UKC

I am facing this prospect in two weeks but have never done such a distance before.
I am in pretty good shape however, and a few weeks back, completed a tour which had a couple of 170km days in.

So, how much harder will almost twice the distance be? And do i need to train specifically?
Any advice gratefully received.

ps and if anyone mentions 'intervals' could you please explain exactly what i should do? (fairly new to cycling)

ops it will also be bloody hot as am in the Caribbean, but am kind of used to that

In reply to Kimono:
I don't think you can do much training on endurance in just two weeks. I'm no expert but have done 280km twice this year and would advise: ride well within yourself (1mph off your normal steady) find someone to do it with and have a good chat to pass the time, eat regularly and try to eat proper food for as long as poss before resorting to gels at the latter stages. Have fun.

In reply to Kimono:

Depends, do you need to ride it in a specified time? If you had to ride it in 10 hours that is different to having all day to do it.

In reply to Orgsm:


Well, days are shortish right now, even here. But we should have 12 hours of light so time is ok.

In reply to VS4b:


Am riding with a group on the way there and that will probably be fairly slow.
then on the way back with a hardcore roadie....so i suspect the pace may lift for that

If you had a good break halfway, would you eat a proper meal?? Or just stick to bars, bananas, cake etc?

In reply to Kimono:

If you can do two 170km days with all your touring kit, one 330km day without it should be a piece of piss! =P

Have a proper meal if you'll have time to digest it (as much for a morale booster as anything) but if you ride fast after a sit down meal you'll probably feel quite ill.

There's not really time for specific training at this point, ride as much as you can over the next week and then take it easier on the week up to the ride to let your legs get super rested.

One other thing, don't try anything new in the diet on the ride itself. If it doesn't agree with your stomach you'll be in a bad place! You have a bit of time to try any gels or bars or goos or powdered drinks that you'd like beforehand.

In reply to Bob_the_Builder:


This is true! Though i was only carrying about 5kgs of kit, i was on a mountain bike (with slicks) whilst this ride will be on a very nice road bike!
It should also be cooler now....that tour, temps were over 40C at some points

Thanks for the advice

In reply to Bob_the_Builder:

Would not be quite as confident = I remember that 200 miles in 12 hours used to be a club standard distance to aim at, not a piece of piss by any means. 240 miles in a 12 hour event was definitely racing, an average of evens, 20mph. 400 miles in a 24 hour race got you a silver medal standard.

In reply to altirando:

I was sacrificing truth for optimism to some extent. I assume OP will be carrying lights and starting early and finishing late, so 12 hrs of light means maybe 14 hours of rideable time?

In reply to Bob_the_Builder:

nope, 12 hours means 12 hours. Riding on the roads after dark here, is tantamount to suicide

So, looks like the second half will have to be fast. That said, there should be (!) no wind in the morning on the way out but a good tailwind home

should be!

In reply to Kimono:

Well in that case my advice is don't wait for the slowpokes or try to keep up with the speed demons. Ride at your own pace, start slow and warm up slowly. Keep eating small, easy to digest stuff, keep hydrated, and don't stop moving. Good Luck!

In reply to Bob_the_Builder:

thanks!

In reply to Kimono:

Personally I'd try and get some food like a sandwich and cake iin a cafe with quick turnaround as it's good to get a sit down and a coffee but I'd not bother with a full meal if you know what I mean.

In reply to Kimono:
Too late for any specific training. As it will be hot the only thing you can do is train in the heat, but can not see you've enough time to change anything physiologically. Comfort is main thing for distance , but again, you haven't got time to really dial the bike in. Just go ride, and see how it pans out.

As for eating , go with what you body wants, it's usually right. Mix of sweet and savoury over the distance. It seems far but only because you haven't gone that far before. Really it's just a series of shorter rides between food and drink stops.

Enjoy the ride.

In reply to Orgsm:

ok, thanks everyone for advice and support.
If we do it ill let you all know how it went, but the rainy season is just starting here which may put a spanner in the works

In reply to Kimono:
Take a waterproof top!

In reply to VS4b:



they don't quite work over here....

In reply to Kimono:
It's too late for training to make any difference now, but...

Make sure you're comfortable on the bike - much more important than having an aggressive aero position when doing this kind of distance for the first time. Position on the bike is the most important, but using padded shorts, comfortable mitts and comfortable, close fitting, clothing will also help.

Given that you have good fitness, the mental side has the potential to make or break it. If you've not done a day as long as this in the saddle, don't think about the full distance as that will make it a lot harder. Think about getting to the top of the next hill, the next cafe/cake stop, whatever helps to break it down.

Don't let your energy levels drop. If you've done 170km days before then your body is probably fairly good at burning fat so as long as you keep topped up with food and ride at a steady pace then you should be fine.

As has been said above, 330km in 12 hours makes for a pretty tough pace! Minimise faffing and time off the bike and, if you're bonking, remember that crawling along at 12mph is still faster than stopping!

Have fun and good luck