# Trail food, energy food etc for the trail rides. What say you



## Tallboy723 (4 mo ago)

So what are you guys and girls packing in your bag to keep your hunger contained as well as your energy up. 
Back in the day the energy gel packs and shot blocks and jelly bellies were pretty popular. I’m guessing there are more popular options these days. So let me know what you take on the ride? I’m looking for ideas, so I’m prepared. Also, great tasting items is always a plus.


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## OldN00b (2 mo ago)

I don’t overthink it.

Clif shots with 100mg caffeine per serving, trail mix made from whatever is lying around - right now it’s peanut butter filled pretzels, raw walnuts, sesame sticks and dried apricots and berries - and dripdrop electrolyte powder for rehydration after the ride.

I’m guessing there are better, more high tech options but this seems to work for me.


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## GJmtnbike (Nov 27, 2017)

Just started using Skratch energy chews and energy bars.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

Fig bars. 
=sParty


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Nature's bakery fruit bars. Don't need caffeine to ride. Bring stuff you want to eat and won't get sick of (because you don't like it).


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## mlloyd007 (Dec 7, 2009)

I’m a big fan of Jambars. Organic bars made by one of the founders of Powerbar. Taste great.


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## bmwpowere36m3 (May 14, 2007)

Depends on the ride and duration… could be a simple granola bar, to energy gels, to stroopwafel, to nutella/peanut butter sandwich.

Lately for 2’ish hour rides I’ve been taking my sons fruit/veg/smoothie squeeze pouches. Easy to consume, gentle on stomach and quick hit of sugar.

Also, now after the holidays, lots of treats and sweets for that carb fix.

When I did long gravel rides, I really planned it out. Whereas most of MTB rides are 1-3hrs, which doesn’t take as much.


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

Nothing for short rides. For 3-4 hour + rides I'll take one, or some combination of the following:
Peanut m&m, fig bars, Cheez-its, Fritos, gummy bears, pepperonis, left over pizza, breakfast burrito, raisins, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, nuts, jerky, peanut butter sandwich crackers, etc. Sometimes I'll bring Clif Bloks or a gel or a Honey Stinger waffle.


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## barelfly (Jun 27, 2008)

Fig bars, Stinger Waffles, SCRATCH rice crispy bars or energy bars, shot blocks, PBJ

all depends on the length of the ride As to what I take and feel like eating.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

I buy the big boxes of Nature's Bakery Fig Bars at Costco.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

mlloyd007 said:


> I’m a big fan of Jambars. Organic bars made by one of the founders of Powerbar. Taste great.


If I ever find that guy I'm going to throw frozen original powerbars at him. I used to take them to ski races/practice. Those were terrible.


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## OldN00b (2 mo ago)

Jayem said:


> If I ever find that guy I'm going to throw frozen original powerbars at him. I used to take them to ski races/practice. Those were terrible.


Agreed. Powerbars were (are?) pretty damn nasty. A buddy used to remove the wrapper, stick the bars to his bars and pick pieces off to chew as he rode. Pretty nasty if you ask me.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

OldN00b said:


> Agreed. Powerbars were (are?) pretty damn nasty. I buddy used to remove the wrapper, stick the bars to his bars and pick pieces off to chew as he rode. Pretty nasty if you ask me.


The original ones were straight up bricks.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

One of the things we do in the winter though is dump all the gummies or food into the feedback with no packaging. On endurance rides and races it's nice to not fumble with that stuff. Even dumping that stuff into our pogies for winter races. 

PB&J
PB&B
Cookies
Fruit bars (as mentioned above)
Chocolate covered almonds
Salty nuts, especially fatty ones like cashews and macadameia
Sandwiches
Jerkey
Sausage
etc...

It's all about finding something that you _like_ to eat, and then eating every 30 min to 45, to keep your blood sugar up. You don't need to cram a bunch of fuel at those intervals, but in general you do need some simple sugars at those intervals to keep fueled and feeling good. Some of the more fat, protein and complex carb laden stuff is good for "base" food, eaten at much longer intervals.


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## Sucker Punch (9 mo ago)

GoMacro bars. Calorie dense and a good balance of carbs, fats and protein.


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

PB&J 
Chocolate with >70% cacao.
Nothing energies me like dark chocolate, it's a clean long burn too.


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## Niks (4 mo ago)

Depends on trail, direction and duration. Usually carry with me few oat bars. If route is longer than 30-40km add sanwich with ham, yellow cheese or so. Sometime add one more with peanut butter and chokolate, this is powerful and charge me enough. If pick up with me, the big backpak - instant coffee and gas stove. Lot of water, because dehydration is not recommended.


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## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

Single seving foil pouch of salmon and a double IPA.


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## Juansan (Dec 30, 2020)

Gu Roctane Sea Salt Chocolate with a banana. Consumed together tastes like a banana split.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Jayem said:


> PB&J



For races?


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## ladljon (Nov 30, 2011)

OG Turkish Figs, Hemp Food Energy bars, Hammer Gel, Electrolyte drink...


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## VegasSingleSpeed (May 5, 2005)

J.B. Weld said:


> For races?


Probably depends on how long the race is. During a 300-miler last month, I made up at least 20 minutes on a competitor while he was at Burger King ordering a pair of Impossible Burgers


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## louiesquared (6 mo ago)

I use LMNT in my water for most rides. For morning rides, less than 3 hours I usually ride in a fasted state. For longer rides I will pack a couple Munk Pack Keto Granola Bars and some thick cut beef jerky.


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## Mac_89 (Mar 24, 2021)

Hipflask and a blunt.


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## eri (Sep 4, 2012)

Clif bars are $0.75 each on sale and 260 calories. On regular rides it’s one every 45 minutes, otherwise I’m shaky and fatigued after 2.5 hours - especially in winter. Staying up on carbs helps the recovery too.

I’ve not found anything better in that price range.

For 5+ hours I use tailwind in hydration pack. Fantastic but too expensive for every day.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

J.B. Weld said:


> For races?


350 miles.


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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

I ditched refined sugar maybe 8 years ago. So all that single sugar crap is gone and replaced with slow burn carbs and real food.

I'll start off with a hearty porridge breakfast. Sub 4hours, that's all I need. So no food on the ride. For an all day ride I'll pack in some wraps or sandwiches. Usually a BLT sometimes with egg and sometimes with avocado.

On big days I'll throw in a fruit and nut mix to nibble on.


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## Taroroot (Nov 6, 2013)

I've tended to move away from the bars and jells. I'll pack a bar or two as backup, but I now buy something from local bakery/supermarket. Chocolate peanutbutter scone. Lately chocolate chip salted cookie has been a fave. Also toss in a handful of light salt almonds. Sometimes I grab the stroopwaffles they have, they don't make those themselves, but comes in a 10 pack which is way cheaper than buying the prepack Honey Stinger waffles, which I occasionally use too. Sometimes some fruit that tolerates the travel and easy to eat, grapes, cherries. It works for me.


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## eri (Sep 4, 2012)

Anti sugar folk: it really depends on your ride intensity. If youre spending significant time above your lt theres no substitute for sugar. Youll bonk.

For leisurely all day trip ill bring apples, cheese and crackers and pbj for the view picnic (and still 4-5 clif bars.) im happy at ~>400 calories per hour which gets heavy fast if its real food.

Weekday training rides theres no time to stop i mouth the sugar asap and clif bars are cheap, clean, small, store well in my truck and are fast to gobble. I used to not eat and that was bad. Ive experimented and for me Hill intervals require lots of sugar.

easy rides like recovery or with family i generally dont eat but bring snacks for others.


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## BadgerOne (Jul 17, 2015)

Damn, does no one here make their own stuff? I use a classic oatmeal cookie recipe, but substitute with thick-rolled organic oats, 100% whole wheat flour, coconut oil, coconut sugar and currants in addition to the regular spices. Makes for a super calorie-dense bite full of complex carbs with a reasonable GI index and the coconut oil gives the quick energy and metabolism hit without spiking your glucose.

Agree on the refined sugars, that stuff is garbage and you don't need them, your body will adapt. Eat real food.


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## GKelley (Sep 4, 2018)

I prefer to ride fasted, unless it's over 2 hours. Then it's a sandwich and a piece of fruit. Simple water for hydration.


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## eri (Sep 4, 2012)

BadgerOne said:


> Damn, does no one here make their own stuff? I use a classic oatmeal cookie recipe, but substitute with thick-rolled organic oats, 100% whole wheat flour, coconut oil, coconut sugar and currants in addition to the regular spices. Makes for a super calorie-dense bite full of complex carbs with a reasonable GI index and the coconut oil gives the quick energy and metabolism hit without spiking your glucose.
> 
> Agree on the refined sugars, that stuff is garbage and you don't need them, your body will adapt. Eat real food.


amazing thing happens when you are riding with pegged aerobic system… theres no insulin response from body. Your blood sugar is low. Dextrose (the simplest sugar) goes direct from stomach to blood to muscles. Nastiest gummies, etc you wont get a sugar high. Try it and see. Eat protein when riding hard it is processed in the part of the gut that is mostly shut down.

the other thing to take into account with diet advice, some folks have more fast twitch muscles and will spend real time in the ‘need sugar’ zone. Others have no sugar zone and can live off fat. Only time dextrose garbage is bad is if your body isnt under aerobic stress (oh, and 4 your toofs). Even slow twitch riders benefit from simple sugar. Aerobic process converts fat to exact same blood dextrose as you get from choking down handfuls of gummies.


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## Tallboy723 (4 mo ago)

milehi said:


> Single seving foil pouch of salmon and a double IPA.


If I were to smell your burp after eating and drinking this, while riding downwind, I’d vomit. Lol.


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## Tallboy723 (4 mo ago)

eri said:


> Clif bars are $0.75 each on sale and 260 calories. On regular rides it’s one every 45 minutes, otherwise I’m shaky and fatigued after 2.5 hours - especially in winter. Staying up on carbs helps the recovery too.
> 
> I’ve not found anything better in that price range.
> 
> For 5+ hours I use tailwind in hydration pack. Fantastic but too expensive for every day.


Tailwind 3 lb bag is $40 on Amazon. That’s 50 servings. Compared to 8 individual packs for $21. That 3 lb bag seems a deal. 
I like the fig bar and trail mix (nuts) idea. 
Gel packs 
PB squeeze packs or PBJ


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## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

Tallboy723 said:


> If I were to smell your burp after eating and drinking this, while riding downwind, I’d vomit. Lol.


Back story. The first time I rolled this set up, I was sheparding a girl down Cannell. We stopped just before the Plunge and had a snack. I pulled out my pouch of fish, and so did she. Cheers. Then we rode to KRB.


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## Tallboy723 (4 mo ago)

milehi said:


> Back story. The first time I rolled this set up, I was sheparding a girl down Cannell. We stopped just before the Plunge and had a snack. I pulled out my pouch of fish, and so did she. Cheers. Then we rode to KRB.


Too funny. Fish on a trail and you both had it. Lol. 
I smoke salmon on my smoker quite a bit. Man it’s so damn good.


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## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

Tallboy723 said:


> Too funny. Fish on a trail and you both had it. Lol.
> I smoke salmon on my smoker quite a bit. Man it’s so damn good.


I love fish. It was hilarious that we both had the same.


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## eri (Sep 4, 2012)

Tallboy723 said:


> Tailwind 3 lb bag is $40 on Amazon. That’s 50 servings. Compared to 8 individual packs for $21. That 3 lb bag seems a deal.
> I like the fig bar and trail mix (nuts) idea.
> Gel packs
> PB squeeze packs or PBJ


Their 'serving' is only 100 calories. 2 clif bars is >5 of those tailwind servings. There's 9 'clif bar pairs' in the bag. Clif bars cost $14 for same calories as the $40 tailwind bag.

I used tailwind in a 10 hour race. I brought a 1.8lb (30 of their servings) bag and the scooper, ran it dilute in my 3l bladder. I ate other food at the aid stations and still consumed the entire bag. Plenty of energy, great product, will buy again, but is > 3x more expensive than clif bars. I just won't pay $6 for sugar food every training ride.

FWIW: I bought a variety of flavors to test before I first used it. Strangely I think the Naked is disgusting (salty sugar water) and the 'berry' was the best with 'matcha' a close second. I thought other flavors were pretty vile.


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## 6thElement (Jul 17, 2006)

Fig bars, depending on brand it's 5 or 6 per hour to get ~80g of carbs.


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## bmwpowere36m3 (May 14, 2007)

6thElement said:


> Fig bars, depending on brand it's 5 or 6 per hour to get ~80g of carbs.


80 g per hour? I've seen numbers usually around 30-60 g, your body can only process it so quickly too. I find a cliff or fig bar per hour after the first is usually sufficient for me.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

bmwpowere36m3 said:


> 80 g per hour? I've seen numbers usually around 30-60 g, your body can only process it so quickly too. I find a cliff or fig bar per hour after the first is usually sufficient for me.




I've heard that aiming for 60-90g per hour is about right for high intensity endurance cycling. Hard to get enough really,


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## bmwpowere36m3 (May 14, 2007)

J.B. Weld said:


> I've heard that aiming for 60-90g per hour is about right for high intensity endurance cycling. Hard to get enough really,


I agree as the ride goes on, getting enough carbs becomes difficult and a chore... personally I think that level of intake is nearing what pros are consuming. Everyone is different, so you'll to experiment to a degree.


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## ballisticexchris (Jun 14, 2016)

Peanut butter and jelly is my go to from trail rides and even sustained me in my desert racing days (way back when).


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## Tallboy723 (4 mo ago)

Well as I get older and more out of shape, a 3-4 hour ride has had me out of energy with only drinking water the whole time. I realized I need to invest in food and energy for the rides. Now the local trail has its ups and downs but they’re shorter climbs and the trail isn’t as long. So not as big a deal. But many of the trails are lengthy in time. Also I like the pre ride energy consumption to get me awake for the after work ride. Trying to avoid the feeling that I need to go ride but instead that I want to go ride. Need to keep it fun and not a chore. Local trails can feel that way sometime always riding it.


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## LaXCarp (Jul 19, 2008)

I eat the small baby food pouches you can get at any grocery store. Similar affect as goo/shot blocks type product but cheaper and actually real food.


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