News Archive

Perfect Menu For British Bikers

Monday, 27 March 2006

Romford, March 27th 2005 – When it comes to grub, Britain's bikers may be more closely associated with greasy fry ups, burgers and beer, but now one of the country's upcoming celebrity chefs and a motorcycle insurance broker are teaming up to encourage bikers to get culinary in their choice of food if they want a good day on the road.

Motorcycle insurance broker Devitt and motorcycle-mad TV chef Steve Walpole have teamed up to produce the perfect menu for a day's motorcycling.

According to them, bikers should forget the kebab shops and chocolate bars; teriyaki salmon, muesli and pasta with sun-dried pesto are what the nation's motorcyclists should be filling up on.

"As a keen biker and lover of ride-outs, track days or just being on a motorcycle, I know how a good balanced diet actually affects my rides and concentration." Says Steve.

"As a rider of a supersports motorcycle, I've also encountered the nasty, bloated, full and eaten-too-much syndrome from the leant-over riding position which is then exaggerated when going through the UK's twisty roads.

"The challenge Devitt gave me was to find the ideal meals and snacks to have when on the road. This menu will help you stay alert, feel content and on top of things.

"Bikers need to think about the food they eat when they plan their routes. Concentration and alertness are the keys to a safe ride and great day on the road."

William Hughes, Managing Director (at the time) of Romford-based motorcycle insurance broker Devitt said:

"When you spend half your life studying motorcycle claims statistics, you start to look at all the factors that can help a biker's safety. Food is one that's never been examined in much detail, but we all know that certain types of meals affect our mental and physical state. We wanted to help bikers by giving them a biker-based menu and asking Steve to provide some general food advice.

If it helps keep just a few more bikers off those claims statistics, then it's well worth the effort from our perspective."

Steve Walpole's food tips for bikers are:

On breakfast:

"Bikers really should make time for breakfast or their energy and concentration will fade rapidly during the morning. Slow burning energy is the key, such as starchy carbohydrates and proteins. This could be things like muesli with a boiled egg or a bacon sandwich with wholemeal bread, a little butter and lean low salt bacon with a touch of tomato ketchup. The ketchup is acidic and helps digestion. Tea is better than coffee."

On lunch:

"Avoid heavy, hearty meals. The best lunch items are soups – except really creamy ones – or light stews like an Irish or a chicken casserole. These dishes are mostly liquid so fill you up without that heavy feeling. After eating, always rest for 20 minutes as the body's natural reaction to finishing a meal is the urge to sleep while it gets on with digestion. This is a potential accident waiting to happen."

On dinner:

"Slow burning carbohydrates such as pasta dishes, rice-based or jacket potato and baked beans. This way the body stores up energy and with breakfast the following morning, biker's fuel gages should be on almost full. It may seem over the top but this does work. If your journey is a late starter and you are on the road in the evening, then meals like light salads are good. However, avoid heavy mayonnaises or creamy dressings; stick to oil based ones with some protein and a small amount of starch."

On snacks:

"I tend to bring my own snacks on a journey, such as nuts or fresh or dried fruit, as these have slower burning energy and are full of natural sugars. They can give you the same lift as chocolate but over a longer period and without a sudden thirst. Crisps and fatty snacks can be very dehydrating but the worst thing of all is chewing gum. Chewing makes your brain believe you're eating so it diverts blood to the stomach which can cause lack of concentration and the feeling of being hunger due to an over active stomach."

On drinks:

Avoid heavy drinks like those which are milk-based or high in sugar as they will make your stomach feel heavy. The biggest no-no (obviously apart from alcohol) is high-energy drinks: they over-fill your body with quick release stimulants and the high they give lasts only a little while before your body comes down. This can trigger a thirst or the need to eat. The odd tea and coffee can help as hot drinks tend to warm the body and small amounts of caffeine can be just the boost at lunch to help beat that drowsiness after a meal. Natural drinks like unflavoured water and juices such as pineapple or orange (not from concentrate) are ideal but in moderation."

The following, unconventional, biking menu by award winning Chef Steve Walpole, has been created with both health and safety in mind, giving bikers the best possible nutrition while keeping them alert and level headed.

For Breakfast

• Homemade muesli and muesli biscuits, yoghurt and berry dip
• Banana, mango and passion fruit smoothie or carrot, pineapple and yellow pepper juice smoothie

For Lunch

• Lemon grass and coconut chicken salad with ciabatta croutons, lime dressing
• Teriyaki salmon with stir fry vegetable wrap with a coriander crème fraiche

Snacks

• Fruit crisps
• Homemade nut brittle
• Cous cous cake with dried fruit

For Dinner

• Green pea and bacon soup with wholemeal bap
• Pasta with sun dried tomato pesto and a rocket salad

Drinks

• Lemon, black grape and Thai basil flavoured water
• Homemade peach iced tea