I recall that someone new to the sport once told me that cycling was not a hobby or a pastime but in fact a lifestyle. There is merit in this view as we seek out like-minded people to ride with, follow the latest reports on races and new tech, and arrange our daily lives and holiday plans around it. With the rapidly increasing emphasis on the importance of nutrition, it has invaded our kitchens as well as our jersey pockets. There are sources to guide us that mean we can go far beyond tasteless commercial energy bars or squashed bananas with a bit of effort.
Alan Murchison has carved out a niche for himself as The Cycling Chef. A Michelin-starred chef with over 25 years’ experience, he does not cut the roly-poly figure once de rigeur for serious kitchen artists but in fact is a national level master’s cyclist, a former international endurance runner and multiple World and European age-group duathlon champion. Running a business providing nutrition plans to athletes, he also was the professional chef for the Canyon/SRAM Racing Women’s World Tour team in 2021. He has written two cookbooks for cyclists. The first, “The Cycling Chef: Recipes for Performance and Pleasure,” was released in 2019, and it was followed by “The Cycling Chef: Delicious Easy-to-Make Meals to Boost Cycling Performance” in 2021, which we reviewed here: ‘The Cycling Chef Recipes for Getting Lean and Fuelling the Machine’.
The latest book is “The Cycling Chef on the Go: Ride Day Recipes to Fuel Up, Replenish and Restore,” so somewhat different in approach from the previous books as it really does focus on the kinds of foods you will bring on a ride. The author writes: “Appetising on-the-bike snacks that enable you to refuel as you pedal are the key to enjoying that perfect ride, whether it’s a race, a training run or a trip.” But proper preparation goes further than this and he includes chapters covering nutritious foods to be consumed before and after riding as well.
As was the case with the previous books, “On the Go” is beautifully presented and is not only logically set out, with the recipes clearly organized and elegantly photographed, but also lovingly features more of the vintage black-and-white photos from the Golden Age of Racing that add so much charm to the publication.
The book is really a single source for those looking to improve their food intake. After initial comments about fuelling for performance, the recipes start and the author indicates that they should work well for time-limited cyclists but also their simplicity makes them attractive to people who may lack experience in the kitchen. “Back Pocket Heroes” is the title of the first recipe chapter and one is struck by the originality of the offerings. For example, his take on the usual energy bars is “Cherry, Coconut and White Choc Energy Bars,” which look very appealing and would probably be ravaged by the non-cyclists in the family!
There are ideas for snacks that one has not come across before but would certainly be worth trying, such as Retrotastic Coconut Ice, made with condensed milk and apparently something you could carry with you.
The traditional foods are covered and one is happy to see recognition of the Dutch/Belgian staple, the stroopwaffel. Among the advances in cooking technology for the cyclist are rice cookers and waffle makers and there are recipes using both of these easy-to-use devices to produce appetizing foods.
There are suggestions which recognize on a longer ride maybe more than energy bars are needed for satisfaction and there are interesting recipes for foods that could be carried in a bar bag, such as Death Wish Pasta, which is made without dairy, fish or meat so can be transported with no risk of spoilage. There are a number of similar recipes, which could be served at table as well as consumed during the ride. One suspects that if other riders realize the fine cuisine you are carrying there will be some requests for sharing the wealth.
The book concludes with a section on hydration and again offers some novel concoctions, such as a drink made with licorice, lemon, lime and sparkling water, a salute to famed British cyclist Beryl Burton, who carried licorice allsorts with her on races.
“The Cycling Chef on the Go” does not duplicate the recipes of the previous books but with its emphasis on feeding during the ride offers a wider range than previously. We have seen the appearance of professional chefs as a presence at the World Tour races, including ones with their own food trucks, and all top teams use nutritionists so there is no reason not to follow their example when the information is presented so attractively, including homage to the past, as in this book. Everyone can benefit not only from the improvements in performance brought on with more nutritious food but the wide range on offer here will make cooking a more stimulating and varied activity.
“The Cycling Chef on the Go: Ride Day Recipes to Fuel Up, Replenish and Restore”
by Alan Murchison
246 pp., profusely illustrated, hardbound
Bloomsbury Sports, New York, to be released on June 18, 2024
ISBN: 978-1-3994-11066
Retail Price: US$30/C$40/GBP 22
# “The Cycling Chef on the Go: Ride Day Recipes to Fuel Up, Replenish and Restore” is available from AMAZON.COM at: https://www.amazon.com/Cycling-Chef-Go-Recipes-Replenish/dp/1399411063. #
In addition to being an accomplished chef and dedicated athlete, Alan Murchison is the possessor of what may be the ultimate dream van conversion for any cyclist (or coffee enthusiast):
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