Cereal before ride?

tix7_7_7

Hi, can you comment on the meal that I am having before my rides each day? Lately, I've gotten into a habit of eating this meal everyday before my ride...I ride anywhere from 2-6 hours after eating this. I am worried about too much carb/simple sugar intake alhtough I try to limit sugar intake so I don't get sugar spikes....

2 big bowls of cereal
(1 bowl is ~1.5 cup Wheaties, ~1/4 cup honey bunches of oats, ~1/2 cup omega 6 hemp granola, maybe a tiny dash of grapenuts or something thrown in there)
I eat about 2 tbsp peanut butter with my bowls of cereal
~16 oz. skim milk
usually 1/2-1 banana or some raisins + apple thrown in as well

what do you think? good fuel or bad? workouts range from endurance rides to intervals (i try to give more digestion time if going harder)...

but i really like cereal! just want to know if it is giving me good fuel! thanks.

spinner32

IMO, if you can successfully maintain your workouts and training rides without bonking, then you are probably fueling properly. That is definately a carb-heavy meal, but it looks like you have a good base of complex carbs mixed with simple sugars (which aren't necessarily a bad thing to eat when training - they get you going quickly, and will only lead to spikes and crashes if consumed at improper times in improper amounts... Trust me, you would know if this was the case.) If you have enough time to digest it, you could add a bit of protein in the form of 2 egg whites or something. Up to you though. Also remember that what you eat while on the bike and after you get off is equally important as your pre-workout nutrition. My two cents.

benkoostra

I ride best after a big breakfast, but I need at least 2 hours to digest it. If I go too soon, I ride like a senior citizen (I shouldn't say that; there's a 64 y.o. gentleman in these parts who is still rediculously fast).