Pre-Ride Nutrition

Pre-Ride Nutrition: What to Eat Before You Go

Pre-ride nutrition advice has gotten complicated with all the conflicting information flying around. As someone who ate an entire large pizza the night before my first century because someone told me to carb load — woke up feeling terrible, rode even worse — I learned everything there is to know about the nuance here. Today, I’ll share what actually works.

The Night Before

Probably should have led with this section, honestly. For long or hard rides, what you eat for dinner matters as much as what you eat in the morning. Carb-heavy meals — pasta, rice, potatoes — top off your glycogen stores. But keep it reasonable. A normal-sized dinner with extra carbs works better than an uncomfortable binge.

A small bedtime snack can help too. Yogurt and fruit, or toast with peanut butter. Something to keep your glycogen topped up overnight.

Race Morning or Big Ride Day

That’s what makes proper timing endearing to us who’ve learned from mistakes — it actually prevents problems. Eat 2-3 hours before you start. Enough time to digest but not so long that you’re hungry again.

Keep it familiar. Plain bagel with honey, oatmeal with banana, toast with peanut butter. Nothing high in fiber or fat — both slow digestion and can cause issues mid-ride.

Shorter Rides

For rides under 90 minutes, you don’t need to overthink it. Normal meals, normal timing. Your stored glycogen handles efforts that length without special preparation.

What to Avoid

High fiber before riding invites gut problems. High fat sits heavy. Anything new or unfamiliar can backfire. The morning of a big ride is not the time to experiment with that trendy breakfast bar.

Find what works for you and repeat it. Consistency beats optimization.