How It All Began
Last summer at the Carolina Hills Classic, four epic days of riding sparked a major partnership for Carolina Multisports. Over those four days, I rode alongside Biju Thomas—Skratch Labs co-founder, renowned chef, endurance nutrition pioneer, and the event’s Celebrity Ambassador. Between climbs, aid stations, and long conversations rolling through the Carolina countryside, I got to see firsthand how he lives the same real-food, athlete-first philosophy he’s known for. He wasn’t just there to smile for photos; he was in the mix with the riders, answering questions, sharing practical fueling tips, and telling the story behind Skratch in a way that felt honest and accessible. He even sent out for some ingredients and made some impromptu snacks for us with Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, meat, cheese, and Raspberry Jam. Needless to say, they were delicious roadside treats.!
Biju joined as the event's celebrity ambassador to share his story of managing gout (a form of inflammatory arthritis he’s dealt with since 2011) while raising awareness and funds for the Arthritis Foundation. Hearing him talk about training, cooking, and competing while navigating chronic pain made a real impact. It reframed the ride as more than a cycling challenge—it became a platform for resilience, adaptation, and advocacy for others living with arthritis.
Those shared miles brought Skratch’s story to life, including a memorable anecdote Biju shared personally about experimenting with simple, real-food recipes in cramped team kitchens and race caravans, just trying to help athletes feel and perform better with food their bodies could actually recognize. It was the kind of behind-the-scenes glimpse you don’t get from a website or a product label, and it cemented why Skratch felt like such a natural fit for Carolina Multisports.
As the top fundraiser for the Arthritis Foundation at the event, I was thrilled when he gifted me one of his cookbooks—a perfect cap to an unforgettable weekend and a tangible reminder of what can happen when community, purpose, and smart fueling all come together on the bike.
Who is Biju Thomas? The Man Behind the Flavor
Biju has long fueled elite cyclists, serving as key chef for Team BMC and Team USA Cycling’s culinary team—including at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where his personalized meals and fueling plans helped secure a record six medals for USA Cycling. In the high-pressure environment of stage races and international competition, he became known not just for what he cooked, but for how he listened: dialing in menus for individual athletes, adjusting portion sizes and ingredients based on weather, training load, and gut tolerance, and turning cramped vans, hotel kitchens, and makeshift prep spaces into performance labs on wheels.
Long before most brands were talking about “real food” on the bike, Biju was quietly putting that concept into practice at the sport’s highest level. He co-founded Skratch Labs in Boulder with sports physiologist Dr. Allen Lim, who had coached Tour de France–level teams and seen firsthand how traditional fueling was failing athletes. Fed up with the artificial, overly processed sports drinks and gels that left riders bloated, cramping, and sluggish—especially in the heat—they began experimenting with real food and simpler formulas, starting with basic hydration mixes and humble rice cakes made fresh during races.
Those rice cakes became legendary: easy to digest, naturally salty-sweet, and made from ingredients riders could name without a chemistry degree. Biju’s culinary chops—balancing flavor, texture, and practicality on the bike—combined with Allen’s deep understanding of physiology, sweat rates, and energy systems, became the backbone of Skratch: real-food hydration and nutrition built on clean, recognizable ingredients—no gimmicks, no artificial dyes, no mystery compounds. What began as a small, athlete-first experiment in team kitchens has grown into a movement that’s redefined what “sports nutrition” can look and feel like for everyday athletes and Olympians alike.
What Makes Skratch Different? Real Food, Real Results
“From scratch” at Skratch means real fruit and natural electrolytes in drink mixes, nuts and oats in bars, and food your body can actually recognize—leading to easier digestion, steadier energy, bold, chef-crafted flavors, and far fewer gut issues or energy crashes. It’s about stripping sports nutrition back to the basics: clean ingredients, thoughtful recipes, and products that work with your body instead of against it, whether you’re grinding through back-to-back training days, trying to feel better on your weekend long ride, or just going on a hike. They knew they were onto something when athletes—from Olympians to weekend warriors—started sending unprompted thank-you notes, not just about faster times and stronger finishes, but about finally being able to fuel without bloating, or that dreaded late-race bonk.
Before I ever discovered Skratch, I was tinkering with my own solutions—like making honey and peanut butter sandwiches at home, freezing them so they’d be soft but not soggy by the time I needed them on the bike during a triathlon. It worked, but I paid for it with sticky hands the rest of the day and a sandwich that eventually overheated in my jersey pocket under the Florida sun. Years later, finding Skratch and The Feed Zone Portables cookbook felt like unlocking a smarter way to do what I’d been trying to cobble together on my own—and their simple wrappers for homemade bars suddenly made real-food fueling both affordable and truly customizable.
Now, I love making big batches of bars during the week so they’re ready to grab and go when the weekend rides roll around.
A Fan-Favorite Fuel: Blueberry Chocolate Chip Coconut Rice Cake
Here’s a favorite: the Blueberry Chocolate Chip Coconut Rice Cake, a portable option that's perfect for bike rides—easy to digest, flavorful, and packed with real-food energy. Built on a base of sticky rice, it holds together neatly in your jersey pocket, yet stays soft enough to eat on the move without upsetting your stomach or leaving you feeling weighed down. The mix of blueberries, dark chocolate, and coconut adds just enough sweetness and texture to keep each bite interesting, while still aligning with Skratch’s simple, real-ingredient approach.
It’s also a great way to practice your fueling strategy at home before a big event: you can batch-cook a tray, cut it into ride-sized portions, and have a consistent, reliable source of carbs ready to go for long training days. If you want to see how it comes together, you can watch Biju prepare his signature rice cakes step-by-step in this YouTube video: Blueberry Chocolate Chip Coconut Rice Cake.
Exciting News: Carolina Multisports Athlete Discount
I'm thrilled to announce Skratch Nutrition as Carolina Multisports’ newest affiliate partner—a true fit with authentic, athlete-driven innovation. As part of this, Carolina Multisports athletes on an active coaching package get discounted Skratch products—up to 50% off—to fuel training, events, and everyday life affordably. That includes their hydration mixes, energy chews, bars, and other real-food options that align with the same “from scratch” philosophy Biju built in those team kitchens and race caravans.
Whether you're racing, riding groups, or chasing big adventures, Skratch delivers trusted fueling from people who live the endurance life. You’re not guessing with generic sports drinks—you’re using products designed by folks who understand long days, hot, humid conditions, and the reality of juggling training with work, family, and everything else. This means you can focus more on your effort and less on worrying about gut issues, bonking, or what’s actually in your bottle.
The Bigger Picture: It's Never Too Late to Start from Scratch
Lastly, the philosophy of Skratch resonates deeply with Carolina Multisports: it's never too late to start from scratch. That doesn’t just apply to nutrition on the bike—it’s a mindset that reaches far beyond sports. In every part of life—health, relationships, work, personal growth, or any pursuit that matters to you—it's never too late to strip away the artificial shortcuts, let go of what’s no longer serving you, return to what’s real and nourishing, and rebuild from a clean, honest foundation.
Starting from scratch can look like dialing in your hydration after years of “winging it,” recommitting to consistent training after time off, or simply giving yourself permission to be a beginner again. It might mean cooking more real food, listening more closely to your body, or finally addressing the habits that leave you drained instead of energized. Whatever form it takes, a reset can unlock better energy, clearer focus, deeper joy, and stronger resilience, no matter where you are in your journey or how many times you’ve had to begin again.
You don’t need a perfect past to create a better next chapter—you just need a willingness to start, one small, intentional choice at a time.
Where will your next adventure take you? 🚴♂️
