Do you need to stop at feed stations?

shakey88

Hi,i'm riding the puncheur on March 1st and it'll be my first sportive and my question is this.
Is it necessary to stop at feed stations?
What i mean is when i'm on my training runs i rarely stop unless if it's to nip to the loo(or behind nearest hedge) as i find if i stop it breaks up any rhythm i've built up and also i begin to cool down and i find it takes a while to get going again.
Is it not preferable to take your own supplies(gels,food,energy drink) and just keep riding to the end?
I'd like to know how more experienced cyclists play it on the sportive scene?
Thanks,Rich

softlad

shakey88 wrote:

Is it necessary to stop at feed stations?

if you need to - it's necessary. Lots of factors (over which you have no influence) will decide that for you on the day....

toontra

Well, I'm not very experienced at sportives yet (only having done one!) but I've done a few audaxes and lots of 150+mile rides and I've learned to keep the breaks short. As you say, muscles tend to tighten up after more than 10 minutes or so and it takes a while to get going again.

On the sportive I did, the food was so good at the food stops that I lingered too long - if I'd cut each stop shorter by 5 minutes then I would have been on for the gold time. So this year....

Anonymous

Well usually the Time stations are at the feeds so you have to stop...and as most sportives are over 100miles , and the fact that you always push yourself much harder than normal I think its imperative you stop...I mean are you thinking you will do something like the FWC or the Dave Lloyd Mega on 2 litres of liquid and a few energy bars?.....IMO I think on one of the tougher sportives you would bonk massively in the latter stages of the route....christ I see so much carnage on most sportives at 80miles with everyone eating at the feeds nevermind missing them out! ...I reckon that eating and drinking little and very often on these sportives is the best way maximise your performance...

P.s I reckon I had 6-8 litres on last years FWC and WRC and Devil Ride...and over 10 litres on the dave lloyd....and thats not including the bakeries and banana boats I devoured at the feeds aswell.....

shakey88

mmm food for thought if you pardon the pun.
I can see the need for stopping to refill my water bottles but surely a rider could carry enough food ie cereal bars,cakes bananas etc as well as gels to get to the end of a 100 mile sportive?
I mean you don't see them stopping halfway through a stage of the TdF for a bite to eat

tonyw43

shakey88 wrote:

I mean you don't see them stopping halfway through a stage of the TdF for a bite to eat

True, but you do see them taking a musette as they go through the feed zone which will be full of bars, gels, panini etc. Plus they can take bars gels and bottles from the team cars up until the lasy 10 or 20k depending on the stage.
I think as softlad says, it will depend on the day.

dennisn

shakey88 wrote:

mmm food for thought if you pardon the pun.
I can see the need for stopping to refill my water bottles but surely a rider could carry enough food ie cereal bars,cakes bananas etc as well as gels to get to the end of a 100 mile sportive?
I mean you don't see them stopping halfway through a stage of the TdF for a bite to eat

You could probably carry enough water to last 100 miles, if you wanted to. I don't see the point. Food and water is provided at rest / timing stops so take advantage of it.
Just be quick about it and you'll be out of there in no time. No big deal. Or you could
just enjoy the ride as opposed to rushing around like a madman at the stops.

Dennis Noward

Peter Harrison

dennisn wrote:

shakey88 wrote:

mmm food for thought if you pardon the pun.
I can see the need for stopping to refill my water bottles but surely a rider could carry enough food ie cereal bars,cakes bananas etc as well as gels to get to the end of a 100 mile sportive?
I mean you don't see them stopping halfway through a stage of the TdF for a bite to eat

You could probably carry enough water to last 100 miles, if you wanted to. I don't see the point. Food and water is provided at rest / timing stops so take advantage of it.
Just be quick about it and you'll be out of there in no time. No big deal. Or you could
just enjoy the ride as opposed to rushing around like a madman at the stops.

Dennis Noward

There is an important safety reason for stopping at feed stations. On the 101ml route of the Cyclone each rider visits 4 feed stations and each one also acts as a timing station and first aid point with ambulance. Each rider wears an electronic timing chip coutesy of Sport Ident. This allows me, as organiser, to check whether the rider has done the route and more importantly not had an accident or got lost. In 2008 we were still waiting for 1 person to finish at 7pm but did know he had done part of the route. He eventually finished and we could then satisfy ourselves that we had not left anyone lying in a ditch.

pjm-84

I would agree with dennisn.

The first thing to do is enjoy the ride / challenge. No point beasting yourself around for the sake of a gaining a few minutes. I will stop but it's "positive" stop. Water / food / timing / kit - off. A couple of minutes max. On a 100mile Sportive my total stop time may be a little as 5minutes. Water and timing being the main requirements.

Food wise I carry enough to last the duration. I would generally eat every 10km (circa 20mins) if pushing hard and stretch this to 15km if feeling bloated. I alternate between nature bars (300cal) and powergels (100cals). A 100 miler may see me munching my way through 13 -16 bars / gels

Chubby on a compact

On the DLMC it was rummoured that some burnt 12000 calories. If you can carry enough food and drink go for it. But I reckon you'll need one big ruck sack. I've lost count of the times that I've been passed early on in a sportive only to pass them later on because they have not eaten enough food. Even Lance Armstrong made that mistake once.

MrChuck

You'll go better with fuel in you so I don't see the point in not taking it in, or carrying it all with you if you don't have to.

Blonde

On both the Nove Colli and Giro d'Lombardia the timing was done on the road, not at the feed stops themselves, so there was no need to stop for timing purposes. However I had to stop to refill my bottles at one stop on each of those events, even though I had enough food. As others have said, carrying enough water is the main problem if you're not going to stop at all. If the event is hilly or mountainous, I think it's better to carry less and stop more frequently to top up your water bottles, than it is to slog up climbs with several kilos extra on your bike.

pneumatic

I almost never stop. Even when out on training rides, I'll do 60 to 100 miles without getting off. I take two bottles of drink (one water, the other energy drink) and a bit of food, usually, and that sees me through.

I get into that sort of compulsive mood where I just carry on regardless. I do the same when driving (much to the misery of my family if they are in the car with me). I only stop when my tank is empty or my bladder is full.

This is probably a false economy, though, when riding. On the rare occasions that I do pull into a village shop for a drink and a flapjack, the next 10 miles feel so much better that I probably make up the time lost, compared to grinding myself down to a bonk.

bahzob

Chubby on a compact wrote:

On the DLMC it was rummoured that some burnt 12000 calories. If you can carry enough food and drink go for it. But I reckon you'll need one big ruck sack. I've lost count of the times that I've been passed early on in a sportive only to pass them later on because they have not eaten enough food. Even Lance Armstrong made that mistake once.

Re DLMC it was just a rumour. Nobody will have burnt 12000 calories. Jens Voigt, full power on a breakaway burns around 1200-1500 cals an hour. Even he couldnt keep that up for 10 hours solid.

Re feed in general, I posted a related thread over here http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12605632

What matters in terms of planning fuel is not calories but carbohydrate (grams of). There is an absolute limit to how much the body can process and its not actually that much.

What this means in terms of sportives is that I aim to take all the fuel (carbs) I need with me and use "feed" stops just for water/controls.

Even if you dont do this I would advise taking a look at the grams of carbohydrate in the food/drink taken to get a feel if taking enough/too little/too much. [/url]

dennisn

I've just got to ask. Since when did riding a bicycle in a non racing event become such
a "got to finish with a fast time", "can't take 5 minutes to talk to someone - gotta ride",
"can't ride with you and or your group - to slow", "got to do the whole thing without getting off the bike(it's what the pros do)", "can't take time for a quick chat with someone
while riding - gotta hammer". Doesn't sound like much fun to me. You'll be pounding yourself into the ground, and for what? A minute or two here and there on a six hour or so ride? Enjoy the thing. Take a bit of time to talk to people and enjoy the camaraderie.
Otherwise it will just turn into a one really long grind and you'll end up saying something like "what the hell did I do that for?".

Dennis Noward

Chubby on a compact

Bahzob

I was part of the recce ride. One of the guys had a Garmin, heart rate, calories burnt etc. At the end of the ride which took just over 10.5 hours to complete, this did not include stopping for food, one guys Garmin read 12000 calories burnt. I personally ate bowl of poridge, 4 jam butties, 8 ham and cheese rolls, 6 banana's, 8 poridge cereal bars, 2 mars bars, several flap jacks, and 10 litres of fluid some of which included coke and I was starving at the end of it. Some swimmers burn 12000 calories a day when training. Everyone is different some burn more than others. But it was 150 miles.

pneumatic

dennisn wrote:

I've just got to ask. Since when did riding a bicycle in a non racing event become such
a "got to finish with a fast time", "can't take 5 minutes to talk to someone - gotta ride",
"can't ride with you and or your group - to slow", "got to do the whole thing without getting off the bike(it's what the pros do)", "can't take time for a quick chat with someone
while riding - gotta hammer". Doesn't sound like much fun to me. You'll be pounding yourself into the ground, and for what? A minute or two here and there on a six hour or so ride? Enjoy the thing. Take a bit of time to talk to people and enjoy the camaraderie.
Otherwise it will just turn into a one really long grind and you'll end up saying something like "what the hell did I do that for?".

Dennis Noward

You are quite right, Dennis, which is why I enjoy touring so much, especially in company so that you can enjoy mealbreaks and diversions to see interesting things. I guess the other way (non-stop, eye on the clock) is a bit obsessive-compulsive. My wife tells me that is a boy thing.

shockedsoshocked

I'd use the feed stations as much as possible.

Better than skipping it thinking you're feeling good with another 3 hard hours in the saddle till the next one.

andy_wrx

If you miss the foodstops, what exactly is your £25 or £35 buying for you ?
Just a few arrows at junctions...

Anonymous

This is fairly interesting this topic...I simply cannot imagine doing a majorly tough sportive without stopping and having a wee break...and not only for water but also for the treats ...I look on these feeds as major milestones on the route....and afterwards I always feel replenished and my motivation has been restored...I dunno, maybe its just me but on the sportives I have experienced they are all just so hard...much.,much tougher than your normal weekend jaunt...for a start you usually push your self faster,I may carry 3 gels and 3 energy enroute with me, and I stop at 2 or 3 (or 4) feeds on the way and gorge myself...at the end of the run I can still eat a full dinner and still be hungry afterwards...my urine tells me Im still dehydrated even though Ive drunk 6 litres enroute and had 2 litres water on the drive home?....the next again day my body is so tired and my legs are dead....and on the Dave lloyd mega I was dead for a week afterwards....they are without doubt the toughest tests I have personally acheived...in Italy I did a 80mile loop taking in the Mortirolo followed by the Gavia and at the end I still never felt near as knacked as I do after a sportive...

I sometimes find it all rather amuisng...I always see plans of heroics and people talking about 'going for a time'....trying to get into a certain bracket of Gold,Silver and Bronze....whatever...and of course there are very good cyclists out there who can really cut it and walk the talk and it can be good to have a goal......but for what Ive seen on tough sportives the majority end up just trying to complete the bloody thing...the both times Ive did the FWC I see guys flying off on Hawkshead and Kirkstone....race along to Keswick only to get the life kicked out of them on the triple whammy of Honister/Newlands & Whinlatter....its only at this stage that the reality kicks in that your only half way and survival techniques and practices are adopted quick style...On the WRC and the Devil Ride last year there were lots of cyclists all over the mountains unable to turn another pedal stroke and the help wagon was blazzing trails...

I think its good advice to at least stop and rehydrate and eat a bit at each feed...especially if you are of the 'very average like me' cyclist category....

DaveyL

12,000 kcal over 10.5 hours - that's an average power of 317 Watts. 'Nuff said.

dennisn

RICHYBOYcp wrote:

This is fairly interesting this topic...I simply cannot imagine doing a majorly tough sportive without stopping and having a wee break...and not only for water but also for the treats ...I look on these feeds as major milestones on the route....and afterwards I always feel replenished and my motivation has been restored...I dunno, maybe its just me but on the sportives I have experienced they are all just so hard...much.,much tougher than your normal weekend jaunt...for a start you usually push your self faster,I may carry 3 gels and 3 energy enroute with me, and I stop at 2 or 3 (or 4) feeds on the way and gorge myself...at the end of the run I can still eat a full dinner and still be hungry afterwards...my urine tells me Im still dehydrated even though Ive drunk 6 litres enroute and had 2 litres water on the drive home?....the next again day my body is so tired and my legs are dead....and on the Dave lloyd mega I was dead for a week afterwards....they are without doubt the toughest tests I have personally acheived...in Italy I did a 80mile loop taking in the Mortirolo followed by the Gavia and at the end I still never felt near as knacked as I do after a sportive...

I sometimes find it all rather amuisng...I always see plans of heroics and people talking about 'going for a time'....trying to get into a certain bracket of Gold,Silver and Bronze....whatever...and of course there are very good cyclists out there who can really cut it and walk the talk and it can be good to have a goal......but for what Ive seen on tough sportives the majority end up just trying to complete the bloody thing...the both times Ive did the FWC I see guys flying off on Hawkshead and Kirkstone....race along to Keswick only to get the life kicked out of them on the triple whammy of Honister/Newlands & Whinlatter....its only at this stage that the reality kicks in that your only half way and survival techniques and practices are adopted quick style...On the WRC and the Devil Ride last year there were lots of cyclists all over the mountains unable to turn another pedal stroke and the help wagon was blazzing trails...

I think its good advice to at least stop and rehydrate and eat a bit at each feed...especially if you are of the 'very average like me' cyclist category....

+1
Dennis Noward

Chubby on a compact

When working out calories burnt and the amount of watts used a lot will depend on the individual rider. Trust me when you hit the Bwlch y Groes to go up the steep side after 111 miles and then the Bwlch Pen Barras after 147 miles your body will crave food like never before. Heavier riders will burn more calories than lighter riders simply because they will need more power to get them up the hills. More power = more fuel = more calories burnt.

So to answer the original question, unless you've got a great big hump on your back, I would stop at the feed stations and scoff.

DaveyL

There will be very little variance between calories used and average power as it only depends on each individual's muscular efficiency, which for most folk lies between 20 and 25%. Not to say thiugh that this doesn't introduce an error.

Calories burned calculated without a power measure is, I suspect, introducing more of an error than that...

dennisn

Sounds like this ride is a monster. Use all the help available to you at refreshment stops
and the like. Don't try to keep up with or catch anyone. Just keep going at a pace you can handle. If you're feeling good during parts of it then pick up tempo. If you feel like death warmed over(and you probably will) take it easy for a bit, try to regroup yourself, and see if you don't get back into the swing of things and feel better.

Dennis Noward

Ken Night

dennisn wrote:

I've just got to ask. Since when did riding a bicycle in a non racing event become such
a "got to finish with a fast time", "can't take 5 minutes to talk to someone - gotta ride",
"can't ride with you and or your group - to slow", "got to do the whole thing without getting off the bike(it's what the pros do)", "can't take time for a quick chat with someone
while riding - gotta hammer". Doesn't sound like much fun to me. You'll be pounding yourself into the ground, and for what? A minute or two here and there on a six hour or so ride? Enjoy the thing. Take a bit of time to talk to people and enjoy the camaraderie.
Otherwise it will just turn into a one really long grind and you'll end up saying something like "what the hell did I do that for?".

Dennis Noward

I understand from my American friends "sportives" haven't taken off in the States the way they have in Europe and more recently here in the UK.

I'm happy to stand corrected. I understand sportives are challenge rides, some people will be trying to get round in the fastest practicable time (think traffic and of course food stops) and some people will be trying to get round before the cut off-the most "concentrating the mind" cut off being the broom wagon that follows the Etape du Tour each year

Most people really enjoy sportives because of the opportunity to ride with others who are also trying hard, and to ride in a peloton of riders something that you don't get so much when touring

pjm-84

I've just got to ask. Since when did riding a bicycle in a non racing event become such
a "got to finish with a fast time", "can't take 5 minutes to talk to someone - gotta ride",
"can't ride with you and or your group - to slow", "got to do the whole thing without getting off the bike(it's what the pros do)", "can't take time for a quick chat with someone

Don't get me wrong but I thought we were talking about stops?

dennisn

Ken Night wrote:

dennisn wrote:

I've just got to ask. Since when did riding a bicycle in a non racing event become such
a "got to finish with a fast time", "can't take 5 minutes to talk to someone - gotta ride",
"can't ride with you and or your group - to slow", "got to do the whole thing without getting off the bike(it's what the pros do)", "can't take time for a quick chat with someone
while riding - gotta hammer". Doesn't sound like much fun to me. You'll be pounding yourself into the ground, and for what? A minute or two here and there on a six hour or so ride? Enjoy the thing. Take a bit of time to talk to people and enjoy the camaraderie.
Otherwise it will just turn into a one really long grind and you'll end up saying something like "what the hell did I do that for?".

Dennis Noward

I understand from my American friends "sportives" haven't taken off in the States the way they have in Europe and more recently here in the UK.

I'm happy to stand corrected. I understand sportives are challenge rides, some people will be trying to get round in the fastest practicable time (think traffic and of course food stops) and some people will be trying to get round before the cut off-the most "concentrating the mind" cut off being the broom wagon that follows the Etape du Tour each year

Most people really enjoy sportives because of the opportunity to ride with others who are also trying hard, and to ride in a peloton of riders something that you don't get so much when touring

You make some good points. I guess, and it's proably just me, that lately I have looked
upon cycling as there are races and there are not races(so to speak). While we don't have "sportives" over here I know plenty of people who, when riding a tour, will come up to you after they finish and tell you their times in hours, minutes, and seconds. Seems that they always look at me a bit strangely when they ask me what my time was and I say something to the effect of "well, I started at 8 AM and it's 2 PM now , so it took me
six hours". Maybe I just don't have the same competitive juices running in my viens as they do. I'm pretty sure I did at one time(when I was younger) and seem to remember
doing more than a few "not races" and really never seeing where I had been. Just
giving it hell to try and get THERE before my buddies. Guess I need to reflect on "the
good old days" a bit more and not how I feel at the moment.

Dennis Noward

agnello

while we're on the subject can someone tell me how long a piece of string is?

shockedsoshocked

agnello wrote:

while we're on the subject can someone tell me how long a piece of string is?

Twice the distance from the middle.

vermooten

Short answer: yes! But make it quick, no need to dismount from bike or stretch legs - just wolf down as many goodies as you can, refill bottles and then get the fck back on the road! Yipeee!