New to Cycling

ultrarunnerlee
ultrarunnerlee Posts: 55
edited March 2014 in Road beginners
Hi all,
Just thought it would be good to say hi and perhaps pick some brains.
I am an Ultra runner by trade, however last year after a 60 miler I managed to knacker my knee. It's taken 6 months to get to this point. I have had Physio, MRI's, Ultra sound, you name it i've tried it. Without boring you too much in reality my knees are 100% fine according to everybody I've dealt with and it seems to be a biomechanical thing. Anyway they want to sort me out with Orthotics and all that nasty stuff instead of trying to sort the problem itself out.
After all this I thought I could do with a new challenge. I have a real cheapy Road bike that I used to commute a handful of miles to work on.
Yesterday it got an MOT and is ready to role and went and done my first 30 minutes in the rain thismorning and it was amazing to be outside again, instead of working on my knee in the gym. The ride caused me no problems whatsoever.
I am thinking about signing up for one of the stages of the TOUR of WESSEX, as its about 5 miles from my doorstep. Its at the end of May..... We are now on the 25th of February, is it doable to do 107 miles in around 10-11 weeks of training. I have the motor from running but cycling is a very different beast.
Any general thoughts, tips, ideas much appreciated.
Also at an event like this, will I look like a plumb turning up in all my cheap kit on my cheap bike? With running you dont have to worry, the more trampy you look the better, but I see all these people caining arounf on 5000£ bikes with SKY plastered over all their kit and theres me with 250£ road bike and kit from sports world :-)
Anyway this went on longer than I thought
Cheers
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Comments

  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    You'll be fine with 10-11 weeks training, especially as your background gives you the perfect cycling engine. Your bike will be fine, but you'll want to make sure that you have low enough gearing for the hills especially as your makeup lends itself to spinning over grinding. Don't worry about what your kit looks like (although I'd invest in decent bibs for a long ride), just ride.

    I'm quite disappointed that you didn't go the footbed route as trying to 'fix problems' that are intrinsic to your makeup is precisely what they're for. As a former fitter I have changed many people's lives with footbeds as they never thought (and were told) that they'd be able to partake in their preferred activities again.
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • Grill,
    Really appreciate that.
    Regarding running I will probably go down the route of trying everything. But as you probably know its not a short term fix. This is likely to take quite a while. In the meantime I've stacked on a stone because food is too nice :-) Plus i've lost all focus completely. Cycling will hopefully bring all that back and give me something to aim for.
    Spinning....Grinding?? I could guess :-s
  • You've got the CV fitness so you just need to build up your cycling muscles, which will be a struggle in the first instance, but you should get up to speed quickly. 2 and a bit months isn't a lot of time, but it's not impossible if you start today, ride at least three times a week and follow a plan to gradually increase your distance.

    If you can fit in 2 x 2 hour rides through the week and a long ride at the weekend - one which adds around 10 miles every week, then you should be able to manage.
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    Spinning = higher cadence of a smaller gear, so legs spin faster to make the bike go quicker (taxes CV system)
    Grinding = lower cadence of a bigger gear, so legs spin slower to make the bike go quicker (taxes muscles)

    Footbeds are not meant to be a short term fix. Have you gone to see Hamish at Pro-feet or Colin at Solutions4Feet? When it comes to footbeds and biomechanics they're easily the best in the country.
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • I didn't realise their was so much involved with cycling lol. I'm much happier when going up a hill in a lower gear as my legs die quickly in anything higher. So I suppose that does make some sense :-) Just took a look at who you recommended and Hamish seems to have dealt with UTMB runners so should know his stuff. Definitely worth a thought:-)
    Mark - I'm following a plan that roughly follows what you have stated. Feels weird being able to have rest days :-)

    Bit of a daft question but when you cycle would you always pull up on the pedals, seeing as you're clipped in? IE is it something you would only do when climbing a hill or is it something you just do without a second thought?
  • Bit of a daft question but when you cycle would you always pull up on the pedals, seeing as you're clipped in? IE is it something you would only do when climbing a hill or is it something you just do without a second thought?

    Not really, as much as possible your pedalling in a circular motion, you wouldn't actively pull up as such but if you're clipped in with good shoes the pull up will have some input as it is.
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    There is almost always an element of pulling when clipped in and it's generally at it's strongest pushing out of the saddle (climbing or sprinting). I wouldn't really say that it's something you need to pay extra mind as it pretty much happens when it should.
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    Hi welcome to cycling!

    Definitely don't worry about cheap gear and a cheap bike. So long as they work and you're comfortable the rest isn't very important. Much better to be good on a cheap bike than bad on an expensive one. I've never seen anyone made fun of because of their bike in any event I've done. If someone was going to be mocked it's more likely the guy on a £5k bike being overtaken by casual cyclists on hybrids and mountain bikes. You've nothing to worry about. I got overtaken by a raggedy looking guy in his 60s riding an ancient steel bike with rusty gears and a plastic bag containing his repair kit taped to his saddle in a sportive once. He was also wearing a pre-lycra era wool jersey with holes in it. Trust me, no-one was making fun of him! He was faster than us and we had no excuses!

    My commiserations on your knee injury. I was never a serious runner but I hurt both knees 5 years ago by trying to do more than I was capable of and I had to stop running. There was no structural damage and the best diagnosis I could get was "patella tracking issues". I probably didn't put in enough effort on the physio work but every time I tried to re-start running my knees got sore again. Very frustrating! After more than a year trying to get back to running I took up cycling instead - and after the first few months I discovered I loved it!

    I got the occassional twinge from my knees on the bike but that gradually disappeared. I made a point of keeping my cadence reasonably high when I started cycling partly because I reckoned it would reduce the strain on my knees. I don't know if this made much difference but after cycling about 18 months my knees were feeling fine so I decided to have another tentative try at running. This time I took a new approach. I was skeptical of the merits of corrective orthotics or supportive running shoes as that just seemed to be addressing symptoms not a cause and since the exact cause for knee problems is often not well understood it seems foolish to start adding complexity just in case it helps without really understanding why. So I decided to simplify instead and got a pair of minimalist shoes (Merrell Trail Gloves). I started off cautiously doing just a few hundred meters at a time and I'm very glad I did. It took me a 2 months or more to get up to 5km distance but my running style and general biomechanics are now far better than they were before I got injured. My feet and lower legs are much stronger and I've never had any knee issues since. In fact my knees, hips and back now feel better running than they ever have. I've had no injuries in 2 years and most importantly I enjoy running more than I ever did before. I'm looking forward to my first half marathon in a 6 weeks. There are a lot of people a bit fanatical about minimalist running. I now understand why but I don't think I'm one of them! If someone runs problem free in conventional running shoes then there's not much incentive to change but if you have biomechanical problems I think it's well worth a try (some advice says the exact opposite which makes no sense to me and smacks of ass covering!).

    Just thought I'd share my experience since there may be some parallels and you mentioned not liking the idea of orthotics. If you try minimalist running just make sure not to rush into it. You really do have to start with very short distances to ensure you avoid injury while you adapt. Being a long distance runner that might be tougher for you! You hear a lot of stories about people getting injured using minimalist shoes but invariably when you ask about it you find out they were new to them and massively underestimated the need to ease into it and allow time to adapt.
    Whatever you do best of luck and enjoy the cycling!

    P.S. If you do manage to get back running consider trying some duathlons and adventure races. I've done several since 2012 and I think they're great fun.

    P.P.S Apologies, that turned into a bit of a ramble!
  • Cheers guys for the replies.
    I know its daft but I just don't want to stick out like a sore thumb :-) Good to hear that this shouldn't be the case.
    AI- I did try the barefoot thing and managed a 50k in sandals believe it or not. But I managed a 60 miler and 3 days later I when and done a half marathon......I think it was a case of my body saying STOP. But the pain hasn't really gone away. I'll keep badgering away but I think cycling, whether it will eventually suppliment my training, or will be my sport of choice I don't know.
    Lastly......I'm afraid its the way I am wired. I know 100 miles seems a regular thing and so is doing a multiple stage race. However are there any events that are say 24 hour endurance or single stage long distance events?
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    Cheers guys for the replies.
    I know its daft but I just don't want to stick out like a sore thumb :-) Good to hear that this shouldn't be the case.
    AI- I did try the barefoot thing and managed a 50k in sandals believe it or not. But I managed a 60 miler and 3 days later I when and done a half marathon......I think it was a case of my body saying STOP. But the pain hasn't really gone away. I'll keep badgering away but I think cycling, whether it will eventually suppliment my training, or will be my sport of choice I don't know.
    Lastly......I'm afraid its the way I am wired. I know 100 miles seems a regular thing and so is doing a multiple stage race. However are there any events that are say 24 hour endurance or single stage long distance events?
    Fair enough. I'm not sure if I'll keep using the really minimal shoes myself for very long distances. I've been running 15km regularly recently with no problems but beyond half marathon I might look for something with a little more protection although I'll still want near zero heel-toe drop!

    Regarding long distance cycling: As you said 160km/100mile sportives are common and most sportives are somewhere between 100km and 200km in length. There are some longer events but I don't know much about them. I know there's the Race Around Ireland http://racearoundireland.com/ which is a 2150km ultra-cycling race - you've got until August 31st to train for that one! There may be something similar in the UK. There's also the London Edinburgh-London challenge which is about 1400km over several days.
    Audax events might be of interest too. I don't think they are races as such. You'll have to look up Audax, I only have a vague idea how it works but I think it involves doing your own navigation and matching a predefined pace over very long stages.
  • Audax looks good thanks for that. Bit like LDWA :-) I don't think i'll ever be competing, much like my running, however I like a proper good challenge:-)

    I said lastly last time however something else has cropped up.
    It might be a case of how long is a piece of string, but whats a good starting pace for a newbie. I presume its measured in average MPH than minute miles? Thismorning for instance my average was 12mph. I know watching the pro's that I would be as slow as a week in Jail, but whats a decent club Average MPH and perhaps low end club MPH?
    I know it doesn't matter too much but I havent really got anything to guage my speed by. With running you know a marathon at 8MM for me would be pretty quick etc
  • Actually that AUDAX looks amazing, right up my street :-) Cheers
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    I audax and do long TT's (12hr and 24hr). Nothing quite like it. Race Around Ireland is an actual race (unlike audaxes) as is the Transcontinental. The LEL happens every 4 years, so it won't come around again until 2017, but next year there's the Paris-Brest-Paris.

    Don't worry about average speed, it's all relative and there's no point in comparing yourself to others.
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    Speed on a bike is massively dependent on wind, terrain and whether you're in a group or on your own. Running pace is much more stable even on hilly terrain.
    For a VERY approximate guide. I think my slowest and fastest average speeds in sportives last year were about 24km/h and 29km/h respectively. The slow one was 200km with tough climbs, the fast one was 160km with less climbing and better roads. Also riding in packs for significant portions of the route with the ability to draft other riders helps raise your average speed noticably! I'm probably slower than most on here but at a guess I'd say there was typically only 30% of the field ahead of me in most events I did last year - I can live with that.
    Most importantly you should now disregard all that because Grill is right - there's no point comparing yourself to others.

    Bear in mind that while your running history will stand to you in terms of aerobic ability, cycling uses your legs very differently and it'll take a little while to get up to speed. On the plus side runners tend to do better on bikes than cyclists do on foot! Don't worry about speed, you won't embarass yourself.
  • fatdaz
    fatdaz Posts: 348
    4 of the guys and one of the girls I cycle with are ex marathon runners and all of them took to cycling relative early. A bunch of us cyclists are currently training for a half marathon and we seem to be finding the transition much harder the other way
  • I suppose the main reason being that running knackers your legs if you don't do it properly as I've found out :-) Plus if you're not a runner trying to find your pace is difficult at first, most people set off way too fast.
    I don't think the distance will be a problem nor the nutrition because it will be similar to what I am used to. It's just a matter of how long it will take me I think.
  • Just another daft question whilst I have your attention :-)
    Brakes.......Are all brakes pretty crap in the wet and make a squeeling sound when braking? I know I got a cheap bike but I bought some decent pads and they have improved a bit??? Oh they ain't disc brakes:-)
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 4,993
    Even bottom end brakes from Shimano, Campag or Tektro work ok if set up correctly and you have decent pads.
    Most people recommend Koolstop salmon or Swisstop green pads, which are twice the price but work twice as well.

    The limiting factor on road bikes is usually tyre contact with the road, so there really isn't anything to be gained once the wheel locks. This brings you onto some decent tyres - most cheapos are really rubbish and start to slip whenever a cloud appears in the sky.
  • Just got myself some decent tyres too. Waiting for them to arrive. At least it will give me some practice getting the rear wheel on and off:-) Brakes were ok in the dry today. I cant remember what I bought, think they were Swisstop flash or something?
    2nd ride thismorning and got proper owned. I thought running was hard but trying to keep a decent pace (for me) on the bike this morning was hard. But everytime I hit a hill its like being punched in the stomach, its so bloody hard. Least with running you can stroll up a hill, cycling you don't get that break, until you come down the other side.
    Managed to up it to an average of a whopping 12mph thismorning for 40 minutes :-)
    Does the pain in the ass ever go away? Recently bought some decent shorts too so hopefully will help me stop walking like John Wayne.
    I'd like to buy a funky Jersey but I think i'll look like a pleb on my hardcore Raleigh Pursuit lol. What point do I get to shave the legs?? :wink:
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    Just got myself some decent tyres too. Waiting for them to arrive. At least it will give me some practice getting the rear wheel on and off:-) Brakes were ok in the dry today. I cant remember what I bought, think they were Swisstop flash or something?
    2nd ride thismorning and got proper owned. I thought running was hard but trying to keep a decent pace (for me) on the bike this morning was hard. But everytime I hit a hill its like being punched in the stomach, its so bloody hard. Least with running you can stroll up a hill, cycling you don't get that break, until you come down the other side.
    Managed to up it to an average of a whopping 12mph thismorning for 40 minutes :-)
    Does the pain in the ass ever go away? Recently bought some decent shorts too so hopefully will help me stop walking like John Wayne.
    I'd like to buy a funky Jersey but I think i'll look like a pleb on my hardcore Raleigh Pursuit lol. What point do I get to shave the legs?? :wink:
    There's a much bigger difference in speed between the flat and hills on the bike compared to running. So you may tend to try and ride too hard up the hills. You've got to get in the habit of allowing the speed drop and changing down the gears to a point where you can sustain the effort without excessive suffering! New cyclists often try and maintain their speed when they start up a hill only to fall apart after 100m and crawl the rest of the way up.

    Pain in the ass should start to fade after a few rides. You'd expect the first couple of rides to be the worst and then the pain should reduce as you get used to riding - at least this was the case for me. Good shorts are important but bike fit is also important. Saddle height and tilt are probably the most critical. If the saddle's too high you'll tend to rock from side to side to reach the bottom of the stroke. You might not notice this movement but it'll make the saddle hurt. If the tilt is wrong you can find yourself sliding forward and putting pressure on the soft tissue. Pressure should mostly be further back on the sit bones. A level saddle is the best place to start. If the reach to the handlebars is too long this can also cause you to move too far forward on the saddle with similar results.
    Finally some saddles just may not suit you. But get used to riding and get your position right before contemplating a change of saddle. Otherwise you won't know when you've found one that suits. If you're getting soft tissue numbness and/or pain after you've tried everything else consider a saddle with a cutout as you really don't want to be cutting off bloodflow to critical areas!
  • 2nd ride thismorning and got proper owned. I thought running was hard but trying to keep a decent pace (for me) on the bike this morning was hard. But everytime I hit a hill its like being punched in the stomach, its so bloody hard. Least with running you can stroll up a hill, cycling you don't get that break, until you come down the other side.

    It never gets easier, you just go faster ;). Seriously, hills will be difficult at first, you just need to use your gears properly, there's nowt wrong with going into bottom gear to get up the hill if you need it. Best advice is to get into a low gear early and spin your way up rather than struggling at first.
    Does the pain in the ass ever go away? Recently bought some decent shorts too so hopefully will help me stop walking like John Wayne.

    Takes a good while, but yeah it will. There's a chance your saddle is wrong for you, of course, but you can't really say that until you've done a good 500 miles on it.
  • Cheers guys for that.
    the bike feels good. I'm quite in tune with whats going on in my body when it comes to things like this. I did lower the seat before the ride thismorning as I was definitely reaching last time. Now I have a slight bend in my knee without over reaching now and I feel as though I am putting a little more power down because of it. I've not really been out long enough to see how the back etc feels. Hopefully doing 20 miles on Saturday might iron out any niggles.
    When going up hils when would you come off the seat? I presume you would use a lot more energy doing this?
  • When going up hils when would you come off the seat?

    Personal preference, some like to climb being out of the seat all the time, some like to spin up and never stand.
    I presume you would use a lot more energy doing this?

    Yes, but it can be useful for very steep sections that you can power over them easier than it would take to spin up, much of the time you're faster too, but it does knacker you in short order.
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    Cheers guys for that.
    the bike feels good. I'm quite in tune with whats going on in my body when it comes to things like this. I did lower the seat before the ride thismorning as I was definitely reaching last time. Now I have a slight bend in my knee without over reaching now and I feel as though I am putting a little more power down because of it. I've not really been out long enough to see how the back etc feels. Hopefully doing 20 miles on Saturday might iron out any niggles.
    When going up hils when would you come off the seat? I presume you would use a lot more energy doing this?
    Ideally your leg should be about 25 to 30 degrees off straight at the bottom of the stroke. It should never get too close to straight.
    Getting out of the seat on hills is really a matter of preference. I usually stay seated on longer hills and only get out of the saddle for a stretch or if I'm sprinting up a short hill. Some people like to spend a lot of time out of the saddle but if you've got small enough gears there's no need and the choice is yours.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 4,993
    Just got myself some decent tyres too. Waiting for them to arrive. At least it will give me some practice getting the rear wheel on and off:-) Brakes were ok in the dry today. I cant remember what I bought, think they were Swisstop flash or something?
    2nd ride thismorning and got proper owned. I thought running was hard but trying to keep a decent pace (for me) on the bike this morning was hard. But everytime I hit a hill its like being punched in the stomach, its so bloody hard. Least with running you can stroll up a hill, cycling you don't get that break, until you come down the other side.
    Managed to up it to an average of a whopping 12mph thismorning for 40 minutes :-)
    Does the pain in the ass ever go away? Recently bought some decent shorts too so hopefully will help me stop walking like John Wayne.
    I'd like to buy a funky Jersey but I think i'll look like a pleb on my hardcore Raleigh Pursuit lol. What point do I get to shave the legs?? :wink:

    Swisstop flash are fine.
    Your description of hill climbing is my description of running - I could cycle (at medium pace) all day (16- 17mph for me) because you don't need to use much effort for flat or downhill, but with running you have to keep moving your legs.
    Your butt will toughen up after a couple of weeks. After a long break I was horrified how uncomfortable the first week back was.
    As a noob you may not be aware of this product instead of shaving, which has the most excellent reviews:
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B000KKNQBK
  • Cheers guys. Shall not make this into a shaving thread lol. But often wondered where you stop lol. The thought of looking like you are wearing hairy shorts isn't a good thought. Plus reading some of them Amazon reviews on the Veet made me laugh. Well worth a read in its own right:-)
    Getting my bike set up properly on Wednesday, getting new tyres put on and giving it a good clean.
    Sorry more boring newbie questions......
    What shoud I use on a chain for lube....Is it ever worth buying a good chain or is a chain a chain?
    When should I use the drops or again is that down to choice?
    Lastly......When doing a 100 miler, as a runner I can carry all my stuff in a pack, carry enough water gels etc on me. Do you rely on aid stations more when cycling as their can only be so much stuff you can stick in a Tshirt? Curious to hear other peoples set ups as I will have to start practicing with it all soon!
  • marcusjb
    marcusjb Posts: 2,412
    On carrying stuff - for a 100 miler, you can easily carry all the fuel you might need in your jersey pockets, along with a spare tube and inflator etc. (or get a small saddlepack for those). Depending on the event, you'll be able to refill bidons at the food stops. Your body is likely to be very good at fuelling itself with your background, so you shouldn't need to carry a whole lot.

    There are plenty of ultra runners in the bit of cycling I enjoy (Audax) who have knackered their knees and still want the challenge of distance. As others have said, it isn't racing (other than PBP, no times are published etc. PBP very much is a race still at the front end of the field - the first finishers still get their photo in l'equipe etc.). 12 and 24 hr TTs as grill has suggested (in for my first 24 this year - different world, I can ride a very long way at a moderate pace; riding quite a long way at high pace is really much harder!).

    I am sure it is the same in running, distance becomes addictive and you just need more.
  • mercia_man
    mercia_man Posts: 1,431
    I'm a runner and a cyclist and really enjoy both. Am currently hobbling about with agonisingly sore quads and calf muscles after a fell race on Saturday, plus I've got niggling plantar fasciitis. That's the disadvantage of running - injuries and pain. I will probably feel OK again by Wednesday. Cycling is so much kinder to my body.

    Taking up cycling is like taking up any new sport. You have to gradually build up to it, no matter how good your cardiovascular fitness. The pain in the ass will go away, particularly with good shorts, your average speed and stamina on the bike will increase every time you go out and your hill climbing ability will improve. Spinning low gears is for me the answer to going up hills and riding a long way with minimum effort.
  • Cheers for that Marcus,
    I know its a personal thing but I'm happy with just gels on any run up to 12 hours. Fingers crossed that I should complete 100 miler in less time lol But at the aid stations is it your flapjacks and jelly babies etc like at a running aid station?

    Mercia- Truely I am fed up of being injured on average 3 months a year its worked out to be over the last 4 years! So I am hoping cycling will be kinder to me too! Only grumble is my long training run each week was 25 miles in about 3.5 hours. When it comes to cycling, long rides will take up a lot more time
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    Cheers guys. Shall not make this into a shaving thread lol. But often wondered where you stop lol. The thought of looking like you are wearing hairy shorts isn't a good thought. Plus reading some of them Amazon reviews on the Veet made me laugh. Well worth a read in its own right:-)
    Getting my bike set up properly on Wednesday, getting new tyres put on and giving it a good clean.
    Sorry more boring newbie questions......
    What shoud I use on a chain for lube....Is it ever worth buying a good chain or is a chain a chain?
    When should I use the drops or again is that down to choice?
    Lastly......When doing a 100 miler, as a runner I can carry all my stuff in a pack, carry enough water gels etc on me. Do you rely on aid stations more when cycling as their can only be so much stuff you can stick in a Tshirt? Curious to hear other peoples set ups as I will have to start practicing with it all soon!
    There's a plenty options for chain lube. I'm sure general purpose lubes would work fine (not WD40 - it's a penetrating oil) but there are plenty purpose designed ones too. Of those there are 2 main types and lots in between. First is high viscosity lube that sticks to the chain and doesn't get washed off easily in the rain. On the down side because it's pretty thick and sticky it's great at gathering road grit and turns into black sludge after a while so you need to clean and re-lube your chain from time to time. I've used the purple White Lightening lube and found it fairly good.
    There's also minimal PTFE lubes, some come in a bottle, some as a spray. These are very light and don't gather grit much but you'll need to add a little every few rides if you're out in the rain a lot.
    I'm not sure there's a lot of difference between chains so long as they're compatible with the groupset - but wait and see what others say.
    The drops give you better leverage on the brakes, a lower more aerodynamic position than the hoods and probably the best grip and control. So I'd be on the drops for nearly all descents or other situations where I might want max power from the brakes. Also in sprints or if I'm trying to maintain a high speed and I'm not sheltered in a group. So I do some short duathlons where I'll mostly be riding solo and trying to get around a 20km course in as short a time as possible. For those I spend nearly all my time in the drops or with my forearms resting on the tops as both these positions keep me low and I can maintain them for 30-40minutes. That seems to gain me about 2 or 3km/h over riding on the hoods for the same effort. However, during normal training rides I spend 90% of my time on the hoods although I will still move my hands around a bit to avoid getting stiff and to relieve pressure on my hands.
    Sportives typically have food and drink stops so carrying food isn't a big problem. I usually also bring a few cereal bars, a banana or two and a few gels on the bike. They'll all fit in your jersey pocket or you can get a small "bento box" that sits on your top tube just behind the stem. These are handy for carrying a few gels and bars if you don't like having your pockets stuffed.

    The food stops at the events I've done in Ireland usually provide sandwiches, cakes, bananas, biscuits, tea & coffee, water. One or two of the better ones serve pasta salads etc.