Nutrition on the road - What, How and Why?

Yeah. Ride plenty on the front on the way out and keep it SUPER EASY. Let him do the pulling on the way back whilst you have a snack.

^this.

If it's achievable when on your own, it should be much easier as a pair.
Do the least amount of work as possible. The more experienced cyclist should appreciate that you may not be as fit as him and so should take more turns.

Thats Brill, thanks for the help you two.

My chum loves riding through Lundun and loves the sound of the East-West-East loop. I see what you mean about it being easier as a pair, last time he was down this way he helped me beat my 'personal best' up to work and back, it was a quiet Sunday and instead of my usual 1Hr 25Min he got me down 1Hr 18min, even he was pooped at the end of that one ... insert proud smiley!

When you speak of snack, choccy bar or summat? I'm an Hippy Veggie BTW.

I really like the Nakd bars: http://www.naturalbalancefoods.co.uk/nakd-fruit-and-nut-bars/

Vegan and no added sugar, the cocoa ones are nice and don't make me feel icky when eating them all day on longer rides. You can get cheaper multi packs in supermarkets.

There's got to be advertising slogans galore here.... "Eat Nakd to avoid Knackerence!" or suchlike. Thanks again for the advice and guidance, looking forward to it even more now.

Flapjacks are my fuel of choice on long rides :)

Also, I assume you have water bottles? Maybe make one up with a 50/50 mix of water / lucozade and sip on that as well through the ride (some people find it too much to digest on its own whilst riding hence the 50/50 suggestions, but really, whatever works for you)

Is there anything Nutrition/foodwise I could do before or during the ride to help me be less-pooped on the way back?

The most important thing is to keep eating and drinking while you're riding--eat small morsels and drink small sips at regular intervals. I'm assuming that you're capable of eating on the bike, e.g. opening up wrappers, and that you have bike-mounted bottles. A couple of energy bars of the aforementioned brand (or others, like SIS or Torq, also vegan) and maybe a gel in case you really blow should be enough, plus a little something savoury at the café stop.

I wouldn't worry, though; if your friend is an experienced rider, he'll know exactly what you'll be going through and at what level you'll be, so he should give you all the help he can. Enjoy the ride!

It's actually only possible to take one more turn ;-)

#pedant

Thanks everyone again, yes, got bike mounted water-bottle. I always take one full of either tap or sparkling water including the commute. Northern bike chum likes his flapjacks too, no wonder he's so zoomy, thin as a stick mind! I'm more of a hairy slightly rounded 12st 10lb log. I'll stock up on tasty nibbles for whilst riding, dunno if I can handle undoing packets and riding at the same time, I'm a male... thats multitasking innits? Luckily I'm also a big girls blouse with long girly hair too so maybe I can!

Thanks again for tips, much appreciated all.

Onwards.

Snip the corner with scissors before you depart, then you can 'open' them with your teeth. #protip.

Prep is the key. I know it's a bit boring, but the evening before a long morning ride, I ensure all my food packets are easy to open when I have frozen fingers at 5am.

Actually, that reminds me: A couple of weeks ago I went for 100k, setting off before 5am. After 50k my hydration had almost frozen and I was unable to drink the slush through the bottle. Apart from anti-freeze, is there anything (that won't taste shit) I can mix in to prevent this?

Vodka.

Hot flask for winter

Waitrose do some nice rice cakes, the square ones.

Loving the 'protips' and proper laffed at Vodka suggestion. Will prepare the night before, limiting Friday Ale intake too, this is s-s-s-serious stuff now :-)

I've don't think I've ever seen 5AM, I am actually a sloth until about 8.30AM whereupon I take on human-form. Not one for early doors you might say.

I'm a Hippy Veggie BTW.

I'm also a big girls blouse with long girly hair too

We need to meet. :)

"Grab ya coat darlin... ya've pulled!".

I've not really gone through all the discussion on the last couple of pages, but @FatManOnAFixie, I find getting some protein in for breakfast is good on really long rides. And make sure you get a little bit of food down ever 20-30 mins.

I wouldn't stress about the whole thing too much though, you're mates with your riding companion already, so if you start feeling a bit slow just tell him, get some coffee and cake and recuperate, then get back on it.

Wooaaarrhhh! It was a great ride for both of us :-)

As you all so rightly said, preparation was the key. Nibbling some fruity bars and a Yogurt Covered nutty bar did the trick throughout the journey. Lots of water too. Cappuccino and a MerryCan style mega cookie provided easily enough charge to get me me back home sufficiently without any woe.

Heading back was tougher than expected, Yorkshire based riding chum noted that there was no let up in the Wind at all for ~ the last 25 miles or so. He coped a smidge better as he had a geared bike and like y'all suggested sheltered me a bit when I was struggling into the wind. What was surprising was that as soon as we got off the final bit of the really exposed sections of the Thames path my chum was shattered so I took lead and set the pace , no really! Final drag back into Dartford we hit the one system at 18+ mph, wicked (bruv)! Might've been the lure of the Pub TBH and my other half's Dall and Veggie Curry + Roti's waiting for us after a swift 'refreshment' stop!
Stat's...
66.65 mi Distance
13.6 mph Avg Speed
4,116 C Calories
4:54:11 Time
276 m Elev Gain

The machines....

Thanks for the sage advice, "10/10, would ride again" I believe is correct forum parlance.

Cheers.

^ rep.

Not such a fat man these days, no?

Cheers fella.

Ha! I wish, hovering around 12st 10lbs at the mo. The weight loss has stalled over Winter/Christmas, I do like the occasional Ale, when I say 'like'....

Still, better than the 15 and half Stone I was at a couple of summers ago pre-SS/FG bike discovery. Giving up Skateboarding at 46ish didn't help with the weight gain I confess but if I can keep the weight down like this and stay fit(ter) I might start stuntplanking again, never particularly any good at it but really miss it though.

Nice stuff. 10/10 - Would read again.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/adding-salt-to-sports-drinks-can-improve-performance-research-suggests-161033

^ re. adding salt to sports drinks.

Having re-acquired candidiasis for what must be about the sixth time I've been back on the sugar/carb free diet as a means of getting rid of it once again. Problem being, this time I'm riding a lot, and find it hard to actually fuel up for longer rides.

Other than quaffing nuts like a mental fucking squirrel, does anybody have any tips for nutrition that don't involve those two in droves?

Re: Hydration, I watched this last night which was quite interesting (from about 19mins:30)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05r8g79/britains-favourite-foods-are-they-good-for-you

What sugars? All?

Make your own nut butter.