Tips for 300km
ddraver
Posts: 26,699
Hi Guys
My BFF and I have a crazy plan to ride from Cardiff to Conwy (south-north of Wales). We both ride alot but this will be much further than both of us have ridden before. The plan is to do it on June 21 (or a close day) so the game is to "beat the sun" so we ll take all day. We re both fine riding 150 odd km sportives
I'm not sure there is much I can do about pure fitness anymore but I was planning to do some long days in the saddle just to try and get used to just sitting on the bike for that length of time plus trying to be more dilligent with my planks and supermans alongside my usually 60 - 100k fast club runs
Does anyone have any tips about the ride itself? Would you stop for rest brakes, and if so would you make them longer or shorter (ie a 10min coffee stop or an hour pub lunch sort of thing). We ll have a "support car" close at hand for food and drink etc. Would you be scientific about staying in HR Zone 2 or similar or ride on feel?
Any tips appreciated!
My BFF and I have a crazy plan to ride from Cardiff to Conwy (south-north of Wales). We both ride alot but this will be much further than both of us have ridden before. The plan is to do it on June 21 (or a close day) so the game is to "beat the sun" so we ll take all day. We re both fine riding 150 odd km sportives
I'm not sure there is much I can do about pure fitness anymore but I was planning to do some long days in the saddle just to try and get used to just sitting on the bike for that length of time plus trying to be more dilligent with my planks and supermans alongside my usually 60 - 100k fast club runs
Does anyone have any tips about the ride itself? Would you stop for rest brakes, and if so would you make them longer or shorter (ie a 10min coffee stop or an hour pub lunch sort of thing). We ll have a "support car" close at hand for food and drink etc. Would you be scientific about staying in HR Zone 2 or similar or ride on feel?
Any tips appreciated!
We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver
- @ddraver
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Comments
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Don't overthink it. Take it steady, stop for proper food every 3 or 4 hours, and make sure your shorts are comfortable...what might be comfortable for 150km may not be after 300km.0
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BFF?
Big Fat Friend? If so just ride behind him.
Boy Friends Friend?
Don't trust him, he'll be looking at your bum, so ride behind him.
Best Friends Father?
He might look at your bum, but won't make it obvious, so ride behind him most of the way.
Seriously now...I'd split it into 3 100 km rides, and agree to stop for a short while at 100, 200 kms. More Chammy cream, something savoury to eat, something hot to drink, new baselayer, then off again. Ride within yourself for the first 200, then aim to crank it out a bit for the last 100.
You will probably get cramp. Cramp will be nothing to do with electrolytes if you keep yourself well hydrated with the right stuff; it will be to do with neuro-muscular fatigue which you can only deal with by training for the distance.0 -
you will go through some pretty empty country, you need to plan feed your stops and not get caught out.
look on the bright side, at least you will be used to riding in the wind
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Ah! I see...
Sorry, I'm old and not quite as up-to-date as perhaps I should be. I have ridden in Den Haag, on the sandy cycle paths going North*; you will be fine.
*...and South again, obviously, or I would be in Ijmuiden, working in a bar, maybe a restaurant...0 -
I would do a short stop at least every 2 hours - for a little solid food, and for relief of hands, bottom, and bladder. I wouldn't eat more than about 400 Calories at a single time.
And don't be too fast at the start and on hills. Calculate the minimum speed that will work, and be wary of exceeding it for the first 150k.
Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA0 -
crikey wrote:
*...and South again, obviously, or I would be in Ijmuiden, working in a bar, maybe a restaurant...
You didn't get to ijmuiden then?0 -
As above rides like this are best tackled like you would eat an elephant, in small chunks. If you break it down into sections of 1-2 hours it will speed by. You don't necessarily have to stop at the end of each section, just mentally reset to zero and have a breather for a few minutes.
On stops I would advise against eating too much.Martin S. Newbury RC0 -
Depends how hilly you plan it to be... of course if you want to go via Snowdonia and tackle the Bwlch Y Groes while you are there, then it might get a bit harder... in Holland on a light breeze day 300 Km is nothing epic...
In other words 10 rather than 15 hours on the saddle makes a great deal of differenceleft the forum March 20230 -
ugo.santalucia wrote:Depends how hilly you plan it to be... of course if you want to go via Snowdonia and tackle the Bwlch Y Groes while you are there, then it might get a bit harder... in Holland on a light breeze day 300 Km is nothing epic...
In other words 10 rather than 15 hours on the saddle makes a great deal of difference
Hmmm, and that is what I had in mind ........ But, I can't remember when I was out there on the bike with a light breeze in Holland.0 -
Nor I Joost
by the way, do you have any ideas for long rides or good places to ride to in NL? I have planned to ride to/from Maastricht so I can get the train there/back and also something up and around the Ijselmeer to Lelystad (then train back). Any other cool places I should go?We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
300's a lovely distance - about my favourite of the standard Audax distances, especially in summer, where it can be ridden in day light.
No messing about, it is still a long way to ride a bike, but it is a very achievable distance for a reasonably fit rider with a few miles in their legs.
Be comfy on the bike. Sound obvious - but it does take time to get your position right for longer rides. You may have to make adjustments on a bike you've been riding for years without issue. Typically, you will not see many slammed stems on distance rides - a slightly more upright position is common etc.
Pace - if you are wearing a HRM, then, yes, your idea is about right. Keep the heart rate down, don't attack the hills to keep out of the red.
Eating and drinking - quite important! I prefer to keep food on the real side of things and you'll want a good mix of sweet and savoury. Gels and energy drinks for an entire day can cause real havoc with your stomach (equally, so can real food. It's a question of finding what works for you).
On any long ride, they'll be some low moments - your legs will not work, you'll have a mechanical, whatever - the key to being able to ride a long way is optimism and solving the problem. Experience means you generally recognise that there's an issue earlier and can solve it more quickly and, equally, you generally know that there is light at the end of the tunnel and you need to tough through the rough patch, because it will get better. That's the point where those with less mental fortitude can give up and, often, regret it.0 -
ddraver wrote:Nor I Joost
by the way, do you have any ideas for long rides or good places to ride to in NL? I have planned to ride to/from Maastricht so I can get the train there/back and also something up and around the Ijselmeer to Lelystad (then train back). Any other cool places I should go?
Around IIsselmeer is straightforward: keep the water to your left or right depending on the direction and in the end you completed your 300km. Downside: wind and it looks the same for 300km.
Maastricht area is nice: beautiful area and exiting/famous hills to climb. Downside: you need to know the area (turning left/right all the time) so you need to be watching a GPS all the time.
Another option would be a tour from Amsterdam to Arnhem and back: most of the time wind is coming from south western direction, so in the direction Arnhem you could through the flevopolder with the benefit of the wind. From Harderwijk to Arnhem you will cruise through national park De (Hoge) Veluwe (don't miss Posbank and Emma Piramide). From Arnhem you follow the Nederrijn/N225 all the way to Amerongen (and take off course sidesteps to Italiaanse weg, Holleweg, Westbergweg, Amerongseberg) and from Amerongen you will follow De Utrechtsche Heuvelrug all the way to Hilversum (most of the time you will be in secured from wind in the woods). From Hilversum it will be another 30-35km back to Amsterdam. That will definitely cover 300 km, wind will be a lesser issue (sorry Ugo), cycling lanes or quite roads, plenty of bars, bikeshops etc, constantly changing scenery, and when necessary I can support you the last part of your quest
As I already know that part of the country from "haver tot gort", I plan to do my round trip roughly from Hilversum, to the south (Breda), to the east to Eindhoven, up to Nijmegen and back to Hilversum.0
