A mate is adamant that we try a challenge involving riding the length of Scotland in 24 hours…

The route is 325 miles, so that would be an average speed of 22km/h inc stops, which in itself is a little daunting, although there would be two of us sharing the load.

Longest ride I’ve done was approx 150 miles and we probably only scraped 25km/h (although it was hilly).

Having said all that, my biggest concern isn’t fitness, it’s spending 24 hours on a bike! I used to be comfortable enough with 5-7 hour rides, and have done 5 hours recently, but even then I was getting pains in the back of my neck which I wouldn’t fancy multiplied by 4!

Final complication: I’ve got a 3 month old at home, so I’m not going to get away with doing progressively longer rides every weekend. If I’m very good I see no reason why I couldn’t start working some 5-6 hours jobs in occasionally, but building up to rides of 75% length of the real deal might be tricky.

Just wondering what the general advice would be (other than: don’t do it…).

I’m thinking I gradually lower and lengthen my commuter bike, I spend up to 2hrs a day on it so if I gradually make it longer and lower and keep on top of my stretching it would hopefully prepare me a little for longer hours on something more upright?

Also thinking general core, in particular strengthening upper back and lower back?

Get a recumbent?

I’m not going to get away with doing progressively longer rides every weekend. If I’m very good I see no reason why I couldn’t start working some 5-6 hours jobs in occasionally, but building up to rides of 75% length of the real deal might be tricky.

commuting, intervals and core stuff. longer rides occasionally. I don;t really subscribe to the need to do long rides for training for long rides.

when are you riding it?

Not the same distance, but I did a 400km ride last year with very little long-distance training under my belt (well, a 240km ride). Averaged only 16km/h of course but I didn’t find comfort an issue over the course of 14 hours.

I’m less of a princess than you mind…..

Get a proper bike fit done, from a comfort point of view.

I am amazed your partner is happy with you doing this, personally I would chose a slightly different less time intensive challenge to do with your mate this year and plan for this the following year.

I suppose it depends on how well your 3 month is sleeping and how well your partner is coping. If you are lucky enough to have an easy one you can probably keep on with large volumes of training

I am amazed your partner is happy with you doing this, personally I would chose a slightly different less time intensive challenge to do with your mate this year and plan for this the following year.

Ha, I haven’t even broached the subject yet! But you’re right, I don’t expect or plan to spend ridiculous amounts of time training for it. He’s 3 months now and we’re considering it for June next year, so I wouldn’t even need to be doing massive long rides at the weekends till May, and that would only need to be every second weekend I guess…

I’m less of a princess than you mind…..

😆

Hey, I can suffer on the day, just not a fan of debilitating over-use injuries before or after the fact!

commuting, intervals and core stuff.

Good, I’m doing intervals on my commute anyway, and if I was really diligent could easily up the commuting hours during the week without it really impacting home life much.

I’d be happy to go for it assuming I was getting in the milage at the speed over a week prior to the event with at least one 100mile ride a few weeks before the event.

My more pressing issue with a young kid at home would be -what route is 325 miles top to bottom of Scotland. Soon as you venture into that cycle path route down the a9 corridor it’s curtains to any speed you had

Get a bike fit but say what you intend to be doing. What might be a good setup for riding for a few hours is unlikely to be correct for long days in the saddle.

As an example: the saddle is typically set horizontal but for longer distances I’ve found it’s better to be nose down by a couple of degrees, maybe 5deg or so. This encourages you to sit properly on your sit bones rather than soft flesh.

If you can do one reasonably long ride, say 100-120 miles, to sort things out then you should be fine. After that it’s mostly about looking after yourself: hydration, eating, etc. and not going into the red.

Resign yourself to the fact that you’ve had a kid and life as you want it is over, just like all my mates with ’em.

You could always divorce tho?

😉

how well your 3 month is sleeping

Don’t even bother basing it on that, it’ll change!

commuting, intervals and core stuff. longer rides occasionally. I don;t really subscribe to the need to do long rides for training for long rides.

This really, try and get a hundred miler or so in a couple of weeks before hand. I’ve not tried anything of the length you say, but the max. time I’ve had for any rides leading up to my longest 2 rides have been about 4 hours in the saddle.

22km/h is OK if you can minimise stops and don’t get horrendous weather etc.

Good luck!

Just to nip the negligent/absent father chat in the bud, I have no intention of abandoning the little man in favour of a totally arbitrary ambition that I didn’t even have until three days ago 8)

Just wondering how much time away would actually be necessary.

One of the acknowledged ‘training for distance’ plans is to start ramping up ride times by half an hour a week until you hit 7-8 hour rides. After that you see-saw, so a long ride one week followed by a short ride the next, until you’re doing approx 5-6hrs one weekend and 14-15 hours the next.

I can definitely work rides of 4-6 hours in around our family schedule already (he’s often away at the grandparents some nights when his mum has had enough of me!) so it’s just a case of seizing opportunities for the significantly longer rides.

Yeah – nearer 400.

Fit some aero bars. Add gel pads. Move saddle forward a little. Ride lots.

What route

http://www.langwaydoon.co.uk/

Coldstream – edinburgh – Blairgowrie – Braemar – Tain – Tongue

Looks at first glance to avoid most of the nasties, in favour of ~6000m climbing… 🙁

Fit some aero bars. Add gel pads.

Nice, have always wanted a reason to try some aero bars.

what route is 325 miles top to bottom of Scotland
Yeah – nearer 400

I’d imagine its this http://www.langwaydoon.co.uk/

5-6 hours jobs in occasionally, but building up to rides of 75% length

I can’t help thinking you’re over complicating this. My second longest ride this year was 70 miles.
My longest was just over 300 miles.

Fair enough your ride is that crucial 25 miles longer; but should still be doable as a punter. (Subject to altitude gain of course)

Also. It does sound like a great challenge. Can I come?

That langwaydoon route seems stoopid. The start and end points don’t seem to have any point to them. And why via Braemar…
Is confused

Lots of 2hr tempo rides and get time off for two or three 100 milers in the run up. IMO riding that long is in your head, the planning and the execution. And the arse 🙂

The generalist

How would your from edinburgh/Perth to Inverness without going via braemar?

Is that a trick question trailrat?

Moving on…

In terms of start and end points, I’ve only just twigged that they probably chose them because they aren’t the most northerly/ southerly points rather than despitethe fact that they’re not the most northerly….

Ie to make it possible

Is nobody bothered by the OP using miles for distance and kph for speed?

No on both counts

Oh well, did exactly what I promised myself I wouldn’t do, overdid the training and hurt my knee! Grrrr…..

Actually was going alright to begin with, was commuting twice a week (40min – 1hr each way) and got some decent weekend rides in.

Then my right knee started bothering me, I put it down to overuse and riding singlespeed, but a bike fit with Dougie @ Edinburgh Bike Fitting highlighted just how twisted I was on the saddle, resulting in me having to overreach with my right leg. He gave me stretches and strengthening to do but also general hints on how to correct my posture in the saddle, which seemed to work almost from day one!

Since then I’ve been increasing distances again, started at 130km/week (not much, granted) but increasing 10-15% a week, except for the ‘Beast from the East’ week where my distance dropped, but arguably the intensity increased (22mph headwinds and riding in compacted snow…). I finished off last week with another 150km ride in atrocious weather, but also with a sore left knee!

I get a free ‘redial’ with Dougie the bike fitter, but having researched training schedules etc. I realise I made a bit of an amateur mistake of increasing workload every week for basically six consecutive weeks with no breaks, which I think can contribute to over use injuries.

So far, so typical. I’m loving my riding at the moment and won’t shy away from long rides in manky conditions, just a shame I seem to be so prone to tedious little injuries. Hopefully two weeks off will calm the knee down, and then follow a 3 weeks on/1 week off sort of routine. Still on course for a few long rides before the event so not deterred.

thegeneralist – you can see why I’m not trying to encourage others to join us, I’m by far the weakest link in the whole endeavour and there’s a risk you’d be the only one who turns up! But if you’re keen, we’re hoping to leave Coldstream on June 23rd, haven’t decided on an early or late departure yet, depends where we want to be for sunset/sunrise. The more the merrier etc!

Audax is what you need. Back in 2015 when I was training to the TCR. Race was in July. Previously all I’d done was a 100 mile ride max. January I started doing 200km rides on a saturday with a longer commute home about 35km a day.  Did about 5 then did a 300km, did some more and then did a 600km (370ish miles) in June 28hrs and 1 minute including stops extra and I did knacker my knees at 445kms so it was a painful last 150km!!! Obviously this takes alot of saturdays and an hour extra a day.

I’d say if you had less time, stick with 200km rides at about 8 hours as it gets easier, pedal faster . You are going to have to ride in the dark so might as well get used to it by setting off early like 4/5am  back at lunch time for family time/sleep!

I am doing that route in the summer sometime(but from North to South),leaving the date flexible to suit weather forecasts, so may have some company or not. Will be doing a few longish runs before, but I think the key to these Audax type distances is getting comfy on the bike, travel light and minimize all faff time.

Yeah, I’m hoping the bike fit plus ongoing strengthening (a mix of core, glutes and legs, plus some upper back work for a pre-existing shoulder issue) will sort the comfort thing. Will probably try some padded aero bars as above, just because I’ve always fancied trying some anyway!

shuhockey’s routine sounds more like what I should be aiming for, either increasing pace or distance but not both.

Might even reduce my focus on distances in order to work on hills, my legs still tend to fall off a little bit on hills after a few hours at a decent pace, it’s always depressing watching that hard won 28km/h average pace drop away after one too many hills in the last few km.

Getting better at minimising faff, winter rides teach to you not to stop for anything! Jackets on/jackets off and feeding all carried out on the hoof now.

OP

If you end up doing it with someone that is at the same fitness level ,then that should help your average speed.

I haven’t looked too close at any time rules around the 24 hour,but I was going to do a midday to midday for a finish in the light.

Yeah, I’m riding with someone who is easily fitter than me, so trying to figure out if I use him on the hills (I’ll be going so slowly I doubt there’s much point drafting) or we just share the load on the flats.

Don’t think there are any time rules, I’ve been fiddling with start times etc (yes, I’ve got a spreadsheet, shows how much time I spend at my desk!) but there’s never any ideal time to start.

Currently starting at 9am, reckon finishing with the sunrise would give a big motivational boost, but similarly it means finding a post ride burger and pint might be a bit tricky! Doubt my stomach will be in any state for either by the end though.

I guess starting late would mean hitting the nastier roads (the A68) when they’re quiet, and means hitting the mountains at sunrise, could also mean a coffee and bowl of porridge in Braemar when getting our wee cards stamped. That’s a lot more tempting actually…