Review of Fuel, Fluids and Pacing for Long Rides: How to Finish Fast Without Falling Apart

Review of Fuel, Fluids and Pacing for Long Rides: How to Finish Fast Without Falling Apart

Review of Fuel, Fluids & Pacing for Long Rides: How to Finish Fast Without Falling Apart

“Eat before you’re hungry, drink before you’re thirsty” is a lovely proverb, and about as actionable as “be good”. This review turns the proverb into a practical plan for rides from two to six hours: what to take in, how to pace it, and how to avoid the grim wobble home with empty legs and a sense of humour failure.

What are we fuelling?

Long rides are mostly aerobic, but tempo hills, surges, and the last hour creep up. You’re burning a mix of fat and carbohydrate; the latter is finite and needs topping up. Your gut is a trainable teammate: with practice, most riders can absorb 60–90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, sometimes more, without rebellion.

A sensible fuelling ladder

2 hours (steady): Aim for ~40–60 g carb per hour. This can be as simple as one “carb unit” every 20–30 minutes. If the first hour is very easy, you can start at the 30–40 g end.

3–4 hours: Plan for 60–80 g/h from the first 30 minutes, not after the first café. Regular, bite-sized intake keeps the gut calm.

4–6 hours / big days: Work towards 80–90 g/h if you’ve practised. Variety matters (gels, bars, bananas, simple sandwiches) so your palate and stomach don’t mutiny.

(If you’ve trained your gut deliberately, intakes north of 90 g/h can work; build to it over weeks, not on a sportive start line.)

Hydration and sodium without the spreadsheet

Fluids: 500–750 ml per hour in temperate British weather; up to ~1,000 ml/h in heat for heavy sweaters. That’s guidance, not commandment: drink to a plan, adjust to thirst.

Sodium: If you salt your food and finish rides caked in white streaks, you likely lose a lot. A broad, workable range is 400–800 mg sodium per hour across fluids and food on hot or long days. The exact number isn’t the point; consistency is.

Breakfast and caffeine (keep it plain)

Breakfast: 2–3 hours pre-ride: familiar carbs (porridge, toast, rice), modest protein, lowish fat/fibre to keep the gut cheerful. If you only have an hour, halve the portion and start fuelling earlier on the bike.

Caffeine: 1–3 mg/kg total over the ride often sharpens effort and reduces perceived exertion. Spread it: a coffee pre-ride and a modest top-up mid-ride is saner than a jittery flood at the start.

Pacing: the friend of your gut

Your stomach has feelings. Hammering every short rise then soft-pedalling down the other side is a sure way to make it sulk. Keep the effort smooth, hold a steady cadence, and you’ll absorb more without slosh. On long climbs, ease fuelling to sips and small bites; chew properly and wash down to avoid a dry brick in the throat.

Practical intake schedule (example, 4-hour club ride)

00:00–00:30: Sip water; one small carb piece at 20 minutes.

00:30–02:00: 60–70 g/h: one item every 20 minutes; alternate textures (gel → bar → gel → banana). Fluids ~500–700 ml/h.

02:00–02:15: If you stop, keep it brief. Choose simple carbs, no novelty pastries. Top up bottles, add a pinch of salt if it’s warm.

02:15–03:45: 70–80 g/h if pace rises. Keep sips steady; consider a small caffeine top-up if you didn’t overdo it earlier.

03:45–04:00: Last item at 3:45, not at the café car park.

The art of the pocket

Split food across left = now, right = later. Pre-open wrappers before gloves go on. If your handling is wobbly one-handed, eat on straight, quiet roads or while drafted safely mid-group. No chewing on descents, no fishing in pockets in traffic. It’s fuel, not a circus.

Common mistakes (and the fix)

Starting late. Waiting “until I’m hungry” means you’re already behind. Fix: first intake at 20–30 minutes, even if you feel fine.

All sugar, no chew. Gels only for four hours is a revolt waiting to happen. Fix: mix textures; give your mouth a job.

Hero caffeine. Three espressos and an energy drink, then the gut says “nope”. Fix: choose a gentle plan; more isn’t always more.

Under-salting in heat. Cramps, headaches, mood flat? Might be sodium. Fix: include electrolytes on warm days; salt your food the day before if you know you’re a salty sweater.

Forgetting the soft skills. No fuel plan survives daft pacing or poor bike handling. Fix: smooth the effort; eat when safe.

Train the plan

Gut training is real. Once a week on your long ride, practise the exact intake you want on event day. Your gut learns; your hands learn; your brain learns you won’t explode. If something feels off, change one variable at a time (timing, texture, total).

Recovery so you want to ride tomorrow

Within an hour of finishing, aim for carbs to replenish and protein (~20–30 g) to repair. Real food is fine: beans on toast, rice and eggs, yoghurt and fruit. Hydrate to thirst plus a bit, especially if you finished salt-streaked. A short walk later can help legs feel less like scaffolding.

A word on weight and worry

Fuel is not a moral failing; it’s the ink your body writes the ride with. Under-fuelling turns a training day into a stress lecture for your hormones and mood. If physique is a goal, sort it on rest days and meal quality, not by starving your long rides. Consistent training beats “calorie heroics” every time.

Verdict: Decide your grams per hour and sips per hour, start early, and pace as if your stomach were voting. Variety keeps morale high; sodium keeps you civil; caffeine, used modestly, sharpens the edges. Do it the same way enough times and your long rides stop feeling like survival and start feeling like mastery.

-James

 

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