and Nancy Clark wrote:  The Cyclist's Food Guide.  Jenny was a valued contributor when I was editing UltraCycling and has helped us a lot with our Distance Cycling book.  So please help Jenny!

She might have asked for private replies so they go directly to her without her having to read through an entire thread—I'm copying her directly.  She's also encouraging people to reply privately, in case someone wants to remain anonymous.  But I doubt she's trying to stop folks for sharing what we've learned.  Here are a few of mine:

My worst food mistake?  PBP '79.  On the way back from Loudeac I was sick of bananas, baguettes and ham & cheese sandwiches, so I stopped eating.  It got ugly.  A British fellow and I ground through the night, crazy hallucinations and finally got back to Paris the next day.  I now know that while we can derive much of our energy for endurance riding from stored body fat, fat burns in the flame of carbohydrate.  And the brain can only metabolize glucose from carbs for energy.  Having completely depleted all of my glycogen, my body starting consuming my muscle to produce glucose, a process known as gluconeogenesis.  I was wasted!

What do I eat in long rides?  At least 1/2 the calories I am burning every hour, primarily from carbohydrate.  Jenny and Nancy's book contains a very useful table to estimate the number of calories you are burning at different speeds.  There's also a spreadsheet on my website:

     http://www.coach-hughes.com/resources/resources.html

Eating enough and regularly is far more important than exactly what to eat.  Like another person who posted, I'm an omnivore.

When I started riding in the '70s there were no commercial sports products available except for E.R.G. (Electrolyte Replacement Group), which was awful (but effective).  Clearly drinking part of my calories made sense, so I'd carry a bottle of fruit juice and a bottle of water.  I'd stuff my pockets with fruit, cookies, bagels with peanut butter, etc.  During every hour I'd plan to drink at least 1/2 bottle of juice, 1/2 bottle of water and eat 1-2 things, depending on the size. I'd graze—a bit of something very frequently during the hour.  As a check,  I'd note what time the ride started, e.g., 8 a.m, and at 9 a.m. I'd check to see if I'd consumed enough.  If not, I'd down more.

The acid in fruit juice can cause stomach upset and fructose sugar can be harder to digest.  I've since switched to a commercial sports drink, alternating it with sips of water.

Susan Barr, professor of nutrition and randonneur, taught me that a calorie is a calorie is a calorie.  On long rides my body will burn whatever I feed it.  She also taught me the importance of 24-hour nutrition for long events, i.e., for events of 24 hours and longer what you consume on the bike, as snacks at controls and as meals should equal what you are burning over the 24-hour period:

     http://www.coach-hughes.com/resources/calories.html

Several people have contributed ride planning spreadsheets for PBP (and other 1200s).  For rides of 600 km and longer, my ride plan includes my nutrition plan on- and off-the-bike so that calories in = calories out, as well as my estimated riding speeds, time at controls, time sleeping, etc.

One other gem from Susan:  some people eat to ride, some ride to eat!  Time to get on the trainer (below 0 F here in Colorado) and then fix lunch.

Cheers,
John Hughes
www.coach-hughes.com

On Tue, Feb 1, 2011 at 11:13 AM, <randon+...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

  Today's Topic Summary

Group: http://groups.google.com/group/randon/topics

• food and drink for cycling [4 Updates]
• The Big Wild Ride, Alaska's 1200K Grand Randonnée Application is Now Online [1 Update]
• Sub 0 snowy 200km ride [4 Updates]

 Topic: food and drink for cycling

Old5ten <old5...@gmail.com> Jan 31 01:04PM -0800 ^

 
these are some pretty good questions. i also think that others could
benefit from each others answers. a bit of a background: i dabble in
brevets, doubles, and road racing, and have ridden everything from crits to
pbp. i'm pretty darn slow, but like the workout.
 

> If you are interested, here are some questions to get you thinking:
 

> How has your food/drink regimen helped or hurt your enjoyment, performance
> on (or off) the bike?
 

trying to eat more and more consistently has eliminated much of the ups and
downs (nutritionally) i've experienced. there's nothing quite like being in
a lead group that just rode all night on a 400k, 10 miles from the finish,
and having to ask others to slow up for you because you're bonking.
 
 
 
 

> What was your worst mistake as it relates to food/drink/riding;
 

there've been many, usually eating/drinking too little/too late. but if one
stands instance stands out, it has to be the start of the davis 600k brevet
in 2007, the 'big' ride in our pbp qualifying series. it was an evening
start, so my wife and i had an early dinner in davis.
 
unfamiliar with our food choices, we walked around town and found a
vegetarian place that served delicious raw food. it looked good and tasted
great. about an hour later my stomach started a most frightening rumbling
and a bit later i found myself seeking refuge behind a container trailer,
which was parked in the dirt just adjacent to our parking lot.
 
it was not a great way to start the ride, especially when i followed up this
episode with forgetting my warm gloves and spent a futile half hour of
trying to chase back on to the lead group.
 

what was your best discovery?
 

don't get too hung up on having your favorite foods. they change over the
course of time and over the course of long rides. roll with what you have
and what you can get. don't dwell on how not having something is going to
hurt your performance or make life miserable because then it will.
 
 
 

> Why do you prefer regular foods, snacks to commercial sports? (or don't
> you?)
 

especially on long rides i feel it is best to be a true omnivore. it
dramatically increases your choices.
 
 
 

> Describe how you stay hydrated, fueled, energized during training rides,
> races, or brevets?
 

pre-hydrating has worked well for me. taking in liquids with a bit of
carbohydrate (sustained, cytomax) the day or two before a long event or a
stage race.
 
eating more frequently. i used to go for a gel or two per hour. now i'm
probably eating twice the caloric equivalent and try to eat every 20 minutes
vs. every hour while on the bike. in race situations it may be a bit less
frequent and definitely more random and on brevets or long training rides
i'll eat more at the controls.
 
i also try to eat strategically. it's not very favorable to eat right
before the hammer goes down. most of the time one can anticipate the hard
points in a ride, be it a race or a brevet. it's good to be well fueled at
that time, so think about how long it'll take to digest something and
actually help you. match eating with intensity. if things are going to be
low key for a while, that sandwich is okay. if i don't know, a gel, some
chomps, or fig paste will do. if i'm going to redline any time soon, i'll
get my carbs from a bottle.
 
 
 

> What successful methods have you used to lose excess body-fat in the high
> season, or not to gain weight in the off-season?
 

ha, ha! loose excess body fat?! that's funny! i remember drinking
similac to gain weight...
 
 
 

> What's your advice for a new biker on his first century, double century, or
> road race?
 

go in with the mind set that you can do it.
 
don't dwell on set-backs and discomfort. chances are pretty good that when
things are really bad, they are that way for other riders also.
 
be safe/comfortable riding in a group and suck wheel! not very glamorous,
but a good way to save energy and finish.
 
eat even when you're tired, not hungry, you hate your food choices, or it
seems like you just ate. try to keep a regular schedule and check it on
your watch. this is not about things tasting good or feeling hungry, this
is about having gas in the tank.
 
on long rides make sure you ingest some salt (V8 etc.) and digestible
protein.
 
 
 

> How does eating/drinking change for you with the type of riding you do--for
> instance, do you eat the same when mountain biking vs road racing vs touring
> around?
 

definitely not. i try to eat more on brevets/doubles and i've found eating
on those events much harder to do so vs. road races.
 
 
 

> What's your strategy for buying food on the road?
 

this looks good. it's got sugar, it's got protein, it has calories. yum!
 
 
 

> What's your philosophy/strategy for eating healthy day-to-day? Breakfast
> tips? Lunch tips?
 

easy on fatty meats. easy on pure sugar/fat. fruit tastes good!
vegetables can taste excellent. become independent: learn how to cook and
season food to your liking. calories in vs. calories out.
 
 
 

> Thanks,
> Please email me privately.
 

hmmmm... that would really take the fun out of this!
 

elmar
 
 
 
 


 

"Susan Otcenas" <su...@teamestrogen.com> Jan 31 01:53PM -0800 ^

 
Thanks,
Please email me privately.
 
 

>> hmmmm... that would really take the fun out of this!
 

I agree. Seems to me that if Jenny is going to mine the list for data,
it might be nice for all of us to benefit from listening to other folks'

philosophies/ideas on food. I'm always experimenting with food on

brevets and looking for new ideas, so I hope more people will respond
PUBLICLY.

Susan


 

"Jim House" <jho...@ccsol.com> Feb 01 07:42AM -0500 ^

 
I would like to think about this and reply to the list - that what this

group is ALL ABOUT - the sharing of information.
 

 
Now if you move the survey to Survey Monkey (.com) and make it public, then
it will help all by grouping and organization of your efforts.
 
And at the same time allowing all of us to go to one web site and read all

the postings from all others - question by question.

 

 
Jim House
 

 

 
From: ran...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ran...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of
Jenny Hegmann
Sent: Monday, January 31, 2011 11:05 AM
To: ran...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [Randon] food and drink for cycling
 

 

I'm collecting some anecdotes, advice, and personal tips from cyclists of

all levels for a book project I'm working on about food and drink for
cycling.
 
If you are interested, here are some questions to get you thinking:
 

 

How has your food/drink regimen helped or hurt your enjoyment, performance
on (or off) the bike?
 

 

What was your worst mistake as it relates to food/drink/riding; what was
your best discovery?
 

 

Why do you prefer regular foods, snacks to commercial sports? (or don't
you?)
 

 

Describe how you stay hydrated, fueled, energized during training rides,
races, or brevets?
 

 

What successful methods have you used to lose excess body-fat in the high
season, or not to gain weight in the off-season?
 

 

What's your advice for a new biker on his first century, double century, or
road race?
 

 

How does eating/drinking change for you with the type of riding you do--for
instance, do you eat the same when mountain biking vs road racing vs touring
around?
 

 

What's your strategy for buying food on the road?
 

 

What's your philosophy/strategy for eating healthy day-to-day? Breakfast
tips? Lunch tips?
 

 

Thanks,
 
Please email me privately.
 

 
Jenny
 

 

 
Jenny Hegmann, RD
 

<mailto:jenny....@gmail.com> jenny....@gmail.com

 
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Donald Perley <donp...@gmail.com> Feb 01 08:03AM -0500 ^

 

>  I agree.  Seems to me that if Jenny is going to mine the list for data, it
> might be nice for all of us to benefit from listening to other
> folks' philosophies/ideas on food.
 
You were supposed to have to buy the book.
 
One tip not on the performance scale: Out of concern for dental
health I've gone away from the frequent sips of energy drinks, which
were essentially soaking my teeth in sugar for the duration of the
ride. Now I'm more towards periodic gels or bars. WIth that, or even
if I am using energy drink, every time is followed by a drink of fresh
water swirled around the mouth.


 

 Topic: The Big Wild Ride, Alaska's 1200K Grand Randonnée Application is Now Online

Kevin Turinsky <kjtur...@mac.com> Jan 31 08:30PM -0800 ^

 
If you're not heading to PBP this year, but are still yearning for a
1200K adventure, come ride the giant loop of Interior Alaska on The
Big Wild Ride, Alaska's 1200K Grand Randonnée.
 
The application is now on line.
http://www.alaskarandonneurs.org/bwrFiles/BigWildRideApp.pdf
 
Hope to see you in Valdez, Alaska, on the beach of Prince William
Sound on 8/21/11!
 
We'd love to show you around! We even have délicieux pain au chocolat.
 
Kevin Turinsky
RUSA RBA - Alaska
www.alaskarandonneurs.org
907-317-6030
Alaska Randonneurs is on Facebook
Twitter: akrando
Photos: www.flickr.com/photos/28720636@N02/sets/


 

 Topic: Sub 0 snowy 200km ride

cacheoreille <cacheo...@hotmail.com> Jan 31 10:40AM -0800 ^

 
The CVRM in Montreal just had an 200km ride last saturday. Starting
condition were minus 5-10 celsius, snowing (2-3cm).
 
The course was starting from Montréal, going down to the Covey Hill
(the last hill in forward direction during Boston-Montreal-Boston) and
back. Seven riders started with 3 intending to do 'only' 85 km. 3
riders finished the course, one of them was an fixed-gear. The fixed
gear had to walk up the covey hill, but he enjoyed being able to brake
during the descent
 
You can see picture from the french blog of the fixed rider:
 
http://www.theyellowshark.com/odometre/?p=3482
 
or in the club news section (not so good quality, but amasing photos
of the covey hill)
 
http://pages.infinit.net/cvrm/PageNouvelles.html
 
They get all my admiration


 

"Veronica Tunucci" <vero...@comcast.net> Jan 31 03:12PM -0800 ^

 
This is the new definition of rando insanity. It's all perspective. :-)
I'm feeling quite sane now, thank you.
 
From the pictures, they look like the nice guys from the neighborhood.
Where are their friends or wives when they need to be talked of this
craziness? :-)
 
Fun pictures; thanks for passing along.

 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: ran...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ran...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of

cacheoreille
Sent: Monday, January 31, 2011 10:41 AM
To: randon
Subject: [Randon] Sub 0 snowy 200km ride
 
The CVRM in Montreal just had an 200km ride last saturday. Starting
condition were minus 5-10 celsius, snowing (2-3cm).
 
The course was starting from Montréal, going down to the Covey Hill
(the last hill in forward direction during Boston-Montreal-Boston) and
back. Seven riders started with 3 intending to do 'only' 85 km. 3
riders finished the course, one of them was an fixed-gear. The fixed
gear had to walk up the covey hill, but he enjoyed being able to brake
during the descent
 
You can see picture from the french blog of the fixed rider:
 
http://www.theyellowshark.com/odometre/?p=3482
 
or in the club news section (not so good quality, but amasing photos
of the covey hill)
 
http://pages.infinit.net/cvrm/PageNouvelles.html
 
They get all my admiration

 
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Sterling Hada <sterli...@gmail.com> Jan 31 03:52PM -0800 ^

 
Wow. Not my cup of tea, but "chacun à son goût." I wonder if Henry
Kingman has ever done this one? :^)
 
 


 

"Ken Holloway" <ken_ho...@netzero.net> Feb 01 12:03AM ^

 
Naw, too tame for Henry. He's done Iditabike I think.
---------- Original Message ----------
From: Sterling Hada <sterli...@gmail.com>
To: randon <ran...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [Randon] Re: Sub 0 snowy 200km ride
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:52:33 -0800 (PST)
 
Wow. Not my cup of tea, but "chacun &#65533;on go&#65533;I wonder if Henry
Kingman has ever done this one? :^)

 
 
 
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Cheers,
John Hughes
www.coach-hughes.com
PO Box 18028
Boulder, CO 80308-1028

[B&B Gear / Rando Richard]

Despite that I sell "tech" bike food on my site, I frequently get tired of it on long rides (300K +). I consequently designed a top tube bag that enables me to have food conveniently in front of me, w/o the need of reaching back to my jersey pocket (which is frequently covered with a jacket during all night brevets anyway). I also have a "snack tray" insert, which I place inside this bag for real food. 

My new favorite cycling food, which sustained me through my last "straight through" 600K, is steamed red potatoes. I add a salt and pepper and quarter them with the skins left on. I also supplement this with Perpeteum as the potatoes provide lots of carbs, but little or no protein, which is needed for 4+ hour events. I also like PB&Js a lot, but they dry out quickly when I have them in my top tube bag. 

I think my favorite "provided" food is the soon-to-be world-famous tortilla wraps provided by Susan Plonsky (RBA, Ariz.). Those are worth the 10-hour drive to Arizona! (Ham and/or turkey, cheese and a little potato salad in them along with other secret ingredients that she is always changing so I can't copy the recipe). 

As far as tech foods go, I like Cliff Bloks (carbs only) and also the new Clif Roks, which are laced with some protein. I usually have two "water" bottles on my bike, one with water with an electrolyte additive (Elete brand in liquid form) and the other with a flavored sport drink like Perpeteum (also adding Elete to it, as oddly enough, Perp. has little or no electrolytes) or Cytomax sports drink (no need to add Elete). 

I have a weakness for pastries, so at convenience stores, I usually go for a donut, muffin, sweet roll or a package danish. Sometimes I get a small sub sandwich with ham or turkey, in an effort to get some protein into my system. I always bring my own Perp. or Cytomax mix, pre-measured in powder form, in small Zip-Loc bags and mix with the water from the c-store fountain. 

Cheers,

Richard Stum
RBA, Salt Lake Randonneurs | http://www.RandoRichard.com/slr (New 2011!)
Blog | http://www.RandoRichard.com
Rando Gear | http://www.bgear.com

[Donald Perley]

On Thu, Feb 3, 2011 at 1:04 AM, B&B Gear / Rando Richard <in...@bgear.com> wrote:

> I think my favorite "provided" food is the soon-to-be world-famous tortilla
> wraps provided by Susan Plonsky (RBA, Ariz.). Those are worth the 10-hour
> drive to Arizona! (Ham and/or turkey, cheese and a little potato salad in
> them along with other secret ingredients that she is always changing so I
> can't copy the recipe).

There's nothing like mystery ingredients for someone who's digestive
system is already tender from overuse on a long ride! For me there
are a few (mayo or mustard for 2) that would have me tossing my
cookies on the next leg.
For someone else it might be the cheese. The more things you add,
especially if not visually identifiable, the more likely you are to
hit more of the riders' problem foods.
If you have to have your "secret sauce" that "everybody loves,"
please serve it on the side.

[William D. Volk]

I'll add that if you have been Vegan for some time, cheese and meat can throw your digestive system into a real state of upset.

I do eat fish on occasion, but I don't think I could do even that on a long ride.

I keep it simple ... diluted electrolytes to drink, a Cliff Bar every hour, and honey/almond butter (raw)/banana sandwiches as a 'main' meal (breakfast and lunch). It all depends on what you can tolerate.

Bill

> --

[Veronica Tunucci]

When someone offers me "provided" food, I typically just say "thank you" or
"no, thank you".

V

-----Original Message-----
From: ran...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ran...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of

[William D. Volk]

Yep. Total agreement.

Personally my choice of diet has everything to do with my physiology ... it's not ideological in the least.

Courtesy and gratitude are good things. That chicken soup at the Rainbow 200 event was VERY tempting. The smell was intoxicating.

William Volk

[Veronica Tunucci]

Personally my choice of diet is more gustatory, however I do read labels,
follow the latest food fads, etc. And I can't resist those bakery stops.
White flour, butter and sugar....great cycling food.

I waited for the homemade chicken soup at the Grand Tour Double more than a
few years ago and it was worth the wait. How special was that, the
volunteers made homemade chicken soup and were cutting up the chicken to add
to the broth as we waited.

V

[Bob the Wheelbuilder]

Disclaimer: I'm quite new to radonneuring. Last year was my first
full series, but I've done double centuries and other long rides for a
decade or so.

During the Santa Cruz 600k, the first 1/3 was pretty hot, and I must
have gotten behind on calories and sodium. I began obsessing about
eating at Taco Bell. I'd never eaten as many calories or fat while
riding as the meal I was dreaming of, so I was a little apprehensive
about what might happen, but anything healthy or "performance-y" was
unappealing. I ended up getting 2 crunchy tacos and a 32 ounce
Mountain Dew as I was riding out of Santa Cruz... it was food of the
gods, I tell you.

I ended up eating the same again in Marina on the way out to King City
and on the way back I stopped at the Marina Taco Bell once more for a
crunchy taco and a bean burrito. I never would have thought I could
eat that much and ride, but since I wasn't going at a killer pace, it
worked out great for me. Since, I've eaten a hot dog on several
permanents and, amazingly each went (and stayed) down fine. The
lesson, for me at least, seems to be I can eat what I crave and turn
it into energy as long as I'm not riding too hard. I wouldn't want a
gut bomb like this just before a long climb or other big effort, and
such junk food isn't good for me in the long run, but after many
straight hours of gel blocks and energy drinks, I do better with some
variety, sometimes even if it's greasy junk food.

Other things that have worked great for me at one time or another are
chocolate milk, salted nut rolls, cup o noodles, peach rings, V-8
juice and Pringle's potato chips.

YMMV

[Kevin Foust]

It all depends upon the pace for me.  If I'm cruising at less than 88% lactate threshold I can eat just about anything at any time.  Literally, anything.  Brawurst!  Love 'em.  Steak and eggs, bring it on!  Taquitos, Carnitas Torta, whatever, it all converts to energy at that easy pace.  When I start hitting 95% of lactate threshold what I eat and when I eat starts becoming REALLY important.  I normally switch to an engineered food of some sort like Perpetuem and eat and drink at 10-15 minute intervals.

Under any conditions at controls I have a chocolate milk, orange juice (NOT from concentrate) and V-8 juice.  I don't  necessarily have all these at every control but at least the milk.  I use Gatorade as a general rule for my hydration choice and supplement with Succeed Scaps for sodium replenishment in hot conditions.  I am pretty durable in terms of my food tolerances but have a strong preference for fresh fruit during the ride and at controls.  I also like Fig Newtons for road food and find them a nice alternative to energy bars although they aren't quite as durable as Cliff bars. 

I almost always carry a couple of gels, Hammer Gel is my current favorite, and a couple of pieces of cardboard, I mean energy bars, in case I miss my estimate on my eating requirements.  For example wet and cold weather seems to increase my energy, and therefore eating, requirements to a noticeable degree.  You can't always predict the weather.

My worst eating mistake was to get poisoned at a restaurant in Gaudelupe CA on a tour with some buddies.  2/3 of us were poisoned.  It took a couple of days of riding to shake that one off.  Lesson learned: don't be quite so daring with food out on the bike.

I never fight a craving when I'm on the road.  If I "need" lima bean soup, I try to find it.  I once spent the last two hours of a tour thinking about chicken-fried steak and mashed potatoes at a Cajun restaurant near my home.  I had that steak for dinner.

Later,
Kevin

On Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 8:04 AM, Jenny Hegmann <jenny....@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Donald Perley]

On Thu, Feb 3, 2011 at 10:53 PM, Kevin Foust <kdf...@gmail.com> wrote:

> My worst eating mistake was to get poisoned at a restaurant in Gaudelupe CA
> on a tour with some buddies.  2/3 of us were poisoned.  It took a couple of
> days of riding to shake that one off.  Lesson learned: don't be quite so
> daring with food out on the bike.

How was it daring to eat at a restaurant?

My experience with food poisoning on a 600K was most likely from food
at the overnight control. Given the timing of symptoms and when I
arrived at the station, the food probably just sat way too long at
inappropriate temperatures.

[Kevin Foust]

It wasn't really daring.  It was more poor judgment.  The restaurant looked a marginal in terms of cleanliness when we went in.  Instead of leaving we ate there anyway.

[Gregory Fisher]

I have done a number of Randonneuring events in the past.  Okay not all that many compared to most of the people that I have seen talking in the discussions.  I have only done 5 or 6 official events over the last 5 years.  But I have done quite a few of my own rides that I do by myself.

The thing is that I find myself living in an area that it is likely not safe to travel on the paved highways as there is a high amount of traffic and very narrow shoulders.  I move from the United States, back to Canada.  Unlike the United States Canada does not have very many minor roads that are paved and safe to ride a bike on.  So I need to invest in a mountain bike, so that I can safely travel on the gravel roads.  Now I do not know anything about mountain bikes so I need someone to give me some good advice about what is a good bike to purchase.  Don't know if any of you have experience with Mountain Bikes, but any suggestions would be welcome.  I live in Kindersley, Saskatchewan.  And if anyone does not want to share there insights with the whole group of people, my email address is Eno...@hotmail.com

I am willing to spend around $1000-$1500 dollars as I know you can not get a really good bike from Walmart or Canadian Tire.  Likely I will be going to one of the bike stores in Saskatoon to purchase a bike.

Gregory Fisher 

[russell...@yahoo.com]

Truth be told Wal-Mart has some decent bikes for sale. I think the
problem is they only sell one size of frame. So if you don't fit that
size, you should not buy from them. The bike below has an aluminum
frame, carbon fork, 7 speed Sora shifters, 700C wheels, dual pivot
brakes. Its not a bad bike. But at $549 its not exactly cheap for
what you get.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/700c-Mens-Schwinn-Road-Bike/5585800

Now, back to your original question. You need a cyclocross bike for
riding gravel roads. Get a cyclocross bike and you can happily ride
gravel roads. Cyclocross bikes are road bikes designed to fit wider
knobby tires and ride on grass, gravel, etc. off road.

[Slo Joe Recumbo]

For $1,500 you can get a very good hardtail (front suspension only).
I just started mountain biking at the age of (gulp) 66 because the
roads are not safe here in Johannesburg and there are "bike
jackings". I had a budget of $1,100 U.S. and knew I couldn't get a
full suspension with good components for that price. Plus, I was
only going to be in the states for a short period. I kept checking
craigslist but for the Miami area the pickings were slim. If a Santa
Cruz or Marin came up even in 26" I would have grabbed it for the
right price.

Do some reading for sure. I went to http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mountain_bikes.htm
and bought a 29er because of the smoothing effect of the big wheels.
I got the Fanthom Pro 29 SL for $999 at the time and it came with a
Reba shock, XTR components. Went with a hardtail because I knew I'd
be staying with the lower levels in the mountain bike club: Some
singletrack, jeep tracks, etc. and a bit of technical. If it's too
technical, "walking" is a gear.

My 29er has served me well. Just like any bike discussion, the
question usually gets the answer along the lines of "buy my brand of
bike. It's the best. Yours sucks". Well, okay. Not exactly,but ye
gets me drift.

Feel free to drop me an email and I can share some sources I used.

slo "even slower on a mtb" joe

[Bob the Wheelbuilder]

I agree a 29er hardtail (or even an unsuspended 29er) would be a good
choice. Top choice for me if I were in your shoes would be a Salsa
Fargo, but I'm not sure what build you could get for that price. It
would have the advantages of being able to run from road tires all the
way up to 29er mountain bike tires. They have disc brakes for better
performance in wet weather and can be set up with full racks for
touring. A Surly Long Haul Trucker can also take fairly large tires
for gravel roads and mild singletrack. Both, especially the Fargo,
can handle rougher terrain than you'd want to tackle with a cyclocross
bike and they can be used for loaded touring with full fender and rack
mounts.

You should also look at used bikes. You can probably find a great
bike within your budget buying used. The 90's series Trek hardtails
can be great deals.

I usually recommend the following configurations if n = the number of
bikes (n + 1 is always the ideal number to have, remember).

n
1 (mountain emphasis): hardtail
1 (road emphasis): cyclocross
2 (mountain) dual suspension and cyclocross
2 (road) road bike and hardtail
3 (mountain) dual suspension, singlespeed, road bike
3 (road) road, cyclocross or touring, hardtail

When n gets to the double digits, things like a Pugsley and a spare
road bike to leave on the trainer start to show up. Don't ask me how
I know this...

[Ron Alexander]

I agree with the conversation about a 29er hardtail. I bought one in
September to be used primarily for gravel road riding and have been
thrilled with it. (It's a Specialized Rock Hopper Pro.)

There are several Fargo riders around here (on gravel roads in the Flint
Hills of Kansas) who absolutely love the bike. As noted, tire changes
help make it very versatile.

Finally, there are several of the faster folks who have purchased
cyclocross bikes that have enough clearance for 29 x 2 tires. Those
tires mount up just fine on their 700c wheels and they ride gravel roads
like the wind on those things. They ride too fast for me, but they love
it!

Lots of good options. Enjoy.

(By the way - for those of you who think Kansas is flat - we've got some
rides for you that might change your mind. Especially, gravel road
rides. It's not the Rockies, but it is NOT flat.)

-----Original Message-----
From: ran...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ran...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf

Of Bob the Wheelbuilder
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2011 9:39 AM
To: randon

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