will i notice much of a difference? distances..

jeffcapeshop

I've ordered my first road bike (bianchi c2c) and can't wait, but i'm just wondering how much of a difference i might notice straight away in terms of what i can do..?

obviously it will take a little getting used to.. but i read about all these 40+ (i'm 25) doing 200k.. are they just very fit?

i probably do about 60-80 miles a week on my current bike (revolution courier from edinburgh bicyle - a simple mtb with 1.5" tires - and i highly recommend it btw) in 3 or 4 runs - today i did 35 miles in 2.5 hours (out and back, pretty flat) and that's me at about my limit, wouldn't like to do much more.

so.. is it a question of pacing yourself? is it all in the bike? or do i just need to get a bit fitter!

how do you old codgers travel so far?

cheers!

jeff

lilactime

by getting out and riding , and not sitting in front of a computer . bianchi nice bike !

a_n_t

lilactime wrote:

by getting out and riding , and not sitting in front of a computer . bianchi nice bike !

you take your laptop out riding? nice one!

geoff_ss

I'm afraid it's all down to legs, lungs and the miles to get them fit. The bike only has a secondary effect.

All of my long distances were done after I reached 40 (farthest 250 miles light and 130 miles camping) so a 25 year old should find it child's play

Geoff

jeffcapeshop

not bad geoff!

i can't envisage ever racking up those kind of miles myself..

lilactime

a_n_t wrote:

lilactime wrote:

by getting out and riding , and not sitting in front of a computer . bianchi nice bike !

you take your laptop out riding? nice one!

iphone

Doobz

I think you will do less on your new bike as your body needs to adjust its muscles to geometry etc

Other things that help to get up to distance

ride ride ride and ride some more -
things that can hinder distance are Comfort, Concentration, motivation, pacing yourself

Also know your limits and learn to recover properly after a long ride otherwise you can do some damage to yourself.

stevewheel

Another old codger here...with a Bianchi C2C !

I agree with the other posters but you will notice a big difference between the two bikes...most of it positive...but take time to adjust...your body will tell you it's getting used a new geometry! Just work through it....and yes...it's miles, miles and more miles that makes you better! (cracking bike though !)

richard36

I hope you don't mind me jumping into this thread but this is a question for Doobz as he mentioned the need to recover properly after a long ride.

I would appreciate Doobz's advice (or anybody else's for that matter) on what it means to 'recover properly' What does it involve?

Thanks

Richard

jeffcapeshop

not at all, i'd like to know too!

my "recovery" is eat a lot and drink beer, probably not ideal.

NWLondoner

I have found that my "wall" is 23-26 miles. My legs just let go.

Being very unfit i know it will take a lot of time and pain to get it up to my target of at least 50 miles by the end of 2008.

I would love to ride to Amsterdam one day :shock: but think that will have to wait a few years

jeffcapeshop

yep, got a hilly 50 mile route already planned that i'm going to have to do sometime this summer!

possibly when the wind is going the be behind me..

allaction

Recovery drinks within 20 minutes of finishing a long ride are great for getting the essential nutrients your muscles need to rebuild themselves. SIS Rego is one of the most popular and also available at supermarkets are ready mixed drinks like For Goodness Shakes. These will aid your recovery but you wil also need to be sensible if new to the sport, don't sicken yourself as you will ultimately lose motivation and possibly run yourself down.

I would also reccomend proper nutrition when you are on long rides, energy bars or gels to boost energy levels whilst on the move. SIS do sachets you can mix for your water bottle. One word of caution is that these do contain a lot of calories so don't use them for rides under 1 and a half hours as chances are you wont need them.

jeffcapeshop

hmm i'm not too keen on eating all that guff.. really doesn't appeal..

not that i think i'd need it at this level!

one thing i know i should do is take water with me but i don't have a bottle cage and a backpack seems to slow me down disproportionately!

+ it seems wrong to buy a very light nifty bike then cart around a lot of heavy water

allaction

Water is essential or your performance, at whatever level you are at, will suffer severely. If I just go for a quick blast for an hour you can maybe get away with no water, but the warmer the weather and the longer the distance the more essential it gets. If you aren't into gels and the like, fair enough but without water your progression will be very limited. I don't eat helthily and am no lightweight but I realised that without the essentials I would be forever plugging away at the very beginners level and wanted to go farther and faster!

Doobz

Hope this stuff below helps dudes!
adiós
doobz

Post Training Fatigue

A cyclist can experience 4 distinct types of fatigue.

* The bonk (fatigue resulting from muscle glycogen depletion) usually develops 1 to 2 hours into a ride. It is a particular problem if "on the bike" glucose supplements are not used to extend internal muscle glycogen stores. * Post ride fatigue is a normal response to several hours of vigorous exercise and indicates you are pushing your training limits. It leads to improved performance the next time out. * Overreaching is the next step up - the fatigue you feel at the end of a particularly hard week of riding. It is really just an extension of post ride fatigue, and will, with recovery, make us faster and stronger. * Overtraining is the debilitating and often long term (lasting weeks to months) fatigue that limits rather than stimulates improvement in performance.

A regular rider needs to constantly assess his or her level of post ride fatigue, maintaining sensitivity to the fine line that separates post exercise fatigue (a stimulus to improvement) and overtraining (which can only hinder future performance). Most training programs should include at least one and sometimes two rest days per week as well as a day or two of easy spinning as insurance against overtraining.

Over reaching is a normal part of the training cycle, but if you find that your performance is not improving with a few recovery days, it's time to take a break and switch to alternative aerobic activities (at 70% maximum heart rate) to maintain your cardiovascular fitness. The alternative is to risk entering the zone of overtraining which may require a month or two to recover.

Although it may seem paradoxical, rest is a key component of all training programs and may be actually be one of the toughest training choices you'll have to make.

NUTRITION

Carbohydrates are the primary energy source for cyclists involved in performance events. Fats are more important in slower, endurance events, while protein maintains and repairs cells and tissue.

Muscle fatigue (the "bonk") occurs when the body's liver and muscle carbohydrate (glycogen) is depleted and the exercising muscle must by necessity shift to fat metabolism as a source of energy. One component of overtraining may be a failure to adequately replace the muscle glycogen depleted as a result of daily training.

To minimise the risk of the bonk and overtraining, it is important to maximize body glycogen stores by:

* eating a high carbohydrate diet in the days and hours before your ride
* using carbohydrate supplements while riding
* using the immediate post ride recovery interval to begin rebuilding carbohydrate stores.

As far as the pre ride period, the traditional carbohydrate loading program (which includes a carbohydrate depletion phase by avoiding all carbohydrates for several days followed by forcing carbohydrates for the 3 days immediately prior to the event) to maximise glycogen stores is not essential. A high carbohydrate diet alone (without the preceding carbohydrate depletion phase) will provide 90% of the benefits of the full program while avoiding the digestive turmoil that changes in diet required by the carbohydrate depletion phase can produce.

Maximising carbohydrate replacement while riding is important for events of more than 2 hours. At least 1 to 2 grams of carbohydrate per minute can be absorbed and utilised to supplement pre ride glycogen stores and help sustain prolonged exercise. In extreme events such as the Tour de France, as much as 50% of the daily energy expenditures can be provided by supplements taken while on the bike.

Finally, one needs to take advantage of the glycogen repletion window that is open in the 4 hours immediately following vigorous exercise. During this time, orally ingested carbohydrates will be converted into muscle glycogen at 3 times the normal rate - and the earlier the better as some data suggests a 50% fall in the repletion rate by 2 hours and a return to a normal repletion rate by 4 hours. The slowing rate of glycogen storage occurs even when plasma glucose and insulin levels remain elevated with oral supplements. Overall, muscle glycogen stores are replenished at a rate of approximately 5% per hour. And while it may require up to 48 hours for maximal muscle glycogen replacement following a 2 hour ride, for all practical purposes these glycogen stores are almost completely rebuilt in the first 24 hours post event.

For the cyclist involved in a rigorous daily training program, or in a multiday event, this glycogen window can be used to get a jump on the normal repletion process, thus minimising the risk of chronic glycogen depletion (and the fatigue that goes along with it). There is also suggestive evidence that the muscle stiffness occurring after vigorous exercise is related to muscle glycogen depletion. If so, rapid repletion may have the added benefit of minimizing this day after effect as well. One caution - many simple carbohydrate snacks such as chocolate chip cookies are more than 30% fat and if eaten in large quantities might exceed the recommended daily fat intake of 20-30% of Calories. Complex carbohydrates such as pasta, bread, and rice offer an alternative with significantly more carbohydrate per gram. And over the last few years, there has also been a push to market special recovery drinks. However any high carbohydrate food or drink will work as well and save you a few pounds.

SPECIFIC POST RIDE (RECOVERY) DIETARY RECOMMENDATIONS:

* take in 3 to 4 gm carbohydrate/kg BW in the 4 hours post ride - start immediately * consider using a high Caloric density glucose polymer sports drink * eat at least 600gm carb per day for the next two days to maximise repletion of muscle and liver glycogen

geoff_ss

I used to find eating on long audax events difficult. I didn't feel hungry but one case of bonk on a 200k, with 65k still to ride, forced me to do something about it. I now use Maxim flavoured with concentrated fruit juice in my drinking bottle. It works very well for me. Maxim on its own is rather insipid but it's a good complex carbohydrate that delivers energy over an extended period. A second bottle of plain water is a good idea too.

Another standby is a tin of cold Ambrosia rice pudding available in most village shops (if you can find one!). I always carry a tiny tin opener in my wallet as a little insurance policy. OK if you like cold rice pudding

All I do for recovery is have a drink of something, a normal meal ( we're vegetarians so lots of veggies and wholemeal bread are normal) and sleep.

Geoff

Doobz

I would say the stuff that helps me recover quickest is Brown Bread, Soreen loaf, Peanut butter, Coffee with a large teaspoon of molasses instead of sugar..

PostieJohn

Great choice of 1st 'proper' bike.
You will love it, it's very comfy, and I think you will be very surprised about what you can acomplish on your 1st sunny sunday morning ride.
I wouldn't worry, during your rides, about distance leave it up to 'the gods', you'll still get home, fine.


For the record, my 1 and so far, only bonk, was reversed by a lucazade, a snickers and a packet of pork scratchings, I got home in record time.

popette

hiya,
I'm amazed by how much difference the bike makes to my speed. I started with an Ed bikes Courier but there was a problem with it and I swapped it for a Giant SCR3. The difference between those bikes was amazing and I felt I was really zipping along. I'm now riding a Felt Z65 and again, the difference is really noticable - I'm flying along and have knocked big chunks off my times for my favourite routes.
The bike does make a difference but as others have said, you still have to ride it lots
Good luck with your new bike - I@m sure that you're going to love it

markos1963

Started with a cheapo MTB about 18 months ago and struggled to do 10 miles in an hour, at the end was close to collapse and feeling very sick Then started riding regulary increasing weekly mileage by about 5% a week. Now riding a Orbea Onix via a Raleigh Record Sprint(now my hack bike) and up to 60 miles in less than 3.5 hours and feeling good at the end of the ride. Very important to take the advice about nutrition,hydration and rest though. I take on at least .75l of fluids an hour, be it water or PSP which I find easiest to take. As for food I eat a sport bar every hour as well, just nibbling as I go along. Afterwards I like to have a milky drink to get some protein in my system, but this is a very personal choice as a lot of people find this difficult to stomach.
Great choice of bike by the way, tested one of these and loved it, but not as much as my Orbea
Most of all have fun out there

Alibran

I've found that eating something high carb immediately (or at least as soon as possible after I stop) really makes a difference to my recovery times. I've discovered some cereal bars that are very high carb and hardly any fat that also have the benefit of tasting nice and being a lot cheaper than proper energy bars, so I use those.

A couple of other points nutrition wise:

It you're eating for energy, most of your daily carb intake should come from low GI (glycaemic index) foods, while shortly before, during and immediately after exercise, you should eat high GI foods. High GI foods are very quick to digest (hence their benefits around exercise) while low GI foods take a lot longer. You don't have to use sports bars/gels/drinks, since it's quite possible to meet your nutritional needs through normal food, but sports formulas are far more convenient, if more expensive.

If you are very active, you should consume a higher proportion of your daily calorie intake from carbs than less active people - around 60-65% is usually recommended. This applies on rest days as well as days when you are active.

You also need protein after exercise to help repair muscles. A ratio of 3:1 carbs to protein is the optimum. I've seen dried fruit and some nuts recommended. Personally, I have a cereal bar and a glass of milk (soya milk in my case), the milk also helping with rehydration.

Drinking plenty of water (or sports drink) is really important, as your performance and energy levels will drop very quickly if you are even the slightest bit dehydrated. Even 2% dehydration will make a difference. Becoming dehydrated may also cause headaches, either during or after your ride. (If you find you suffer from headaches later in the day when you've done a long ride, dehydration is likely to be the cause.)

This advice comes from various different sources. I'm hugely interested in sports nutrition, and think I need to train for a qualification so I can put my interest to good use!

To answer the questions in the first post, I think it's partly about pacing - the slower you go, the further you can go - partly about the bike, and mostly about getting fitter. When I replaced my hybrid with a road bike a couple of weeks ago, I noticed the difference immediately. I am finding myself able to ride further before I tire, as long as I don't ride significantly faster, which is very tempting. (The effort level at the same speed is lower. My commute was using around 800 cals, this has now dropped to 600.) Of course, I am getting fitter anyway as I build up my mileage, and I would imagine this makes most of the difference. I'm looking forward to the day my 20 mile (round trip) commute is just a "little" ride, and I'm routinely going out for 60+ miles at weekends and still having energy to spare.