I learned the hard way that avoiding the bonk, or going hypoglycemic, on a challenging event, requires that I eat to ride. Both before and during the ride. Fortunately I don’t do many rides that require eating on the bike. An activity that demands enough confidence, or stupidity if the roads are bad, to take your hands off the handlebar, sufficient dexterity to fish around behind your back to find your energy bar or gel or whatever, and gills so that you can continue to breathe while chewing and swallowing. All the while pedaling so you won’t get dropped.
It is much more fun, civilized even, to ride to eat. Houston’s West End Bicycles Six Thirty group introduced me to the delightful practice of riding as an excuse to eat. After our Thursday evening rides we would gather at Jax Grill or Romano’s Pizza to “replenish our glycogen stores.” I have already written about the mid-ride breakfasts at Dona Maria which give Ted’s Taco Ride its name. Good company, a bit of exercise, good food and lots of laughter. What a winning hand!
So it was “hip hip hooray” when I discovered that Den Haag’s the Not Possibles end their Saturday morning rides at the Coffee Club in Leidsenhage. Appeltaart and the occasional uitsmijter are the foods of choice in Den Haag. We have been known to linger over a second koffie verkeerd, purely for health reasons of course!
Malaysians live to eat. That is indisputable. So naturally every ride here involves eating. Either mid-ride, or after the ride, or both. Even the rides that require you to eat to ride, like the Broga 116, end with food of some description provided by the organizers. The meal of choice for the Racun Cycling Gang and the Cyclistis is often the humble roti canai. With a teh tarik to wash it down with.
Photo courtesy of Mark Lim
The best roti canai are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Everyone who has ever had one wants another. And another. And another. This was during a ride to Kundang. Specifically to eat some roti canai at this roadside stall. Shahfiq is taking an e-break. I am starting on my second roti.
Photo courtesy of Mark Lim
The eating is only part of the experience. Watching your roti canai being made is entertaining too. Which you can do now too, courtesy of this video by Mark Wiens from his blog Migrationology. As a bonus you will see teh tarik, the quintessential drink to go with your roti, being made.
I’ve been looking through Mark’s blog as I wrote this post. His write ups and photos are making me hungry. Good thing there is a ride this evening. I need an excuse to eat a roti canai or two.
Old Roots, New Routes 