First 100 mile sportive coming up, advice please!!

jimborosslato

Hi, just got into road cycling, have had my CAAD8 105 for about 3 months now and love it!!
I've been cycling locally and usually do about 35miles. I've done a couple of 50 milers no problem and have entered a wiggle 100mile sportive which takes place on the 23rd October.
This is quite a daunting task but i'm really getting into the cycling and wanted a challenge.
I'm probably going to be in the saddle for about 6.5 to 7 hours so would chamois cream be advised. I've never used it but just wondered if it would help with protecting my delicate tush!!
Also wondering about food/energy drinks. I've been using the High 5 race packs which seem to have done the job so far but i wondered if anyone knows what the feeding stations are like on wiggle rides (do they provide drinks, gels, bars etc?)
Any other useful advice for this would be welcome as i'm a total novice.
Sorry to waffle but this is my first post so i thought i put in my two pence worth!!

thegibdog

Get a couple of 70-80 mile rides in before the sportive and see how you go. They should give you an idea of what you'll need fuelling wise and whether you need chamois cream or not and it's not much of a step from there to 100 miles. I assume Wiggle will provide food & drink but it's always useful to have some of your own in case they run out.

McCullochE

The key to doing a 100 miler is variation in the food that you eat, and eating and drinking little and often. The foods you might enjoy on a 35/50mile bike ride will become very boring after the tenth bar...

Have a large bowl of porridge in the morning and on the ride vary your food between solid carb bars, some flapjacks and gels (a couple with caffine in them).

As for chamois cream, I've never used it - as long as you have a decent pair of cycling shorts and have done a few 50mile plus rides, you shoul dbe fine.

Good luck!

notsoblue

Bit of a newbie, but this is my experience of 100 mile sportives:

If you're used to being in the saddle then imo chamois cream won't be necessary. I ride a minimum of 20 miles a day on the commute with longer rides at the weekend and I don't suffer from lack of embrocation on 100 mile rides. If you're worried about saddle soreness though I don't think it'll do you any harm to lube up.

I did the Wiggle Mendip ride in August and the food stops were pretty awesome. Energy gels, fig rolls, energy bars, jelly beans and energy drinks were in abundance at the three food stops. I'd filled my pockets with my own food but didn't end up needing to use any of it so ended up throwing it away. If the Wiggle ride you're going on is anything like the Mendip one then you won't need to take anything yourself.

Keep yourself hydrated. There were feed stations every 25ish miles. I drank before the ride started, finished a 750ml bottle between feed stations, where I drank again and then refilled before heading off.

You should pace yourself. Don't push yourself at a higher pace than you think you can sustain. I had a personal target time that I was aiming for, and needed a specific average speed to achieve. So I just kept that in mind and focused on a speed that was sustainable. I took climbs pretty calmly too, there were a few long ones on the way and I just span up in my granny gear. I was quite consciously avoiding burning out my legs on climbs and it worked out quite well.

In the end I was pretty happy with my average speed (though not my time, ended up having to wait at feed stops and narrowly missed gold) and I felt pretty fit even until the end.

Ultimately though, just try and relax and enjoy the experience. You'll see riders with a range of abilities on the course and the mood is generally pretty friendly and non-competitive. I ended up riding cooperatively with a number of other riders I that were pretty chatty. All in all it was an awesome experience and I can't wait for the next one

Cleat Eastwood

notsoblue wrote:

Bit of a newbie, but this is my experience of 100 mile sportives:

If you're used to being in the saddle then imo chamois cream won't be necessary. I ride a minimum of 20 miles a day on the commute with longer rides at the weekend and I don't suffer from lack of embrocation on 100 mile rides. If you're worried about saddle soreness though I don't think it'll do you any harm to lube up.

I did the Wiggle Mendip ride in August and the food stops were pretty awesome. Energy gels, fig rolls, energy bars, jelly beans and energy drinks were in abundance at the three food stops. I'd filled my pockets with my own food but didn't end up needing to use any of it so ended up throwing it away. If the Wiggle ride you're going on is anything like the Mendip one then you won't need to take anything yourself.

Keep yourself hydrated. There were feed stations every 25ish miles. I drank before the ride started, finished a 750ml bottle between feed stations, where I drank again and then refilled before heading off.

You should pace yourself. Don't push yourself at a higher pace than you think you can sustain. I had a personal target time that I was aiming for, and needed a specific average speed to achieve. So I just kept that in mind and focused on a speed that was sustainable. I took climbs pretty calmly too, there were a few long ones on the way and I just span up in my granny gear. I was quite consciously avoiding burning out my legs on climbs and it worked out quite well.

In the end I was pretty happy with my average speed (though not my time, ended up having to wait at feed stops and narrowly missed gold) and I felt pretty fit even until the end.

Ultimately though, just try and relax and enjoy the experience. You'll see riders with a range of abilities on the course and the mood is generally pretty friendly and non-competitive. I ended up riding cooperatively with a number of other riders I that were pretty chatty. All in all it was an awesome experience and I can't wait for the next one

Pretty much that. Drink and eat laods early on so you're prepared for the last 30-40miles and ride at your own pace and best advice of all enjoy it. Good luck.

jimborosslato

Thanks for all the replies guys some really good advice

markos1963

Important thing with food is don't eat what you aren't used to eating on the bike. If you try something new on the ride you might not get on with it and have problems, SIS stuff gives me terrible stomach cramps for instance. In fact I get on better with 'normal' food on longer rides. Jam saries, fig rolls, homemade flapjack all work well(even a sausage roll can be good if you hate too much sweet stuff)
If you are comfortable at 50 miles then as others say just up it to 70 miles for a couple of rides.

carl_p

Bit of planning helps as well. If you are able to get a copy of the route's elevation so you can check out where the hills are. Check the weather forecast to see what rain and/or cold protection you might need and whether it's headwind or tailwind for the final 25 miles. If it looks a tough finish then don't go too quick early on.

You'll be fine, it's not the gruelling sufferfest as you might imagine.

thecrofter

Don't attempt to sustain the same kind of pace you would for 50 miles, you won't be able to. I can do 50 in under 3 hours but haven't broken 7 hours yet for 100. The extra miles definately get harder. Your sit bones and shoulders and hands will suffer, but Rule 5 applies

marcusjb

Can only really echo other advice here - 100 miles is a different challenge to 50 miles obviously! But if you ride your own pace and eat and drink well, it should be very achievable.

Don't get caught up in silly racing (especially in the first few miles) - it is really easy to hang on to someone going far faster than you are used to and then blow up after 30-40 miles.

Most big rides, there's always going to be someone around your pace - if you're in a group going too fast, drop off the back and take it steady to recover, someone maybe more suited to your pace will come along. Same with too slow - jump off the front and find a faster rider/group.

If you're comfy on the bike for a 50, you should be okay for position for a 100 - but things that don't show up on a 50 can start showing up as the distance increases. If a new pain comes along - remember where it is so you can try and refine your position for the next 100!

Cream - I generally don't for a 100km event (62 miles), but do for a 200+km event - I generally don't use fancy Assos cream or anything (though it is very good), just conotrane or sudocreme (my preference is conotrane). Factors that can influence whether to use cream can include the weather - if it's very hot, it's worth thinking about it, a sweaty bum crack is a good place for the germs to hang out and also chafing can occur. Equally, when it's very wet, you can have challenges.

Food and water - don't experiment on your first 100 - stick with what you know works. try and eat some more 'real' food for that sort of distance (if you're okay with eating real food and riding - some people struggle to keep it down). Make sure you've something in the back pocket in case of bonking.

Drink plenty, little sips - if you start to dehydrate, it will affect everything, your stomach will cramp, be unable to accept food etc. - you're buggered basically! I use Nuun tablets in one of my bottles, they don't have any sugar or energy in them, but taste good and have plenty of good minerals to top you up as you ride.

Enjoy it, don't worry too much about your time (you can start thinking about trying for faster times etc. once you've ridden a couple of 100s comfortably).

Best of luck!

Stedman

Jim,

In my experience the weather, (especially at this time of year) makes a bigger difference in a 100 mile event than an extra distance. You are much more likely to get caught out and bonk if it is cold, wet or windy at this time of year.
:roll:

Monty Dog

Don't start out too hard, your initial pace might feel too easy but you 'll be pleased near the end that you didn't. Start eating and drinking as soon as you start - if you get hungry and thirsty you've left it too late. Finally, stopping regularly for a wizz is a good sign that you're staying hydrated. Many beginners tend to carry too much - plan for 7 hours, not 70.

chris1001

Dont forget that complex carbs (like rolled oats) can take up to 16 hours to get into your system, so a bowl of porridge in the morning might help, but plenty of carbs the day before will help more. Also, if possible try to keep your heart rate under 85% of its max, if you exceed that you will have difficulty in digesting/processing that concoction of bars & drinks you'll consume on the ride.