Going into the wya back machine…many years ago at the Caspar Classic stage race, I tired that with my Powerbars. Figured I would cut them into smaller, bit-sized pieces and just nibble regularly.
Was so hot it melted them all together inside the bag and I was left with just a big hunk.
yeah I ride outside all summer in 90+ degree heat and what you pack is more important than how you pack it!
How on earth do you unzip a ziplock one handed? And then take them out?
I am on a TT bike, but even on my road bike, I want a simple one handed safe, no faff, way to pick them up and put in my mouth. Then get back on the bars (and back in an aero position) in a minimum time?
Please don’t do what I did once: wrap the halves in silver foil… especially if you have fillings in your teeth!!! 
So today, with some buddies, I rode 50 miles at ave speed of 21 mph. I rode another 22 miles at easy pace. Total of 72 miles, ave speed of 18.7. Not a hard ride, but not totally easy. Good enough to test nutrition strategy.
Breakfast was a bowl of Cheerios covered in real maple syrup. 250 calories, 75 gr carbs. Cup of black coffee.
Rode 11 miles To the ride start, drinking one bottle with 75 gr carbs, and one banana.
One 75 gr: carb/300 calorie bottle an hour for the just over 2 hours with the guys, plus half a cliff bar. (My cliff bars actually are 41 gr carbs 250 calories each. I was wrong in an earlier post).
Last hour 11 mile easy ride home, 4th bottle loaded with same mix, and one gel (22 gr carbs).
Honestly, I have never felt so fresh after a 72 mile ride and even lit it up hard on the last climb to get home.
Thanks for everyone’s advice. I now know exactly what to carry on my sub 5 century attempt, and I’m pretty confident that I can do it.
I actually think we could go much faster, as with 1-3 minute pulls in a group of 5 riders, I averaged just 150 watts to maintain 21 mph. TR has really helped me to stay low and aero. Other guys in the group averaged nearly 200 watts (mostly riding n the hoods), and I think I pulled as much or more.
157 miles on gravel. Wow!
Today was supposed to be a “training” ride but we did it! 4:41 ride time, 4:52 elapsed. We stopped twice to swap water bottles at the car. 6 started. Within 10 miles, 3 guys took a wrong turn. We slowed to 20 mph to let them chase back on. Took them about 10 minutes. Then at about the 25 mile mark, one guy dropped. At 75 miles lost another guy. Felt the loss and it got tough. Ended up with a 21.3 mph average. The wind was pretty bad. Lots of head and cross wind. Weighed myself before and after the ride. Identical. Last 7 miles were tough as I had nausea because I did something different and made some sandwiches that didn’t go well. Next time will stick to bananas, gels, and powder. Only burned 2750 calories, but ate over 2000 calories on the bike. Mostly down low in drops or pseudo TT position. 166 ave watts, 186 NP. I’m 150 pounds. 5’11”. My TT buddy who is same size as me on an aero TT bike only did 150 watt average.
Haha, are you sure your mates aren’t just goading you into using up your legs early in ride for a bit of fun? I’m similarly time crunched and ride less miles than my friends but more trained ( thanks to TR) than most. On 1-2 hr rides with them, I have tons of margin to waste energy. On long rides or with the hitters on Tuesday night worlds, I have to tighten up my efficiency game, don’t waste a watt in the wind unless it’s my turn to pull or move to a safer wheel, etc.
5 kids and you still find 8-9 hours a week to ride?!?!? That’s just flat out impressive.
Thanks Alex. On Tuesdays, I bring my bike to work and ride for an hour at lunch. There is a crit track 10 min ride away (perfect for the warmup and cooldown). Same thing Wednesdays (but for 1.5 hours) and Thursdays (1 hr).
I eat on the bike, which is good practice anyhow for time trials and group rides.
Then, I do a 3-4 hour ride Saturday morning early usually with some buddies, often times solo, back by 10 am and again on Sunday morning, but Sunday morning is usually Z2 or Tempo.
Sometimes if work is busy, I do the 1 hr ride at night on my rollers (used to have a kickr). Sometimes on Sundays, I’ll wake up at 5 am and do a 5 or 6 hr ride.
My wife is great - what can I say! Wouldn’t trade her for the world…