I’ve been in a rhythm where I wake up and have a good bit of coffee and a big bowl of greek yogurt and like 4 bananas. then I digest for 2 hours while I do computer work or walk my dog or house chores, etc. then ride. that’s been great to fuel my morning rides.
my schedule is changing and I’m basically gonna have like 30 minutes from wake up to be on the bike.
should I just eat my meal after my ride (I will eat carbs during the ride).
I’ve never really eaten protein while riding but have heard people eating cliff bars? is that just for like multi day rides? is that to tolerance? I can’t imagine eating my big bowl of yogurt then hopping on a bike…i think i’d explode.
my morning rides are usually Endurance Rides (sometimes light tempo) ~90-120 minutes. (I do my hard intervals on days off so fueling is no problem).
ty for any input. my main objective is to be fueled for these endurance rides so they are minimally fatiguing - these rides are also my commute to work so a) I don’t wanna be too tired and b) I gotta go home (I go a little shorter on the way home…like 65-70 min)
I like to do some instant oat meal (I do a packet and then add some more and some stuff for flavor). Then I make myself a Peanut Butter and honey sandwich and eat that. Usually about 2ish hours before the ride does the trick.
A few of my “what can I eat and then immediately start a ride” foods. Oatmeal (with water, not milk), toast and honey, pancakes/waffles and syrup/honey, dates. Basically quick carbs and no dairy.
If you’re going to carb appropriately on the bike, then eat something small within 15 min of your ride and eat breakfast after your ride. I like to eat coffee with just carbs like a banana, white rice with furikake, toasted frozen pancake, bread with honey, etc.
My standard breakfast before any morning ride is a white bread and strawberry jam sandwich… 2-4 slices depending on duration of the ride. I carb load the day prior to my big rides, and this is a quick and easy extra 50-100g of carbs which will not interrupt my digestion on the bike.
I’m usually on the bike within 15 minutes of finishing eating this, and 30-45 minutes after waking up.
Quick to make/eat, you ought to be able to hold off breakfast until after you get to work if you are drinking carbs on the bike and you had a proper meal the night before. Eat your yoghurt and bunch of bananas when you get to work
Quick to digest shouldn’t be an issue if it is a Z2 endurance ride, you shouldn’t need to worry about the type of food because the intensity is too low to divert circulation from your gut and affect the digestion of fat and protein that are typically slower to digest.
I’ll also add that you should avoid caffeine until after you’ve eaten your breakfast.
If it’s just endurance then I can basically eat anything but if it’s gonna be a bit longer then I do some oatmeal with honey and frozen blueberries immediately before (like I microwave it while I make up bottles and then eat it while I get dressed) and then have my usual yogurt bowl after. The frozen blueberries add flavor but also bring the temperature down quickly so I can eat it right away.
frozen waffles. I pop them in the toaster while i do my bathroom routine. smear with pb. eat while getting dressed. bed → trainer time is about 15 minutes if i dont get sucked into doom scrolling.
Frozen waffles for the win. This is my go to as well. I bring them with me to races where I’m staying at a hotel or wherever. Poptarts are also super easy.
Bagel washed down with can of coke, ginger ale, or root beer. Delicious, all carbs, and super fast. If you don’t go for the carbonation replace with Gatorade or juice.
Ok thank you everyone. I’ll start having a bigger breakfast after.
But you all have no problems eating 15 min before if it’s all carbs? Just feels weird to have food sloshing around in there. I’ll get used to it I guess.
I know i can do my morning endurance rides without eating, I just know I have to work the day, then ride home…I also do some calisthenics/bodyweight training during lunch time. then fatigue just accumulates eventually if I skip my big breakfast.
If its Z2/endurance pace you should be able to eat anything, couple of years ago when I was fit enough to run in Z2. I’d go out for my runs on a full stomach and I’m not just talking a light sandwich for lunch, I’m talking a roast dinner or a full english breakfast.
If its just endurance ride I doubt I’d look much further than my current breakfast for morning rides, microwave porridge oats (flavoured) and a good carb drink with caffeine in ride.
