As someone who has done their fair share of annoyingly long rides, I often get asked “What’s the key to being on your bike for so long?” While I don’t have all of the answers, here are some key tips that I swear by. Whether you’re getting ready for your first 20+ mile ride or gearing up for your first century, I highly recommend trying the strategies listed below.
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Tip #1. EAT
Fueling is crucial, especially on rides over an hour or two. Forget the complex formulas; keep it simple: have a carb-rich snack every 45-60 minutes. If you struggle with solid food, try liquid calories from drink mixes. The best snacks are the ones you enjoy and want to eat.
Tip #2: Ride at a Comfortable Pace
Unless you’re a pro or just a plain masochist, don’t try to go full speed on long rides. Instead, ride in the magical Zone Two, the sweet spot for aerobic and endurance gains. If you can chat while riding, you’re probably in the right zone. Heavy breathing? You’re going too hard.
Tip #3: Ride a Bike that Fits Well
Comfort is crucial. Joint pain or discomfort on long rides usually means your bike fit is off. A proper bike fit helps you ride more efficiently and comfortably. Professional fits can be pricey but are worth it to ride pain-free. However!! Remember that you know your body best, so if a certain measurement/ fit feels right for you, go with it even if the bike fitter says otherwise.
For those of you opting for the longer version (proud of you), let’s dive in.
Tip #1. EAT
People tend not to realize how important fueling is on the bike, especially on rides over an hour or two. While the internet can go into immense detail and offer formulas to calculate exactly how much you should be eating, I like to keep it simple and go by this simple rule for training rides: Have a carbohydrate-rich snack every 45min-60min. Rule of thumb: it’s far easier to eat too little during a ride than too much, so if you want a snack sooner than 45-60 min, have one!
What should you eat on the bike? Well, there are so many options!! There are a ton of options designed specifically for exercise such as GU gels, Honey Stinger waffles, Bonk Breakers energy bars, and more. These are great for races and when you want the most optimal cycling nutrition. However, they are more expensive than non cycling-specific alternatives. If you’re a broke college student like me or not wanting to spend as much money for training ride fuel, there are plenty of more budget friendly alternatives that do the trick. Some of my go-to favorites are fruit snacks, gummy bears, cookies, or GoGo Squeeze apple sauce pouches.
Some people struggle to get down calories during rides (I’m this way in races, it sucks), so if you fall in that boat, liquid calories from drink mixes are a great way to get the fuel you need during long rides. They also offer important electrolytes and other good stuff, so drink mix is really just good all around even if you have no problem getting down nutrition during rides. Fluid is a local company with great hydration options. Their cinnamon-vanilla recovery mix is also TO DIE FOR. Personally, my go-to race hydration mix is GU Roctane Summit Tea drink mix. It is high in calories, packed with good stuff, and has a very mellow and yummy flavor that my sensitive stomach and get down.
Bread pudding from Sally Loo’s in SLO, one of my all-time favorites. 
A delicious croissant from Scout Coffee that helped fuel me through my first ever 200+ mile ride. 
An acai bowl from the Acai Project in SLO. Their prices have gone up SO MUCH, but it is a delicious treat if you can afford it (I can’t). If you go, I recommend a build your own with coconut and pitaya as the base plus your choice of toppings. 
A croissant from Alessia’s Patisserie in Santa Barbara. If you want the best croissant in the world, go here. 
This photo was actually taken during the annual Tour De Donut race where I ate 15 donuts and raced up Prefumo Canyon in SLO, so not a long ride, but I wanted to incorporate this iconic photo. 
More bread pudding 😍 
A McDonalds meal that revived me at mile 120 during a ride from SLO to Ojai
Rule of thumb #2: the best cycling snacks are the ones you want to eat. Even if a ground-breaking cycling snack could somehow make me ride 10x faster during a training ride, it wouldn’t do any good if I dreaded eating it or suffered the wrath of an upset stomach after each bite. Furthermore, delicious snacks and/or tasty stops along the way is great motivation to gear up for a long ride. Please enjoy the photos of delicious goodies I’ve enjoyed during or after long rides.
Tip #2: Ride at a comfortable pace
Unless you’re a pro rider, attempting a multi-hour ride at top speed most likely won’t go well. The key to riding for a long time is riding at a sustainable pace. There’s this magical thing called Zone Two, which is the optimal zone (a specific range of heart rate or power outputs that correspond to different levels of exercise intensity) for aerobic and endurance gains. If you’re riding in zone two, you should be able to maintain a conversation. If you’re breathing heavily, there’s a 99.9% chance that you are riding too hard. Zone two is the key for enjoyable and beneficial long rides.
Additional Zone Two Info
For the number geeks: If you train off heart rate data, zone one two means riding between 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. For example, if I had a max heart rate of 200 bpm, zone two for me would mean riding between 120 and 140 bpm. If you train off power meter data, you probably already know what zone two means, but here’s a link just in case. Ps. if you’re reading this and have no clue what I’m talking about, don’t sweat it… pls. Often times, the best way to enjoy things is to keep it simple.
Tip #3. Ride a bike that fits well.
Comfort is key, and joint pain/discomfort on long rides is most likely due to an improper bike fit. In addition tp helping you ride more efficiently, a properly fitted bike will help make your body comfortable and mind happy. Bike fits do cost a bit of money, but they are crucial to anyone having discomfort on the bike (discomfort meaning pain in your back, knees, arms, neck, etc). Finding a good and affordable place to get a bike fit can be tricky, but we’re in luck because Humberto at Art’s Cyclery gives great and affordable bike fits.
Rule of thumb #3: Bike fitters are incredibly knowledgeable, however, you will always be the most knowledgeable about your body and how it feels. If a certain measurement or fit feels right for you, go with it even if the bike fit says otherwise.
These tips have helped me conquer many long rides, and I hope they work for you too. Happy cycling!
I also highly recommend fueling with croissants and cookies.