This regime suited the ride down the River Murray where food was plentiful. On a more isolated ride I would have to be more self-sufficient.

Catering for this ride is probably not the norm given that I was not traveling on a tight budget and had made the decision to reduce my cooking requirements by eating from roadside venues at least once a day, preferably for a main meal. This decision was set in stone when I sent all my cooking gear home amongst the 11kg of cargo I shed at Tallangatta (see Flat out and the hills are behind me. I hope ) The following is a typical offering for a typical day riding:

Breakfast:

Eaten anywhere between 5:30am and 7:30am. (See main page image)

  • Oats or cereal such as Nutragrain.
  •  A squeeze of condensed milk for sweetness.
  •  Powdered milk and tablespoon of protein powder in water over the cereal.
  •  Banana, apple, pear or cashews to follow.

It may not look it, but I find this very sustaining and with a few snacks, kept me going for hours.

Lunch:

Taken very opportunistically depending on what is available, anywhere between noon and 2:30pm. If taken late in the day and at a pub, this would become my main meal.

  •  Bakery food (pie, bun etc.).
  • Steak or schnitzel at a pub (with a pint of beer) along the route.
  • Subway foot long (but with half saved for later in the day).
  • Iced coffee or chocolate milk.

Dinner:

This was often the easiest choice of the day.

  • If I had had a pub meal a few hours earlier, then I would often repeat the breakfast menu.
  • If I was in a town or somewhere that served food, then I ate there.
  • On some occasions, I had a roll or wrap saved from a lunchtime purchase.
  • If none of the above presented themselves, I repeated the breakfast menu.

Snacks:

Eaten whenever I felt the need from a selection in the handlebar bag.

  • Unsalted cashews
  • Fruit – bananas are a favourite and very sustaining but also pears, oranges and apples.
  • Dry biscuits and peanut paste. Also sustaining

Water:

  • Regularly carried between three and ten litres depending on availability and temperature.
  • Drank a litre per day with Hydralite or similar to keep my essential mineral levels up.
  • Most days consumed at least 3½ litres.

Looking at this menu now, I realise what luxury it was to only have to worry about carrying food for one meal a day. Most rides and many budgets will not allow for this extravagance and as such, the menu above will not suit. For my Nullarbor Ride in October 2016, I am going to have to carry / cook most of my meals and so the menu will differ considerably. But if like me you are happy to graze as you ride and outlets are available, then this is a great way to go. Surprisingly given that I thought that the diet would put back any weight lost from riding, when I weighed myself on returning home, I found I had lost 6kg.