How much is enough when it comes to on-bike eating? How much is too much; and, just as important, what’s too little?

I guess that depends on a number of factors: how long you’ll be riding, and the pace you’ll be maintaining; your physical size; and possibly more.

This past Sunday, I rode 54.2 miles in 4:20:35; and that’s none too speedy. I took along my usual on-bike fare: two FitCrunch bars and a Gatorade bar. I cut the bars into sixths before I began my ride; and put the pieces into small plastic bags. One piece every 15 minutes is my usual “fueling rate”, and I stuck with it today.

I got back home with 1/6 of the Gatorade bar and 1/3 of the second FitCrunch bar uneaten. What I did eat, plus two GU-Gels, totaled 1154 calories; and I burned 1495 calories. So, how much is enough? Did I eat enough during today’s ride; or did I actually need more?

I’m quite sure I didn’t bonk; so I know I didn’t eat too little. But could I ride more strongly if I ate a little more? I ended with a calorie deficit of 341, which doesn’t seem excessive to me.

Too Much?

There’s also the fact that the Sunday long ride often equals or exceeds my total for the rest of the week. Is that too much? On weekday mornings I don’t have much more than an hour to ride before I have to leave for work; and that makes it hard to put in as many miles as I’d like. Is that good for century prep?

On-bike fueling isn’t the only consideration here. How much is enough when it comes to training up? What’s too little? I don’t need to train like a rider who is preparing to enter races; but if I’m to ride 100 miles in a day, I need adequate mileage. I also need work to help me ride more strongly for longer. Again, how much is enough of that?

So many questions; and where do I get the answers?