Mavr Sports Nutrition Team
Updated October 2, 2026. 12 min read.
Cycling fueling in one line: rides under an hour need little or no food, rides of 1 to 2.5 hours need about 30 to 60 g of carbs per hour, and longer or harder rides need about 60 to 90 g per hour. Start in the first 20 to 30 minutes, then eat or drink something every 20 to 30 minutes.
Below you will find a chart by ride length and intensity, how many carbs are in common bottles, gels, and bars, and three sample ride plans you can copy.
| Ride length | Easy (zone 1 to 2) | Moderate or tempo | Hard or race |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 hour | None needed | 0 to 30 g | 0 to 30 g, or a mouth rinse |
| 1 to 2 hours | 0 to 30 g | 30 to 60 g | 40 to 60 g |
| 2 to 3 hours | 30 to 45 g | 45 to 60 g | 60 to 90 g |
| 3 to 5 hours | 40 to 60 g | 60 to 80 g | 80 to 90 g |
| Over 5 hours | 45 to 60 g | 60 to 90 g | 90 g, up to 120 g if trained |
These ranges follow sports nutrition guidelines: about 30 to 60 g per hour for 1 to 2.5 hours of exercise and up to about 90 g per hour beyond that. Newer research shows some well-trained riders can absorb more than 90 g per hour on very long events, but only with practice and products that mix glucose and fructose.
Intensity matters as much as time. A hard 2-hour race burns far more carbs than a 2-hour coffee spin, so move one column right when the ride is hard, has lots of climbing, or you ride in a fast group.
Carbs are only half the plan. Tune fluid and sodium to the weather and to your own sweat rate.
| Ride type | Carbs per hour | Fluid per hour | Sodium per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 hours, easy or moderate | 30 to 45 g | 400 to 700 ml | 300 to 600 mg |
| 2 to 4 hours, endurance | 45 to 75 g | 500 to 800 ml | 400 to 800 mg |
| 4+ hours or race intensity | 60 to 90 g (trained) | 600 to 900 ml | 600 to 1,000 mg |
Do not drink more than you sweat. If you weigh more after a ride than before, you drank too much. A simple sweat rate test tells you where you sit in these ranges.
The strength of a drink mix is often given as a percentage. 6% means 6 g of carbs per 100 ml. Typical sports drinks are around 6 to 8%. Use this table to turn a mix into grams:
| Mix strength | Carbs per 500 ml bottle | Carbs per 750 ml bottle |
|---|---|---|
| 4% (light) | 20 g | 30 g |
| 6% (typical sports drink) | 30 g | 45 g |
| 8% (standard mix) | 40 g | 60 g |
| 10% (strong) | 50 g | 75 g |
| 16% (high-carb mix) | 80 g | 120 g |
Stronger mixes let you carry more carbs in fewer bottles, but some riders find them heavy on the stomach. If you use a strong mix, carry a second bottle of plain water or electrolyte drink.
Maurten Drink Mix 160 in 500 ml
Carbs40 g
NotesAn 8% bottle
Maurten Drink Mix 320 in 500 ml
Carbs80 g
NotesA 16% bottle for high intakes
Maurten Gel 100
Carbs25 g
NotesOne gel
GU Energy Gel
Carbs21 to 23 g
NotesVaries by flavor
Clif Bar, full size (68 g)
CarbsAbout 36 g
NotesEU label; US labels count fiber, so read about 40 g
Medium banana
CarbsAbout 27 g
NotesEasy early in a ride
Homemade rice cake
CarbsVaries
NotesWeigh your recipe once and note it
| Food or product | Carbs | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maurten Drink Mix 160 in 500 ml | 40 g | An 8% bottle |
| Maurten Drink Mix 320 in 500 ml | 80 g | A 16% bottle for high intakes |
| Maurten Gel 100 | 25 g | One gel |
| GU Energy Gel | 21 to 23 g | Varies by flavor |
| Clif Bar, full size (68 g) | About 36 g | EU label; US labels count fiber, so read about 40 g |
| Medium banana | About 27 g | Easy early in a ride |
| Homemade rice cake | Varies | Weigh your recipe once and note it |
Labels change, so check your own products. Once you know the grams per bottle, gel, and bar, building a plan is simple addition.
Plan 1: a 2-hour endurance ride (zone 2). Target about 45 g per hour, about 90 g in total.
Before
Normal breakfast 2 to 3 hours before, such as oatmeal with banana
Carbs1 to 2 g/kg
Hour 1
One 500 ml bottle at 8%
Carbs40 g
Hour 2
One 500 ml bottle at 8% and half a banana
CarbsAbout 53 g
Total on the bike
2 bottles, half a banana
CarbsAbout 93 g, roughly 47 g per hour
| When | Fuel | Carbs |
|---|---|---|
| Before | Normal breakfast 2 to 3 hours before, such as oatmeal with banana | 1 to 2 g/kg |
| Hour 1 | One 500 ml bottle at 8% | 40 g |
| Hour 2 | One 500 ml bottle at 8% and half a banana | About 53 g |
| Total on the bike | 2 bottles, half a banana | About 93 g, roughly 47 g per hour |
Plan 2: a 4-hour group ride with surges and a café stop. Target about 60 to 70 g per hour, about 250 g in total.
Before
Breakfast 2 to 3 hours before, such as a bagel with jam and juice
Carbs1.5 to 2 g/kg
Hour 1
500 ml bottle at 8% and half a Clif Bar
CarbsAbout 58 g
Hour 2
500 ml bottle at 8% and a banana
CarbsAbout 67 g
Hour 3
500 ml bottle at 8% (refilled at the café) and one gel
CarbsAbout 65 g
Hour 4
500 ml bottle at 8% and one gel
CarbsAbout 65 g
Total on the bike
4 bottles, half a bar, banana, 2 gels
CarbsAbout 255 g, roughly 64 g per hour
| When | Fuel | Carbs |
|---|---|---|
| Before | Breakfast 2 to 3 hours before, such as a bagel with jam and juice | 1.5 to 2 g/kg |
| Hour 1 | 500 ml bottle at 8% and half a Clif Bar | About 58 g |
| Hour 2 | 500 ml bottle at 8% and a banana | About 67 g |
| Hour 3 | 500 ml bottle at 8% (refilled at the café) and one gel | About 65 g |
| Hour 4 | 500 ml bottle at 8% and one gel | About 65 g |
| Total on the bike | 4 bottles, half a bar, banana, 2 gels | About 255 g, roughly 64 g per hour |
Carry two bottles and two sachets of drink mix, then refill at the café. Eat solid food early while the pace is easy and save gels for the hard part of the ride.
Plan 3: a 6-hour gran fondo at a strong pace. Target about 80 to 90 g per hour, about 500 g in total. Only use this plan if you have trained your gut to 80 g per hour or more.
Before
Big carb breakfast 3 hours before, such as rice or oatmeal, toast, juice
Carbs2 to 3 g/kg
Hours 1 to 3, each
750 ml bottle at 8% and half a Clif Bar
CarbsAbout 78 g
Hours 4 to 6, each
750 ml bottle at 8% and one gel
CarbsAbout 85 g
Total on the bike
6 large bottles, 1.5 bars, 3 gels
CarbsAbout 490 g, roughly 82 g per hour
| When | Fuel | Carbs |
|---|---|---|
| Before | Big carb breakfast 3 hours before, such as rice or oatmeal, toast, juice | 2 to 3 g/kg |
| Hours 1 to 3, each | 750 ml bottle at 8% and half a Clif Bar | About 78 g |
| Hours 4 to 6, each | 750 ml bottle at 8% and one gel | About 85 g |
| Total on the bike | 6 large bottles, 1.5 bars, 3 gels | About 490 g, roughly 82 g per hour |
Carry your own drink mix in sachets so you can refill with water at feed stations. Check the event website for the feed station list rather than relying on what they might stock. Add a plain water bottle on hot days, and add sodium if you are a heavy or salty sweater.
A gel early on and another an hour later adds up to only about 50 g of carbs over a 5-hour ride. At 60 to 90 g per hour, the same ride needs 300 to 450 g. That gap is why the last hours fall apart even when fitness is good.
20 to 30 g
Bonking, a clear power drop, and mental fog in the later hours
30 to 45 g
You hold on, but leave power on the table
60 to 90 g (trained)
Steady power and a strong final hour
| Carbs per hour on a long ride | What usually happens |
|---|---|
| 20 to 30 g | Bonking, a clear power drop, and mental fog in the later hours |
| 30 to 45 g | You hold on, but leave power on the table |
| 60 to 90 g (trained) | Steady power and a strong final hour |
Most riders cannot jump straight to 90 g per hour. Raise intake by about 15 g per hour every two weeks, and only move up when your stomach stays settled. A simple 8-week build:
If you get bloating or cramps, stay at the last step that felt fine for another week before moving up.
Mavr reads your training calendar and sets carbs and hydration for each day, so a long ride day gets different targets from a recovery day. Fluid and sodium guidance scales with heat, intensity, and session length, and you can ask Kai, the AI nutrition coach in the app, how to hit your carb target for the day.
About 45 to 60 g per hour at a moderate pace, and 60 to 90 g per hour if the ride is hard or a race. An easy 3-hour ride can be fine at 30 to 45 g per hour.
It depends on the mix. A 500 ml bottle at 6% has 30 g, at 8% it has 40 g, and a high-carb mix at 16% has 80 g. Check the label or work it out from the scoop size.
Yes. Raise intake step by step over several weeks of long rides and practice your exact product mix.
Usually not, if you ate in the last few hours. For a hard 1-hour session, a few sips of sports drink can help.
Usually no. Longer or hotter rides need carbs and sodium as well as water to hold power and reduce late-ride fade.
A mix works best: carb drink for steady intake, solid food early in the ride, and gels for quick hits later or during hard efforts.
General guidance for healthy adults, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or registered dietitian if you have a health condition, take medicines or have special dietary needs.
Ask Mavr: "Create my bike fueling plan for this ride" to get per-hour carb, fluid, and sodium targets.
Ask Kai, the coach in the app