OK, so planning kit list for this year’s do, as a first-timer, got some questions about the in-ride catering aspect of the event…

What sort of quantities of energy bars and gels did people get through? How well stocked are the feed stations, to reduce the amount of stuff I have to cart around in my holdall? How well stocked is the Hi5 stand – did they cope with demand throughout the week or did they start to run out of stuff (buying daily from them would avoid having to cart round even more stuff in the holdall)?

Based on previous years there won’t be any issues with getting extra energy bars. the High5 bloke had it pretty well covered, and most stages he was available to buy stuff from at one of the water stops.

Judging by the email I had off Hi5 (or whichever energy company….) I should be eating more than my weight in goo and dried fruity bars, and peeing industrial quantities of electrolytes for weeks after TW.

I seem to be ok with something like a Mule bar, a NAKD fruity bar thing and a banana for about 60km, plus we’ll be having a lunch stop, so that should cover me for the extra 20km.

Having said that I haven’t done TW before so maybe talking rubbish. The main issue for me seems to be rehydration

(I will be taking lots of jellybabies though.)

i found the most useful supplement was the recovery powder / drink, taken directly after the ride.

Sorry to jump in on your thread but was thinking about doing it next year – does anybody have a heads up as to dates as might class with Olympics etc.

Good luck btw….

The latest email, last night, from the TW team suggests there won’t be a TW next year, at least not in the current format – looking at cutting down the number of days and upping the technicality…

There’s plenty of High 5 stuff to buy and Bob is at the feed stops. I’d plan to bring enough Energy stuff for two or three days and then buy as you need it. The prices at the event are competitive, so no benefits stocking up before you go, unless you want stuff from other brands. There’s also loads of Bananas at the feedstops.

If you fancy it but are scared of the distance come and ride the prologue.

Spoke to Bob from Hi5 yesterday and he reckoned that you need to take in 1000 – 1200 calories while riding to avoid the “bonk”. Apparently the lunch stop and two bars and two gels a day should be sufficient…

Interestingly he said the biggest danger was people’s lack of cleaning out camelbacks etc at the end of the day and falling ill due to bacteria build up as the week went on….

Anyone else got a mahoosive kit list that seems to be growing by the hour?

Anyone else got a mahoosive kit list that seems to be growing by the hour?

Oh yes ! I had thought about the camelbak issue, and wondered a simple way round it, other than thoroughly rinsing it out each day. Anyone know of a simple way to effectively clean and sterilise it ?

Anyone know of a simple way to effectively clean and sterilise it ?

milton/ denture tablets.

Brill thanks, thats what I’ll use

Fortunately we’ve now got a willing (press-ganged) volunteer to drive a Transit with all our (2 pairs and a solo) kit in. Fine china, best silver and chandeliers for dining it is…

+1 for the Milton/denture tablets, but only as a short term measure for the week. I used to use Milton tablets regularly to clean a Camelbak bladder and it started to destroy the interior anti-bacterial lining eventually – could see it all breaking down and floating round like the bacteria it was supposed to prevent…

Spoke to Bob from Hi5 yesterday and he reckoned that you need to take in 1000 – 1200 calories while riding to avoid the “bonk”. Apparently the lunch stop and two bars and two gels a day should be sufficient…

Really? Surely that’s a little light on calories for the amount of riding, that works out at c250-300 calories p/h for a 4 hour day (c60km riding at a steady rather than racy pace..?) plus whatever you consume at breakfast/lunch/dinner. I find that I burn c650 calories p/h when exercising so an additional 2600 calories on top of the basic daily requirement of 2200-2500. When you consider TdF riders are consuming 6-8k calories per day for similar time of riding…

mcobie – Member
Spoke to Bob from Hi5 yesterday and he reckoned that you need to take in 1000 – 1200 calories while riding to avoid the “bonk”. Apparently the lunch stop and two bars and two gels a day should be sufficient…

That’s a little different from the emails I’ve received which are suggesting 3 bars, 3 gels, energy drink and recovery powder every day!

Interestingly he said the biggest danger was people’s lack of cleaning out camelbacks etc at the end of the day and falling ill due to bacteria build up as the week went on….

The same as normal riding surely? I probably clean my bladder using Milton about every other month, so every 80-100 hours of riding, roughly. There is no reason for it to fur up any quicker during TW.

Anyone else got a mahoosive kit list that seems to be growing by the hour?

Yep!!

davetrave – Member

Spoke to Bob from Hi5 yesterday and he reckoned that you need to take in 1000 – 1200 calories while riding to avoid the “bonk”. Apparently the lunch stop and two bars and two gels a day should be sufficient…

Really? Surely that’s a little light on calories for the amount of riding, that works out at c250-300 calories ……….

It’s got to be a little late to be worrying about this?

Months of training should have told us all how much we need to eat during the ride, and the only thing to worry about is eating enough to make sure that you are fuelling for the next day, not leaving yourself empty.

Personally speaking, my last longish ride of 60km was ridden after eating 2 Weetabix. I then ate one Mule bar, a NAKD bar and a banana during the ride. I also didn’t drink enough, only about 2.5 litres for a very warm day. BUT I was fine, I didn’t bonk, had enough energy to ride again the next day, etc.

I’d also suggest that eating loads of ‘energy’ products during the week won’t do much for your digestive system if you aren’t used to them already. During a Tour of Flanders ride I had to stop for a ham sandwich because I couldn’t face another gel!

We aren’t riding the TdF, so comparisons with that aren’t helpful
As hard as it sounds at the moment, we’ll only be riding 50 miles per day at a fairly relaxed pace. Please remind me of that when you find me begging for gels in a trailside ditch. 😉

Messenger…shot 🙄

Sorry mccobie (and perhaps davetrave?), didn’t mean it to sound like that. I’m probably just a little impatient about the amount of High5 emails I’m getting which are nothing more than adverts.

I’m also a little stressed that I’ve had a chest infection since last Wednesday, which is showing no signs of lifting. Yesterday the doc recommended that I DON’T ride TW! My bike is all set up with new drivetrain etc and I haven’t been able to bed anything in because I can’t ride at the moment.

I’m crossing my fingers and being cross at people on the net, which is probably not the way to make friends next week!

Oh and having thought about the Camelbak cleaning bit – I only ever use clean water in my bladder so don’t need to clean it as often as somebody who uses energy gunk.

IdleJon,

Hope that you are feeling better by the weekend and enjoy the TW.

If not, and/or anybody else that may have to pull out, please see my other thread.

Cheers

Really? Surely that’s a little light on calories for the amount of riding, that works out at c250-300 calories ……..

Sure I read that the limiting factor was not what you were burning but how much ingested carb your body was capable of burning whilst riding
1g/hr per kg of body weight rings a bell

Messenger…shot

Sorry mccobie

Likewise!

Sure I read that the limiting factor was not what you were burning but how much ingested carb your body was capable of burning whilst riding 1g/hr per kg of body weight rings a bell

Yeah, the 1g carb per kg body weight per hour thing is right but still need the calories (from the assorted food groups and not just carbs) – the other nutirional rule is to not be more than -500 calories below the required daily intake otherwise the body will start to burn muscle to make up the energy requirement. If I burn 650 cal/hr riding, a 4 hour ride plus the base 2200 = an intake of 4800 cal to break even; so following the -500 rule I shouldn’t take on less than 4300.

I’m also a little stressed that I’ve had a chest infection since last Wednesday, which is showing no signs of lifting… My bike is all set up with new drivetrain etc and I haven’t been able to bed anything in because I can’t ride at the moment.

I’m the same – picked up a complete new bike (Yeti ASR5C) 3 weeks ago and not ridden it yet (despite a weekend visiting my folks in Ambleside last weekend and living nothing but a short drive from Dalby), I got knocked off my crosser and damaged the rotator cuff in my left shoulder 2 1/2 weeks and been doped up on Diclofenac since. Fortunately everything’s looking good for this weekend/next week now though. Hope you get well enough to ride at least some of it!

Anyway, if it’s friends you need, look out for us, 2 pairs and a solo riding for the Army and RAF and sheltering under an RAF EZUp when the rain comes…!

Cheers Dave, I’ll say hello!

I’ll be riding solo (on a Cannondale Rush) but will probably have a tribe with me when I’m off the bike. Just look out for the two noisy little girls with Welsh accents and a small baby with no accent and you’ll find me.

No worries guys, that comment was said tongue firmly in cheek – I hope that you both are fully fit for the event – I suspect I too would be a little grouchy if in a similar position. I’m beginning to worry if I’ve done enough after re-reading the route profile though 🙁

I’m doing it solo (with no followers) on a black Hemlock, so say “hi” if you see me 😀

I’m beginning to worry if I’ve done enough after re-reading the route profile though

I was out with my normal riding group a few weeks ago, when Dave the 16 year old on the heavy freeride Kona rode over and said he’d ridden the same route as TW in part.

Him and a bunch of friends had ridden north to south Wales, and gone over the same course as the Machynlleth – Cilycwm stages. They did 270miles in 4 and a half days. Dave was riding a borrowed Halfords hardtail with an inch of front travel, 6 gears and a buckled rear wheel.

This is a boy who, although he spends all day on a bike, NEVER actually rides anywhere, if you know what I mean.

It put into perspective what WE are doing. If Dave can do it, then so can I.

Yep you’ll see me and my mate Team 10 in the open pairs, me riding an epic and my noisier mate on a top fuel. Looking forward to it now, hope this weather gets a tad kinder

The weather’s not too bad in S Wales. Grey but dry. Not particularly warm, but I’m sitting here in shorts. It will be ok if it stays like this.

Which reminds me, I need suntan cream.

Ooh, the sun’s just come out!