Biking Eighty Miles

[dteresa]

My daughter is loading the kids into the van and driving eighty miles to visit friends. Her husband will leave the house very early in the morning before the family sets out and bike to the location. He is making something with white rice and protein to take with him on the trip. I have no idea what.

What do you bike guys eat and drink on long bike rides? No contest involved, just transportation from one city to the next. Is some kind of protein necessary after the ride? I have read that you should have carbs and protein to recover but I have no idea what sort of protein they mean. How do you prepare, food wise for a day or two before the ride?

didi

[dailycarbs]

Just drink water and eat normal food (preferably whole carbs such as fruit and starches). Biking 80 miles is no big deal unless it's ridiculously hot or something else is at play. I've done it on an empty stomach and I'm no superman. People tend to build up these "feats" as something superhuman because they forget that the human body is pretty awesome—especially in your younger days.

[sharonbikes]

Assuming he has the fitness level to do so, biking 80 miles is not that far to ride. I do not bike without food. He just needs to carry some real food. Bananas are a long time staple bike food. I carry trail mix- it's nutrient dense and doesn't take a lot to give me the fuel I need to keep going. He doesn't need to worry aboout "enough protein" or "recovery food" - he just needs to eat to have fuel for his body. Some people carry dates. Some carry potatoes. He will need to carry water. I sometimes make granola bars out of the happy herbivore book that are oats and applesauce and I forget what else. I once made the millet bars our of the McDougall book and added some raisins to them. Anything that he likes and is small and lightweight to carry will do. Sounds like a great ride!

Sharon

[dteresa]

Someone mentioned hot weather and the weather will be in the nineties here on the day of. Does that make a difference in what you bring along?

didi

[sharonbikes]

Just more water. He may want to map out water and food stops along his route, too. Rice balls are a good bike source, too. Google it for recipes. It is easy to get dehydrated on a bike because you don't feel the sweat so much because it evaporates because of your motion. I carry GU shots as an emergency backup for the electrolytes. Is he an experienced rider?

[sharonbikes]

I should add that GU Shots aren't on plan. But, I bike a lot out in the middle of nowhere where there are no stores and no place to get food if I underestimate my needs or a planned food stop doesn't work out and I get in trouble- it has happened. I carry them in my bike bag, they don't go bad for a long time and they have saved me a couple of times. I have also encountered other cyclists who have needed them and have been glad I had them to give.

Sharon

[vgpedlr]

It really depends on the individual, what will taste good and will settle well, and the only way to find out is by experimenting. Bananas are traditional, but I don't like them much. Dates are OK, but more than a few irritate my throat. Sweet potatoes, cooked and cut into chunks are good, but I usually use those for breakfast on race day because they're convenient, require no further prep, and I can easily eat them while driving. Small salted potatoes are great, especially if you peel them and season with nutritional yeast. A bit messy, but tasty.

My absolute favorite are onigiri, Japaese rice balls, and my homemade Allen Lim style rice cakes. Recipes and photos are on the training table blog linked below.

As for protein, it's true that it helps in recovery, and in really long events, can be useful. But all real food has protein, as any McDougaller already knows, so there's no need to go chasing more just because you're riding a bike. The concern over protein comes from sports drinks and gels, which usually contain just carbs and electrolytes. Some now add amino acids. I find a combination of drinks, gels, and real food works well.

As for the ride, 80 miles doesn't mean anything. Flat? Or 10,000ft of climbing in the Rockies? What matters is how long it will last, which is based on a cyclists fitness. It's far more useful to think of such a ride as one that will last "X" number of hours. Then you can plan how much food, how much fluid, whether you will need to stop, etc. For instance, in my recent mountain bike race, I had to plan for 8 hrs when it came to nutrition. Fat adapted Sami Inkinen, who was almost twice as fast as me, only had to plan for 4 hrs.

What is the route like? Scenic?

[dteresa]

I have no idea about the route. My daughter just asked if I had any white rice and told me why. I do not keep white rice in the house.

Thanks so much for all the replies.

didi

[healthyvegan]

My absolute favorite are onigiri, Japaese rice balls

MINE, TOO! VgPedler you have to visit Los Angeles sometime, we have a Rice Ball restaurant right off our beach bike path with 5 vegan flavors & of course plain, too! I'm organizing a vegan bike ride in two weeks that highlights all the healthy spots along the way! http://www.meetup.com/vegandrinks/events/222720794/

Didi, I think an average road biker does about 15-18mph, so 80 miles is a good ride, but my 60+ year old aunt does 200 miler all day rides with her group of grey haired bicycle club every once in a while. I recommend dried fruit (like mangos) for easy to cary and eat while riding energy.

[vgpedlr]

My daughter just asked if I had any white rice and told me why. I do not keep white rice in the house. didi

Addendum:
The white rice is important. It has a higher water content, making it sticky enough to hold together. Also, the lower fiber content makes it digest more comfortably when exercising. I like white rice anyway for certain dishes, but it's important here. Also, it needs to be a short or medium grain white rice, such as sushi or cal rose rice. Long grain rice, like jasmine or basmati won't work either. Plenty of protein in white rice as well.

[vgpedlr]

Here's how I do rice balls:
http://trainingtableblog.net/2013/01/28/onigiri-rice-balls-for-training/
One of my favorite rice cake recipes:
http://trainingtableblog.net/2013/07/16/new-allen-lim-rice-cake-veganized/
My new recipe will be up soon, a spinach/mushroom and tofu scramble breakfast rice cake.

[vgpedlr]

MINE, TOO! VgPedler you have to visit Los Angeles sometime, we have a Rice Ball restaurant right off our beach bike path with 5 vegan flavors & of course plain, too! I'm organizing a vegan bike ride in two weeks that highlights all the healthy spots along the way! http://www.meetup.com/vegandrinks/events/222720794/

What part of L.A.?

I have a strong dislike of California south of Ventura. That's not prejudice, that's experience.

Rice balls are awesome. I learned of them from Scott Jurek's book, but I'm surprised I'd never come across them before since I have an affinity for most things Japanese. Jurek used miso, but I prefer the traditional ume shiso plum paste. The combination of super sour and salty ume plum with the mild sweetness of white rice, and the mineral taste of the nori is awesome in warm weather and easy to eat.

[sharonbikes]

I still haven't made these...and, I need to! Where do you find the plum paste?

[vgpedlr]

I still haven't made these...and, I need to! Where do you find the plum paste?

That can be a little tricky. Your best bet is an Asian market or Whole Foods. You may have to ask for it. Eden foods makes a very good umeboshi paste, and even sells the pickled plums. Like al their stuff, traditionally made, high quality, and expensive, befitting their macrobiotic background. WF usually has it with their other Asian ingredients. In an Asian market it will probably be with the condiments, or Japanese stuff, like wasabi in a tube, or not. It might not be labelled in English. Asking is best.

[sharonbikes]

Thanks! I do well at the Asian market by asking - I have several Asian markets much closer than Whole Foods.