Can a total novice ride 330 miles from LA to Las Vegas in just 48 hours with only 30 days preparatio

TonyJams

We're about to find out.

Dan Bilzerian (instagrammers and younger internet savvy crowd on here will have already have heard of him) has wagered $600,000 that he can indeed make the journey from LA to Vegas in just 48 hours.

He's a non cyclist and Lance Armstrong has just offered to help him over the next 30 days preparation time.

Do you think this is even possible for an average UK club rider? The first 165 is going to be tough, the second one a whole new world of pain...
More here
http://bikesy.co.uk/features/fitness/ca ... if-he-can/

Rigga

No I reckon he'll crumble. I follow DB on instagram and he is quite entertaining!

Rigga

Actually, I might put him on my celebrity death pool!

nigeldoyle

You ask could an average club rider do this. The answer is yes. Could this guy do it, maybe.

mrb123

I'm sure Lance can give him some good advice to improve his performance .

marcusjb

Sure. Why not?

I do not know the chap in question, but if he has any fitness, then it is a question of dialling the bike in for comfort and anyone with mental fortitude can put up a good go of this. Time on the bike is going to be important for the next 30 days, and maybe build up to a century in 3 weeks?

The distance is not that huge and the time allowed is very generous, so why not.

The average club rider could do this if they wanted to. Really it is not that far to ride in two days. It all comes down to the will to do it and the fortitude to endure the difficult times. A few hundred thousand dollars is reasonable motivation as well.

I have seen people who haven't even ridden a bike 100 miles before rock up at the start of a long event and ride 900 miles in 4-5 days.

Riding farther is a heck of a lot easier than riding faster, and far easier than most people seem to think it is.

Riding 330 miles in 24 hours, well that hurts, but even that is a modest distance in reality.

pblakeney

2 hours on, 1/2 hour off, 2 hours on, 1/2 hours off, 2 hours on, 1 hour off, 2 hours on, 1/2 hour off, 2 hours on, 1/2 hour off, 1 hour on. 14 hours total.
Start at 07:00, finish at 21:00 with an average of 15mph. Seems fairly straightforward.

marcusjb

I think your timing is about right, but, typically within my world of long distance an average rider would roll slower but stop much less often. Typically we would ride for 3-4 hours and then stop for 20-30 minutes. 15mph would be a slightly higher speed than we might roll at, not much, but enough to keep the heart rate down.

A mid pack rider (of which I am firmly in that camp) in distance events here will have an overall average of 18-20kph between sleep stops, so yes, covering the 260km of this challenge would an average Audaxer around 13-14 hours riding at a pace that allows for it all to happen again the next day.

pblakeney

marcusjb wrote:

I think your timing is about right, but, typically within my world of long distance an average rider would roll slower but stop much less often. Typically we would ride for 3-4 hours and then stop for 20-30 minutes. 15mph would be a slightly higher speed than we might roll at, not much, but enough to keep the heart rate down.

A mid pack rider (of which I am firmly in that camp) in distance events here will have an overall average of 18-20kph between sleep stops, so yes, covering the 260km of this challenge would an average Audaxer around 13-14 hours riding at a pace that allows for it all to happen again the next day.

I was allowing for a non-cyclist not so used to being in the saddle for hours on end.
Same result though. 8)

bianchimoon

I'm guessing it's relatively flat terrain? Do they have prevailing westerly so? Will temperatures be sensible that time of year? I could think of a lot worse places to do 330 miles for a beginner, as Marcus said if he has the right mental attitude he'll do it

redvision

Definitely doable.
Given how much money he has waged i imagine he has the funds for a full support crew following him. This means he can stop when he wants with food and drink always available, and no doubt a massage.
Therefore, if paced correctly, 2 days is ample time imo.

taon24

Google maps suggests that there is almost 4000m of climbing on the route, with the peak at about 1400m (Cima). I don't think it makes it any less doable. It should be possible if you have a bit of fitness to start with.

964cup

Having driven that route, I think the main challenge will be temperature. There will be some climbing, but ambient temps in the 40+ celsius will be the real challenge. Mind you, if this chap - I'm neither young nor an Instagrammer, thank heavens, so i have no idea who he is, apart from an idiot - can afford to bet $600k, he can afford proper support. Never mind the Texan cheat, he'll be wanting a proper trainer, a water bowser, plenty of sun cream and - like as not - a ready supply of intravenous saline.

pblakeney

964Cup wrote:

... and - like as not - a ready supply of intravenous saline.

I think he has the perfect support for anything intravenous.

vinnymarsden

I have driven the other way…Vegas to LA…and in all honesty I think the thing that will get to him as much as anything is the crushing mind numbing boredom of vast tracts of empty isolated boring desert! In a car, with someone else, at least I managed to while away the time by listening to music, spelling the driving, but on a bike…no thank you!
I think distance vs time wise he will be fine, I just wonder if his brain will be able to switch off for the long endless stretches where the horizon doesn't come any closer!! Good luck to him whatever and having LA help him won't hurt…because regardless of Lance's background the guy still knows a thing or two about riding a bike.

flasher

I wouldn't bet against it, very doable. Having Lance to order around as your Super domestic would be fun.

Matthewfalle

Yes - no problem at all. The guy is already very fit, he's getting advice from an ex pro (albeit a dirty cheating lying one, but still shed loads of experience), he'll have full back up and so long as he mans up when it's tough he'll be fine.

He's also very, very rich from betting so he's not stupid when it comes to money and he'll know exactly what he's getting into to.

As for an average club cyclist - man up and you'll be fine.

Anonymous

I am sure he will, but hope he doesn't :twisted:

Assume they will check his bike for an engine if he does 8)
The whole concept of Lance Armstrong helping him seems a bit flawed to me

So how does the 'wager' bit work?

bobmcstuff

Matthewfalle wrote:

He's also very, very rich from betting

Not exactly - he's mostly very, very rich from his dad.

He advertises himself as a poker player but he's not actually particularly good. He has made some high profile bets before though, but nothing to get him the $100 million he's meant to be worth.

He also supposedly takes a lot of drugs so I'm sure he'll get on well with Lance

Rigga

Matthewfalle wrote:

Yes - no problem at all. The guy is already very fit.

Really? He's only 35 and has had two heart attacks already, on top of that he doesn't exactly lead a healthy lifestyle.

surrey_commuter

He could start at noon - ride 100 miles then have a good nights sleep. Get up ride 50 miles,eat lunch, ride 50 miles, eat tea, ride 50 miles and get a good nights sleep. Up at dawn and knock off the remaining 80 miles.

With his money he could get half a dozen mates to ride in front of him or draft a van.

navrig2

bobmcstuff wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

He's also very, very rich from betting

He also supposedly takes a lot of drugs so I'm sure he'll get on well with Lance

I hope his lawyers aren't reading this. Even careful use of "supposedly" doesn't protect your from a multi-millionaires lawyer if he is incline to have a go..... and he is a Yank (or is that a worse insult than suggesting he may take drugs)

bobmcstuff

Navrig2 wrote:

bobmcstuff wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

He's also very, very rich from betting

He also supposedly takes a lot of drugs so I'm sure he'll get on well with Lance

I hope his lawyers aren't reading this. Even careful use of "supposedly" doesn't protect your from a multi-millionaires lawyer if he is incline to have a go..... and he is a Yank (or is that a worse insult than suggesting he may take drugs)

He's been pretty public about his drug use so I doubt he cares very much (all recreational as far as I know).

Mentioned on his Wikipedia page for a start.

navrig2

bobmcstuff wrote:

Navrig2 wrote:

bobmcstuff wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

He's also very, very rich from betting

He also supposedly takes a lot of drugs so I'm sure he'll get on well with Lance

I hope his lawyers aren't reading this. Even careful use of "supposedly" doesn't protect your from a multi-millionaires lawyer if he is incline to have a go..... and he is a Yank (or is that a worse insult than suggesting he may take drugs)

He's been pretty public about his drug use so I doubt he cares very much (all recreational as far as I know).

I bow to your greater knowledge. I've never heard of the guy. Google here I come.

bobmcstuff

http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/th ... -bilzerian

Article from GQ about him and his money (note - potentially NSFW)

Anonymous

Did not read much of it, but did read this bit:

In another tweet, he mused: "My greatest fear is that someone will break in and I won't be able to decide what gun to shoot them with."

Fantastic quote!
I like him now :P

Rigga

Well he's started training, he looks a sight on a bike lol.

Devastazione2

Lived in Vegas for 3 years and commuted to LA often. Yes he can do that,just throw in some blowjob stops and he'll be fine.

fenix

He sounds a real charmer.

the playing mantis

Db will be so drugged up he will do it easy!!

Or die trying. Seriously. He either romps it and he will be on performance enhancing drugs no question, or will have another heart attack.

Don't know whether I like him or not. He knows how to have fun though.

the playing mantis

Devastazione2 wrote:

Lived in Vegas for 3 years and commuted to LA often. Yes he can do that,just throw in some blowjob stops and he'll be fine.

If those cities were the other way around I'd be even more envious!