Done big wheel on sunday 50 miles

gsxrian

done this before on my mtb bike,

this time i done it on my road bike, which i just got last thursday,its a trek 1.5

was doing ok up tp 30 miles, then i really found it really hard going the next 10 miles felt like i hit a brick wall...

pick up the pace when i knew i was on the last 10 miles...but cant work out why i keep hitting a brick wall and slowing down loads when i get past 30 miles?

any ldeas?

finish time was 3 hours and 9 mins..

roadracedave

'Hitting the wall' is usually down to depleted energy stores, were you eating or drinking anything whilst you were going round?

Your body can usually go 30 miles on its basic energy/fat stores, but after this time if you had not been eating whilst riding, then it is likely that your body has used all of its available energy and so was kind of shutting down to protect what you had left.

To be fair, 50 miles in 3hrs 9mins isn't that slow (just under 16mph average speed). If you had done 50 miles before then your legs are clearly capable of riding that distance.

Were your legs aching or just empty feeling?

danowat

Do the first 30miles slower, you'll be fresher for the rest of the ride.

gsxrian

roadracedave wrote:

'Hitting the wall' is usually down to depleted energy stores, were you eating or drinking anything whilst you were going round?

Your body can usually go 30 miles on its basic energy/fat stores, but after this time if you had not been eating whilst riding, then it is likely that your body has used all of its available energy and so was kind of shutting down to protect what you had left.

To be fair, 50 miles in 3hrs 9mins isn't that slow (just under 16mph average speed). If you had done 50 miles before then your legs are clearly capable of riding that distance.

Were your legs aching or just empty feeling?

I did eat enough,well i think i did,had two slices of malt loaf,some jelly babies
and a gel..

but i know i didnt drink enough,but didnt think that would stop me so much..

it was a empty feeling....?

gsxrian

danowat wrote:

Do the first 30miles slower, you'll be fresher for the rest of the ride.

my first 25 miles was quick for me,done that in hour half,but riding trek just kept trying to follow people,then i run out of stream..and couldnt follow anyone...lol

danowat

gsxrian wrote:

danowat wrote:

Do the first 30miles slower, you'll be fresher for the rest of the ride.

my first 25 miles was quick for me,done that in hour half,but riding trek just kept trying to follow people,then i run out of stream..and couldnt follow anyone...lol

Thats the issue then, especially if you're not used to the distance.

fludey

Just did my first 50 last Monday along the NE Coast line...shesh it was windy!

Have done a few 28mile rides on MTB and few 20-30 mile rides on road bike...training for a few 100 miles rides next year...if not later this year.

I had a similar problem at about 46miles my legs just emptied and the last 4 was a real fight to keep going....id had 4x SIS gels a breakie bar and polished off 1000ml of drink was going great till 46.

But i did have a problem at about the half way mark taking a fall when my front wheel got stuck in a rut and through me straight off on a high side. I later found out that the last half of the ride was completed with a broken finger, which i suppose could be partly to blame!

Am i taking on too much food as the gels suggest one every 20 miuntes but most people seem to suggest much less?

Cant wait for finger to be back on mend missing my bike

StillGoing

WHen I did my first 50 also on a Trek 1.5, I found that sticking in teh moderate HR zone made it easier. I've bonked once before and have found that I go better with little or no breakfast just a seriel bar and a cup of coffee but I take two bottles with me and a gel for that last five miles. SImilar times to the OP but I'm not in it to be winning sportives.

StanwaySteve62

did my first non stop 50 on saturday.
Just drank some pssp drink on the way round and eat a jordans bar after about 25 miles.
Had a bowl of paw-ridge an hour before the ride, all felt good, apart from the next day and had a stiff back and dead legs
Made a mistake though of stuffing a big mouthful in just before a decpetive climb.
Did it in 3 hours 14.

instantdiver

I did the Big Wheel 50 as well. For me, porridge & a banana for breakfast, an energy bar on the hour for the first two hours and a bottle of gatorade/water mix did the trick for a 2 hour 50 finish.
As a relatively inexperienced roadie I'd say it's just fitness & experience as much as fueling - so long as you do fuel/drink regularly (& alllow for electrolytes on longer/hot rides). My background is more running (halves & marathons) rather than cycling. I learned by trial & error some time ago how much fluid & food I need for a given distance/effort. As for cycling I've done three long rides this year, a 45, 80 & this 50. I've gotten more comfortable with fueling up on each ride and ridden faster average times on each. However I always start at a moderate speed for the first ten miles or so to avoid the initial excited overfast start, then pick up the pace from there.

To be honest, what with the numerous stops for road crossings and navigating the slower riders on route, 3 hours 10 was a respectable time.

Maybe try your next ride starting a little more conservatively and picking up the pace later - if nothing else it's always positive finishing strong and overtaking those who overcooked it.

On another note, I've never managed more than two gels per hour on hard runs etc. for risk of puking them up. 3 per hour is hard going. I recently did the south downs marathon and despite the tough course & 4 1/2 hours of running could not have managed 14 gels on the way! So I would take that as a guideline only and maybe do as i do & combine them with an energy drink. Oh, and practice your intended fueling during training.

Cleat Eastwood

Try taking some food on at about 20 miles then when you reach the 30 mark you'll feel the effects of it. Remember you're not eating for that moment but for the next 2 hours to come.

and the odd sweet or two every 20/30 mins can have an effect.

Its easy to make the mistake of eating when you feel hungry, by then its too late.

Also on the road you may be using up more energy than you think in that you feel compelled to follow someones pace. If that was your first 50 on the road then you've done well and you can only learn from it and learn to ride at a pace that suits you.

gsxrian

Going to start doing some more 50 miles rides for training...

next time will not go so mad from the start....

Thanks for your help...


only got the trek to help with training for my mtb riding....

but its great fun following people in there slipstream.......

going to join a bike club in basingstoke.so hopefully this will impove my pace...