Ultimate cyclists' breakfast: 3 ideas that will help you win

Photo by Martin de Arriba on Unsplash

The morning before your big cycling race or a long ride can be stressful, but your breakfast shouldn’t be. In this short article, we will go through a couple breakfast ideas that are easy to make and will keep you fueled for that big adventure.

What you should be looking for in cyclists’ breakfast

In this post, we will be looking into food that will not only keep you up and running but also healthy, therefore whole foods. As a cyclist you want to stay away from processed food, which is already heavily consumed on a bike, such as gels or energy bars. This is extremely important when you are doing your base training as well, if you would like to read more on that, BigBonkTour has you covered.

Breakfast recipes for cyclists

The biggest problem with breakfast is that there is a thin line before eating enough and getting bloated. If you overeat, your training or big event might get compromised, but if you undereat, you might bonk. If you would like to learn about bonking, I have written a complete guide on what bonking is and how to prevent it. The following breakfast ideas will make you both fueled and light enough to ace your next ride. You will have to work out measurements by trial and error based on your appetite and weight, these recipes are based on me, a 60kg cyclist.

Oatmeal with fruits

A complete classic that most riders swear by, and is, without doubt, a most popular breakfast option.

• 70g of rolled oats
• 150ml of water
• 130ml of milk (doesn’t matter which one you choose, I prefer lactose free)
• 1 banana
• a handful of berries (strawberries or bilberries)

You can spice it up by adding a tablespoon of peanut butter but make sure to use a genuine product, which consists mostly of nuts and is not packed with sugar.

Oatmeal. Photo by Christian Wiediger.

Lemon Pancakes

Another oat-based recipe which is packed full of carbohydrates.

• 75g of quick oats (if you have rolled ones, blend them separately beforehand)
• 140ml of milk (once again use the one you prefer, but I suggest a more lean one)
• 1 egg
• 0,5-1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• A bit of finely grated zest of a lemon
• 0,5 teaspoon of vanilla extract or vanilla sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 1,5 teaspoons of baking powder

Although it might seem like a struggle with that many ingredients, all you have to do is put everything into a blender and blend it until smooth. Once that is done, scoop the batter into a frying pan over some butter or low fat cooking spray and brown on both sides. Garnish suggestions: fresh berries, greek yogurt, bananas, peanut butter.

Lemon pancakes. Photo by Yoori Koo.

Avocado toast with eggs and bacon

Although a bit controversial, I believe that it is more important to have a meal which makes you happy and tastes good instead of stuffing yourself with something bland. The following recipe makes 1 sandwich, so adjust based on your needs.

• 1 slice of sandwich (or rye) bread
• 1 avocado
• 1 egg
• 1 slice of bacon
• A bit of cream cheese

Start by placing a slice of bacon into a cold pan and turning it on. Once bacon starts to sizzle, on the other side of the pan, add some butter and let it melt (don’t let it brown), break an egg into the pan, season with it with salt and pepper, and cover the pan a lid. While everything is cooking, toast your slice of bread to your liking and spread some cream cheese on it. Smash avocado and spread it on bread as well. Top it off with your egg and bacon. Breakfast for your body, mind, and soul.

Avocado toast with eggs. Photo by David B Townsend.

What should you drink for breakfast?

No need to overcomplicate things, keep it simple with a 2 drinks strategy:

• Coffee. However, you like it, black, with milk or maybe a latte. Everything works, if you enjoy it a certain way- go for it.
• A bottle of electrolytes drink. You should be carb&electrolytes loading before an event, so mix your favorite electrolyte drink and consume before getting on a bike.

Optional: If oranges season is in full swing and you have some laying around, make a glass of freshly pressed juice.

That’s it. What is your favorite breakfast before a big cycling event? Share in the comments down below!

If you find this article helpful, check out more training articles on BigBonkTour or check out related articles below.