Just reading the above posts.
Two people have commented thus :

I don't race, am not competitive, just like riding my bikes

I like riding my bike a lot, but I consider competition to be childish

One male, one female.
Are we in fact seeing one person, two ID's here on STW?

Come clean Simon & Cinamon, your cover is blown!

I think the OP has his work cut out personally. I see very few ladies out on their mtn bikes, fewer still who have families & get out and train or ride with anything other than a gentle potter around the local wood. Seen no ladies at all so far in 2010 out training.

This is your answer. The Hippocratic Oath

Toby, my 14.5 yr old Lab is hanging in there – just!
Sorry to hear of your loss.

My own father is perhaps 18 months (?) away from going into a home with dimentia.

It comes to us all, and no matter that as pet owners we suffer the loss of a loved one(s) thrughout our lives with the various dogs, cats, etc we share I lives with, it never makes it any easier to bear.

Not one to be baffled by any science I'm not familiar with, I turned to Matt at Torq.

This is an interesting debate. There are actually lots of different Maltodextrins out there, but the one that is chosen by any sports nutritional company worth their salt is Maltodextrin DE 20. This means that the particular Maltodextrin has a dextrose equivalence of 20 (20 glucose molecules joined in a chain). The secret to Maltodextrin's success is in it's osmolality in the gut, because one molecule of DE 20 empties into the small intestine for absorption at the same rate as 1 molecule of glucose, but there's 20 times more glucose in it. It's also not sweet, so is pretty invisible to the pallet and can be used in quite high concentrations easily.

Your friend using apple juice is getting Fructose as a carbohydrate source, which has an extremely low Glycaemic Index. This means that it's very slow to get into the blood in a useable form and actually has to be processed by the liver before it can be metabolised.

The latest research has however shown that 2:1 Maltodextrin:Fructose works even better than Maltodextrin on its own (and infinitely better than fructose on its own), so perhaps you're both right! The research basically found that whilst maltodextrin competes with Glucose and Sucrose for absorption, Fructose has its own independent carrier, so doesn't interfere with the Maltodextrin uptake, so you're effectively getting a doubled effect – it works out to be about a 40% higher delivery of carbohydrate than Maltodextrin alone.

I hope this helps. Please see attached Performance Resource, you should find this an interesting read.

This is in a pdf format, so those who might like to know more, please email me and I'll pop it over on email.

I took 3hrs the day after the Kona Mash Up in November. High winds and rain but it did clear to show some lovely views.
One or maybe 2x energy bars. 2Ltr Camel Bak with no pouches. 1x the usual under seat tool / inner tube / multi tool kit I have on every ride.
You might get 'phone reception out there in parts too.

Nice to be out in he mountains on your own.

There's always room for more.
I'd ask them direct or it's in the FAQ's.
We're 4 and will be there for the night & the day rides.

Someone suggested the longer you're using it, the smaller it should be.
I've got the opposite experience.

Voyager is a 2 man tent and lets you "breath" and be less cooped up on multi day treks. If you're closed down with in poor weather, it's bliss to have some room for "everything" and not play sardines.

Just don't be too qualified!
I lost a job years ago 'cause they knew I'd be bored and move on fairly quickly.

7.5hrs. Are they going to show you how to turn a torch on & then off again? 😉

Best o' luck (RSJ to your elbow).

No short cuts and take an energy bar or two as it can take 3hrs (well, that's how long I took over it as I pootled for some of it with two other slower riders until the driving rain moved me on).
It can get quite exposed up there, and there is a feeling as previously noted of being "out there"

Take a camera too as the views are good and varied (it's quite unlike Whites and the Wall) & report back here with images and your take on the route!

Interestingly, the first order is one of he unorthodox images, one of a rider (part of) on the bridge with his relection in the water.
Cool!

(and yes, the camera and strap did keep getting wet!)

The Elite did ride most laps!
There were others too but mostly sequential shots, so I selected those that looked the best otherwise it looks rather "top heavy".

It's a shame the juniors don't ride more laps as it's them, more than the vets, masters and elite etc that in many ways I would rather provide images for – I imagine most experienced racers have pictures galore from every race meet, so it's a littlel "same-same" after a while.

Next year (if I'm asked to do the photography)I will perhaps start the coverage in a slightly different place.
Remember I was down to race in the Vets class but with my R knee out of action I made the trip anyway & brought the cameras along just in case.

Yes, it looks very "fit for purpose"

I've bought a rigid 29 SS, a Karate Monkey (I had bid on a few Rigs but never won them), but can't get to SW Wales to collect it this side of the w/end, so he's going to re-list it.
Damn!
If anyone knows anyone in that region, do let me know as he says he can drop it off up to / inc' the Cardiff region but I just can't make the trip due to work load.

Nick thinks he's Valentino Rossi, although I have a sneeking suspicion he was wearing red lacy undies and was giving me a flash in return! 😳

Excessive?

It's the very same kit as used by all the mnt bike photographers you'll come across on your travels for this sort of trail.

In this case, SB800's and Wizards set at 1/4 and 1/2 power typically, anything else and it's overexposed.
If you view the images, they're correctly exposed.

Odd, but that's the very first whinge I've ever had from a rider in all the thousands of pictures I've taken over the years of photographing these sort of events, be it Sleeples, Mayhem, KonaMashUp, Meridas, etc etc.

One thing you need to be cautions about as a photographer (and yes, I have 3x types of insurance before you ask) is not placing the flash in a position where it could physically endanger someone on a decent (typically) and not "blind" them before a black section or a tight turn in the trail.

The more events you ride like this, the more you'll appreciate what I say is the norm when photographers cover mtn bike events. Just be thankful I didn't wheel out the portable BOWENS studio flash heads and soft boxes!

If you raced the Whyte's Enduro at Donington Park in the summer, that was a one box / one Traveller set up I used there on the slow sandy corner. A wonderful softness to the light, with an even spread, no hot-spots, quick re-cycling times, heaps of power for f8 and a natrual quality that can't really be matched by £350 hotshoe flash units as I used yesterday.

What he might have been referring to is that on the front-on light I tend to apply a home made snoot to cowel the light to more of a focussed light source, as opposed to a omni bounce attachment which gives a less direct light.

Master classes at no costs! 😉

What's the record?
Sub 30 minutes I think.

Here is the link for your file, which will be available for 7 Days or 100 downloads.
https://www.yousendit.com/download/THE0blR1K3hwaFFLSkE9PQ

It's a 40mb file, but it contains the "best of" for people to enjoy.

Personally, I like Cannock's Red Route.
There's more to come soon with Phase 2 being opened soon.

Just avoid the busy times of the day and seasons for a less congested ride. Love the swoopy section above the lakes!

Today they changed the script. "Mr, you are having problems with your computer".
Now tell me something I didn't already know!

One answer: tell them it's not a BT line (mine isn't).
Or it's a residential address / a business they're calling.
It always gets them off the 'phone if they think it's one but you tell them it's the other.

True to form, it's just happened, 10:00 Monday morning. They got the "69" again from me & I wandered off to make a cuppa. No need getting stressed about it!

In my very humble opinion it's not worth doing any rides over 75-80 miles in training – better off doing plenty 5-7 hour rides at a good pace. Big miles often equals a higher chance of injury.

Yesp, that'd be me.
R knee now in re-hab. Damn.

FWIW – I think something like 4 laps of Dalby's Red route will give you a taste of the kind of punishment you'll encounter. If you manage 4 without much trouble with a decent lap time, the MKielder 100 should be be manageable.

Last year I rode a HT, this year a full sus' since it simply makes life a little easier on the body.

Are you saying you ride Cannock's Red Route with a 6inch travel bike (slight over kill, but if that's all you have, so be it) and full body armour (that really would be over kill!)?

I love the naive sentiment that simply being outdoors and on a bike is all it takes to keep you interested; although it's a rather sweet, charming sentiment; I bet your baby sitters love you!

If you're ever been cycling in the Boston region, I'd defy you to find something of interest! It's so interesting, the whole of that region east of the A1m has no motorways – no one wants to go there!

As has been illustrated, sometimes it's what preceeded the ride that impacts on your opinion of a place. I'm sure the Marin Trail is great, with the right weather, some decent company and less rain (the time I rode it), but it was a time & a place and as such, it felt like I was wasting time not being with my family. Next day, Snowdon was more interesting though!

If you lived here, in Watford, on a one-off visit you too might well find things a little mundane if you lived in the Peaks. However, you make the area you ride enjoyable with what you have. Still say you'd end up insane, in the pub or becoming a roadie if you moved to Boston.

I have 2x phones here, side by side here.
The scammers ring one, I hang up, then they ring the other.
They're working down a list, which they no doubt bought.

Sometimes I have both phones ring at exactly the same time.
I pick them up, reverse one hand set, put them in a "69" position and time how long it takes them to twig they're talking with one another.

PS – it's doubtful BT's customer services or accounts dept will be open on a w/end, let alone a Sunday!

I'm not recommending anything per se.
I'm pointing out some considerations to the OP (who was looking for other possible options for energy drinks), so that they're aware of the (likely) limitations of sucrose & fructose since they're simple and not complex carbs.

Remembering that fruit juice is a fructose.
This is a simple sugar, also you'll find some people can't digest juices so easily, plus fructose must be metabolised in the liver.
It will also give you that "hit" just as a sugar drink will.

Isn't Lucozade mostly sugar and water?

If it is, then it's going give you a "hit", giving you a bust of energy (a 1/2 decent pick-me-up) but sugar a simple and not a complex carb' so will leave you in the same position, possibly worse off in fairly short order.

You're better of (on a long ride over) with those drinks that contain a maltodextrin as it's a polysaccharide, meaning it will provide a slower-burn source of energy.

SIS GO>>>> electrolyte is 93% maltodextrin and 2% electrolytes.
Got to be careful with the % mix as it made me thirsty at Bonty 24!

Last 2:30 ride I tried High5 Energy source+
This contains some caffine
Again Maltodextrin.
Seemed good.

Adding Elete of late as I suffer from cramps.

I've use the Torq powder too as I think all their products are natrual and have no artificial sweeteners (?).

All these powder do make a difference IMO.

The Marin Trail.

So over-rated.
Penmachno in the morning (fantastic!)
Marin in the afternoon (zzzzzzz!)

(I've just seen Bushwacked post – the moral being don't ride anthing on the same day as Penmachno!)

Miguel Indurain, a Spanish cyclist and five time Tour de France winner, had a resting heart rate of 28 beats per minute, one of the lowest ever recorded in a healthy human

Joxster:

My max HR was 229 and my resting was 27

(Didn't find any date other than some research in the 1970's based on other studies. Am I missing something?)

There is one aspect of alcohol consumption that’s not mentioned here.
If, say, you’re like Andy, brought up in a pub style and mentality (you never did say why your parents / guardians thought this was a suitable place for your formative years btw) , then food is unlikely to be consumed at the same time as the drink, as say in a restaurant or with the continental style of eating and drinking.
What then, the next morning?
I think you will find there’s a paradigm shift in societies view on drug abuse (alcohol) once you choose to get behind the wheel of a car / van / lorry after consuming any alcohol (whether you feel it’s OK or not, whether your “mates” do, or do not), when it is no longer a private, personal matter.
Similarly, the law is not tolerant of drunk drivers; & nor are we.

Just a thought.
Also, I've rented out rooms for many years and seen too many men who thought they didn't have any problems with alcohol (3 pints a night, tops!) and then drove to work, 5 days a week.

Dano.
Good on y'er.
Quietly tell people you no longer drink. They’ll not blink an eye. In fact, you’ll get a level of interest and respect that you’ll not have though probable. Besides, if a “mate” feels insulted by you being clean, how much of a “mate” is he really? Put you first, his emotions last!

a bottle of wine per night is not a huge amount

Wrong!
Is this where you were at too Dano?
It's difficult to see the problem when you're part of the problem as with Andy.
He's going by what's around him, the people and culture he subscribes to, and chooses to surround himself with.

A lot of people I know will happily drink four cans a night

He's a complete lemming in a situation that he's powerless and unwilling to change.
Fine – no skin of my / our noses, but for anyone reading these posts, don't for one minute think that consuming such huge quantities (a whole bottle of wine a night, every night ffs) & passing the blame and focus to other's out-moded, less educated habits, cultures & behaviours is denial and ignorance in equal measure!

And if you think I'm being a little harsh, let's see how this

reading about a guy who did 150 units a week and functioned perfectly and had no idea he had a problem!

makes Andy feel:

made me feel a darn sight better

As he says, he (Andy) hasn't got a drink problem!

Which gyms devised this "non-scientific" method I wonder?
As my elderly aunt would say, "Poppy Cock young man"!

What's the betting it was a test on many subjects, maybe even during the Nazi period (a lot of this type of research was carried out in that period and it's not PC to credit any findings, as you might appreciate) , to asses the "average" man (even if he was blonde and German!)?

I do know that you can reach a higher HR running or say, XC skiing than you can sitting on a bike.
Personally, I've not bothered in 18 months* or more as I know what's going on and how hard I'm trying and it's a distraction.

*turbo and spin training exercises are an exception to this.

My rest HR was, at its lowest, last summer, taken at about 11pm, almost asleep (!) and 38bpm.

The most I've ever seen was 181 after being at altitude for a week, aged 44.
I keep it below 173.
Which is about 220 minus my age.

it's not the section i use for my regular route, oh well.

What does it &^%$£ matter if you can legally ride every tow path in the country?!

As above. YOu can ride on a tow path now and no permit is required as of 01/01/09 or 08

TJ doesn't ride on water, he just thinks he does!

He's got some new pals who were fishing there, even though there was a bit of a storm brewing in the Mid Atlantic, they were, Matthew, Mark, & Peter, who also walked on water at that time but not nearly as well as he started to sink. Sill old Peter!

Why not enter the 1st Merida of the year i 4 weeks time?
Some new socks, Seelsinz waterproof jobbies, some Candy Crank Bros pedals and some energy bars and gels?

No permit required.
The rules (not sure the actual law) changed 01 January 2009 IIRC.

Self inflicted wound.
Hope your boss see it thus too.

The only people I know how do not suffer, or seem not to suffer are the real alcoholics, those who consume such quantaties that their livers have become enlarged to try and deal with the poisons thet're being forced confront.