Riders take a snack break mid-140 mile ride. © Cyclocross Magazine
by Molly Hurford
Ever wonder how to fuel during a long ride without getting bored, or worse, getting the dreaded “gut-rot” (cyclocrossers might know it as “cross-rot,” but the principal is the same). Lately, there’s been some serious buzz in the cyclocross community about a new cookbook by chefs (and scientists!) Allen Lim and Biju Thomas. As the authors of The Feed Zone Cookbook: Fast and Flavorful Food for Athletes, they wrote the book on how to eat whole foods that will last a long ride.
Three days into the Ride on Washington, a group of twenty riders including quite a few big names in cyclocross have gone over 350 miles in support of Bikes Belong. Six time National Champion Tim Johnson is the figurehead and founder of the Ride on Washington, which is one of the biggest pushes for bike advocacy in the US. The riders have been doing so fueled by Lim and Thomas’s creations, including “rices cakes” during the rides (in both sweet and savory varieties!) Additionally, riders are drinking Lim’s Skratch Mix, his personal blend that he promises will avoid gut rot while hydrating on a ride.
Allen Lim also spent some time educating riders about how to fuel with whole foods during a long ride before departing on the 140 mile trip from Hartford, Connecticut, to New York City. He stressed the importance of eating food for fuel and drinking fluids for hydration, and eschews eating gel-like substances in favor of eating foods like rice cakes. While some might disagree, he makes some great points (and some tasty snacks!), and it’s certainly worth thinking about, especially if you’re bored of eating gel after gel, or your stomach isn’t happy with you post-ride.
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