200 miles in 24 hours

richard36

Hi

I would like to travel from where I live to where I lived which is about 200 miles. My ambition is to do it in 24 hours but I really don't know whether this is something I can achieve.

There is no set time for me to do it and if necessary I might even delay doing it until next June if I can't get enough training in. Also if I found I was struggling on the day I would finish it off the next day.

I had thought of doing the ride on a mtb with slicks but if this was a daft idea I would get a road bike.

I would really appreciate any advice about how to train, what to eat before and during the day, and any other advice generally.

Many thanks

Richard

wheelermuk

hi

personally i'd say 200 in 24 would be possible if you planned it pretty well. obv depends on your fitness level etc, but if you are planning on putting in a fair bit of training, then yeah, i imagine sticking slicks on your mtb would be ok, although you'd be unquestionably faster on a road bike.

doing it over two days would definitely be abit more manageable, but it's worth looking at what alan shearer and his mate did the earlier this year for sport relief - a similar distance and time frame but i think they had a fairly sizeable support crew. but looking at average speeds - even with say a 4hr sleep you'd need 10mph for 20 hours. i guess the best way to gauge it is to ride a few long steady rides of a 100 miles + and see how you feel. as for eating, just plenty of carbs two or so days before the event, and then get in plenty more on the bike - gels, drinks, bars, sarnies etc. depending on what you can stomach and what you like

vernonlevy

Richard36 wrote:

Hi

I would like to travel from where I live to where I lived which is about 200 miles. My ambition is to do it in 24 hours but I really don't know whether this is something I can achieve.

There is no set time for me to do it and if necessary I might even delay doing it until next June if I can't get enough training in. Also if I found I was struggling on the day I would finish it off the next day.

I had thought of doing the ride on a mtb with slicks but if this was a daft idea I would get a road bike.

I would really appreciate any advice about how to train, what to eat before and during the day, and any other advice generally.

Many thanks

Richard

Audax riders regularly do 300km rides which are clse enough to 200 miles and thay have to comp-lete them in 20hours so yes, it is possible. I've considered doing a flattish 300km ride this year but am not sure myself whether or not I have the fitness to do it.

You might like to consider joining Audax UK and doing their 100km and 200 km rides as part of your training. You might also want to have a look at Simon Doughty's 'Long Distance Cyclists' Handbook

Plenty of pasta/rice on the days before the ride and porridge before you set off will sustain you for the first few hours. A steady intake of carbs from things like malt loaf, jelly babies, bananas, flap jack and beans on toast keep me going on 200km rides. I see 300km as a step change for me and am seeking a 30kg weight loss before having a go.

richard36

Wheelermuk and VernonLevy

Thanks for your helpful replies.

Richard

Gr.uB

Richard,
I recently rode my first 600k event. 40 hours with 27 of it cycling.
I do phaff a lot though at controls.
Before you contemplate this I would suggest a lot of training unless you really want to suffer.
You have to ensure you are comfortable on your bike in every way, as that sort of distance has a way of making you notice when you are not.
Hands, shoulders, arse, feet, you name it, if it is not comfortable then it will really let you know.
Saying that though, anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

richard36

Gr.ub

Thanks for your reply

Congratulations on your 600k. You must be a fairly fit man!

Did you do it on a mtb or a road bike? I've never ridden a road bike so don't know whether I would find it as comfortable as a mtb ie. flat bars as against the drop bars.

Richard

Gr.uB

Audax bike.

Ramanujan

id like to try a similar thing.

So far this year I've done several 100 mile rides in about 6 hours and I find that correct nutrition is vital and can make a massive difference.
I'm getting the balance between low fat carbs and protein just right. High protein bars containing 32g of protein a work well, but only one or two at the most. The rest must be carbs, not saturated in fat, good quality carbs.
Try and eat a snack every 20 miles or so, just to keep yuorself topped up. It makes a world of difference, but you'll have to experiment in training.

The other crucial thing is a good saddle AND shorts.
I'm using Assos shorts and a Fizik arionne saddle. Very good on long rides.