Homemade Rice Cakes for Cycling: The Athlete's Favourite Ride Food

Why This Recipe Works for Athletes

Homemade rice cakes are a staple of professional cycling nutrition — made famous by Team INEOS and used widely on the WorldTour peloton. They are easy to digest, deliver steady carbohydrate energy without spiking blood sugar, and can be customised to your taste. Far cheaper than commercial energy products and far more satisfying on a long training ride or gran fondo.

Ingredients

400g short-grain rice (sushi rice or arborio — sticky rice binds best)
600ml water
100g crispy unsmoked bacon, diced small
2 large eggs, beaten
30ml soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Cook the rice in the water according to packet instructions until soft and sticky. Spread onto a baking tray and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
Fry the diced bacon in a dry pan until crispy. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice, bacon, beaten eggs, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and salt. Mix thoroughly until everything is evenly distributed.
Line a 20x30cm baking tin with cling film. Press the rice mixture firmly into the tin to a depth of about 3cm. Press hard — the cakes need to be dense enough to hold together.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Once set, remove from the tin and cut into individual portions (roughly 8–10 pieces).
Wrap each cake tightly in cling film or foil. They keep in the fridge for 3 days or can be frozen for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition Notes

Each rice cake provides approximately 200–220 kcal, 35–40g of carbohydrate, and 7–8g of protein. On long rides (3+ hours), aim for 1–2 cakes per hour alongside your normal hydration. The combination of rice starch and simple sugars from honey provides both fast-acting and sustained energy. For a vegetarian version, replace bacon with grated parmesan or crumbled feta cheese and increase the honey slightly.

Prep time: 30 minutes + 2 hours chilling | Servings: 8–10 cakes