Riding in the Heat? Don’t Forget to Eat

[GuyContinental]

@mstone 26891 wrote:

I do. It’s quite nice to be able to simply stick whatever I need onto the bike. I can’t understand why anybody wouldn’t like being able to do so.

My bike weighs ~17 lbs… I like it that way soooo much better than the 24lb steel bike I used to ride. The agility difference is huge. i simply can’t imagine strapping extra weight on just to carry “stuff,” particularly on a multi-hour commute. Obviously, there are two schools of thought- utilitarian vs sporty. For me, the added maintenance and limited utility of riding a high end, light bike on a commute are far out-weighed by the fun (which is what it’s about- if I were to “suck it up” I’d just drive).

[Tim Kelley]

@Greenbelt 26896 wrote:

I’ve had trouble getting the rice cakes to not be crumbly, even with sushi rice, even following the recipe exactly (I think). Suggestions?

Are you using a rice cooker? If not, definitely get one. I’ve been happy with this cheap little one from Amazon.

Another rice tip using the cooker is to wash/rinse the rice a few times before cooking it (no need to let it soak, just rinse it off and pour off the white starchy water). And then make sure to let the rice sit for 15 minutes or so after it is done cooking, then after you’ve mixed in the rest of the ingredients you can press it into a pan to let it cool. (Press hard!)

[DaveK]

@txgoonie 26898 wrote:

I have impulse and portion control issues, so I can’t keep stuff in my desk. A 1 lb. bag of M&Ms that I intend to “share” with my officemates will disappear in the course of a day if I “forget” to put it out.

I’m glad to see I’m not the only one…

[eminva]

GuyContinental, I will look at the cookbook tonight and see if there is anything that would work for you. You’ve gotten good suggestions here. I am also a fan of sandwiches, so I might bring the fixings in on Monday, put them in the refrigerator and be set for the week.

Thanks also for all the rice cake suggestions. I have not yet tried out any of those recipes because I don’t have a rice cooker let alone the right kind of rice. Maybe I will get ambitious soon. Our family loves the Angel Hair pasta recipe and now is a great time to fix that one because it incorporates fresh tomatoes, corn kernels and basil. It is my son’s favorite dinner, hands down.

Also very interesting to read about what people scarf down at their desks. I am a rack and panniers type so I bring in leftovers. Failing that, a PBJ sandwich. The worst case scenario involves various local eateries, but that gets expensive day after day.

Liz

[Amalitza]

I bring leftovers, sandwich stuff, or salad stuff for lunch, fruit and yogurt for breakfast/snacks. I keep oatmeal and peanut butter permanently in a desk drawer. I usually eat either a bowl of oatmeal or bread and peanut butter about an hour before I get off work if I go for a ride after. And they are always there for emergencies (no lunch and no time to go out, etc). I have on occasion tried to stash a box of granola bars in the emergency food drawer, but was stymied by the “pound of m&m’s disappearing in a day” phenomenon.

[Arlingtonrider]

My favorite keep-around office snack are those lunchbox size containers of unsweetened apple sauce, usually plain but sometimes the ones flavored with other fruits. I have a couple of packages of them in a cabinet, and one in the fridge. I don’t like the sweetened ones though. Also love dried tart cherries (w/o preservatives, cost a little more than the others) from Trader Joes. Nuts and trail mix too. Lazy lunch – Lean Cuisine spa or other meals. Current favorite is lemongrass chicken. Harris Teeter had a 5 for $10 sale on those this week. Target often has good deals on them too.

[KelOnWheels]

This is a great thread – I need to start bringing lunch 100% of the time so I can save up for a new bike!

[americancyclo]

@Tim Kelley 26819 wrote:

I’ve only cooked from the “portables” section, but wow are those bacon/egg/cheese rice cakes amazing at mile 80 of a 200 mile ride.

The rice cakes are also good at the end of a short commute! I think I ate four yesterday. Also, Char Siu Pork is an amazing substitute for bacon. Haven’t tried this recipe, but it gies you the general idea:
http://appetiteforchina.com/recipes/cantonese-roast-pork-char-siu/

[americancyclo]

@Greenbelt 26896 wrote:

I’ve had trouble getting the rice cakes to not be crumbly, even with sushi rice, even following the recipe exactly (I think). Suggestions?

I make the sushi rice in a rice cooker, and there are markings for water level. When making 2 cups of rice for the standard recipe, I add extra water to the 2.5 cups line. the rice comes out a bit wetter and stickier, but packs down real nice and gelatinous.

[GuyContinental]

I went to Wegman’s at lunch (yes, I’m THAT far out…) and did the exact opposite of what I’ve been long trained to do by my wife- I flipped over each item and was rejecting it for having too few calories… it was awesome. Made the (to me) shocking discovery that a bagel + 2 pieces of bologna and 2 pieces of muenster + dijon = 670 calories… whoa… no wonder America is so fat. [Forgive my naivete- I’m a high energy, athletic, skinny guy… never really needed to pay attention to such things- always have followed the “workout a ton and eat whatever” school of thought]

Also stocked up on PB&J, granola bars, yogurt and Trader Joe’s trail mix. I shall not be left wanting for energy on the trail this week!

[5555624]

@Jason 26884 wrote:

Sorry to be blunt: Nobody likes panniers and backpacks. Nobody.

Backpacks? No, not on the bike. Panniers? I don’t even notice them, so I can’t say I hate ’em.

[Amalitza]

@acc 26737 wrote:

I learned two important lessons this week. Of course I learned them the hard way because the easy way is not nearly as much fun.

1. Eat and Drink
I was so focused on staying hydrated in the heat I miscalculated my chow. There I was riding along terribly proud for having enough water on the bike.

“Ride, ride, ride. I can ride when it’s hot. That’s because I’m super smart.” Boink.

“OMG, I’m going to die. Right here. Now. I am an idiot.”

And because learning from other’s mistakes is no more fun than any other easy way, I did it the hard way, too, yesterday.

Thank you Vienna Whole Foods for kinda-sorta saving me from the worst of my idiocy, but my god what did i do to myself and how long before i feel normal again?

[KelOnWheels]

That’s how I felt all the way home yesterday and I did eat! Even a Bonk Breaker could not save me. Still feeling pretty dead today.

[Rod Smith]

@GuyContinental 26900 wrote:

My bike weighs ~17 lbs… I like it that way soooo much better than the 24lb steel bike I used to ride. The agility difference is huge. i simply can’t imagine strapping extra weight on just to carry “stuff,” particularly on a multi-hour commute. Obviously, there are two schools of thought- utilitarian vs sporty. For me, the added maintenance and limited utility of riding a high end, light bike on a commute are far out-weighed by the fun (which is what it’s about- if I were to “suck it up” I’d just drive).

Hire a guy to hand you up a musette.

[vvill]

@GuyContinental 26900 wrote:

My bike weighs ~17 lbs… I like it that way soooo much better than the 24lb steel bike I used to ride. The agility difference is huge. i simply can’t imagine strapping extra weight on just to carry “stuff,” particularly on a multi-hour commute. Obviously, there are two schools of thought- utilitarian vs sporty. For me, the added maintenance and limited utility of riding a high end, light bike on a commute are far out-weighed by the fun (which is what it’s about- if I were to “suck it up” I’d just drive).

I know what you mean. My road bike is probably closer to 20lbs, but I still prefer it to my other bikes (all around 25lb+) if conditions are good. It’s actually not so much the weight as the position/acceleration/agility although obviously the lower weight is nice on the uphills. And if I want to detour for a few Hains Pt laps it’s well-suited for that too.

[Author]

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