Im starting to set myself a few goals for the summer. One is that by end of May, I want to ride 250 miles in one day ( on the road bike).

Whats it like doing this, I cant see any reason that i shouldnt be able to do it, but i have never done more than 90 before…

effing horrible.

On the ride. Start slow and speed up through the day. Eat regularily even if you're not hungry. Have an exit strategy. Who's going to be your back up team?

I did a [one day] 160-mile charity ride and the guy I was riding with had their rear cassette explode off the freehub. Still don't know how it happened but 25-miles from the nearest bike shop it was a long wait for the back up car to arrive.

As for training. Time in the saddle is vital. You'll be there for 14-hours on the day so you better be used to it.

Is it a specific event?

250 miles 😯 are you mad! I'm sure some fantasist will be along in a minute tell you they have and it wasn't that bad really.

Well, I just decided it might be a good challenge. Not sure if its overstretching myself though. My backup would be my mobile phone and money for a b+b probably….

Hasn't 'the banned Scottish deity' done something like this? Probably in half a day.

I've a feeling Trail_Rat has done it too, I'd have thought you'd be looking at 18hrs realistically.

Rather you than me, I got bored out of my skull on a 12hr MTB solo!

I've done 120 in a day, but that was the White Rose Challenge and it has BIG ba$tard climbs. If you're going that far do it somewhere flat.

You'll be wanting Audax UK then – nutters all in a class of their own. My brother has done something like 430 miles in 24hrs but there must be others that have done 500 plus at a guess….

Done 150 miles in a day on a road bike a few times and after that I've been proper knackered, as in hard work for the last 10 miles. Another 100 miles on top? Can't see that being a good idea.

Lets say for example you average 15mph taking into account lunch / wee stops etc and thats kicking on ie 17-20mph average cycling speed. 250 miles would take you 17ish hours if your fast! If you let your avaerage drop below 11mph (still a reasonable pace) then you won't even do it in 24hrs

Farthest I have been is 140 miles (yesterday). It was run off in a group, and at a fairly steady pace (17mph av). Felt fine afterwards, and could have carried on plenty longer.

It's quite doable, though I woul;d go out of my mind with boredom if doing it by myself.

If you want to get into this, then doing audaxes is your route. A genuine audax starts at 200km, then they tend to come in at 300, 400, 600 and updwards.

It's all about progression. you won't do it straight away, but a steady progression towards your goal is a good idea. And eating. Stopping for a decent lunch is good, as is regular eating of nice food.

Failing that, enter a 12 hour timetrial and see if you can hit 250 in the time….

Big jump from 90 to 250 its not the stamina so much its the time in the saddle that will kill you. Dont underestimate how much its going to hurt!

I haven't, not even in a 24 solo. The 120 mark is hard one to cross just for the hell of it.
If you really want to do it I suggest getting dropped off 250 miles away then every mile you cover will seem err erm well like another mile covered 😐

250 miles are you mad! I'm sure some fantasist will be along in a minute tell you they have and it wasn't that bad really.

The top 24 hour guys do that kind of mileage. Doing it on the road would be a lot easier than that.*

*But too much for me.

Dull, and slow.
Why not roadrace instead?

140 miles yesterday in that cold at 17mph av respect! Where were you riding ourman?

Hmmm

I suppose I hadnt really thought about the boredom… I was planning to work up to it, doing 100, then 150 then 200 etc. I'll see how they go.

ive done it yep , also 300kms and 4000m climbing and 280k fixed wheel (with a shit load less climbing)

audaxers do it all the time – i do have ambitions to become a "super randoneur" at some point this year – 2-3-4 and 600 audaxes in one year or something like that but its not on the main scheme of things, the 300 , the 280 and i did another 200 last year, I can ride 24 solos so a 600 although will hurt is well within my limit !

just pick a nice route and be prepped for anything to go wrong , have back up routes to get out of it !

by the end of the summer im aiming for the 250 off road through wilderness – not in a day but non stop…… 24-30 hours realistically

140 miles yesterday in that cold at 17mph av respect! Where were you riding ourman?

Audax in Cheshire/Shropshire. Event was just over 200km, and the ride to and from the start made it 140 miles for me. Rode it with a small group from my club, so 17 av is pretty steady given the options for sitting in when needed.

In spite of mudguards and mudflaps, the rain and filth on the roads was pretty heavy going. The "after" shot:

180 miles here.
i had no feeling in the ouside 3 fingers of my right hand for a good month after.
my bum stood up fine, and for the last 10 miles i could not push a harder gear than 36/28.

lyons
How about two 100's Saturday and Sunday. I do a 100 every now and again if you want a partner or three. Though with race distances getting shorter as I get older the days of doing a 100 every Sunday are marked.

i do have ambitions to become a "super randoneur"

For me, among the real and unacknowledged hard men (and women) of cycling. Audaxing has a beardy image, but anyone who can ride those sort of distances is f***ing tough in my books.

Go for it.

Did it in my youth. With panniers and camping gear.

Was trying to get back from Southampton to Scotland – which was a big motivation 🙂

Didn't feel any ill-effects, got over the border on the second day.

Was using all the summer daylight though, so not that fast.

I've done 120 overnight on the dunwich dynamo a couple of times- that's pretty easy to cruise sub 9 hours at night, on the flat from London to Norwich- a few folks do it both ways, and that should be fairly attainable, plus would give you the benefit of the company of a fair few other riders to while away the time.,

Done just over 200miles in a day on a road bike with a chain gang from Chester to Angelsey and back in my youth. Couldn't imagine trying to do it now, couldn't image having to do it on my own, need others around you to share the work/pain etc. Suggest you start with some circular shorter runs around your home, that way you can bang out and head home if it all gets too much. Hats off to you if you manage it.

Did 214 in a wet and horrible 12 hour road TT, found it much easier than a 6hr MTB race, still going strong at the finish. The step up to 24 was huge though, really struggled at times, fell asleep twice (once on the bike and once not). That was even wetter and more horrible, bit disapointed to only do 316, but looking at the amount of people that DNF'd I don't suppose it was too bad.

Advicce? Eat loads, even when you're not hungry. Work out how much you think you will eat and take double that. Also have bottles at all times, one energy drink and one plain water. Set of dry clothes every 6-7hrs really helps too, even if just socks/gloves/base layer.

Done just over 200miles in a day on a road bike with a chain gang from Chester to Angelsey and back in my youth.

😯 That's proper hard.

Suggest you start with some circular shorter runs around your home, that way you can bang out and head home if it all gets too much.

Though it's not the only reason, when long (12 and 24 hour) time trials are run, the route is often not a big loop or repeated laps of a shorter circuit, but a sort of cloverleaf pattern. this means that the rider retuurns nearby often. Unless your challenge is to go from a-b (and back), you could approach it like this, meaning that if ever does get too much, you are never too far from home or civilisation.

I've done 200 in a "day" on the Dunwich Dynamo but that was with rest breaks.
Ride to start (10 miles), do the ride (125 miles through the night), breakfast on the beach, rode to Ipswich station (50 miles), train back to London, rode home (15 miles across London).

It's actually not that bad so long as you've got some company. There were some dull bits, some exciting bits (the sprint for the beach), some bits where it really was stunning (summer sunrise, barnowls flying across the fields), we just relaxed and rode.
Trying to do it on your own would be purgatory though.

I did it once when I was about 16 but I lived on my bike back then. Twenty years on and I don't think it would be as much fun now.

160 in a day. 9hrs in the saddle 17mph(ish) average.
mansfield to skegness and back just for fun. got there, locals asked what chrarity we were doing it for. nearly fell over when we told them it was just for a laugh, and we were riding back.

bit of a classic fundraiser ride round our way

250 miles is sort of the standard for 12 hour time trials. Much less than that and you are very much an also ran. Record is over 300 miles, but that's way beyond my dreams.

As for 24 hour time trials – I never did one!

Did 120 miles on a road bike when I was about 15-16. Don't remember being particularly exhausted. Even though I could probably do it now, I certainly wouldn't contemplate doubling it to 250. But then again, you might …

pain pain pain and some more pain did the dragons back in 10hrs A470 top to bottom past my favourite trails at cyb i actualy had a cry. Keep on top of food hydration and train lots for it.

Find a quiet-ish route from yours out to a beach or country park or somewhere similar. About 120-ish miles away. Make damn sure there's a good cafe there! Ideally a few stations en route as well.
Find some mates who'll ride all or part of the way with you. Take a map/GPS, food, money, water, tools, lights and just start riding, ideally at about 10pm or so. Pootle on out there. DO NOT STOP at the nearest pub for "refreshments", you'll end up staying there! If you can go via a mates house en route that's good too but make sure they kick you out after a coffee!
Get to cafe, have enormous breakfast, rest, swim etc. Turn round and ride home. Most of it is just getting your head round it. If you feel tired just stop and have a qick doze (I slept for an hour on a grass verge half way through my first Dunwich Dynamo).

back in the day i used to ride 100mile then run 12 mile to my in laws on sundays.

250 mile for me would be fun if you had good company. maybe get mates to join in at various points

I came third in the 2009 Kent C.A. 12 hour TT with 253 miles (winner did 259). Took a lot of training, good support car on the day and about 3 weeks to fully recover. Sense of achievement afterwards though, and you will find out your own mental/physical limits up to point.

Did 200 miles in a day four years ago – Glasgow to Lossiemouth. Wasn't my legs that were the problem, it was my butt from sitting in the saddle for so long. Get a tub of chammy cream and apply liberally. And take it with you. Don't go mad with the pace at the start, esp up the hills, and you'll be fine.

230 in 24 hours offroad at the CLIC 24 a few years back. Loved every second, one of my best rides ever. Misty sunrise over the Mendips, views to the sea and Wales, bluebells, dusty rocky singletrack, didn't want to finish. Felt fine while still on the bike, could easily have done 240 or 250 in the race if not for faffing with fitting borrowed lights and having no support for 1/2 the event, and could have carried on for a while longer after the 24 (I finished with just less than my fastest lap left before the end, and your last lap doesn't count if you're in after 12 noon). Getting off the bike and packing kit away wasn't too pleasant though!