The single biggest performance improvement most amateur cyclists can make isn't training harder. It's eating more on the bike.
Since switching to proper in-ride fuelling — 80 to 120 grams of carbs per hour depending on the session — the difference has been staggering. Coming home from training feeling fresh, power data consistent throughout the ride, and actually being able to function afterwards. It's honestly blown me away how big a difference proper fuelling makes.
The Basic Framework
Under 60 minutes: Water is enough. Maybe a gel in the last 15 minutes if it's a race effort. Don't overthink this one.
60-90 minutes: Start fuelling from the 30-minute mark. A gel or a few swigs of energy drink every 20 minutes. Sip, don't gulp.
90 minutes to 3 hours: This is where fuelling becomes critical. Start within the first 20 minutes, aim for 60-90g carbs per hour from a mix of gels, bars, and energy drink. Set a timer if you need to — most people underfuel because they forget.
3+ hours: You need a fuelling plan, not just good intentions. Mix glucose and fructose sources (2:1 ratio) to absorb more carbs per hour. Alternate between gels, bars, and real food. Front-load your fuelling — it's much harder to catch up than to stay on top.
How Many Carbs Per Hour?
The old advice was 30-60g per hour. The science has moved on significantly. Current research supports:
| Ride Duration | Intensity | Target Carbs/Hour | |---|---|---| | Under 60min | Any | 0-30g | | 60-90min | Moderate-Hard | 30-60g | | 90min-3hr | Moderate | 60-80g | | 90min-3hr | Hard/Race | 80-90g | | 3hr+ | Any | 90-120g |
To hit 90-120g per hour, you need a mix of glucose and fructose. Your gut can only absorb about 60g of glucose per hour through one transporter. Adding fructose opens a second absorption pathway, allowing you to absorb up to 120g total.
Most commercial energy products now use a 2:1 or 1:0.8 glucose-to-fructose ratio for exactly this reason.
Train Your Gut
Your gut is a trainable organ. If you can currently only tolerate 40g per hour without stomach issues, that's your starting point — not your ceiling.
Build up gradually: add 10g per hour each week during training rides. By week 8, most cyclists can comfortably handle 90g per hour. The key is to practice in training, never on race day.
Hydration
General rule: 500-750ml per hour, adjusted for conditions.
- Cool conditions: 500ml/hr
- Warm conditions: 700ml/hr
- Hot conditions: 750ml+/hr
Sodium matters on rides over 2 hours: 500-700mg per hour. Use electrolyte tablets in one bottle and energy drink or plain water in the other.
The Café Stop Trap
The social café stop is part of cycling culture and it should stay that way. But if you're trying to manage body composition, a flat white (150 cal) and a slice of cake (400 cal) is 550 calories that wasn't part of any nutrition plan.
The fix isn't to skip the café stop — it's to account for it. If you know you're stopping, reduce your on-bike nutrition slightly and enjoy the coffee guilt-free.
Key Takeaways
- Most cyclists underfuel — eating more on the bike is often the single biggest performance gain
- Start fuelling within the first 20 minutes of any ride over 60 minutes
- Target 60-90g carbs/hour for rides 90min-3hr, 90-120g for 3hr+
- Mix glucose + fructose sources to absorb more than 60g/hr
- Your gut is trainable — build from 40g/hr to 90g/hr over 8 weeks
- 500-750ml fluid per hour, with sodium on rides over 2 hours
- Use our In-Ride Fuelling Calculator for personalised targets
- For choosing the right products, read our energy gels guide
- Hydration goes hand-in-hand with fuelling — 500-750ml per hour
- On race day, combine this with our race day nutrition timeline
- The fuel for the work required framework explains when to fuel big and when to pull back
