Trail Food Musings

No Dabs, 8/18/22

We mountain bikers have our pre-, during, and post-ride foods that we enjoy, the calorie burn sometimes causing the necessity of eating to turn out being a guilty pleasure event, e.g. nachos smothered in cheese-covered meat. Some of us take things more seriously than that, but for the most part, most of us want the tacos, the burrito, the burger and fries. As a kind of celebration of riding bikes on trails for hours on end, here are a few foods I enjoy:

Pre-ride/breakfast — Coffee, banana, peanut butter on whole grain toast. A bowl of oatmeal with walnuts and fruit. Bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich. Breakfast burrito. Which one I eat often depends on the length of the bike ride and the drive time to the trail head, which translates into: how much time do I have for digestion? Starting a ride feeling “full” doesn’t work for me. A thermos of warm tea for the drive, is standard.

During the ride — I’m a fan of nuts and raisins, an apple, PB&J sandwiches, and I still carry “energy” bars in my pack/pockets. On cooler days, a turkey/cheese sandwich always tastes great out on the trail. I’ve warmed up soup broth and put it in a small thermos and stuffed it my pack for winter rides. Winter rides and warm soup — can be transformative! Oh, I’ve had “Pisgah Fuel” over the years … not my invention but I like it, a lot!

Pisgah Fuel

Post-ride eats — This is pretty much endless. It almost always involves potato chips. Burritos are a constant. Sometimes it’s a burger and fries, or a grilled chicken sandwich. Rarely is it pizza … not a big pizza fan, though a big bowl of salad with lots of veggies and one slice has worked from time to time. On big days, though, I can’t eat right away, needing an hour or so until I feel like eating. Same goes with beer — my body has to “relax” before I get the hankering for a beer. If I’m camping, beer and whatever is easy to cook on the camp stove usually ends up being perfect. Campfire and hot dog on a stick works, too.

What about you? What are your “rituals” when it comes to MTB and food/eating?

Cheers, everyone!