Doing my first solo 100miler tomoz

freehub

Doing this tomoz:

http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=115972

Gonna be pretty darn windy so I see from the met office.

I'll be taking:

4x pieces of flapjack
2x snickers
1x mars bar

2x 750ml bottles of water


You think that'll be enough.

1 mouthful of flapjack every half hour then move onto snickers, then mars bar as last resort.

I don't plan on having a cafe stop.

I have no doubt I can do it, apart from the refuelling I need to think up or I'll be alot slower than I could be.

Thanks
Will.

cougie

Depends a lot on the weather really - yesterday I hardly touched my bottle in 55 miles, sometimes I'd drain 2 bottles in that dstance.

I'd also add some sugar and a pinch of salt - make a homemade energy drink out of your water bottles.

And maybe eat your chocolate bars first as they'd melt ?

Take it steady and pace yourself, and try and ride the route the right way round to avoid the wind as much as possible, or failing that - take the headwind in the early miles rather than at the end.

Have fun.

RonB

Good luck Will. Looks like a great route, especially the road past Gouthwaite on the way back.

I know what you mean about the wind though. Today I was better off on ascents in the trees than flat roads in the open! All the best.

mroli

Hey Will - did 85 miles solo on Sun and it was lovely - crisp and perfect weather for riding without getting too hot.

Reckon your fuel looks fine - i would take a bit of cash with you so you can get yourself a hot drink if you fancy it - I had one at about 50 miles and it was v good! I'd take fruit rather than the chocolate too, tastier and better for you!

I'd chuck a bit of fruit juice in one or both of your waters and would probably go through one more 750ml than you over a ride of that distance.

Have a great ride.

freehub

Thanks.

The route is clockwise, where it develops into a loop. Unfortunately for me, the wind is coming from the south, so I could have some tough headwind and crosswind on the way back.

I've done way more than this distance before, just never on my own, so it'll sap way more energy, I wanted to plot it up to masham, there is a nice bit of road that goes over a reservoir that is just above my plotted route, it'd add an extra 15 miles tho.

I'll perhaps include a banana and apple too, never knee on taking fruit like.

softlad

take it anyway Will - as the old saying goes, "tis better to have it and not need it - than to need it and not have it"...

Anonymous

There's no shame in calling at a garage/petrol station and buying something to drink en route either.

rake

thats what i do to avoid carrying too much fluids. petrol stations are good because you can put your bike near the glass front and see its still there.

freehub

I might, but on my own I'd get paranoid my bike is gonna go walkabouts.

rake

will you take the caad or the winter hack.

Airwave

That's roughly what i would take for 100miles,as you say eat something every half an hour.Normaly flapjack,maltloaf,banana&cereal bars.But i would take more fluid,2ltres, as i don't stop,except for a pee.I always go out against the wind though&float back with it.Also tend to find i ride harder when i go on my own&ALWAYS arrive home completely knackerd.But then again when your on your own you can suit yourself,be it fast or slow.

Pokerface

Way too little fluid for a 100 mile ride. More food would be beneficial, but you really need to stop somewhere and refill your bottles. Take £2, stop at a petrol station and get a giant bottle or two of water. Good hydration is more important than food.

freehub

I'll stop at lofthouse. And get a bottle of water.

bigpikle

good luck - let us know how it goes.

amaferanga

freehub wrote:

I might, but on my own I'd get paranoid my bike is gonna go walkabouts.

Don't think there's much to worry about given that almost all garages will have CCTV.

Percy Vera

freehub wrote:

I might, but on my own I'd get paranoid my bike is gonna go walkabouts.

Just loosen the QR on both wheels, that way they won't get a quick gettaway!

Team Banana Spokesman

take another bidon with you. nowhere near enough liquids for a 6 hour ride.

iain_j

+1 on more liquids. I did 113 miles a couple of weeks back and went through six 750ml bidons.

amaferanga

Team Banana Spokesman wrote:

take another bidon with you. nowhere near enough liquids for a 6 hour ride.

Don't think carrying more than two is really necessary since he could get water in any village he passes through....

songbird

Any reason why you don't use proper race fuel ie powerbars/SIS go bars? They are a lot better than fatty choc bars and water alone is also a odd choice. You will be able to ride better/long and faster with the correct food and drink.

Good luck!

songbird

Any reason why you don't use proper race fuel ie powerbars/SIS go bars? They are a lot better than fatty choc bars and water alone is also a odd choice. You will be able to ride better/long and faster with the correct food and drink.

Good luck!

GavH

I was wondering the same thing. Snickers and Mars Bars do not equal proper sports nutrition. :?

If you haven't set off yet, good luck with this Will, let us know how you get on with the food/water strategy.

Heckler1974

I usually ride long rides on my own (no friends) . Usually take two full bottles and enough powder sachets to make X more and just stop at a garage on the way to refill.

Depends on the weather as to how many I wind up using, howling headwind yesterday on the 85 miler I did so slurped through four bottles in total but as someone mentioned above I've also done fiftys where I've barely finished one.

Be prepared to be much slower on your own than you'll normally be with a group and take care not to blast off too quick at the beginning.

Pokerface

songbird wrote:

Any reason why you don't use proper race fuel ie powerbars/SIS go bars? They are a lot better than fatty choc bars and water alone is also a odd choice. You will be able to ride better/long and faster with the correct food and drink.

Good luck!

Because he is but a frugal student with little to spare.

Anonymous

songbird wrote:

Any reason why you don't use proper race fuel ie powerbars/SIS go bars? They are a lot better than fatty choc bars and water alone is also a odd choice. You will be able to ride better/long and faster with the correct food and drink.

Good luck!

Because they cost a bomb and I'm sure a chocolate bar is a good enough substitute...

cougie

I always take extra cash just in case I need a pop stop. Never had any problems with the bike going walkabout - obviously you wouldnt stop in a city centre - but small shops and garages out in the country - very little risk.

songbird

NapoleonD wrote:

songbird wrote:

Any reason why you don't use proper race fuel ie powerbars/SIS go bars? They are a lot better than fatty choc bars and water alone is also a odd choice. You will be able to ride better/long and faster with the correct food and drink.

Good luck!

Because they cost a bomb and I'm sure a chocolate bar is a good enough substitute...

Really!!... I would ask your coach about that one.

nasahapley

songbird wrote:

Any reason why you don't use proper race fuel ie powerbars/SIS go bars?

The reason I don't bother with that type of thing when I'm just out for a ride is that they provide two-thirds of the calories of a snickers for over twice the price with little discernible difference in performance! I've done a fair few solo centuries around where Will is today eating just normal stuff and can't say I fared any worse than when I've eaten super-duper sporty food. And if you're cycling 100 miles over hills in the wind, I don't think you need to worry about eating a bit of fat...

Couldn't view the route you're doing Will, but I assume you're going up out of Lofthouse rather than down into it? Good luck with that - it's a really good climb and the descent the other side is awesome.

Anonymous

songbird wrote:

NapoleonD wrote:

songbird wrote:

Any reason why you don't use proper race fuel ie powerbars/SIS go bars? They are a lot better than fatty choc bars and water alone is also a odd choice. You will be able to ride better/long and faster with the correct food and drink.

Good luck!

Because they cost a bomb and I'm sure a chocolate bar is a good enough substitute...

Really!!... I would ask your coach about that one.

If you are riding over 100 miles I don't think a bit of fat will make much difference...

Instead of costing about 2 quid on cheap chocolate bars etc it would be about 6 with sports bars. When you are a student and do long rides often this soon mounts up.

I wouldn't personally have chocolate bars because I would find them too heavy on my stomach but if it works for Will...

Fastlad

Woah!!! easy on the Chocs there lad. One snickers is fine but three bars of crap?? I've done more century rides than i care to remember and my food choice is usually- 3-4 bottles (usually just water) buying extra at shops etc when needed. Small sandwiches with banana (pennies to buy) A half of a sorreen loaf cut into small bite size pieces with butter and jam (sainsbury's sell them for £1) and maybe some jellybabies!! Believe me....the soreen fruity malt loaf gives incredible energy and tastes a million times better than any powerbar!!

Pokerface

Meh. I'd do 100 miles on half a bottle of water. And nothing else. 'Cause I'm awesome.