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did a 12hour teams but now doing a 4hour solo as not many ssers in the club
i no it dousent seem like a challenge to some but its more of a personal challenge than anything as it my first year racing mtb's
anyway what to eat/drink in the morning, rest times ect ect any advice would be great.
4 hour solo?
4 hours?
yeah 4 hours on my own inste of say 8 hour team
My strategy for a 4 hour solo would be something like:
1. Ride your bike for 4 hours
What sc-xc said.
Eat some breakfast on the morning.
4 hours? 😆
lol i guesed it would get like this as some dont class 4 hours as a propper race but for myself even if i finish the full 4 hours then il be happy but not comming last or having to throw up from eating wrong would be even better lol
Eat gel every 40 minutes.
Cheerios for breakfast maybe with some blueberries nd strawberries on top, couple rounds of toast a mug of tea then go ride for your four hours.just like every other bicycle ride.
I'd eat a bit less than usual as I'd normally ride for 5 hours.
I reckon a 4 hour race will hurt quite a lot. If you're 'racing' that is.
I've done 1 hour races that absolutely kicked the shite out of me.
well im going to push as hard as poss i did bikefest 12hour team but had rest between laps waiting for my turn so im sure a 4h solo is going to be harder.
usual sunday ride is about 4 1/2 hours but with lots of stops and slow trundeling with newbies.
I'd go flat out and see if I could last until the end 😉
have 4 Weetabix for breakfast. Actually, have 5.
Big difference between riding with mates (or on your own) for hours at the weekend and riding 4 hours at race pace.
I haven't done a 4 hour race but I know people that have done that (and longer!) so my advice is...
1) Good hearty breakfast
2) Alternate between water and energy drink if you use it
3) Keep munching throughout if you can (but don't overdo it!)
4) Pace yourself, best to finish with a slow time than not finish at all!
5) Have fun 😀
Big difference between riding with mates (or on your own) for hours at the weekend and riding 4 hours at race pace.
Big difference between race pace and four hours at 'just hoping to finish' pace.
Don't stress about it.
Turn up, have fun.
Slow with no stops is better than fast with stops.
Someone will be slower than you or not finish. You won't be last.
ok thanks for tips as u can tell im a newbie at this kind of stuff i usualy just ride a med pace but want to pick myself up a level
to anyone whos riding oktoberfest see u there (il be the one hitting trees lots) 😆
My advice for what it's worth as a newbie racer with 7 races under my belt now -
Make sure your bike is uber comfy setup
Make sure everything on the bike is perfect setup
Make sure your riding kit is uber comfy
Mix some form of energy powder with your water
Have a spare bottle or two waiting at the start line
Eat a bar or gel every hour or so
Above sounds obvious but I didn't do any of that....for my first race back from injury (4 hour Gorrick)
I just turned up, wearing normal kit (was Jan) 3 litres of water and a power bar. Everything was going very well till about 3.5 hours in I hit the wall ran out of steam and then got cramp in both quads then snapped chain and then got very cold. Not a great finish! Still came mid field though.
Ignore the oh-so-humourous remarks about 4 hour races.
Speaking as a fat old duffer, I've done plenty of 4 hour events that have left me barely able to speak. It all depends on how much effort you put in, how prepared you are, and what the course is like.
Buzz-lightyear's advice is good. Also something like nutrigrain (if you can stand the disgusting things). Just got to keep eating and drinking regularly. Energy drink is good too.
Rest periods? Don't rest. Keep cycling. Sort out replacement bottles to pick up if it's a multi-lap event.
Unless it's going to be obscenely muddy I'd leave my camelbak at home, as they are just so nasty to cycle in, unless you're going quite slowly.
Are you single-speeding?
I'd go with a lot of what was written above. I did some of the 4hr Summer Series races at Thetford last yr as prior to that I'd only done team stuff or 2hr races. I am not fit enough to be competitive so just do them to challenge myself and have a bit of fun.
I prepared by making sure I drank plenty of water the day before the race and the morning of the race. Nothing worse than turning up thirsty, knowing you're dehydrated.
Big breakfast, but nothing out of the ordinary.
I used just energy drink, but started to find it too much, so wish I had just water to mix it up a bit so that is probably worth trying.
My strategy would be to pace myself at the start and pick it up as the race went on depending on how I felt - better that than going off too fast and then really slowing later on or having to stop all together.
Presumably there'll be a pit/kit area. Make sure you have all the kit you'll need in terms of tools/spares and stick some bananas and cereal bars in as well.
I tried to eat, but think I only managed a banana....
Have fun & good luck!
i belive its going to get pretty damb wet over the next month expecting it to be cold at first and when tierdness hits
and yes im single speeding
il be camping over the w-end with a club pitch so full support for me and bike.
Ignore the guys scoffing - 4 hours of continuous racing is hard.
Proper breakfast, leave snacks and spare drink in a stash somewhere on the course. Carry a couple of laps' worth of water and food.
Keep breaks as short and infrequent as possible - 15 seconds per lap tops. Think about how much harder you have to ride to make up a single minute, and consider, realistically, how much faster a minutes rest will make you. Learn to eat flapjack while on fire road.
If it is raining and muddy, just go home. Veterans of this year's Gorrick 100 or the first Brass Monkeys will understand.
Carry as little stuff as possible. Nothing silly like a spare top or 5 spare inner tubes - you can leave that stuff in the pits.
Good luck!
If it is raining and muddy, just go home. Veterans of this year's Gorrick 100 or the first Brass Monkeys will understand.
The man speaks the truth.
Managed 3 laps of Gorrick 100. rear hub bearings fubar'd, 2 set of pads, lower headset bearings, chain, lovely new chainsuck dents in the frame.
Not worth the bragging rights 🙂
If it is raining and muddy, just go home.
If you're single speeding, rain and mud is good. You get to go past all the guys with trashed drive trains who would otherwise be way faster.
It's the only way I've ever avoided coming DFL.
the best advice i could give you is do not do anything different.
eat what you normally eat before a ride for breakfast, eat what you normally eat riding whilst racing. drink... well you get the idea.
your stomach needs training as much as your legs, and if you haven't been eating stuff why would you put it on race day?
energy drink is good, torq is the best tasting, but drink it for at least a few rides before.
don't stress it, if it's your first one see what happens - the next one will be better 😉
make sure you sleep well the night before. i always have a drink- just one- as otherwise i get a bit anxious when i turn out the light - not good for the legs but it's better than a sleepless night.