The Cycling Chef On the Go

SHORTLISTED FOR THE COOKERY BOOK WRITER AWARD FOR THE GUILD OF FOOD WRITERS AWARDS 2025
'Top meals from the Michelin-starred chef who is also a champion athlete.' - The Times
'Alan's culinary precision is matched only by his passion and ability as a sport professional.' - Tom Kerridge
THIS IS PORTABLE, PRACTICAL, PERFORMANCE FOOD.
RECIPES AND EXPERT ADVICE TO HELP TIME-POOR CYCLISTS GET MOVING, STAY ENERGISED AND RECOVER WELL.
'If you're hungry, it's too late' is the cyclists' mantra to avoid hitting the wall with an all-consuming loss of energy. To professional peloton, club riders and weekend peddlers alike, portable foods are as essential as a pump and a spare tube.
Armed with a host of simple-to-prepare, savoury and sweet recipes, Alan Murchison creates a range of on-the-go snacks, unique dishes and smoothies to enable riders to ditch the processed energy bars, sugary drinks and takeaways, and enjoy real food full of flavour.
On-the-go food must be appealing enough to encourage snacking when appetites are blunted and robust enough to withstand being grabbed from a musette. These energy-boosting recipes - including mouth-watering snacks such as Pressed Parmesan and Rosemary Polenta and Bakewell Balls - restore strength and are downright delicious. And instead of impatiently raiding the fridge after a hard day on the saddle, his post-ride refuelling suggestions offer irresistible protein-rich recovery alternatives.
As a respected cyclist and pro-cycling team nutritionist, Alan has road-tested his own recipes and cooked them for elite cyclists. This book of portable, practical, performance food means that whatever your level you will always have energy to the end.
Recipes include:
- 'Full English' frittatas- Chocolatey cardamom protein muffins- White chocolate miso blondies- Frozen yoghurt protein berries bites- Banana peanut popsicles- 'Full gas' lassi- Last legs espresso brownie- Sweet potato 'tattie scones'
Praise for Alan Murchison:
'Alan's food is simple, yet tasty and powerful. He's been a key component for my training and racing.' - Alex Dowsett, World Tour rider, former World Hour Record Holder and national champion
'I can't think of a finer chef to have written a book on nutrition and diet for athletes' - Tom Kerridge
'Alan's commitment to the world of gastronomy and cycling is awe-inspiring' - Sat Bains, two-star Michelin chef.
'Alan has completely changed my perception of what an athlete's diet can look like.' - Elinor Barker, multiple world champion and Olympic gold medallist
'His approach to nutritional cooking is nothing short of incredible.' - Ashley Palmer-Watts, two-star Michelin chef
'Alan's knowledge as a world-class chef, as well as being a competitive athlete, gives him an extraordinary understanding in how to make healthy food taste great with a practical and unique approach to nutritional cooking.' - Fred Sirieix

Alan Murchison is a Michelin-starred chef with over 25 years' experience working in some of the world's top restaurants. He is also a multiple World and European age group duathlon champion, national level master's cyclist and ex-international endurance runner. Alan was previously a consultant for British Cycling and is currently the performance chef for Specialized Factory Racing. @performancechef

Introduction
Preparation is Everything
Fuel for Performance
Back-Pocket Heroes
Portables Practicalities
On-the-bike Fuelling
Carbs are King
Fast Food, Proper Food
Recovery
Protein Punchers
Instant Energy
Start Right
Post- and Pre-Ride Eats and Treats
Optimum Hydration
Working up a Thirst
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Index