150 miles in one day, 3 newish riders....

Andy Watson

Hi,

Looking for a bit of advice on a trip that one of my colleagues is planning for us in August of this year.

There are 3 of us looking to ride 150 miles in 1 day to raise some funds for the charity our work supports. I suggested a few months ago we take part in the 100 mile sportive that the charity was arranging around Oxford, however one of the guys couldn’t make it. He then went about planning a route for us all to do and increased it to 150 miles. Why 150? He thought it would be fun.

I’m no cycling expert. I have been cycling seriously since February and completed one event called The Celtic Challenge, we rode from Edinburgh to Iona, 200 miles over 4 days. This was pretty good and I was pleased with how I got on. I have ridden several weeks where I have clocked over 200 miles.

My first colleague has only done a few 50-mile routes and when I have been with him he does seem to have a lot of pain in his back and cramps in his legs. He has however just got a new bike that he says is much better.

My second colleague has picked up a nice GIANT bike a few months ago for this ride and he is pretty determined to make it happen.

So where is the problem? After coming off my event two weeks ago, I now know how much I will need to eat and drink just to make it round. I have suggested stopping every 20 miles to refill the bottles and grab a banana and stop for more substantial food at 40, 80 and 120 miles. This should then see us round with enough energy. We will also probably ride with some High5 mixes in the bottles. My other concerns are riding in a group. I have rode with the 3 of them together before and we were quite spaced out on the road. If we ride in a line and slipstream off each other in turns this again will help us conserve energy over the course of the ride. However with colleague one, when he cramps up he has a tendency to get out the saddle and stretch, with no warning…Obviously not want we need when travelling at 20mph close together. I have expressed several times how unsafe this is and the consequences it might have. My other main concern is weather. 150 miles with a tail wind and 14-17 degrees will be nice, however a 15-20 mile headwind for the whole trip, rain and 2c temp wouldn’t make it fun at all and we would fall right behind the 12mph average. I have expressed my concerns to the other guys however it seems to be falling on deaf ears. Yes if we have awful weather it will make it more interesting, but 150 miles in sopping wet cloths, battling a headwind, mech problems etc.

I don’t profess to be a know it all but I do think we will be pushing ourselves physically to get round this course. Blow is a map with elevation profile.
http://connect.garmin.com/course/1373144

I don’t disagree that 150 isn’t reasonable in a day. We would be doing this supported (Hopefully) and carrying two spare bikes that we hope to borrow from our local shop. We would also arrive back to a nice BBQ however if we have poor weather, we might be delayed. Im in two minds bout this ride or the Welsh Etape.

Does anyone have any other advice or thoughts? Thanks for reading as its not really a short post.

Thanks

Andrew

bendertherobot

In short, it's do-able. I epxect my total time for the Dragon Ride (stops included) will be under 10 hours for 128 miles.

But I'm a very regular cyclist indeed.

The great thing about a long ride is the camaraderie of it. Nothing like setting off at dawn, breakfast at 40 miles or so. Lunch at 100 then the final push.

If I were planning this I'd say start at 6 am having had some porridge. Aim for somewhere nice for breakfast. Stay hyrdated, aim for lunch. Just take each step as it comes.

But do plan on finishing late in the evening.

The better bet really would be over 2 days.

Andy Watson

Thanks for the advice.

We are aiming to have a BBQ at the office or somewhere in the town around 1815. Some reps from the charities will be present along with some kids so it needs to be kinda early. As a result I have advised we really need to be looking at leaving about 4am. That is the other concern is the time constraints.

mrushton

Quick tip. Go and ride a 200km audax and see how you feel. That will tell you if you can do it

alanp23

Your route looks quite lumpy....

For me the key would be to make sure that you are all of similar ability. There is nothing worse than having someone who is weaker than the rest and whom you have to keep waiting for. Its frustrating for all involved. So if you are all similar then I think it is doable.

However, I would echo the thoughts from earlier. It will take you some time. I cant really guess at what your abilities are, but I suspect that you will probably be riding at on average 12-15mph. So moving time will be between 10 and 12.5 hours and that is without any real knowledge of your route. But... it is the stops that kill you. I would estimate a minimum of 2 hours stops. So if you are firing up the BBQ at 6.15pm that should give you some idea of your starting time.

It sounds like a great day out though. Looks like a good route with nice scenary so will be fun. And if you cant budget for a nice day in August when can you....

Have fun!

Edward H

The human spirit can produce unusual feats of endurance.. Riding as slow as possible in the early miles would be sensible. Pre- ride food - what suits you? I like some eggs and toast with honey and or peanut butter before a big ride. Protein is important to me and I don't have porridge as I just burn it off like sugar. Each to their own.
Break the ride down into small challenges, keep away from the mental picture of a daunting challenge!

Andy Watson

Thanks Edward and Alan,

I have kind of broken the route down already into 3 sections. Taunton to Barnstaple, Barnstaple to Exeter and then the final leg. I have ridden the last section several times before but going from Taunton to Barnstaple. I know I can do that section and thankfully its the last. I have suggested to the other two that one Saturday we ride to Barnstaple, another get the train to Barnstaple (or ride) and then go down to Exeter. That we will have ridden the 3 main sections, all I need to do is put them together.

Riding as slow as possible, are you meaning ride around 10mph and slowly creep up hills for the first few miles? Apart from not shooting away at the start and warming ourselves up properly, what benefit does that have?

Eating wise, I prefer to get out early in the morning on an empty stomach. However after completing my ride a few the other week I notice how a good breakfast and a meal half way through can keep you going for longer. It is something I would like to try with the other guys is doing maybe 40-50 miles out of town, lunch and then back again. I dont think they understand the importance of eating 'actual' and 'natural' food as apposed to supplements.

As for stops, we have planned for 5 - 10 minutes every 20 miles to top up with water and then at 40 -80 -120 miles stop for maybe 30 minutes for some food. I learned that after stopping on the ride the other week, it took my legs a few miles to settle back into the ride. With regards to time, the chap planning it thought we could sustain 15.5mph+ over the full 150 miles. I swiftly told him where to go if he was planning it at that speed. Hence we are planning with about 12.5 mph in mind.

Indeed Edward, on the trip I was averaging between 18-25 on the flats, came home to Somerset and it was hard trying to push along at that speed. I think it might have been because it was my first ride since the event and my tire pressure was 10psi lower than usual as I was unsure about a tire.

Thanks for the advice guys. Any more keep it coming.

Edward H

Taking it slowly in the early miles is similar to aerobic winter training miles. Taking it easy without straining your body in the early miles will help you last better.
There is no way that I could ride without fuel and I wouldn't be stopping as much as you are planning, but as I said each to is own..
Good luck.

vorsprung

I live in Uffculme on your route ( 15 miles from Taunton )

The road you are using from Uffculme to Nicholasheign is awful. This makes me suspect that you used a computer map and just drew a line. A similar thing happens north of Taunton and up between South Molton and Barnstaple.
In the case of Uffculme, go through Culmstock instead. It's a much better road.

On the plus side B3227 is a good idea. It's very much a road with a lot of ascent/descent but the surfacing is okayish and it isn't twisty. This used to be the main road to North Devon years ago.

Brian B

I think you could do it but you are really going to suffer somewhat badly on the second half - I mean really badly and the last 70 miles will take an age as your group will be hurting. Despite doing a lot of long miles on the road at times I can feel bad on a route over 120 miles and even can go through a bad patch on 100 myself if I am pushing it and thats after years of experience. I do rides up to 150 and know I am going to suffer at times but it goes with territory but have built up the endurance to see me through over the years. Its amazing what you do however when you set your mind to a task and will help if you keep a good team spirit throughout.

Split the route up in your mind into steps and not miles - I split my routes mentally with big climbs and dont think about the miles in between.

You'll need to get your nutrition sorted out and ensure it agrees with you as 150 is long way on a dodgy stomach. Gels are great for carbs and you need them towards the end when your tummy is complaining.

You'll enjoy it though afterwords and you wont have any probs sleeping that night

Get some chamois cream and decent padded shorts though or you wont sit down in comfort for a few days

Good luck and hope you get some decent weather.

Mikey23

It does seem to be an awfully big ask considering your level of experience and fitness which is similar to my own. I wonder if your colleague will think its a laugh when he is struggling over 100 miles. I personally would split it into two but what do I know.... It will be a fantastic achievement and I wish you well. Just pleased I'm not with you!

mididoctors

12mph looks optimistic