Any advice for 150 mile ride?

bompington

So I'm not doing my regular one annual sportive this year: the 3 Pistes is only kind of running (the crunch is that they're not running the bus back to the start) so I thought I'd give it a miss.

And instead, this Sunday I'm going to cycle home from the west coast: that's 240km, just about 150 miles. Just to be practical really - the rest of the family have the monday off but I don't, so I need to get home for work :-(

It's effectively coast to coast: well, coast to coast to coast - after an hour or more of fairly hard hilly country, I'll be at Loch Fyne so back on the coast, and at the 50 mile mark I'l still only be 5 miles from the sea.
Definitely more than enough of a challenge for me. Although at least the total ascent is less than you'd think for a ride through pretty hilly country: after the first hour it's relatively flat, overall google gives about 1700m.

I've done the 3 pistes a few times at just over 100 miles, but never much more.

So I'd appreciate any advice, helpful or (this being the forum that it is) unhelpful*


*"Start training 6 months ago" would be an obvious example

pblakeney

Never done anything so silly before so maybe not.
I’d allow plenty time for long stops and consider it as 3x50 mile rides.

dombo6

As above, treat it as 3 x 50 and don't start out too hard. I have ridden many 100 mile+ sportives here and abroad and treat them like segments of my 25 mile club café run, but eating a gel of Clif Shot chew block every 10 miles. Hydration is very important - start with a couple of 750ml bottles of your favourite energy drink and take a couple of sachets of powder for refills. Keep sipping, little and often.
Once the hilly bit is out the way, just keep a steady pace and enjoy the scenery.

ugo.santalucia

No advice required... if you can do 100, you can do 150. Plan 3-4 stops along the way and keep them to a resonable length... say 20 minutes each

joe_totale-2

Stop fairly frequently, say every 50km as that helps to break down the ride nicely. Don't take long at your stops, if possible plan in advance your café order. Faffing is generally what makes a long ride take even longer.

timothyw

Plan the route carefully, and make sure you include stops that are open, and open at the time you will arrive at them (it's a good idea to set off early... make sure your first stop has opened in time for you!)

You will want to minimise the hills, or more particularly minimise the steepness of the hills - long drags are fine but I did a long ride a month back, and the hardest day had the least elevation, but the hills were like walls - absolutely killed the legs with the distance involved.

This is where you have to be slightly wary of 'popularity routing' on strava etc in that often cyclists are masochistic and deliberately include hills on their routes.... over 150 solo miles you will not need hills!

I don't know how much solo riding you do but the major challenge might be psychological - although I'd generally not recommend it you probably want some way of listening to music or perhaps an audiobook - just something to distract you from your own thoughts. And make sure you have a spare battery/power bank to keep your phone going - you might also need to top up your gps on route.

Make sure you include more than the average number of spares - so perhaps 3 tubes instead of 2, if you have them perhaps an emergency gear hanger/spoke, gear cable, and if you only usually carry co2 bring a pump as well.

This also extends to bringing at least a couple of little lights, if you do have a problem then you might end up finishing later than you intended.

Anyway, take it easy - better to finish strong than start strong.

philbar72

get a couple of proper food stops in, make sure you are prepared for all the conditions weatherwise on the ride. bring lights that would be good enough for the terrain you are going to if it becomes dark. bring enough kit to get you round the route (tubes etc). don't ride too hard for parts of the route. pace it sensibly. stay hydrated.

lettingthedaysgoby

If you stop, don’t stop for too long. Keep hydrated. Eat sensibly. Don’t go off too fast.

shirley_basso

good weather and a tailwind.

pblakeney

lettingthedaysgoby wrote:

If you stop, don’t stop for too long. Keep hydrated. Eat sensibly. Don’t go off too fast.

Last time I did 100 miles + I had a full on 3 course lunch midway. :oops:

lettingthedaysgoby

PBlakeney wrote:

lettingthedaysgoby wrote:

If you stop, don’t stop for too long. Keep hydrated. Eat sensibly. Don’t go off too fast.

Last time I did 100 miles + I had a full on 3 course lunch midway. :oops:

God, if I did that I’d be seeing all 3 courses again fairly quickly

pblakeney

lettingthedaysgoby wrote:

PBlakeney wrote:

lettingthedaysgoby wrote:

If you stop, don’t stop for too long. Keep hydrated. Eat sensibly. Don’t go off too fast.

Last time I did 100 miles + I had a full on 3 course lunch midway. :oops:

God, if I did that I’d be seeing all 3 courses again fairly quickly

Pacing dear boy, pacing.

veronese68

Longest ride I've ever done is a touch over 140 miles, I managed without any particular training and I think you ride greater distances than I do generally so I'm sure you'll be fine. It did take me a long time and it wasn't pretty, but I made it. All of the above advice sounds entirely reasonable, especially PB's point about pacing. Mistakes I made were stopping for too long and struggling to get going after lunch.

surfercyclist

As a matter of interest what do you guys and girls do to avoid "café legs", the soreness which come on after a stop. I find if I keep my legs moving a bit and massage them it definitely helps. Get a few odd looks though but that's a price worth paying as otherwise it can be grim getting going again. Anyway, be interested to hear any theories. Note hydration not an issue as I always drink plenty on rides.

david7m

SurferCyclist wrote:

As a matter of interest what do you guys and girls do to avoid "café legs", the soreness which come on after a stop. I find if I keep my legs moving a bit and massage them it definitely helps. Get a few odd looks though but that's a price worth paying as otherwise it can be grim getting going again. Anyway, be interested to hear any theories. Note hydration not an issue as I always drink plenty on rides.

How long are you stopping for? 20 mins optimal for me.

joe_totale-2

SurferCyclist wrote:

As a matter of interest what do you guys and girls do to avoid "café legs", the soreness which come on after a stop. I find if I keep my legs moving a bit and massage them it definitely helps. Get a few odd looks though but that's a price worth paying as otherwise it can be grim getting going again. Anyway, be interested to hear any theories. Note hydration not an issue as I always drink plenty on rides.

Don't stay in the cafe too long (20 mins) and if possible keep standing or perched on a high stool.
If you stay longer I find a can of fizzy drink is a good way of having some immediate energy to get the legs going again.

pblakeney

SurferCyclist wrote:

As a matter of interest what do you guys and girls do to avoid "café legs", the soreness which come on after a stop. I find if I keep my legs moving a bit and massage them it definitely helps. Get a few odd looks though but that's a price worth paying as otherwise it can be grim getting going again. Anyway, be interested to hear any theories. Note hydration not an issue as I always drink plenty on rides.

Cafe legs are temporary and go away after a couple of miles.
If they don’t then you’ve been going too hard before hand.
If you are training then there is no cafe stop.
A cafe run shouldn’t be done at training pace.
Horses for courses.

slowbike

Good luck
You probably know as well as I do, what you like to drink and eat - but I couldn't go with the suggestion of 2 bottles of energy drink - it's too sweet - I'd rather take the energy boosts through food and have a plain drink - but that's from my experience of doing 100 miles on 2 bottles.
Last ton I did (on no specific training at all) was done at a relatively slow pace and I still couldn't make it up the steep hill after 80 miles (>13%).

I like the advice on spares - I'd include gas inflator too, unless you usually do - it's quick, easy and gets the tyre up to pressure without the effort - I'd be 1/2 tempted with taking a spare tyre too - in case of slashes ....

drlodge

Take it steady especially in the first few miles, ride at a very comfortable pace for the first 5 miles or so.
Take in food and drink little and often. For this type of ride I would typically stop every 25 miles for 5 mins or so, have some food & drink, then have a longer mid way stop.
So perhaps think of it as 2 x 75 miles.

bompington

Thanks for the advice people.

Pacing is one concern - I have two speeds I can go at: flat out, or bust. As the first hour is on my regular holiday 60km circuit, it'll be really hard for me to go at less than the usual pace. Forcing myself to climb the longest hill in the granny gear might help.

Cafe stops: http://www.therealfoodcafe.com is pretty much half way and is our traditional family stopping point. The big question - can I justify (or indeed handle) that and the Tandoori Hut's legendary Munchy Box when I get home?

Weather: forecast is looking "OK for Scotland" at the moment: bit of rain (could mean anything from a few spots to continuous and torrential) in the morning, clearing up as I head east. And the wind looks likely to be behind me... of course all this could change by Sunday.

Route: I spent some time looking at the routes that use ferries to get across the Clyde via Arran, Bute or Cowal - great routes, it's fun getting the ferries and they make good natural breaks - except for one thing: you basically wind up having to go through Glasgow on them all. Great city, but no better than any other large city for cycling through.
So I'm going via my regular route, which heads north east from the Kintyre peninsula up to the A85 which bisects Scotland west-east from Oban to Perth.

Should be fun :shock:

haydenm

Inveraray to Dalmally or up to Oban from Lochilphead? I quite fancy the Rest from either direction but the north Loch Lomond road is dreadful

surfercyclist

PBlakeney wrote:

SurferCyclist wrote:

As a matter of interest what do you guys and girls do to avoid "café legs", the soreness which come on after a stop. I find if I keep my legs moving a bit and massage them it definitely helps. Get a few odd looks though but that's a price worth paying as otherwise it can be grim getting going again. Anyway, be interested to hear any theories. Note hydration not an issue as I always drink plenty on rides.

Cafe legs are temporary and go away after a couple of miles.
If they don’t then you’ve been going too hard before hand.
If you are training then there is no cafe stop.
A cafe run shouldn’t be done at training pace.
Horses for courses.

Yes horses for courses which mean I go as hard as I can sustain but also means on of ride of 50miles or so a stop is nice for a cuppa and cake. I'm not in training for anything, I don't tootle down on a café run, I just ride for pleasure.

bompington

HaydenM wrote:

Inveraray to Dalmally or up to Oban from Lochilphead? I quite fancy the Rest from either direction but the north Loch Lomond road is dreadful

Absolutely, the Rest is a lovely road (surprisingly low altitude, <300m) but Lomondside is one of the few roads in Scotland I wouldn't ever ride. And yes, the most efficient route to the north-east is LochG - Dalmally - Tyndrum and across.

pblakeney

A85? :shock: Having just driven that after cycling around Oban, I wouldn’t fancy it. Is there any designated cycle routes? If not I’d rethink ferries and Glasgow using the canal cycle path from Bowling to Falkirk as an option?
Probably a long road for a short cut mind. Not looked.

bompington

Like I said, the are very few roads I wouldn't ride. The A85 isn't one of them: I've certainly used the eastern section from Glen Ogle to Perth more than once, and I've cycled the main road into Oban from both directions.
Post something nice about me here if they end up scraping me off the bottom of a logging truck

pblakeney

The road itself isn't too bad, good in fact, but I saw some close passes, not from trucks.
I noticed some signs for bike routes so wondered if there was alternatives, but according to Google, no.
FYI - The 78 route from Oban to Taynault is very pretty, quite lumpy (no major hills but a couple of short 15%+) and you may well have to slow down for the "Heilan' coos".

mrfpb

Pacing: Mine improved when I accidentally disabled my front mech and could only use the small ring.
Maybe you could do that for the first 50km/50 miles, just adjust the H screw so that it won't shift up.

mugensi

The longest ride I have done is 185km. I broke it into 3 segments and had breaks at 70km, 120km and the final 65km. At the first stop at 70km,i stayed standing for the 15mins and walked about as I drank my coffee and ate a sandwich which meant there was no stiffness from sitting still for too long. I sat down at the 120km stop for 15minutes but walked around for another 5 minutes after eating and again was fine when back on the bike.

For 240km I would have at least 3 stops/breaks no more than 20min max on any of them and eat/drink plenty along with way.

timothyw

My opinion and experience is that keeping stops short is not necessary (and is sometimes counter-productive - rushed our last stop on a ride a few months back and really suffered afterwards).

Just take it easy when you set off again, give the legs time to loosen/warm up again.

It's generally not a good idea to plan to stop before a brutal climb ;-)

Obviously you only have so many hours in the day, but an hour (perhaps even an hour and a half!) for a decent lunch often pays for itself.

This counts doubly so for hot days when it can be a struggle to keep hydrated - give your body the chance to soak up some fluids.

At the end of the day, it's meant to be fun.....

Alejandrosdog

TimothyW wrote:

My opinion and experience is that keeping stops short is not necessary (and is sometimes counter-productive - rushed our last stop on a ride a few months back and really suffered afterwards).

Just take it easy when you set off again, give the legs time to loosen/warm up again.

It's generally not a good idea to plan to stop before a brutal climb ;-)

Obviously you only have so many hours in the day, but an hour (perhaps even an hour and a half!) for a decent lunch often pays for itself.

This counts doubly so for hot days when it can be a struggle to keep hydrated - give your body the chance to soak up some fluids.

At the end of the day, it's meant to be fun.....

I agree about lunch, recharge have fun. Life’s too short to hurt yourself for false goals.

pilot_pete

I’m planning on doing the Cheshire Cycleway http://www.cheshirecycleway.co.uk/google-route-and-facilities-map/ next month, which is 176 miles. I will be doing 180miles which includes riding to/ from the route from my home.

I am planning three café stops - one 40 miles in after the hills near Mobberley, planning to get there as the cafe opens.

Second at about 90 miles in on the Wirral.

Third at Malpas some 140 miles in. That will leave 40 miles to home.

I can comfortably do 100 miles solo at 17-18mph average, so plan on averaging 15mph which should keep the heart rate down at a very comfortable, sustainable level. I do the hilly bit some 15 miles or so in, so will back off and fall behind my 15mph average in the first 25 miles or so, the hilly bit only being about 12 miles duration. After that I will settle in to a sustainable pace around the pretty flat Cheshire Plain, trying really hard to go VERY easy until the second cafe stop.

There is a strong possibility of a prevailing westerly/ south westerly wind, which will be a headwind all the way to the second cafe, which is better as I should have a tailwind home, which could be very significant. I am not going to try to sustain my 15mph average (catch it back up after the hills), that’s just a planning tool for rough timings. What I will do is ride a heart rate that I know is sustainable and get to the second cafe hopefully feeling like I’ve been holding back significantly.

Once I’ve turned for home I will sustain the heart rate and with a bit of tailwind the speed will naturally increase clawing it’s way back towards my target. It could be that I am close to 15mph before turning and I end up exceeding it, but my concentration will be completely focussed on not going too hard. Hopefully I will get to 150 miles (I’ve done 155 miles once before) with plenty in the tank and although probably getting a bit sore and uncomfortable should find the last 30 miles ok.

So that’s a 12hr ride time with say 1:30 for stops, so 13:30 all in.

They are plenty of shops/ petrol stations en route, so I plan to set off with 2x500ml bidons, one with energy drink and one plain water. I will carry three sachets of energy drink powder to top up around the route. I will also carry a couple of bars, but these will only be for emergencies as I can stop and buy flapjacks etc and the odd can of coke if needs be at least until the local shops close late afternoon. Fluids will vary depending on how hot a day it is, but there are plenty of places to top that up. I will also take some paracetamol with me as I have experienced the occasional exercise induced headache on really long rides.

Hopefully it will be a warm enough day not to need a gilet or rain cape, so I won’t need to carry them, but I will probably set off with arm warmers as it may be a bit chilly at 06:00 in the morning!

So, that’s my plan on how to tackle such a big ride. Cash and credit cards will be carried with my phone and if the worst comes to the worst I can always get a taxi to a station and get home...

I have asked a few buddies if they fancy it but none are up for it, so I’m on my own!

PP