Eat As You Ride To Sustain Energy - Cycling often involves longer participation times than many other activities. It's not enough to just eat before you ride, especially when you're going to be out for more than an hour. You need to sustain your energy by eating as you ride. The best rule is this: eat before you're hungry. Otherwise, your body can't get the energy to your muscles fast enough to sustain your output. Fruit makes excellent food for cycling, though it's hard to carry enough for longer rides. Fortunately, the newest energy bars and drinks give you more options. The best of these are made from all-natural ingredients and come in a variety of flavors and compositions so you can choose the right "formula" for your palette and your performance goals. Remember to drink water with any energy food to help your body absorb the essential ingredients and to keep yourself properly hydrated. Even if you use an energy drink mixed with water, sip pure water as part of your regimen to maintain a healthy dilution of the minerals and sugars these drinks contain.