Hopefully some of the more serious road riders can help me out with this.

I’ve recently moved to Switzerland and have a have LOTs of free time to ride. This means I’m doing 3 or 4 40 mile rides a week plus a 70 mile ride per week ( weather depending )
I looking to increase this to 3 70 mile rides a week plus a few smaller sessions.

Im in decent shape but haven’t done regular big miles before so looking for advice regarding rest, nutrition and how should I expect my body to react to this change.

im not training for anything but I would like to eventually do the lake in 6 hours – that’s about 120 miles

70, on a road bike. Id just go and ride it without prep. Do that a few times and then think about going further.

70 off road on a mtb, that might require a good breakfast first.

I’d suggest that good preparation might be

3 or 4 40 mile rides a week plus a 70 mile ride per week

😀
(If it were me, I’d be asking myself, why do I want to do frequent 70m rides ?)

Yeah, your in Switzerland – all your freetime should be spent on a DH bike in the mountains.

I already do the one off 70+ mile rides without prep, however, wondering what regular and back to back 70+ miles will do to me.
I did 82 yesterday and wouldn’t want to do another today 🙂

DH – not my bag but also doing mountain sessions on a trail bike.

More 70 mile rides.
Perfect. Preparation is riding. f course you could alternate 70’s with 60′
Do them every other day if its a bit much.

If you’re doing big rides back to back, aim not to be knackered at the end of the first one. Take is steady on hills, don’t get involved in sprints for village signs etc..

Also make sure you are eating and drinking enough during the ride.

Given that you are already doing >200 miles a week anyway it shouldn’t be to hard.

I understand the OP’s concern. The answer is to eat well and plenty, especially quality proteins and carbs. You don’t want your body to be digging into your reserves.

A lot of this will depend on how fast you want to do the rides.

Key thing is fuelling on the bike.
Take enough bars/gels/drinks with you or go past shops.
Your gut will likely struggle to process >75g to 100g per hour.

I’ll be honest. I don’t eat enough on long rides and it’s something I need to improve.

A few years ago I was doing a hard 30 miles a day – every day and not eating enough. My body started eating my muscles so I felt like shit and looked weird from the legs up.

I’m now doing more weight work on my off days to prevent this happening again.

As for speed. That’s not really a goal but I’m averaging 16mph + over 70 miles in fairly undulating terrain.
I’m still new to the area so stoping to check out places etc – it’s not just a head down arse up speed mission 🙂

The riding you are already doing will easily prepare you for a 120 mile ride. No real need to do more.

However you say you want to knock off the 120 miles in 6 hours which is 32 km/h which a tasty average especially if you are doing it solo and not in a group. Are you capable of doing this average speed on your current rides? If not how far away from it are you? If its within reach you should be doing interval sessions to boost your speed. Maybe do less endurance riding and throw in some shorter 1.5-2 hr sessions where you do intervals.

Other than that just eat healthily and get plenty of sleep.

Depends on the 70 miles, I find that distance is less relevant to exertion than the amount of climbing you do.

and with my pedants hat on, you’re in Switzerland AND road cycling, so distances should be in KMs 😉

eat/ hydrate well on the bike.
recover well – whatever that means personally.

recovery things that work well for me. whey/ oat shake ASAP. Then a light, nutritious meal, earlier rather than later. overdoing the carbs near bedtime will reduce HGH – meaning less recovery.

sounds like you are ok on training. be sure to get some intensity in too.

uponthedowns
I could easily do 120 miles now and have done it previously ( on a folding shopping bike to make it harder )
That’s just a goal I’ve picked out of the air.

The post was really about general riding of this intensity without damaging myself long term or what tips others have who have done the same.

The shorter rides 30/40 miles tend to be in the hilly areas to up the intensity over the longer stuff.

I feel a sense if achievement if I manage 40 miles. Any longer just gets boring.

For that sort of distance regularly, and to average 20mph solo over 120mi you really want to be looking at what the pros are doing.

Plenty of volume, but at low intensity, regular training 5-6 days a week, and taking rest seriously with post ride naps etc.

Fuelling wise, make sure you never bonk on a ride, and make sure you fuel well immediately afterwards.

just keep on the same, change units to kilometers (you are abroad afterall) and the jobs a good’un 🙂

As mentioned above, eating/drinking well on the bike is good prep for the next ride.

IF you can fit in an afternoon nap they are great.

Post-ride recovery drink within 20 mins of finishing.

Don’t ride too hard – I don’t think you can do that many miles in the red. Steady first, then see.. but don’t smash climbs.

Re food – at that distance, I’d be having 2-3 gels (according to need) or energy drink on the bike, ideally a recovery drink after or equivalent real food/carb powder whatever your taste or budged, then normal meals.

If you are riding for fun, then just ride, but if you are trying to train specifically then simply more miles may not be best.

I could easily do 120 miles now and have done it previously ( on a folding shopping bike to make it harder )

…why? You can’t just leave a comment like this hanging, it needs qualifying.

This is the thing. Most of the company’s who make “energy” products reccomend 3 gels and hour. That’s 9-12 per ride.
I think I’d put on weight if I took that many.

At the moment I’m having one or two plus some other normal food such as Jellys, Stroopwafel etc.
Actually Stroopwafels are becoming my ride food of choice

At Daffy.

My singletrack thread from three years ago.

Click

Also depends how old you are. Now I’m 40+ I find it takes a little longer for me to recover from long, fast rides. Also, and I’m no training expert, if you’re just cruising along at 16mph (rather than, say 18mph) you may not actually be getting any fitter, beyond your present fitness (and with your current riding you’re definitely way above average fitness). You may just wear yourself out. If I was in your shoes, I’d focus on finding some big climbs and see if I could improve my times on them (as a target). You’ll have all the endurance you need currently.

Rest, sleep, more rest!

Doing fasted rides is great for adapting to long rides and eating far less energy food.

That’s why I asked if you are training or just riding for fun.

Actually Stroopwafels are becoming my ride food of choice

Yeah, same here – Lidl do a stack for about £1.20 which are great!
Oh, and the 40p flapjacks from Home bargains.

I’d be eating lots and lots if i was riding like that week in week out. Also, you’re in Switzerland with lots of free time, so don’t ruin it all with riding! Have more beer stops and go for a walk up a mountain to mix it up a bit. That’s what i’d be doing anyway! 🙂

Consider the mileage a recce for future trips with MRs On and on.
Some of the mountain villages are simply stunning with fine beer, wine and food.

I also found a bike shop with this own brewery 🙂 that’s a win win.

IMHO riding 40 mile and 70 mile rides is reasonable preparation but your body will just get used to riding regular 40 milers plus the ability to ride the occasional 70 miler. It wont be prepared to ride 70 miles frequently or regularly.

It would be better to either:

– ride some longer rides e.g. 100 miles, or
– make sure you are varying your 40 mile rides by undertaking some kind of interval training whilst you ride e.g. next 10 miles will be Zone 1, followed by xx miles in zones 2,3, 4 etc.

vélosophe?

ah. I thought it rung a bell. i just remembered your other thread. There’s a group riding over from Geneva this Saturday to Lyon. As part of Chilkoot’s CDP Confluences event. (google Chilkoot CDP) I was due to join the ride coming into Lyon from the south but I’m stuck in Africa. If you fancy it, it might be worth getting in touch to see if you can join in on the fun. If you really want to, and the organiser (Luc) is reluctant, let me know: I’ve a paid place that is not being used.

Also, if you fancy coming over to Grenoble ish one day let me know: I’m home from the 18th May and have until the 9th June to put lots of mileage in. I don’t have to work much in that time, but I am constrained by school hours.

Bowl of porridge before you leave. A bottle and maybe a bar/gel/banana. Crack on. Eat when you get back. If it’s hotter, two bottles.

I do this on a 3/4 weekly cycle.

mugsys_m8

Thanks you for the kind offer. I won’t be around this weekend to do the ride but I plan a Geneva to Lyon ride this summer / autumn.
I live in Bernex so most of my riding in over in that direction.

Once I get myself a car I may well take you up on the offer of a Grenoble trip. I’d like to fin in as many new locations as possible in the three years I’m here.

If you’re ever over this way I’d be happy to meet up.

Chamois cream.
You can eat and drink as much as you like on the bike, but if your butt starts to chafe it’ll turn into 120 miles of uncomfortable misery.

I don’t suffer with it – never have.

Why 70 miles?

It’s enough to push my current fitness but without killing me.
60, 80 doesn’t really matter

I find if I ramp up my regular road miles I also need to increase flexibility/mobility work considerably. Basically to offset all the sitting time in the saddle. I focus on hips, glutes, shoulders and spinal mobility with 3 × 45min yoga sessions and 2×15 gymnastic ring sessions each week.
Seems to make me fatigue much slower too, maybe because of the reduced residual muscle tension from being properly stretched and relaxed.

I agree. Already do plenty of stretching work on the legs and back.