Having just done my first 100+ mile road ride was just pondering how ‘relatively’ easy it was once your head was in gear for that many hours riding. OK it was hardly race pace but not dawdling either – so assuming you have the fitness levels and stay fed and watered is it really just a head game to go even further?
100 miles has been a block to me for a few years, but now having done it I feel kinda pissed off that I’d bottled it for so long – hmmmm, random post ride ramblings….

Personally, it’s hilliness that seems to have more impact. 100+ miles on undulating or flat roads is a matter of fuelling up. Add in a few big hills and I find I tire more easily.

Aha, yes you’re probably right – my local terrain is lumpy enough but nothing to compare with northern parts – but personally I’d swap gradient for wind any day!

Pretty much yes, fuel wont be linear, as in what you need for 100 miles may not be as easy as simply doubling it for 200. I find a few bananas, cereal bars and a gel enough for 100 but would want something solid like a sandwich or a pasty in my pocket that actually fills my stomach rather than just full of carbs in my pocket for 200.

The easiest thing to do is pinch GPX files of Audax routes from various online sources, they are usually based on achieving a set distance to qualify for an award so a lot of the organisers purposely pick flat routes rather than hills. If you want to tick off distances, this is the best place to find a good route. Swap between miles and kms too, Now you have done 100 miles, go for 200kms, then 200 miles etc.

It’s a mental game more than anything else. It’s a long time to sit in the saddle, but given a certain level of bike fitness, if you pace yourself and fuel yourself, physically it’s just more of the same.

Staving off ennui is the biggest problem i find, I have extended my distance up over 200km recently, mainly by riding to places – going to the in laws is 350km, so I ride the first bit and my wife joins us with the kids

Trying to do 500km in 2 days at the end of next month (Derby to Cornwall with an overnight stop in Bristol).

200miles is my aim for later in the summer (320km, bloody hell !)

If you want to feel like you really aren’t trying check out the TransAmerica or TransContinental races

Seems to be different for different people. Having done a few 200 plus one day rides and regular centuries, my state of mind is never the issue but lack of energy is. You can’t replace the energy you’re using while you’re riding so eventually you’ll hit the wall. I’ve both slammed straight into it – feeling fine and suddenly nothing and gradually faded but been unable to do anything about it. I do know that by mile 180, the only thing keeping my pedals turning is my refusal to stop.

I guess the ‘big deal’ is multi day big rides, still learning what my mind/body is capable of after all these years, part of the joys of cycling 🙂

I have heard it said that if you have the fitness to do 100 miles, then you have the fitness to do 200 miles, and if you have the fitness to do 200 miles then you have the fitness to do 300 miles. Yes, it’s a head game.

True enough but I imagine there’s a limit at which physical factors just build up to the stage where it all goes ‘boom’

I can do 200 (and a bit). I can’t do 300. No chance. I’d fall off the bike before I got to 250.

To go much longer I’d need to go faster – did 134 miles today at a gnats under 17mph average, that’d mean 200 would be nearly 12hrs riding time, can’t imagine that just yet…..

I can do 200 (and a bit). I can’t do 300. No chance. I’d fall off the bike before I got to 250.

I bet that you could do 250 or indeed 300 miles. If the alternative was to spunk a couple of hundred quid on a taxi.

Hilldodger – I did a 240 mile ride last year – took 19 hours as I was fannying about. I could not have done it much quicker though.

Assuming you build up to it, not too hard if you remember to keep eating and drinking, which I forget to do when I get tired, so I’ve set my Garmin to remind me.

Last year I did my first 200k audax (128 miles on the day). 10 hours exactly with three cafe stops, didn’t feel that much harder than 100 mile rides. Built up to it from 100k, then 150/160, then the 200. Flatter routes first then hillier ones.

Plans for this year have gone out the window, but I’m getting back into it. Might be a while before I tick off 300, 400 and 600k audax. Though MrsMc has said I can have a crack at London-Edinburgh-London in 2017 or whenever it is next.

that’d mean 200 would be nearly 12hrs riding time, can’t imagine that just yet

I did the marmotte a few years ago – with the neutralised section (descent of the Glandon) it was 11hrs 20 overall, so prob 10hrs 30 cycling, prob didnt do more than 8 in practice
Cash – I am up for LEL if you want – July 2017 – should be fun !

Let’s do 100k next month first!

200K to 200 miles is quite a jump (321Km) 15hrs in the saddle + stops for me I guess

I would suggest you get a few centuries under your belt before attempting anything really long. As you go further you need to think more about food but not massively. You’ll probably need to stop from something savoury and filling rather than just eat out of your pockets. Other than that it is a case of start slow and stay steady and keep fueling. The only exception to this is if you throw in some steep hills. If you can spin you can go forever but as soon as you go into the red you will suffer and it will affect your ability to ride long distance. At that point you need to start gaining some more serious fitness.

200km (~125 miles) is a nice target, then 300km, then 200 miles then it is just a case of finding motivation.

Did my first 200 mile ride last year with about 3500m climbing (flat as we could really round here). Got in plenty of rides of 150miles, some with over 4000m of climbing.

LAst weekend we hit our next big target, riding from London to Newcastle in 21 hours (18 hours pedalling), a touch over 300miles.

Som of these took a lot of prep, working out where to ride, where to stop and making sure we weren’t caught out by light and bad weather.

Mostly a mental game though. It rained for the first 120miles of our 300 miler. But a good group meant we kept motivated even if it was thoroughly grim at times.

I think our 200m was 15 hours in the saddle + more for one big stop at a cafe and a couple of little water/ice cream stops.

Well today was 4 hrs with a few cereal bars, hog roast bap and a pint of milk in Salisbury market for lunch, then 4 hrs back with a quick cake stop and a few gels, 2 x 500ml water each way.
Anything longer would need a more balanced feeding schedule I think, the pig feast did sit a little heavy and I feared a Paula Radcliffe moment in the last hour!!

Check out Lee Fancourts attempt at fastest Trans-Europe attempt
Will probably ride nearly 400 miles in the last 24hrs.. 😯

https://www.facebook.com/Leefancourtendurancecyclist?fref=nf

So long as you don’t go into the red, no aches or pains develop, and you keep eating, I imagine most semi regular cyclist could do 200 miles. Hills will put you into the red though, which is where things tend to go wrong.