Rest stops

kingofthetailwind

How far would you go before taking one?

I did 58 miles on Saturday, fairly hilly on the first half. Stopped half way for a cup of tea and a mint Aero traybake. The way back was tough and I was glad that I had stopped.

The longest I've done without a stop is 40 miles.

Is this around average for a new cyclist?

I've regretted stopping a couple of times, when it's been very wet and cold. It's very hard to get going again when you're cold and soaked through!

zx6man

On my own I dont tend to stop unless its say 80 miles and I need lunch :-).

If I do stop it tends to be "half way" into it.

danlikesbikes

No set rule for me really, if I'm out on my own depends on the route but have somewhere I can stop which is either 1/2 or 2/3 of the way round or can just keep on riding and eat as I go.

anto164

I also tend to never stop whilst on the bike, whether this be 10 miles or 100.

I eat on the bike, as i find that when i stop i can't get going again.

Bozman

I don't stop(apart from a pee), I've never felt the need to stop and have tea and cakes. I did stop once though and my body shut down and the rest of the ride was hell so it never happened again.

philbar72

its all about listening to your body. I eat and drink on the go, and sometimes stop for a breather after a big hill. just remember when you feel hungry or thirsty its usually too late and just keep topping up your energy reserves when you can, by eating or drinking. i Just go with a couple of jaffa cake bars, and a couple of muesli bars, and an emergency gel if i have bonked, to straighten me out.
40 miles is fine, I usually stop after around 30 miles just for a bit, or just slow down and catch up with myself....

giant_man

I never stop if I can help it. Eat on the go, drink on the go. Not the same if I stop, then go again.

nevman

Lunch stop.At lunch time.Civilised.
Early time and motion studies showed that workers could last longer in heavy industries with short regular breaks than those who continued to exhaustion.I adhere to the former.

slowbike

Last year when I was doing longer rides I'd stop every 10-15 miles or so - whenever was convenient - nice view from a pull in, big junction etc ... and just have a snack and a swig ... and a bit of a breather ...
Quite happy to drink & eat on the move, but I'm not doing any sort of distance at a faster pace atm.

chrisaonabike

Stupot101 wrote:

How far would you go before taking one?

I've only just become able to take a drink on the move (how liberating is that!!), but I still stop briefly for a bite to eat - just long enough to unwrap the flapjack, stuff into mouth, rewrap and set off again.

I've done one club run of about 45 miles which had a cake stop, and one solo run of about the same, where I stopped for coffee at the top of Box Hill because I was so cold, but other than that I prefer not to stop for extended periods.

Yesterday (53 miles) I stopped for a minute or so at the top of the big hills, but other than that and the eat stops (about a minute each), I didn't stop at all. Like others, getting going again seems hard.

Just do what you want to do; listen to your body is the important thing. Who cares what others do.

Mikey41

Varies for me, if I'm only out for 25 miles, I'll do it non-stop. Something longer and I'll have a brief stop for food after 15 miles or so. Only a minute or two though, just enough to eat the flapjack or bar. Any longer and it's difficult to get going again.

MattyyP

If i'm out alone, I ride the whole distance i'm doing without stopping, unless my riding clashes with Lunch time... But when out with the club we always stop for coffee and cake It's the right thing to do

southdownswolf

Depends on how I feel and why I'm riding.
On Saturday I cycled over to a friends shop - Eastbourne-Brighton via the coast road, so about 25 miles. Had a chat and a coffee then cycled back again. I was stopped for about 50 mins and was fine starting again.
Normally I would not stop unless doing about 50miles or more, then I will either stop for a Mars bar or two, or if there is a coffee shop, I will stop for a coffee and a pastry.

Frank the tank

If out alone I don't stop. If out with my regular riding pal we play it by ear depending on the distance.

After a cafe stop I tend to struggle like a b@st@rd, they just don't seem to suit me.

fluff.

Less than 80- ish miles I'd not stop, unless I'm with people who want to stop, then it's go with what they prefer. More miles than that, I'd probably need at least 10 mins to grab something a bit more substantial than flap jacks and fig rolls. Don't stop at the bottom of a big hill though, that's murder to get going again.

Mikey23

I ride because I enjoy it and not because I want to become a hamster on a treadmill. Shorter rides I don't tend to stop but when going longer I am partial to a nice cake and coffee as my little reward

elderone

I like to stop every hour or so for a few minutes.To be fair i drink alot so need to pee and as much as i find drinking and riding on the move ok,I refuse to do a paula radcliff on the move.
Seriously though as im training for sportives im trying to pace myself to fit in with food stops on the long rides.

TakeTurns

"Rest" doesn't exist in my vocabulary.

ademort

anto164 wrote:

I also tend to never stop whilst on the bike, whether this be 10 miles or 100.

I eat on the bike, as i find that when i stop i can't get going again.

+1
Ademort

Buckie2k5

done a 56 at weekend, stopped at 35 for a bite to eat but mainly to stretch my poor lower back which has been dogging me for years playing golf and now cycling. The break eased the back pain for a while although the last 10 miles was pure torture.

ballysmate

Mikey23 wrote:

I ride because I enjoy it and not because I want to become a hamster on a treadmill. Shorter rides I don't tend to stop but when going longer I am partial to a nice cake and coffee as my little reward

Spot on!
For most people cycling is a hobby and as such should be enjoyed. If that means stopping every 500 yards then so be it. If you want to keep going and don't stop at all that is also fine. Just do what feels best for you.
When my hobby becomes a chore and a slog, that is when I will start looking for a new hobby.

djm501

It all depends upon how you feel and also how far you're going.

I've just got into audaxing and later this month will be attempting a 300 km ride (180 miles). I challenge anyone to do that non stop.
(can't anyway with audax - getting a receipt without stopping to get proof of passage is tricky )

Typically on a really long ride (127 is my longest so far) I stop maybe twice to get a water bottle refill and something to eat - it is very important to keep hydrated and eat on a long ride.

danowat

It's all about how you view cycling, if it's a social past time, and you aren't bothered about training value, stop when you want, there are no rules.

That said, others cycling (like me) purely for training purposes, and as such, "rest stop" doesn't really feature in any of my rides (sure I've done social rides, but they are just that), you don't "need" to stop, it's quite possible to cycle hard for many hours without having to stop.

Just don't kid yourself a 50 mile ride with a cafe stop is really a 50 mile ride, it's two 25 mile rides

starockets

I only stop if it's too windy to light my ciggie on the go.

rich164h

I only stop if the ride is more than about 50 miles or so, and then it's only for enough time to grab something more substantial to eat and to top up water bottles (less that 5 mins I'd say). My rule of thumb (of doing rides up to 135 miles) is to make sure I stop past the half way point, that way mentally you've broken the back of the ride.

More that 120 miles or so I might stop again but that's only down to how I'm feeling on the day, and once again it would be for less that 5 mins.

Paul E

I did a club ride on sunday of 40 odd hilly miles and we stopped briefly at the top of one hill and apart from that we ate and drank on the move