UKC

Hey I'm planning on doing a solo 100 mile ride over Easter and looking for any tips or advice that people have, it would be my 1st 100 mile ride that I've done but fairly happy that I have the base fitness to do it just looking for any advice that people have particularly on eating enough whilst on the ride and what people find best to eat.

Thanks
Andy

In reply to Andrew W:

Here's what I'd do:

Big meal of pasta the night before.
Brecky at least an hour before you start to ride. Bowl of porridge with brown toast and honey or banana or both.
Energy bars and gels will keep you going, just keep nibbling on a bar every 20 minutes or so.
Then - if it's non competitive or not a sportive a good 1 hour cafe stop for baked spud and beans and coffee. (If I'm in France maybe spaghetti or tagliatelle in a restaurant/bar) Something to aim for.
If it's competitive and you can't stop I'm currently into a piece of potato tortilla wrapped in tinfoil as something savoury instead of bars and gels.

It's a great tick your first century - have fun.

E

In reply to Andrew W:

I'd echo Enty's advice and ask what have you been eating on your training rides? Whatever it was take more of that.

In reply to Andrew W:

Malt loaf with butter in the back pocket.

Kendal Mint Cake (ROCKET FUEL)!!!!

If you get too sick of the taste of sweet things, i do, then try and get some marmite rice cakes.

In reply to Andrew W: If you are riding plenty already you'll probably find that its less epic than you expect it to be. Follow the weather forecast and go on a day when the weather will be a help not a hindrance. I did 190 kms one saturday afternoon last summer, and it was OK. Keep munching on bits and bobs, I like peanuts and jelly beans! Drink loads if its warm. I listen to podcasts (radio programmes, not music) in one ear from my ipod. I find I concentrate on what's being discussed and that lets me settle in to a rhythm without focusing on the hard work! A few findings from my ride here: http://lightfromthenorth.blogspot.fi/2012/06/big-ride-kangasala-vantaa-190-... Very much from a non-competitive cyclist's experience.

In reply to Andrew W:
Keep eating and drinking regularly right from the start. If you wait till you're hungry it's too late.
If you're trying to do the ride fast, get something that you can eat while riding. I like bananas, jelly babies and gels as they dissolve easily in your mouth and have lots of carbohydrate in them. Some dried apricots are ok. Also energy bars. I find nuts ok when climbing or walking but too hard to eat while riding without a lot of water.
I stay away from chocolate because it melts and it causes me problems after the initial sugar rush.
If it's for pleasure, take something you like to eat, stop and enjoy the ride.

In reply to Andrew W:

Three words: Water, water, water.

In reply to Andrew W:
Road or off-road ? Have done the latter, but as part of an event.

I had a can of red bull an hour before the start - woke me up and cleared me out!

Shot blocs kept me going - I'm referring to my legs here - but if time allows try and include a couple of cake stops - variety is good.

Try and front load your climbs, you want to be able to tell yourself at 50 miles that you've done the worst of them.

Make sure you stretch your back out and relieve the pressure on your arse every 30 mins or so. Easy to forget when you get going.

Most importantly you need to be enjoying it, if you haven't got a small on your face after 25 miles then you probably be really loathing it by the second half. I made sure I enjoyed the views and the terrain, and kept telling myself I was having fun. By the end I was so tired that I even believed it !

In reply to Andrew W:

If you're not aiming for a particular time and just want to do the distance then have a good cafe stop as Enty says. It'll be a good psychological boost and a way to break up the ride a bit. If you have the stop some point after half way then you'll get back on the bike knowing that what you've got left to do is less than what you've already done.

Enjoy!

In reply to Andrew W: If you think you can do it then you almost certainly can. I just did 160 miles over 2 days solo (Staveley - Leeds - Staveley) and it went easier than expected. For food I took oat cakes with butter and salami as well as hard boiled eggs. Protein and fatty foods are much slower burning and although you never get the energy spike from sweet stuff, you don't get the energy dip either.

Longest ride so far was 140miles which I did with a mate last year and he took loads of sweet stuff and was very envious of my oat cakes and pork pies after a few miles.

Have fun and just break it down into little sections as you are riding.

BW

In reply to Baron Weasel:

I rode the Etape du tour in 2006 from Gap to Alpe d'Huez. After the Col d'Izoard we descended into Briancon to the feed stop. The cheese and ham butty with cheap ham, horrible white sliced cheese and that silly sliced white bread that the French do was one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted.

E

In reply to Andrew W: Check your optimum tyre pressures too. I run mine at 70 and 90 based on this information:

http://www.bikequarterly.com/images/TireDrop.pdf

Some folk will disagree with this, but you elbows, shoulders and neck will thank you for not pumping up to 120 after all those miles.

BW

In reply to Andrew W: How 'ass' fit are you ?
I find my rear end wants to give up sooner than my legs or lungs.
Only way to prepare for that is long rides in the saddle and good shorts.

Or maybe it's my seat !

In reply to Andrew W: another one for real food, flapjacks, malt loaf a sandwich or a cafe stop, don't depend on gels they taste like warm snot after a while and your stomach will thank you for something solid.
Good shorts/saddle combo
enjoy it!!!

Its not a timed thing so was planning on taking a good break just over half way to get some decent food in me. I'm normally ok on jells so was planning on using them again and probably adding some more solid fuel into the mix.

In reply to Baron Weasel:


Interesting and similar to the pressures I run, apart from I have them the same. Maybe I'll ry will the front at lower pressure.

In reply to Andrew W:

That's a good plan, and a pub lunch, and an hour or so off the bike, can be a good reward around 70 miles. Another good tip is not to stare at any bike computer, looking at the distance. If you can don't check distance till its well within distances you've done before. So maybe don't look at distance till you've had pub break. If you keep turning the pedals, keep comfortable, and eat and drink, you'll get there easily. I do Audax, where 200 miles a day is not considered exceptional. It's mostly mental, take care of comfort, hydration, and food and you'll be fine.

In reply to Andrew W:

As entry says as well, take food you like. Pork pies are calorie rich and easy to digest on a long ride. I like pork pies also.

In reply to Andrew W: The best 100mile rides are the unplanned ones.
Imagine a Sunday morning, you get up feeling strong, nothing doing so you fancy a long ride.
During breakfast you plot a route of say 60 mile in your head.
Pocket some cash, a 1:50,000, grab the bike and head out.
30-40 mile in you stop for a bite. Feeling strong you realise this could turn into a century so re-plan the route with food in mind. Your way out now, 60 mile in the bag but not so strong. Food demands are more frequent and you pocket some kendal mint cake spied on the counter. Back on the road the return leg tail wind lends a hand, 80 mile in you realise your going to fall short by a couple of mile so local knowledge allows you to quickly re-plot to secure the ton. Tired legs get you home. The next 48 hours are full of elation, eating and walking like an incontinent cowboy. Good luck plays a big part.

MH

In reply to Andrew W:

Break it down into 20ish mile chunks. Reward yourself with something yummy after each one. Its like a finish line every hour and a bit! FWIW, I can do gels for a 40 mile ride but they make me feel sick after that, much better to eat real food. Don't eat too much though, that's another easy mistake to make. I normally have a peanut-butter and jam sandwich for every 20 miles, probably less after the first 20, but a larger lunch break after 65 miles.

You'll probably hit a psychological slump at about 60-70 miles. That's definitely the place to put your lunch break. I try to stop at about 65 miles, that means when I get depressed (about mile 60) I know its only 5 miles to the lunch break, then when I get back on I know its only an easy training ride left to go.

Stop for a minute at the tops of hills to enjoy the view!
And have fun.

In reply to Beat me to it!:

After 60 miles pulling a pork pie out of your back pocket? I'm salivating at the thought of it. Yum!

E

In reply to Enty:

Pack of three on a really long ride

In reply to Andrew W:

Start in the dark. There's nothing more demoralising than watching it get darker, not lighter, as you're cycling.

In reply to Andrew W:

get to the lunch time pub before 2pm or risk just eating a bag of crisps and a marsbar for your lunch. (doh!)

In reply to Andrew W:

I'd add, a good night's sleep and a couple of electrolyte tablets for your water (NUUN are good).

In reply to Andrew W:

I've done a good few 100 milers, and this thread proves you can still learn - I made the mistake of having lots of 'energy' pish, and it gives you the boak after 50m +. And I was determined to stay hydrated, as I sweat like 10 men, but all I did was flush the electrolytes away.

Doing the Etape de Caledonia and the first stage of the Deloittes RAB this year, so pork pies and electrolytes will be in my armoury. I love pork pies on the hill too, but always forget to buy 'em!

In reply to Andrew W:

If its the first one, the physcological prop of picking a route which criss crosses a train route is good as there is always a bail out option. You won't need it though.

In reply to Andrew W:
I'm in a similar position - got an 80 mile sportive coming up this weekend. Been doing 50-60 miles every weekend for the past month or so, so feel reasonably confident.
I've been taking two bottles - the larger 750ml filled with electrolyte drink (so zero cals), and a smaller 500ml one with SIS energy drink. I think if I struck to just the latter it would be too sickly, but by switching to later in the ride, my theory is that I'm taking in a steady flow of carbs when I need them most.
Also been carrying home made flapjacks (cut into small chunks), and pre-sliced malt loaf as well as a couple of gels and energy bars for a psychological boost.

In reply to Andrew W:

Having been out on a 130 miler yesterday. If it is still cold in 2 weeks time, then don't underestimate how much it saps the energy out of you. Sometimes a cafe stop at this time of year is to get warm again, as well as food and hot drinks. So listen to what your body is telling you, and don't be afraid to change your plan, or have additional stops that weren't in your plan.

In reply to Andrew W:

Second Enty's advise but also add in a really good pudding with the night before meal. A big fruit crumble and custard for example.

Thanks for the advice.

In reply to Andrew W:

Should be absolutely fine. My girlfriend (who only very occasionally gets on a bike) has cycled from Carlisle to Edinburgh (circa 100 miles+) a few times. It takes her around 6-7 hours.

She doesn't even have a road bike - her bybrid looks like it should have a basket on the front.

In reply to Andrew W: Don't be scared, 100 miles is incredibly easy when you actually do it. Cycling on your own is great, not keeping pace so you can just plod on how you feel happy to.

Don't cycle for 3 days and get good solid nights sleep, it'll mean you start properly fresh. Don't watch the miles tick down on a Garmin or anything, it'll only hack you off after a while.

If you can ride 60 miles you can ride 100 easily, it's just mental strength to keep going.

I've cycled 200km on 4 packs of haribo and lucozade after a pizza and beer the night before. You'll be fine.

In reply to BelleVedere:

Yup done that! Ended up doing the Bealach na Ba after two pints of heavy and some crisps.