MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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..... too much for the average Joe to complete in a single stint/day?
road or off road?
whats the terrain like>
Road.
Suffolk to Gloucestershire so mixed terrain.
Possible on road but not much fun IMO
Depends what you call an average Joe. A regular cyclist should manage it on the road. It'll take a long time, and it'll become hard work towards the end. But you should get there.
It's 12h in the saddle at a rather pessimistic 20kmh, so doable but the limiting factor to my mind would be how many miles you've got in your bottom! Talking to a (non cycling) friend yesterday, he said his arse was agony after a strenuous 40km ride*...
*Which actually turned out to be a spinning class
If you haven't done big miles on the road before you'll find it tough being in the saddle for the length of time needed, but take plenty of food and you'll be fine.
if it's this time of year it might be a little grim for a first time over that distance.. wait til the summer.
Took me 9 hours back in May this year and I did it with a tail wind on the return leg which was intentional. Made things a lot easier!
Yep, as others say. You're arse, but also your back. 😉
if it's this time of year it might be a little grim for a first time over that distance.. wait til the summer.
At this time of year you'd potentially be doing a large chunk of it in the dark. If you want to stop a few times, you could easily be looking at 15 hours +. It all adds up.
Thanks guys.
Definitely one that will be left for the summer with the time from now until then spent getting fitter and accustoming myself to more than 6 hours on a Ti Flite saddle 😳
where in gloscestershire? you might find some of the worst climbs of the route right at the end. You also have the joy of a headwind for most of the way.
As for whether you can do it, the issue is as much in your head as in your legs.
It's not too difficult but you need to fuel up with one of the brands of gels or drink products.
Last month I rode 126 miles in 10.5 hours on a dahon folding bike powered by torq bars and drink.
My training consisted of a 40 mile ride, then 60 miles then the 126 in sub zero conditions 🙂
[url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/my-century-ride-on-a-folding-shopping-bike?replies=19#post-5555998 ]The thread is here[/url]
doable....I managed 180 miles in 16hrs. and I am fat... 😀
depends what your previous longest ride is.
If it's 50 miles then 150 is a big jump, as you'll have little endurance to cope with the last 4 hours or so. If it's 100 then 150 is just more time in the saddle and you should be ok.
No, you should be ok if you are a regular cyclist. Pace yourself and fuel yourself. More a case of mental toughness if you are just going to be plodding away.
Expect to be tired and sore though.
Be sure to know where the tea shops and fish and chip shops are along the way and you'll be fine.
So then ... What bike.
Comfy 29er with slickish tyres?
60miles is my current max distance.
As above not thinking about doing it until summer so hopefully time to train!
Just really take your time, and spin up every hill, don't try hard. And take real food, unless you plan to stop to buy food.
I did 115 miles as a reasonable but young cyclist in about 11.5 hours, stopping in pubs for lunch etc. I had nothing like enough food, and a fraction of the drink I needed which led to some pretty difficult moments. With decent nutrition I'd probably have done ok. That was through mid Wales though, including the Devil's Staircase which is quite significant 🙂
If you can do 50 miles off road with lots of climbs in around 6-7 hours, you'll be absolutely fine!
1 off road mile = 2 road miles (according to me and a fair few others)!
Good luck, enjoy.
a good way to cycle longer distances, is to enter a audax ride, say a 100 miler to start with.
set off last and hopefully you will pick a few back markers up and find a group to ride with at your speed.
nice to ride and chat with someone new.
jonba - Member
No, you should be ok if you are a regular cyclist. Pace yourself and fuel yourself. More a case of mental toughness if you are just going to be plodding away...
This is all you need to know. One thing I was told by an old hand when I was young was to stop for a brew up every so often and rest at least once per hour. That way you can ride all day and the distance takes care of itself. (Still works for me)
Exactly that ^
A few years ago I did the c2c in a day, 15hrs, 12 hrs riding, 144 miles. We found it ok and wondered how far we could go so the next year did 220miles round northumberland. The problem at the end was boredom 😉
Bloody hell ton fair play lad!
Very do-able
Just have a go, what's the worst that could happen
"[i]accustoming myself to more than 6 hours on a Ti Flite saddle[/i]"
I've done 25 on one, it's fine as long as your arse is Flite shaped 🙂
Just make sure you've got a good setup, it's amazing what you find out as you spend longer in the saddle... I had my road bike just how I liked it, then went for a first longer ride and it turned out it was actually a torture device, I'd just never ridden it for long enough for the pain to kick in.
What everyone says really, on 100 milers I plan the route with café stops if I need them & plan to eat snacks whilst riding every 20 miles to top up your energy, this is seeds & nuts, ham sarnies etc, never used commercial energy products. Also take more drink than you think you'll need as you will need it!
I did a mostly off-road (though paths rather than knurly singletrack) route this summer, best part of 110 miles, was fine. Took me possibly 10 hours, with coffee stops, hardest part was passing couple of pubs near the end and not stopping 'just for one pint' 🙂
On an all purpose bike - not light, but comfy and plenty of storage. Nothing on my back, either - this I think is key.
On the other hand, I don't mind having stuff on my back. Makes absolutely no difference to me apart from making my clothes sweatier, so it's a concern if commuting.
I did Liverpool - Leeds along the canal back in August with a group of non-cyclists/new to the hobby riders. 135 miles and 17hours, mixture of surfaces from smooth tarmac in the towns to rutted lumpy fields in Yorkshire. TBH it got monotonous after a while but even the non cyclist did it - although he was in tears of pain around Skipton. Just keep eating and have regular breaks.
Just eat regularly, I tend to nimble on something every 1/2, 3/4hr, might be worth taking extra chammy cream if you aren't used to those distances. Maybe 2 cafe stops, have a bottle of crack, i mean coke, helps settle the stomach if you feel queasy
http://chris-noble-mtb.blogspot.co.uk/
I'd say easily doable. I went from having a longest ever ride of 35 miles (although I did ride a 40 mile round trip to work most days) to doing a 100 miles ride in a morning. Started a sportive at half 8 and was back home for lunch. If you took your time and took short breaks when you feel the need, 150 miles should be a problem.
The only thing I can add to this is make sure your route is sorted and easy to follow - a GPS unit or a map on the bar where you can see it, preferably both. If you're riding for 12-14 hours then a GPS unit will struggle for battery life if they're not AAs that you can change.
Ride slow, drink lots.
Good bike fit is critical. It is a miserable experience having backache, wrist ache and a numb posterior knowing there are three hours to go. Spend a good few hours experimenting with subtly different saddle and bar positions. Even a couple of mm in fore / aft or up / down adjustment can make a massive difference. Such experimentation is best done on a long solo ride where no one else is going to be pissed off with you stopping every 15 mins to faff about. Thing is, the faffing pays off once you find that sweet spot. Long easy training rides to acclimatise yourself to sitting all day in the roadie position are beneficial.
On the big ride, never be tempted to push on unless carrying speed up the next rise. A lower gear / higher cadence conserves energy towards an ideal of max momentum from min effort.
Wear the same gear you wore on the last couple of training rides, nothing should be untested.
As said above, fuel the engine with real food. Know in advance where to buy cake, nuts, chocolate milk. Buy most and carry a little, a tenner weighs nothing. Use a small saddlebag for tools, spares, snacks, waterproof jacket, to keep weight off your back and behind.
Break the ride down into a few natural sections, hill crests, junctions, cafe stops. Bigger gaps between stops when fresh, more frequent towards the end. Don't stop too often. Drink lots of water, enjoy the challenge.
Yeah.. Bike fit is the most critical thing. Also the angle that your drop bars are at, AND the position of the hoods.
Do you have to do it in that direction? Gloucestershire to Suffolk would have the prevailing wind on your back.
150 miles of a headwind, even a relatively light one will be soul destroying.
Aim to do it in 10 hours pedalling time would be reasonable without pushing to hard. Eat and drink often and before you feel the need to. Take proper food too not just energy products.
If you want some practice see what audax rides are on in your area. Then feel ashamed at what a 70 year old can achieve on a a 1970s router......