road food

watermelonman

I'm going on a 50 mile ride tomorrow. I'm already carrying a fair amount of stuff with me, so bringing along a little more than the standard energy bar would probably be worth the weight.

Has anyone got any last-minute suggestions for some decent road food?

JJ99

I've had good luck with trail mix (the kind with M&Ms is good) and, believe it or not, those new Snickers energy bars. I know, mostly candy but they both seem to help.

tdants

I ride centuries occassionally for charity. Nothing beats red, strawberry licorice. High carbs, low fat, low cost, readily available, filling.

Original poster's name is intriguing. Since watermelon is my favorite food, high in carbs, and very tasty, maybe we should just carry a couple watermelons with us while we ride.

bjhkmf

I definately agree with the red licorice! It is THE best for a ride. Keeps me going, gives me something to chew on besides the occasional bug and doesn't tend to melt.

I also like to eat 1/2 of a PayDay candy bar here and there. It also keeps me going for quite a while and doesn't melt.

Have a good ride!

nomis

bananas are my favorite road food. the typical banana has:

Calories 120
Fat 1g
Sodium 0 mg
Protein 1g
Carbohydrate 32g
Dietary Fiber 3g
Potassium 300mg

almost perfect road food. all that potassium is great for reducing lactic acid buildup, which means you're less likely to cramp. plus they're easy to eat while riding & you don't need to worry about disposing of a wrapper or anything when you're done: just toss the peel into a field/forest/whatever.

enjoy your ride.

tdants

typical banana (3-piece serving of licorice)has:

Calories 120 (120)
Fat 1g (0.5g)
Sodium 0 mg (105mg)
Protein 1g (1g)
Carbohydrate 32g (29g)
Dietary Fiber 3g (not much)
Potassium 300mg (I don't know)

I'm after the sugar/carbs, less fat and convenience. Less mass in licorice, on a serving by serving comparison. And there's no trash involved with licorice either, provided you don't mind the fuzzy stuff that the licorice picks up from inside your pockets (there - there's your fiber!). Five servings of licorice amounts to fifteen pieces of licorice (less than the weight of one banana). Five servings of bananas amounts to a short guy wearing an animal skin running behind you with a bunch of bananas balanced on his head.

TA

artmichalek

I go with the bananas. They're a lot easier to chew and swallow when I'm tired and thirsty. Chocolate Pop Tarts are good too.

ladukebob

It also depends on how long you plan on the ride taking. If your talking 2.5-3.0 hours then go with a couple Gu packets and a couple cliff bars. I also like to mix a sports drink in one of my water bottles. I like the taste of the Eccelerade fruit punch powder. As posted above banana's are good but I find them to be kind of cumbersome in my jersey pocket. I personally don't like foods that are to high in the sugar dept. they give you a nice boost but will also leave you feeling flat after the sugars burned up. Go with foods with lots of carbs and sodium. Good luck.

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thanks,dk

Dr.Hairybiker

I like banannas, but they get beat up anywhere you put them it seems. I like to nuke a couple of mid-sized potatos in the skin almost to the point of being overcooked, then wrap them in tin-foil while they're still hot. Then I eat them on the road like apples, great for a carb boost. Peanut butter powerbars are a favorite also.

beanfoto2

Don't you have to get off the bike a little more often with the licorice?