i’m going to be doing ride london on a bit of a wing and a prayer so i’m at least trying to get the fuelling bit right, plus i’ve never really considered correct usage of bars, gels and whatnot.

so for those who have done ride london, can anyone tell me if this guide (more in tyerms of distances and terrain) is reasonably accurate?

i’ve read on other sites that the stops can be totally crowded with big queues so my thinking is to be largely self sufficient and not rely on picking stuff up. but again any advice would be well received.

RideLondon 100 Nutrition Guide: Mile by Mile Advice

If the route goes down the Strand, ‘ave a banana.

I did ride London the first year, I stopped at Newlands for a wee and water top up and just after Box Hill for a water top up..stops weren’t overly busy, I just carried gels. I would say don’t try anything new on the day, stick to what you’re used to.

I put a top tube bag on my bike, and loaded it with homemade flapjack, so I could munch on something tasty without stopping. Other than that, a banana at the top of Leith Hill, and a couple of gels. Two water bottles filled with energy drink. There’s loads of places to get food at the finish.

Jellied eels.

If it goes anywhere near the top of Chancery Lane there used to be a place that served up a superb melted brie and bacon baguette* – just the kind of food you want to neck when riding hard.

* Repeat that – melted brie and bacon baguette. Lovely combo of words, eh…

First year I did it I stopped once for about 90 seconds to refill a bottle. It was the year of biblical rain.

Last year I stopped once at the summit of Box Hill – very uncharacteristically I needed a toilet stop so used the portable toilets there.

Other than that I’ve never needed to stop.
I’ve never noticed major queues at feed stations but then I’ve always been out in an early wave. I imagine later on they can get very busy.

Doing it again this year, again no stops planned. Bars & gels for the ride and then off to a cafe straight afterwards. With any luck I should be finished by 10am so brunch it is. 🙂

Having done it twice, I can totally recommend the following fuelling approach:

– Two cheese rolls individually wrapped in the wafer thin placcy bags you get for supermarket veg, some fig rolls, trail/flapjacky bars of choice, banana possibly a small apple, all stuffed in jersey pockets and easily unwrapped/eaten as you ride along.
– Eat something every half hour or so.
– Two water bottles (filled with water) means less stops, but easily doable with one
– Don’t join the stupid ‘queue with your bike’ queues at the loo/water stops; lean your bike against a tree and walk up the back of the loos/water tables to skip the queue (this will save you aaaaaaages)

No need for gels and such.

I have done it three times and I prefer to take my own food and 2 bottles.

I found the early stops all had long queues and although I wasn’t in a rush as such, I didn’t want to stand around for too long. How busy they are depends on your start time a bit.

I ate most of a Soreen loaf on Ride London. Sliced it up and packed in foil and it fitted nicely in my jersey pockets. Fitted two cages with 750ml bottles to avoid extra water stops.

Had a couple of gels just in case too, didn’t use them.

I’m overthinking it then, I’ve been bulk buying the free offer sis stuff all winter and spring so have a large box of energy bars, assorted gels, powders and other potions.

7.30 start btw, but no clue how long the ride will take me as where I ride it’s either up a steep hill or down one, never flat, so I can’t really gauge my time based on miles done around here.

I’m overthinking it then, I’ve been bulk buying the free offer sis stuff all winter and spring so have a large box of energy bars, assorted gels, powders and other potions.

Not over thinking it at all. If your planning to be riding hard, then stuff that’s designed to be quickly and easily digested is perfect.

Doing it again this year, again no stops planned. Bars & gels for the ride and then off to a cafe straight afterwards. With any luck I should be finished by 10am so brunch it is.

Assuming you are aiming for ~4hrs then – how/where are you carrying the extra 500ml of liquid to not stop? Most folk will need at least 500ml/hr so 2x750ml only gets you to the 3 hour mark at best.

I drank almost 5 x 750ml bottles last year.
The bigger ‘hub’ places were stupidly busy last year, so would avoid if poss.

Well, with perfect timing the final instruction magazine arrived in today’s post and with 12 stops on the route, plus encouragement to pull over and use cafes and pubs that you pass, I’m wondering now if I’ve signed up for the biggest bicycle pub crawl in the world.

I done it in 2015. Got a top tube bag and filled it with Soreen and Jelly Babies. Banana in jersey pocket. Two 750ml bottles, one with water and one with energy drink. I only stopped once to refill my bottles.

Decent breakfast (whatever works for you) 2 bottles (I like those zero tablets and a bit of fruit juice) banana and a cliff bar in pocket. Couple of gels for a bit of ‘just in case’. Unless it’s baking and I drink more than usual,I wouldn’t bother with a stop.

eat right for your sportive

this is useful. you can’t eat all that your burning. so eat what you can absorb.

quick bit of carb counting to make sure you eat the right stuff, and the right amount.

EDIT: i’ll be eating a lot more whole food than totalwomenscycling reccomend. ride100 is going to be 4-7 hours for most people thats quite a long time to survive on bars and gels alone.

peanut butter & banana, wholemeal wraps for me.

Assuming you are aiming for ~4hrs then – how/where are you carrying the extra 500ml of liquid to not stop? Most folk will need at least 500ml/hr so 2x750ml only gets you to the 3 hour mark at best.

Shouldn’t need it unless it’s stupidly hot in which case I’ll factor in a quick stop at a tap towards the final feed.
I can cope quite happily on one bottle for most rides or races up to 60 miles provided I’m well hydrated beforehand.

Drinking depends on start time. Early start is 2×750 ml, with extra NUUN salt tabs. Food for me is risotto the night before, 3x weetabix and more risotto early in the morning, possibly some malt loaf to go with it. A banana, two packets of bloks and five SIS gels. Double espresso gels for the last 90 min. Eat every 35-45 minutes. Drink ad-libitem but be sure to have finished the first bottle at 50 miles.

I don’t stop and target 4:00 hrs, YMMV.

Do NOT be tricked into taking any of the clif gels (shot bloks are fine). They’re like necking a foil tube of jam. Waaaaaaaaaaay too sweet. Other than that sort of what TiRed said, except I have two bananas and I tend to have a rice pudding or a banana before the start of any event in the pen before we get going just as a final topup.

I’m still using the Gels I picked up last year.

Get a few at the first opportunity, eat them.

Then at the last opportunity fill your pockets with a years worth.!

Last year did with the following:

Eat well, but not excessively the night before.
Sensible breakfast (Premier Inn so not the greatest, but far from the worst I’ve had), opened very early to feed hungry cyclists.
1 Fig roll every 30mins (so a whole packet for the ride).
2x700ml bottles with hydration (not energy) drink, refilled once. Take your own tablets if your a fussy bugger like me.
Packet of Clif gel blocks (not used).

As others have said, Whatever it is you do eat, make sure you’ve done a ride on it first!

More imporantly , do not underestimate the amount of time it takes to simply get to the start pens. There are so many cyclsts everywhere , plus cars and busses its mayhem and progress is painful.
Dont leave your Oaklys in your helemt whist you go for a pee, they might not be there when you get back

I would aim for 1 stop around Dorking or Box hill, just for water and maybe some jelly babies. They had stacks of shitty dry rice cakes last year fr some reason. I loved it but didnt get in this year .

It’s flat and the worlds biggest peloton. Do you even need to pedal? How much juice are you really going to need?

I used these:

https://veloforte.cc/products/mixed-pack

They are tasty, easy to eat, and do the job. I cut them into bit-size chunks and wrapped each one in foil.

I also used some Clif Gel Blocks, but only right towards the end.

The feed stations are quite busy once you are well clear of London.

Richmond park was a good point to take on some water and that, loads of free Hi-5 tablets being given out so don’t bother carrying much with you.