This means you should be aiming to get enough nutrients in your diet
to sustain you while cycling and to recover afterwards.

Cycling will feel easier so your fitness should increase faster...
Your recovery time will be cut so you can ride again sooner...
Cycling burns more than 300 calories per hour so you can shovel food in without worrying too much about gaining weight.
If you do not eat enough, your performance will suffer and your immune system can be weakened!

WHAT to EAT?

FAT
Fats, such as milk, yoghurt, butter, cheese & olive oil make an important contribution to your nutrition. They aid glycogen production and storage.
Around 15-20% of your food should be fats. Avoid too much saturated and hydrogenated fats - Better to use vegetable oils like vegetable oil, sunflower oil or olive oil. Nuts, such as Almonds, Brazil nuts and Walnuts are high in beneficial oils. Avocado is high in monounsaturated fat and potassium. Olive oil is high in vitamin E. Extra virgin oils are more expensive but are the best in nutrional terms.

PROTEIN
Proteins are the building blocks of tissue repair and also aid glycogen production and storage.
Beans, eggs, milk, cheese, nuts and vegetables are all easily-digested sources of protein. Incorporate small amounts of these into your meals. Meat does provide protein, but is not so easily digested.

OTHER NUTRIENTS
Vitamins, minerals, enzymes, bio-flavinoids and other micro-nutrients also have their parts to play in your nutrition. Eat a variety of fresh fruit and veg to keep your immune system healthy, maintain body functions and aid tissue repair. Cooking destroys some nutrients so if your meal comes with salad - eat it!

FLUIDS
Drink before you feel thirsty when cycling!
A cyclist loses fluid both through sweating and breathing (you can see the steam on a cold day!) A water bottle fixed to the bike is a must so you can keep sipping - in very hot conditions you might need a litre per hour. On a 5+ hour ride on a very hot day, a pinch of salt in your bottle can help maintain Sodium levels.
Even in winter you lose fluid through your breath, so you still need to keep drinking on longer rides.

WHEN to EAT?

DURING
Your stores of glycogen are limited and on longer rides (more than an hour or two) you will have to top them up. Individuals vary, you may need to nibble every hour or two to sustain your cycling effort and top up carbs at regular intervals. Carry food with you if neccessary.

AFTER
It is important to replenish your glycogen levels as soon as you can when you stop - especially when cycling long distance or on a multi-day ride. The body is most effective at replacing glycogen stores immediately after exercise. A high calorie drink is often the easiest way to get these post-exercise carbs down. A fruit juice, a can of pop or a sports drink as soon as you stop, followed by a large carbo loaded meal as soon as you can!

PRO-CYCLING A pro-cyclist like Lance Armstrong ate a huge amount to fuel his training and racing regime. Cyclists riding in the Tour de France need up to 7000 calories per day. Armstrong's race-day breakfast was a bowl of pasta with an egg, cheese and basil on top and a sports drink. Then there is a light carb-filled lunch and more sports drink about an hour before the stage starts. Throughout the stage, food and drink are collected by the cyclists en route - sandwiches, energy bars, fruit and even baked-potatoes!. Immediately after the finish, more sports drink starts the recovery phase. Then there is a carbohydrate-rich meal as soon as possible and later a full dinner with potatoes or rice and steamed veg. You probably won't need to eat as much as Lance but the same principles could help you enjoy your cycling more.