Long-Ride Cycling: How to Fuel Before, During and After

Every cyclist remembers their first proper bonk: the moment on a long ride when the legs simply stop answering and a small hill feels like a wall. It is nearly always a fueling problem rather than a fitness problem, which is good news, because fueling is much easier to fix. Most of it comes down to real food. Separately, some riders also take a daily drink such as IM8.

What should you eat before a long ride?

Your body stores a limited amount of carbohydrate in the muscles and liver. Start a long ride with those stores topped up. For a ride of three hours or more, have a normal carbohydrate-rich dinner the night before and a breakfast two to three hours before you leave. Porridge, toast, bagels and rice all work well.

Go easy on very high-fibre or fatty foods just before you start. They sit heavily, and a long way from home is a bad place to find that out. If you ride first thing in the morning and cannot face a meal, something small such as a banana and a slice of toast is better than nothing.

How much should you eat on the bike?

For rides under about an hour at an easy pace, water is usually enough. Beyond that, a common guideline is 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour, with experienced riders on long, hard days sometimes going higher. To put that in real terms, a large banana has around 25 to 30 grams, and most energy gels contain about 20 to 25 grams.

The trick is to start early. Eat something within the first 30 to 45 minutes and then keep going little and often. Set a timer on your bike computer if you tend to forget. By the time you feel hungry on a long ride, you are already behind.

• Good real-food options: bananas, flapjacks, rice cakes, jam sandwiches, dried fruit.
• Handy packaged options: gels, chews and energy bars, which are easier to manage when you are riding hard.
• Test it first: try everything on training rides, never for the first time at an event.

How much should you drink?

Needs vary widely with heat, effort and body size, so there is no single right number. Many riders do well on about 500 to 750 ml per hour, more on hot days. Drink to thirst, and take regular sips rather than large gulps at each stop. On rides of several hours, particularly in hot weather, add electrolytes to at least one bottle. Drinking large amounts of plain water for hours is not a good idea either, since it can dilute your blood sodium.

What to do when you get home

You will often feel more tired than hungry. Try to eat anyway. A meal within a couple of hours, with carbohydrate and protein together, helps you recover and makes the next ride better. Something like pasta with chicken, or eggs and potatoes, is simple and enough. If you ride again the next day, this meal matters even more. Between big rides, a daily powder like IM8 Essentials Pro can sit alongside your meals, but it does not replace them.

Eating well during heavy training weeks

When you are riding a lot, it is easy to spend the rest of the week eating badly, because you are short of time rather than short of food. Fresh fruit, vegetables, beans and whole grains should still be the base. Some riders also take an all-in-one drink. IM8 Daily Ultimate Essentials Pro, for instance, is a powder that lists 90 ingredients in a single serving, and the company says it is NSF Certified for Sport, which matters if you compete in tested events. Think of it as an extra, not a replacement for real meals or for what you eat on the bike, since it is not designed to fuel a ride. If you have a health condition or take medication, check with your doctor before adding any supplement.

A simple plan for a four-hour ride

1. Night before: a normal dinner with a good portion of carbohydrate.
2. Two to three hours before: porridge with honey and a banana, plus a large glass of water.
3. Hour one: a bottle of water and half a flapjack after 30 minutes.
4. Hours two to four: a gel, banana or rice cake every 30 to 40 minutes, and one or two bottles an hour depending on the weather.
5. After: a recovery meal once you have showered, then a normal dinner.

Your own numbers will change with size, speed and weather. Keep a few notes on what worked, what upset your stomach and how the last hour felt. After a handful of long rides you will have a plan that fits you far better than any general guide, including this one.