Fuel for the Trip
Eating properly on a long tour needs as much thought as choosing the right gear. Food and gear, both can make or break a happy tour. Guaranteed, you will experience weight-loss at the beginning — unless you ride a bike over mountains everyday anyways. The trick is finding a balance between energy exerted, calorie intake and weight-loss. Either too much or not enough of one of these will destroy you and end the trip early.
- Energy - do you have enough energy to cycle everyday, 60-100-150 kms? Cycle uphill/downhill/flats, headwinds, all weather conditions sometimes in one day? Where will this energy come from?
- Calorie intake - do you have enough resources to maintain a balanced diet and replace spent calories? Have you researched high-caloric food, easy to obtain and easy to prepare?
- Weight-loss - how much muscle mass can you afford to lose and still have enough to get you, your bike and gear up and over the next hill?
You are the only one that can answer these questions — everyone tours differently, with different bodies, muscles, dietary needs, food choices. Here, we help your research on food options across Canada. Break Canada down by province. Then break down the trip further, city to city and town to town.
Tim Hortons, Timmies, Tims
This coffee, donut, sandwich cafe has thousands upon thousands of locations right across Canada. During a hot sweaty summer bike ride across the prairies, an Ice Cap and box of 45 Timbits can be a morale boost like no other. Timmies buildings seem to all be built by the same architect. For security for your bike and gear, lean your bike on the front glass windows (carefully) and the same set of seniors located at every Tim Hortons will provide eyes-on security while you place your order. The food isn't great and the coffee tastes like melted cardboard filtered through dirt. But... the maxed out air-con, free wifi, washrooms with running water, seniors wanting to chat and variety of donuts make Tim Hortons an awesome place to rest on a bike tour of Canada.
Starbucks, McDonalds, A&W
Three other fast-food, coffee, cafe-diner-restaurants ubiquitously found across the country. All offer wifi, air-con. At Starbucks, the Double Chocolatey Chip Frappuccino has 520 calories. McDonalds sells a muffin and coffee for a toonie ($2). An A&W rootbeer milkshake also has 520 calories. One a day will get you safely across provinces when the heat turns up. The A&W website offers coupons - save the reusable coupon as a pdf on your phone, flash it when you order and get an for an extra burger, fries, drink.
High Protein, High Nutrition, High Calorie - Lightweight - Food Ideas
Much depends on what cooking equipment and fuel you have. Non-instant dried foods have a longer cooking time, thus using up more precious fuel. Do you have the space for several different food items, spices, condiments, cleaning equipment? After experimenting with all styles of camping stoves, my go-to is now the famous Jet Boil - compacts down nicely into itself, auto-lighter, insuslating sleeve, stable base, fast efficient boil time, and can be a mug with handle or cook-pot.
- Coconut oil - mix with anything! 39 Manly Uses for Coconut Oil in Your Bushcraft Kit
- Dried milk powder - plain or flavoured, mix in with porridge, drinks, anything
- Instant Ramen Noodles - variety of flavours, good for replenishing lost body salt, an easy clean afterwards
- Pop Tarts - high calories, variety of flavours, nice beside-the-highway afternoon snack
- Dried instant soups (ie Knorrs)
- Instant rice, quinoa, couscous - high levels of protein, fiber, calcium, iron. Flavoured packs available. A good base to add vegetables, meats, salad dressings, soup mixes to.
- Peanut Butter - can be spread on anything for extra protien
- Wraps - spread peanut butter as base, handful of GORP and cut-up banana, strawberries, etc tossed in
- The Great GORP Content
Dehydrated foods
Dehydrated foods can be your friend. Water-less food is lightweight, has a long life span, and can fit into the nooks and crannies of your panniers. Possible to buy in-bulk - Mountain House Entree Assortment Bucket, 12 Pouches. Or, buy a dehydrator and start making homemade fruit leather and jerkies. For shorter tours you can dehydrate your pasta sauce (alfredo, tomato, stroganoff – it all works!) to save weight and bulk, but be sure you have enough water to bring it back to life. For longer tours, having some dehydrated lemon peel, orange peel, berries, onion, celery, carrot, etc can be a great way to add a bit more flavour to otherwise bland meals.
Egg Powder can be a good alternative to carrying eggs – though certainly not an option for a sunny side up egg breakfast, egg powder can allow for a binding agent for many recipes, and also work to make scrambled eggs.
Two videos here to help brainstorm dried food ideas: