Whether you’re going for a short ride for an hour or less or an all-day effort for several hours. It’s important to understand how to fuel your bicycle ride so that your energy levels stay optimal and also so that you don’t overdo the carbs and calories needed to fuel yourself if fat loss is a goal of yours. We recently put out a post on the best drinks to hydrate yourself on a ride, you can check that out here !

Cycling: it can be a leisurely stroll through a trail or a full-on effort that demands every ounce of your will power and endurance. Many cardiovascular exercises have the sometimes unwanted effect of spiking your appetite through the roof. Anyone who has tried to lose weight knows, you can burn 500 calories doing aerobic conditioning, but you can also stimulate appetite so ravenous that left unchecked could kill 700-1000 calories easy.

If you’re looking to lose fat as well as enjoy all that cycling has to offer, whether that be cycling around your neighborhood or week-long bicycle tours. There are some simple guidelines to follow when trying to trim some weight while you’re enjoying yourself. Keep in mind that this advice is for when you’re on a ride, not for pre or post-exercise nutrition—but for the sake of keeping it short, I’ll just say protein…lots of protein! It’s important to be thinner, but not at the expense of strength and muscle.

If you’re cycling for an hour or less, arguably there’s no much need for nutritional supplementation. However, people are busy and nobody wants to eat a full meal right before heading out for a bike ride. Your best bet is to keep it light and keep it relatively high fat—the reason being is that unless you’ve been starving yourself for days, your body carries around enough carbs in the form of stored glycogen to fuel you for a 60-minute workout. So, munching on a high-fat granola bar is a great way to stave off some hunger while you hit the trail. Be sure to find a brand that boasts a high-fat content and isn’t loaded with sugars. Some granola bars are just candy bars in disguise!

For our week-long tours, you’ll find yourself cycling anywhere from 30-50 miles a day, for an average total of 200 miles on our bike tour vacations! Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to relax and sightsee, but 50 miles is 50 miles. Nutrition is one of the major factors that affect your enjoyment of the day. There are two mistakes we often see on our tours from first-timers or inexperienced riders.

If you want to keep yourself steady, just bear in mind that the body can only utilize about 1 gram of carbohydrate per minute. So you can only really use at most around 60 grams of carbs per hour of vigorous exercise. Yet most people who feel as though they are in for a long stretch of cardio such as cycling will guzzle a sports drink or load up on carbs beforehand. The best way to keep yourself level, light, and loose is to sip on your sports drink every 15 or 20 minutes and if you’re getting hungry after the first hour have a banana.

I’m a big fan of KISS—err, not the band, well the band is alright too! KISS is Keep It Simple Stupid! Our bike tour vacations will take you through scenic routes all while you get great exercise and create memories with your tour group. Don’t let some spotty nutrition lead you feeling fatigued or sluggish. If you’re still unsure of how to proceed, don’t sweat it! We’ve been doing this a long time and you’ll be surrounded by many riders who have years of riding experience who will be more than happy to guide you along the path (literally). If you have any questions about our tours you can visit our contact page here or reach us at (248)-345-6929.

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