One thing I have struggled with when riding competitively (and for recreation) is how to eat on the bike. Of course, not eating isn’t an option if I want to be strong in the final meters. It has taken me a while to figure it out, but I think I have the answer… meal bottles.

When I was in college, I once had two girls come up to me after eating a meal in the dining hall. “Do you know that you chew your food 33 times on average per bite?” Needless to say, I was self conscious for the rest of the semester wondering what behaviors were being analyzed!

The point is, I am a very slow eater. That is good in that it helps me eat less food which helps to keep my weight down. However, when you are on the bike, you have to get the stuff down! Chewing 33 times is not a luxury you have!

You are aware of my nasal issues. I’ve been struggling recently with my nose. One of the reasons for this is the fact that I have narrow sinus passages. Even when I DON’T have a cold I typically only have one fully open nostril. I often have to use both my nose and mouth to get enough oxygen — especially when putting out an effort.

Sooooo, when I am riding my bike in a road race and I know I need to take on fuel, I can take a gel or eat a bar. In both cases, I get the same sensation. It is hard to have something in my mouth and swallow it quickly. The gel can get down pretty quickly, but eating a bar is near impossible. By the time I am done I am heaving trying to suck in the air.

What is the solution? The meal bottle is my answer. It has changed my ability to sufficiently fuel myself on the bike.

It was my coach, Jim Cunningham, who introduced me to the meal bottle. I used it on my relay ride to Austin and found it succeeded in meeting my needs and kept me going strong for the 600 or so miles I put in that week. I’m very interested to see how it helps me this race season.

Making a meal bottle

Here is how it works. Get a 20 to 24 oz water bottle, your favorite electrolyte powder mix (I use Cytomax and Hammer Heed), and some simple maltodextrin.

You then proceed to put two servings of each powder in your bottle, fill it up with water, and shake it real well. What you will end up with is a very thin syrup that you can easily drink. The best thing is that one bottle packs about 400 calories – with a good amount of carbohydrates.

Here you will see I was mixing two bottles. These were in anticipation of a 4 hour ride. I took these along with two bottles of water. It was just what I needed to make it through an 84 mile ride with three attack/sprint zones.

Maybe it isn’t the perfect option, but I find that I am much better at fueling myself with this option over eating bars, etc. Every five minutes or so I take a swig of this mixture and chase it down with some water and I am ready to go!

Give is a try.