Quick food without bike lock and bladder relief?

[Apennine]

Originally Posted by Alan

The TJs near me says they discontinued those after last summer.

I'll have to line up Greek yogurt side-by-side with my ordinary brands, see which I like better.

If the TJs Sesame crepe is a sesame-seeds-suspended-in-a-caramel-type-concoction, you will find it in an Asian market. I think it's a Vietnamese specialty.

Greek yogurt is strained, so it's thicker. And sometimes it has cream added to it. Heaven.

When I was training for STP, I would eat mini bagels with bananas, and salty boiled new potatoes. All 3 fit easily into a cycling jersey's back pockets. My friend who was a BMXer would cut up a power bar into chunks, and stick them to her handle bars for easy access. How about some dirt and dust with your burst of energy?

[lynnef]

Yesterday, the Coast Range twice. 5800 vertical feet, 132 miles, kind of wet...

What did I eat?

Breakfast at home - oatmeal with dried cranberries, walnuts, brown sugar, milk
Greek Yogurt with berries
Coffee

At the start - banana
on the road:
Rye-molasses muffin with a chunk of butter
Fig bread with a chunk of butter
2 Brie cheese - apricot jam sandwiches
1 Cran-Lemon twister (Pro Bar)
1 Sweet Salty Peanut Bar
1 Kashi mocha bar of some sort
1 tangerine gel (2x caffeine)
2 Starbucks mocha doubleshots
water
bottle of ruby red grapefruit juice

at the end:
banana, followed by a Burgerville cheeseburger, rosemary fries and Timber Joey milkshake

[Beltdriver58]

I would highly recommend Trader Joes Force Primeval Energy Bars. I stick them in my jersey pockets. Good for energy and keep you full, and lower sugar than standard energy bars.
Regarding your lock......I ALWAYS lock up my bike. If you are fine with it being stolen then don't worry about locking it up. You're rolling the dice each time you don't lock it up, and for me the gamble is not worth it.
If you are just doing a few minutes in a store, you could use just a light weight cable.

[Alan]

Originally Posted by lynnef

Yesterday, the Coast Range twice. 5800 vertical feet, 132 miles, kind of wet...

**envy!**

The scenery, the adventure, the accomplishment...you're an inspiration, Lynne! (The rain...not so much.) Your food list is full of great ideas, too, yummy, healthy and full of energy. I'm not quite ready to take the plunge but I am intrigued by randonneuring. Mind if I ask some questions? I'm just interested in general guidelines, to sort of get a feel for things, not specifics...

How many hours was that ride?

Besides your bike and the clothes you start in, how many pounds of gear do you carry? What sort of racks/bags?

How much of the ride is with other riders close by, as opposed to solo?

Do you talk/chat much while riding?

One specific item, I'm looking for a pump. I'm thinking of a Topeak Road Morph G or Turbo Morph G. Opinions or other suggestions?
(I'm not satisfied with a Crank Brothers mini pump...very hard to get over 40psi.)

[dmc]

Wow Lynn..... Thats amazing. You are above my fitness level but I would love to replicate the food items you listed on my next long distance ride (40-50miles). Those all sound right up my alley. Thank you so much for the detail.

I originally made this post after reflecting on my winter rides. Most of the water fountains were not operating due to freeze threats. I would drink (probably too much) water before my rides in fear of running out of water. I think that is probably one of the big issues. I'm sure my solid intake also played into that concept as well.

Since the time I made this post, I've been much more concerned with what I'm eating before my bike rides.

[lynnef]

Originally Posted by Alan

**envy!**

The scenery, the adventure, the accomplishment...you're an inspiration, Lynne! (The rain...not so much.) Your food list is full of great ideas, too, yummy, healthy and full of energy. I'm not quite ready to take the plunge but I am intrigued by randonneuring. Mind if I ask some questions? I'm just interested in general guidelines, to sort of get a feel for things, not specifics...

How many hours was that ride?

Besides your bike and the clothes you start in, how many pounds of gear do you carry? What sort of racks/bags?

How much of the ride is with other riders close by, as opposed to solo?

Do you talk/chat much while riding?

One specific item, I'm looking for a pump. I'm thinking of a Topeak Road Morph G or Turbo Morph G. Opinions or other suggestions?
(I'm not satisfied with a Crank Brothers mini pump...very hard to get over 40psi.)

Wow, that's a lot of questions.

The ride was 210km (132 miles), and the time limit was 14 hours. I finished in 11:20. This was a permanent - a route that can be ridden on the day of my choosing, rather than a brevet. (www.rusa.org has all the definitions)

How much do I carry? Depends on the weather and what I might find along the route. Besides spare tubes, spare tire, multitool, tire levers, tire pump (Topeak Road Morph, best pump ever) first aid kit and various other things (ibuprofen, wipes, ...), I might be carrying almost a complete change of clothing. And food. My last 400km, I had 2.5 lbs of food along. I hate going into grocery stores - when I'm tired it is like walking into a pinball machine; I can't find what I want and it ends up being a time suck. I'd really rather not weigh and find out. Better that I don't know.

I eat a lot of junk food too - the Payday bar (not as bad for you as it sounds), Snickers Dark chocolate, pretzels, Fritos (food of the GODS), ... Just not on this last ride. Grocery stores with hot soup and a deli counter can be lifesavers (assuming I don't have to spend a lot of time locating and purchasing the food!)

Luggage - you'd know my bike was a rando bike! Acorn Boxy Rando front bag on a little front rack, and a Carradice Barley seat bag.

Permanents are, at least in Oregon, often just one or two riders. It was just me and my friend Susie. Sometimes we rode together, but I did a lot of riding by myself - she's faster, especially on climbs. On the 400k I did last month I rode with someone, but at one point we were in a group of 8. Nice while it lasted. Everyone is on their own ride, so you can't be guaranteed company.

Talking - depends on who you are riding with. And if you've reached the "not chatty" phase of the ride.

I don't carry a bike lock. (to answer the other question )

Check the OrRando calendar - there is a 100km populaire on May 28.

[Alan]

Many thanks, Lynne!

Originally Posted by lynnef

Wow, that's a lot of questions.

The ride was 210km (132 miles), and the time limit was 14 hours. I finished in 11:20. This was a permanent - a route that can be ridden on the day of my choosing, rather than a brevet. (www.rusa.org has all the definitions)

I already had rusa.org bookmarked, and I'd looked at orrandonneurs.org but had not bookmarked it...fixed! Thanks for the tip on permanent routes.

How much do I carry? Depends on the weather and what I might find along the route. Besides spare tubes, spare tire, multitool, tire levers, tire pump (Topeak Road Morph, best pump ever) first aid kit and various other things (ibuprofen, wipes, ...), I might be carrying almost a complete change of clothing. And food. My last 400km, I had 2.5 lbs of food along. I hate going into grocery stores - when I'm tired it is like walking into a pinball machine; I can't find what I want and it ends up being a time suck. I'd really rather not weigh and find out. Better that I don't know.

"Really rather not" sounds familiar from backpacking/mountaineering, only these days I'm not as young as I once was and I probably should know if I'm exceeding my load threshold. But anyway, that's exactly the sort of general info I wanted. I wondered about a first aid kit but figured that since I'd carry one anyway I wouldn't bother to ask. Backpacking, I try to keep food between 1.5 and 2 pounds/day, but that's using dried or freeze-dried for at least one meal and very little fresh/heavy stuff (maybe some cheese or sausage).

I was already strongly considering a Morph pump and you nudged me over the top...it's ordered now. I went for the Turbo G.

I eat a lot of junk food too - the Payday bar (not as bad for you as it sounds), Snickers Dark chocolate, pretzels, Fritos (food of the GODS), ... Just not on this last ride. Grocery stores with hot soup and a deli counter can be lifesavers (assuming I don't have to spend a lot of time locating and purchasing the food!)

PayDays are a fav of mine; that was what was in my head when you mentioned "Sweet Salty Peanut Bar." Hot soup (chili! ), now there's another luxury of convenience stores I could only dream of in the back woods!

Luggage - you'd know my bike was a rando bike! Acorn Boxy Rando front bag on a little front rack, and a Carradice Barley seat bag.

OK, so now a bar-bag is going on my wish list. I once had a tank-bag with a clear map pocket like the Boxy on a motorcycle and it was very handy. Those are beautiful, classic-looking bags. The other day I noticed that Wikipedia's article on randonneuring mentioned Carradice by name, something that's not quite Wiki's usual style and will probably get edited at some point.

Permanents are, at least in Oregon, often just one or two riders. It was just me and my friend Susie. Sometimes we rode together, but I did a lot of riding by myself - she's faster, especially on climbs. On the 400k I did last month I rode with someone, but at one point we were in a group of 8. Nice while it lasted. Everyone is on their own ride, so you can't be guaranteed company.

*nod* Well, variety is spice. I've had occasion to appreciate a tow but generally I prefer not riding in packs. The group size range you mention sounds just nice. Having a buddy within a few miles seems like a comforting thought.

Talking - depends on who you are riding with. And if you've reached the "not chatty" phase of the ride.

Understood completely, though digressing again to backpacking epics there are times when chatting--about anything--is helpful to stay awake, forget the aching limbs for a few minutes and pass the hours 'til the parking lot comes into view.

I don't carry a bike lock. (to answer the other question )

Check the OrRando calendar - there is a 100km populaire on May 28.

How tempting! If I really cranked some training I might be able to do the distance, and it sounds like a really pleasant ride. Alas, I don't think I can fit it in my plans...life is so full! One of my goals for this summer is an overnight, either with CycleWild or solo. That and some longer day rides, well, by my modest standards...maybe 100K if I'm really ambitious, will tell me which direction to go as far as The Bike itself: so many choices!

Thanks again, much appreciated info.

[fourknees]

To secure your bike without a lock, if you have a road bike, put your brakes in the "open position" and adjust them for braking (before you are out for a ride). Then when you need to leave your bike on a ride and go inside, put the brakes in the "closed" position and it will clamp on to your wheel.

Couple this with putting the bike in your very highest or very lowest gear, someone won't be going anywhere very quickly.

This won't keep the bike from getting stolen as it can be picked up and carried, but it will slow down someone who thinks they'll just jump on and ride away.

[dmc]

Thats an awesome little trick fourknees! That's all I really need 99% percent of the time, is a stall tactic to give me time to run outside.

[Dovestrobe]

Originally Posted by fourknees

To secure your bike without a lock, if you have a road bike, put your brakes in the "open position" and adjust them for braking (before you are out for a ride). Then when you need to leave your bike on a ride and go inside, put the brakes in the "closed" position and it will clamp on to your wheel.

Couple this with putting the bike in your very highest or very lowest gear, someone won't be going anywhere very quickly.

This won't keep the bike from getting stolen as it can be picked up and carried, but it will slow down someone who thinks they'll just jump on and ride away.

I think these are fine tips. I suggest also using a bungie cord and wrapping it around the bike and post several times. Surely, the thief would need a little time to undo the cord. Of course keeping your bike within eye shot is always a plus!

In some locations in town it is very forested, ideal for hiding your bike. A risk, I know, but if you want to take that hike and have no place to lock it, stash it in a bush instead!!!

Saw this video recently and it is mind blowing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AdugFzCi24It's about the quantum leap in bike thievery in London England.