Gels are the way to go apart from water, which is the first essential. They cost, but you can learn to meet your needs very precisely while you ride. Never do a long or hard ride without nowadays. Mostly take one every 30 min if no stops.
used to love riding when I was young, would cycle all around England .. fast forward many many years and at aged 59 ish Im living and working in Beijing. would go out on my bike every sunday morning leaving early, abot 6am. Well stocked with pasta the night before and plenty of fuel and glucose drinks for the road. Started easy with 100km trips, up to 150, 180 and one fine cool crisp day decided to see if I could hit 200. I always went the same way so Id never get lost , with minimal mandarin language that wouldnt have been good. Through the usual town that was 50kms, across some farmland area , that was 65, on and on and then theres a huge hill with a lot of trucks. Now Im up to 90 from home. Oh well, plod on, reach the summit and Im at 99kms. Great rest for a while, eat raisins, drink water and glucose and turn around. Took maybe 5.5 hours to do the first 99. But I knew it would hurt. And sure enough, after 150 160km its hurting. Everywhere. Get to 180 and I know I can do it , but the question is how long will it take as I was going slower and slower. The 25km per hour when I started was down to less than 10. But on on on ... and theres my building. Wait, Im only on 198.5.. so I have pedal round the block a couple times till the distance gadget showed 200kms done. took the obligatory pics of the distance gadget, put bike in carpark, dragged my weary body to my apartment, ran a hot bath, and getting in the hot bath was probably one of the nicest sensations Ive ever had.....felt so good after what was actually 12.5 hours in the saddle....Cleaned up and went out for a few very well deserved beers !
In "Be Prepared", I'd add make sure everything is ready for the morning; the bike, clothes, snacks, hydration, lights, repair kit. I sometimes spend about 2 hours getting these done after waking up, while I could prepare them the night before and only leaving the shower for the morning.
An ultrarunner I used to know was awesome at nutrition for 24 hour races. He said it's very simple. For an adult who's trained and weighs (like me) around 170lb/80kg/whatever the fuck stone that is, you need to get 300 calories an hour. Period. There's a very good reason that so many energy bars (Clif, etc.) have around that many calories. But it doesn't really matter what you choose to eat, just get the fuel you need. Then you do have to eat those [300] calories in multiple small portions, ideally never more than 10 minutes between bites/sips. My friend who taught me this had a thick German accent. Imagine Arnold Schwarzenegger saying, "the sippers beat the gulpers every time!" I've done a bunch of 200 mile rides and never had a problem except when I got lazy and didn't follow the rule. For me, maltodextrin based endurance energy drinks are magic, though i try not to eat that in normal life. I love Infinit here in the States because it doesn't taste terrible like Heed, but both work awesome if you can choke them down consistently. I make 600 calorie baggies ahead of time and mix one into a water bottle every two hours for a relatively thick energy drink. The other bottle(s) are just water as needed. My pockets really bulge in the morning because I'm carrying what looks like about a million bucks in cocaine. Other than lunch, I then don't eat much at the rest stops. That does feel vaguely like a waste after paying the entrance fee. But the joy is that I can go all day every time, no real cocaine needed!
This sounds pretty interesting. I’m going to have to give this a try the n ct long ride. I’ve never tried to squeeze that many calories in on a ride before. I usually clock in between 215 and 222 pounds at 6’3”. 64 yo Clydesdale. Taking in between 350 and 400 calories per hour sounds pretty satisfying. Thanks for the tip!
Carry a quick-link and make sure your multi tool has a chainbreaker feature. TPU tubes are lighter and smaller you can carry more as spares than regular tubes.
I'm a 56year old novice other than having been commuting on my bike for years. First ever sportive coming up in April - Retford Amstel. Can't wait. Last week did my first ever 21 miles from Rother Valley Country park to Worsop and back followed by 3 days later a 17 mile from my motorhome storage drop-off back home again. Would love to be able to refuel "hands free" on the bike but struggling somewhat to build that confidence. Anyway, Retford here we come :)
Tip for refuelling on the move is if you have solid bars (this doesn’t work with gels for obvious reasons) is to open them before you stick them in your pockets. That way you only have to grab them out your pocket and not faff around trying to get into the them - particularly if you’ve got full finger gloves on.
Don't do it. Park your bike, eat, and join in again. In sportives your riding in a group, riding in a group is more dangorous as riding alone. So first practise eating on the bike riding alone. If you mange that properly, then you may. But i don't recomment it. And last thing, if your riding in a group warn others for obstacles, because if they ride behind you, they can't see the obstacle. It's riders etiquette.
i had the same issues about drinking on the bike. I practiced by leaning clipped in to the bike leaning against a wall. I practiced reaching for the bidon keeping one hand on the handlebar. t do it at speed then practiced on a quiet street until I could ride in groups from small to larger. Still working on the jacket.
Not possible or practical, if your FTP is 230w, you can’t ride substantial hills/ mountains at 115w. Some events e.g. M312 have time cutoffs, so you don’t have a chance of getting it done.
Thank you for posting! Your content is as good as GCN. Seriously you've got great content, video and audio quality. Your segs to other clips are so smooth and seamless. Really glad I stayed for the whole video. Excellent cross references on other videos.
I used to hate endurance sports. But as I have grown older, I respect it so much more as I learn just how hard it is. It's not about being the strongest, it's a complete combination of mental fotitude and management of energy, that management part is what gets me. The ability to manage your energy while racing others, keeping your self in a position to pop off right at the end without keeling over.
Home made energy bar a hand full of mixed nuts dates and figs put blender and mix to a paste like then put on grease proof paper flatten and roll out and keep in top tube bag to be munched on throughout the ride easy and cheap and not refined 👍
Any person with an SKS Rennkompressor pump is worth listening too 😊 Laughed out loud at the "variable competencies" comment but I have seen a few nasty crashes on sportifs from less experienced riders who were clearly nervous in a big group and a couple of comical keeling over on steep slopes from fluffed gear changes.
2 years ago I started a Fasting Diet and also started training while fasting on rides up to 4 hours (low intensity efforts). Now I can do up to 12 hours solo rides without bonking. Usually I eat one gel per hour and drink plenty of water with energy and isotonic powder. Also have notifications on my head unit to remember me to eat and drink.. Water every 15 minutes, gel every 1 hour, and solid food every 2 hours . I also pay attention to my heart rate. Never going into the red and noticing how fast it recovers after a bigger effort. Slow recovering HR or not going up as usual are signs that that u are about go into the deep of bonking hell 🤣🤣🤣🤣
5 yrs ago I went to eating one meal a day (in the evening) and never snack. Im now fully Fat Adapted and always ride fasted and can ride 200km w no issues. I only drink water and never bonk. When you break the sugar/carb addiction you can efficiently burn body fat, which is very liberating. Sugar/carb addiction can lead to fatty liver and type 2 diabetes.
@@MrKadillak that sounds very interesting actually. could you maybe tell me more about how much you ate in that single meal and what kind of macronutrients were in it? I would love to have a look into this as it sounds like a huge advantage for long distances!
@@erzhaiderI typically eat meat, eggs, complex carbs (sweet potato, carrots etc) until I feel full. No alcohol, no ultra processed food and zero snacking. I only raise my blood sugar/insulin once a day. I may eat fruit, but only after eating my carbs/proteins to lesson the sugar spike. Energy gels. bars, drinks only create a vicious sugar spike/crash cycle.
That’s a v big ride. Last August did Prato fast one day, Bormio the next v steady, then Mortirolo and Gavia the next. Was def too hot for me to do any more in one day.
@@markc17 Love that descent to Prato. The first 10km with the hairpins is magical We have 4 full days planned: Day1: Lago di Cancano Day 2: Stelvio x 3 (lots of bratwurst at the top 😉) Day 3: Bormio 2000 (rest day) Day 4: Mortirolo / Gavia loop
Exactly the kind of channel I need. I've been obsessed with bike riding eversince I was a kid. Now it's been ages since I've dome the 240 km Day Around The Bay in Melbourne and I'm preparing for my next 200 km ride. Finding someone in my age bracket is essential to get me back up to speed. [thumbs up!]
Awesome tips Sir, I'm still very young and I'm not aiming to be a professional bike racer either but these tips will help me train a lot since riding a bicycle is my passion.
I'm 61 and want to do my first 100 miles this Spring or Early summer.Am very excited about it but haven't done anything that length before.hope I can take something from this video.
I would also suggest making a permanent list of things to take for spotives etc. I once drove 250 miles to a century ride only to discover.... i didn't bring my cycling shoes. 😢
Haha - a very unusual tip ! Get unaccustomed of Coffee -- for a while before the ride ( one ore two weeks at least ). You will feel in training that your energy level with coffee is rather an artificial one -- rather have a good green tea once a day 😉
Remember we are designed to store energy. Train to tap into it rather than always relying on exogenous carbohydrates. Also keep in mind, the longer the ride, in general, the lower the intensity so the longer your stored energy will last.
I have 3 big cross US state rides planned. BAK (Bike Ride Across Kansas), Ragbrai, and Mountains to Coast ride across North Carolina, all about 500 miles each in a week. I did all 3 of these last year as well. So I need to get back on the trainor more often till it warms up.
For nutrition, I would add to make sure your digestion tract is cleared of food prior to a long outing so your fat-burning is at it's peak when you start. This will aid you in burning a bit less glycogen initially and optimal fat burn to start.
I find the lunchbox sized baby maltloaves really good for fuelling on longer rides. Can pack a good few into pockets easily enough and doesn’t matter if they get a bit squashed. Done many centuries and 200k’s with just these, a banana for first munchies and energy/carb drink in my bottles. Depending on distance and how many carried I’ll plan to eat one every 25 miles or so. That keeps regular intake of fuel going, similar for drinking - I always plan to drink at regular mileage intervals say 3 miles or less as it gets warmer. Long climbs drop that down to maybe every mile. Gives you something to aim at. I use sachets of my energy drink to carry with me and top up bottles during the ride, again with planning for how long the ride is, knowing how far I’ll go per water bottle and where I’m able to stop for extra water. On hotter days will drink extra at stops too as you can drain the bottles fairly quickly once you set off again if you’re getting warm.
First tip for long rides = don't leave your rear light on when you stop for coffee breaks (like your bike behind you when you are talking). It might end up with the battery running out when you are actually riding.🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈
Carb loading the day before easily the most important. If I don’t, I’ll bonk in 10 miles and be hopelessly eating gels all day trying to catch up. If I carb load right, I can drink only water for 100 miles with no carbs at all and feel like I have plenty in the tank. Its amazing the difference carb loading will do
So if you “carb load” you are saying you can cycle for 5 hours at a hard pace the following day with zero carbs ingested on the bike and have no drop off in performance or pace and feel great?! And if you don’t “carb load” you bonk within 30 minutes?! I’m calling total absolute BS on both of these statements.
@@paddyotoole2058 Yep - Have done a dozen centuries without any calories - all under 6 hours and at least 5.000 ft of climb. Is that world tour pace, obv not, but it’s not going soft either. Frankly, I don’t really care if you don’t believe me. Your body’s requirements are different than mine.
This is the stupidest comment ever!!! Carb loading is a lifestyle.... and not something you do the night before a ride. Tell me you're an idiot cyclist without telling me you're an idiot cyclist.
Most average weight men can only store around 2500-3000 calories in glycogen. That's at most 3-4 hours of strong riding. I once crashed and burned horribly in well under 3 hours with no food during the ride despite carb loading and having had breakfast. If you can do twice that, you're lucky. But I don't think most people should expect your experience will apply to them. Gotta keep eating...
Would you consider a 1x grx granny gear for the dragon ride. 38 and 11,48 ish. Did the medio last year suffered but made it grand this and hopefully the devil next I will be 56 by then. My cadence is low 65 .75 and ftp about 250
My plan is to ride the Hotter N Hell 100 (full route) this summer. I currently ride 100-125 miles per week. I’m known to be a little heat sensitive, so adapting and preparing for that is my largest concern. Muscle cramps and overall heat exhaustion are my greatest fears.
I keep my heart rate at less than 80% MHR for the first half and then start pushing later. Hydration is VERY important as well. Hydrate for three days before the time and keep drinking every ten minutes about 750ml per hour.
Awesome tips Sir! It is amazing how so many folk think you don't need much food or a greasy burger at the top of Ditchling Beacon will sort them out for the last few Kms into Brighton. Sadly I train on my own now after having my two very expensive bikes stolen some years back.
The indoor trainer is your friend. I know I would be no where near the cyclist I am without the ability to train in the early morning, late evening or on bad weather days.
The indoor trainer is like your wife’s friends. Even if it’s social to hang out with them, it’s very boring and you are counting the minutes hoping you can go home soon.
Just a note about the food. The statement, "Eat as much as you can," is only partially correct. Certainly, eating too little will quickly pull the rug out from under you. However, eating too much can also lead to problems, especially under intense physical exertion. The human body cannot process a lot of food under strain. If you eat 5 bars every hour, the body is more occupied with digesting this than with supplying energy to the body. Stomach pains are the consequence. So, it's important to consume the right amount of food in a timely manner.
Ok the longest ride I have completed is a 100 km challenge ride, I have attempted a Century ( 100 miles) ride, but I pulled out between half and 3/4 way through, cramping, cumulative fatigue from multiple long rides in recent weeks with overtime hours at work , plus upset stomach from a sports drink mix.. But I have always made sure to take some Gummi bears or Jelly beans or similar, as an immediate sugar hit if you feeling flat, about to bonk. Obviously a stop into a shop to grab a can of coke can also help to perk you up . Something I have learned from experience is don’t attempt a big ride if you have just gotten over an illness. Luckily for me in my case I found out I was not up to it on the first big climb at about 5 km into the ride, I just was blowing up, I pulled off the road into a driveway and I was literally seeing stars, huffing and puffing, and shaking all over. Someone pulled over with me, I told him I was a bust and I was pulling out, and I also contacted the person we arranged to be the sag wagon, that I was pulling out and just heading back to the start line and my car.
Im hoping to do my 1st 100 mile ride at the end of August. Im regularly doing 30-35 miles just now. Any tips on when i should be increasing this significantly?
I ride since I'm 16. Now Im 62. I ride 2000-4000km per year. So I have around 150'000 km in my legs. But I never understood people liking to go very long. Anything over 2.5 hours doesn't really exite me.
It's not the BONK. It's called Seeing Black Snow. Or in Flemish, "Niet meer weten van welke parochie je bent". "No longer knowing which parish you belong to." 🤣 Happened a few times I must confess.
Hate to listen to music when riding. There are plenty distraction already : you have to look on a wheel of front rider, listen a traffic closing, listen to your group fellows. Also you can suffer without music better.
@@vadymvv Could never understand why you would want to screen out the sounds of nature. And yes, listening out for traffic is probably the most important reason.
@@bitchoflivingblahI always ride with music. It lets people know I’m around. Animals don’t like loud noises- so I make loud noises. I sing, I dance, I shout- I keep it cool. And the music keeps me in cadence.
I can not agree with your view on a bike fit. I would put on the first place in the preparation process. And i would mention, that going to pro is your first and only option. I rode up to 300 km rides before i made bikefit and that was awful. But next 3 to 5 days after those rides were even whorser. I was not just tires. My knees, back, hands were destroyed. Last year i paid a small amount of €100 and went through bikefit in the nearest shop. Additional 130€ were spend on changing saddle and handlebar. After that i forget about any pain after riding a bicycle. Even more. I wend on 300 km one-day solo ride and on the next day i was tired, but there was no any pain. And that was the cheapest available option.
Anybody got any advice for older riders whom seem to keep getting very painfull knee injuries . Got the right distance for seat to pedals but suffering from worst rear knee pain and has lasted over a month , keeping me from riding and walking.
I was gonna comment this. Glycogen 800 gram of stores about 3k colaries, compared to fat, hundreds of thousands of calories even on a lean person. More efficient sustained energy.
im a teenager who wants to do a 32km with my cousin we pushed ourselves as far as we could got about 12.5km in not bad for a start seeing its in august i think we might be able to do it problem is hes got a shite bike
Stay just below zone 2 (240-270w) I'd stay at 230w, 80g of carbs per hour. If your not an athlate don't go crazy over hills hold your high end z3 for longer hills and just spin steadily.
@@SamuelBlackMetalRider that's the problem.. Your talking gels. I'm talking powders in water bottles, even 80g sugar packets. All you need. Eveything your are buying and consuming is sugar, but more broken down. Sugar water, or even get 250ml of squuezey bottle. Put in 250g of sugar, melt with warm water and add cold water, mix. Your own gel. Take 2 of these in back pockets that's 500g sugar and some bars or whatever else. Your bottle can fuel the first 3 hours, 120g carb mix in there. I do may 100km rides this way ~ 3 hrs.
@@BikesKomsCRO you’ve been watching Jesse now haven’t ya? I prefer fruit paste, yummy, and dried Sultanas. High carbs concentration of all dried fruits and much more vitamins than just white sugar. Granted Sultanas are not easy to eat WHILE riding. 200g in 2 small pouches will give you 150g carbs, 500kcal, Potassium, Iron, , Magnesium, mucho B vitamins and a lotta minerals. White sugar can compete with that
@@SamuelBlackMetalRider dates and haribos.. On rides I'm focused on fueling to perform. After I focus on the nutrition after & before! Can't stand sultanas, they are always an obstacle in food 🤣
@@BikesKomsCRO too bad ´cos they’re the best option, better than dates! Try Dried Apricot, killer as well, filled with carbs & vitamins. I sometimes go for Skittles because they are Vegan unlike most Haribo that use disgusting pig/cow gelatin…
Disagree with the first point. It's better to get out with a faster group that you can hang with rather than solo ride or be with a slow group that you are much faster then.
If you’re going for the fastest time possible then yes that’s the way to do it but it’s all too easy for it to end badly especially for riders trying to ride a distance for the first time
I would agree. I did the RAMROD around Mt Rainier - 152 miles and 10k ft of climb. Usually ride 20 mph solo, but hopped in a paceline a bit above my preference, but we ate up the first 100 miles in 4 hours. It was too efficient to skip. Once I hit the climbs, I def went my own pace without the benefit of a draft.
Slow and steady wins the race. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Insert generic platitude here. But seriously, take it easy on your legs, and your heart and lungs. If you normally cruise on the flat at say 27kmh, sit on 24-25kmh. Take it easy on the hills. Survive them, don't try and set a new PR. Draft other riders when you can and roll on the downhills, just turning the legs over with zero effort.
Every time I see other guys who ride promoting cell phone addiction it's annoying to me. Guys have been road riding throughout the entirety of the 20th Century without the things, but now all of a sudden we have to have them? Sort of like with the bike helmets or China Flu shots. Now they're oh so important? I know there are lots of pods out there who can't help themselves but to do compulsively what other people do, but as for me I can actually think for myself, and live and ride as if I don't have a cell phone, especially since no one had them when I was younger. Also I see the gadgets (the phones and other things) generally as conflicting with the dynamic of being out on the bike, being outdoors, getting exercise and fresh air, taking in the experience, and NOT staring at tiny screens or pressing tiny little buttons! It's kind of being neurotic actually, not being able to leave the crap for a while.
@@doesnotcompute6078 It's only a must if you're an addict. It isn't a must for me. I can find a phone if I have to. No one had them before 25 years ago, but they're a must now? They certainly are not.
What do I do? Stay angry at the city for yanking the pay phones negligently and idiotically. Other than that, deal with it. The fact is no one really broke down next to a pay phone before. They had to sit and hope someone drove by to help. I can do that. Or they walked to make a call somewhere. I can do that too. So that's all the same. I really don't buy into the magic wand and baby pacifier business with the cell phones. I reject that mentality. I don't want to become like that. It's unmanly.
Oh my gosh, these are not tips but a formula for failure and possible permanent injuries. FIRST: if you are drafting, then you did NOT ride 100 miles; this is a personal challenge to teach yourself cycling skills and training. IF you are drafting, you are cheating and just out for the ego of claiming the ride. Wrong attitude and no reason to accept the challenge, it is meaningless. SECOND: it is not a race, you should know your pace and heartrates and terrain you ride, if you don't you haven't trained enough. Before even considering a century ride you should already be a great cyclist having: variable pedal candances from 80-110 in smooth controlled strokes. You know efficiency with at least 3 different pedal strokes (articulations). Bike mechanical knowledge should be excellent and on the road repair well-rehearsed through years of experience. THIRD: All bike fitting problems should have been solved long ago, long before your first day of training for 100 miles. The traditional road racing bike may be a first choice for many, but a hybrid equipped with flat bars, bar ends and aero-bars is a much more comfortable choice. You will need the added skills of aero-bar riding and the common sense of not using them in town or heavy traffic. FOURTH: That meal before the ride is useless, you should have been on a strict organic/natural diet for years; this pure diet will be your fat stores on your body. Fat stores is your only energy source on long rides (not sugars), and that source needs to be pure. If you eat crap food full of chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, drugs, you will always feel like crap on the bike, and will be always supplementing your bad food choices with sugar/"power" bars/caffeine. You don't need any food before or during the ride if you eat pure. Fat (hydrocarbons) is your only energy source that will never run out in 100 miles. IF, like most, you have been on a crap diet your entire life, it may take years to adapt this no-food fact into your life and bike rides. Pure fat stores is energy heaven, crap fat is why people run out of energy along with under-training or un-intelligent training. FIFTH: Training for your body, know what body type you are, what talent you were born with, don't take advice from others on miles and intensity. A power body (endomorph) with low VO2 max capability is the worse body to attempt 100 miles, you will need at least 5 years of dedicated endurance training...and still not be able to make 100 miles without pain and injuries. Alternatively, an endurance body (ectomorph) with great God given talent and a high VO2 uptake could train for less than a year and be successful. Know how to train for your body, NEVER take advice from pro athletes. Know how to recover from training and continue to gain strength, endurance and speed. Chart your successes and failures, get to know YOU! Try different strategies in training, diet and recovery. Genetics, what you are born with, is 50% of success. You can complete 100 miles with near 0% genetics with dedication, patience, and intelligent training and recovery you will discover about yourself along the journey of this challenge. For some this distance may be impossible with the genetics you were given...just as this is a difficult event for the power body, it is the same for the endurance body wishing to compete and win in power lifting....an impossibility. The worse advice anyone gives is the old..."you can do anything you are willing to work at". Horrible advice, you will be good at what God gave you at birth, develop those gifts and be happy in life. (I have been a long-distance ultra-marathon cyclist for 56 years, competed in Race Across America and many other ultra-marathon events).
wow, i bet you're a riot at parties. you make riding 100 miles sound like climbing everest without oxygen. it's not that hard. i'm an endomorph with bad eating habits and i can knock out a century (or a double century) no problem at all. and i'll draft whoever i choose, thanks, oh great gatekeeper of the mystical 100-mile portal.
Funny that over 10% by mass of you is fat - 9000 kcal/kg - but you "ran out of energy"? 😅 What is wrong with this equation? So, its all wrong. Didn't really watch the rest of it.
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Bear in mind that when you feed it's fuel for half an hour ahead, waiting till you need it is too late.
Same with water/electrolytes. If you wait till you're thirsty, it's too late.
This is a very sound piece of advice.
It depends what you're eating. A gel will only takes 5-10 minutes to kick in.
Yup, as an ultra marathon runner I’m fuelling even before the race starts and all the way through.
Gels are the way to go apart from water, which is the first essential. They cost, but you can learn to meet your needs very precisely while you ride. Never do a long or hard ride without nowadays. Mostly take one every 30 min if no stops.
used to love riding when I was young, would cycle all around England .. fast forward many many years and at aged 59 ish Im living and working in Beijing. would go out on my bike every sunday morning leaving early, abot 6am. Well stocked with pasta the night before and plenty of fuel and glucose drinks for the road. Started easy with 100km trips, up to 150, 180 and one fine cool crisp day decided to see if I could hit 200. I always went the same way so Id never get lost , with minimal mandarin language that wouldnt have been good. Through the usual town that was 50kms, across some farmland area , that was 65, on and on and then theres a huge hill with a lot of trucks. Now Im up to 90 from home. Oh well, plod on, reach the summit and Im at 99kms. Great rest for a while, eat raisins, drink water and glucose and turn around. Took maybe 5.5 hours to do the first 99. But I knew it would hurt. And sure enough, after 150 160km its hurting. Everywhere. Get to 180 and I know I can do it , but the question is how long will it take as I was going slower and slower. The 25km per hour when I started was down to less than 10. But on on on ... and theres my building. Wait, Im only on 198.5.. so I have pedal round the block a couple times till the distance gadget showed 200kms done. took the obligatory pics of the distance gadget, put bike in carpark, dragged my weary body to my apartment, ran a hot bath, and getting in the hot bath was probably one of the nicest sensations Ive ever had.....felt so good after what was actually 12.5 hours in the saddle....Cleaned up and went out for a few very well deserved beers !
Sounds like good a time
.cheers 🚲🍺🚲🍺
A great time indeed.. cheers!
In "Be Prepared", I'd add make sure everything is ready for the morning; the bike, clothes, snacks, hydration, lights, repair kit. I sometimes spend about 2 hours getting these done after waking up, while I could prepare them the night before and only leaving the shower for the morning.
An ultrarunner I used to know was awesome at nutrition for 24 hour races. He said it's very simple. For an adult who's trained and weighs (like me) around 170lb/80kg/whatever the fuck stone that is, you need to get 300 calories an hour. Period. There's a very good reason that so many energy bars (Clif, etc.) have around that many calories.
But it doesn't really matter what you choose to eat, just get the fuel you need.
Then you do have to eat those [300] calories in multiple small portions, ideally never more than 10 minutes between bites/sips. My friend who taught me this had a thick German accent. Imagine Arnold Schwarzenegger saying, "the sippers beat the gulpers every time!"
I've done a bunch of 200 mile rides and never had a problem except when I got lazy and didn't follow the rule.
For me, maltodextrin based endurance energy drinks are magic, though i try not to eat that in normal life. I love Infinit here in the States because it doesn't taste terrible like Heed, but both work awesome if you can choke them down consistently.
I make 600 calorie baggies ahead of time and mix one into a water bottle every two hours for a relatively thick energy drink. The other bottle(s) are just water as needed.
My pockets really bulge in the morning because I'm carrying what looks like about a million bucks in cocaine. Other than lunch, I then don't eat much at the rest stops. That does feel vaguely like a waste after paying the entrance fee. But the joy is that I can go all day every time, no real cocaine needed!
This sounds pretty interesting. I’m going to have to give this a try the n ct long ride. I’ve never tried to squeeze that many calories in on a ride before. I usually clock in between 215 and 222 pounds at 6’3”. 64 yo Clydesdale. Taking in between 350 and 400 calories per hour sounds pretty satisfying. Thanks for the tip!
That's terrible advice if you value your teeth
@@arhu74 You're right that it's a concern. I didn't mention that I always take a sip from my water bottle after taking calories. So far ok...
It's easier than that. To keep going, you need one gram of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight per hour.
Maràthon runner ín Australia just ran 5marathóns in 5days fasted no food for 5days! His 5th was his fastest
Carry a quick-link and make sure your multi tool has a chainbreaker feature. TPU tubes are lighter and smaller you can carry more as spares than regular tubes.
Good advice! We’re in agreement!
funnily enough there's a couple of TPU tubes in that tool bottle 🙂
I'm a 56year old novice other than having been commuting on my bike for years. First ever sportive coming up in April - Retford Amstel. Can't wait. Last week did my first ever 21 miles from Rother Valley Country park to Worsop and back followed by 3 days later a 17 mile from my motorhome storage drop-off back home again. Would love to be able to refuel "hands free" on the bike but struggling somewhat to build that confidence. Anyway, Retford here we come :)
Tip for refuelling on the move is if you have solid bars (this doesn’t work with gels for obvious reasons) is to open them before you stick them in your pockets. That way you only have to grab them out your pocket and not faff around trying to get into the them - particularly if you’ve got full finger gloves on.
Don't do it. Park your bike, eat, and join in again. In sportives your riding in a group, riding in a group is more dangorous as riding alone. So first practise eating on the bike riding alone. If you mange that properly, then you may. But i don't recomment it.
And last thing, if your riding in a group warn others for obstacles, because if they ride behind you, they can't see the obstacle. It's riders etiquette.
i had the same issues about drinking on the bike. I practiced by leaning clipped in to the bike leaning against a wall. I practiced reaching for the bidon keeping one hand on the handlebar. t do it at speed then practiced on a quiet street until I could ride in groups from small to larger. Still working on the jacket.
Just ride at half your FTP for the entire ride. Stop whenever you want. Got dropped? Forget about them.
This way you’ll never bonk out
Not possible or practical, if your FTP is 230w, you can’t ride substantial hills/ mountains at 115w. Some events e.g. M312 have time cutoffs, so you don’t have a chance of getting it done.
Some people call it the bonk, some people call it hitting the wall . . . I call it FAMILIAR! Shakespeare on Wheels
We hope that nickname sticks!
Thank you for posting! Your content is as good as GCN. Seriously you've got great content, video and audio quality. Your segs to other clips are so smooth and seamless. Really glad I stayed for the whole video. Excellent cross references on other videos.
I used to hate endurance sports. But as I have grown older, I respect it so much more as I learn just how hard it is. It's not about being the strongest, it's a complete combination of mental fotitude and management of energy, that management part is what gets me. The ability to manage your energy while racing others, keeping your self in a position to pop off right at the end without keeling over.
Home made energy bar a hand full of mixed nuts dates and figs put blender and mix to a paste like then put on grease proof paper flatten and roll out and keep in top tube bag to be munched on throughout the ride easy and cheap and not refined 👍
Thank you for the thoughtful and solid content. Great links too!
Thanks for this video. Enjoyed it!
Any person with an SKS Rennkompressor pump is worth listening too 😊 Laughed out loud at the "variable competencies" comment but I have seen a few nasty crashes on sportifs from less experienced riders who were clearly nervous in a big group and a couple of comical keeling over on steep slopes from fluffed gear changes.
great video and the timing is perfect
Great advice! I'll definitely remember some of this when its time for my 700km across 48h ride in a few months.
'Familiar' - amen😂
Great advice, delivered while riding a bike in green slippers. What a legend :)
2 years ago I started a Fasting Diet and also started training while fasting on rides up to 4 hours (low intensity efforts). Now I can do up to 12 hours solo rides without bonking. Usually I eat one gel per hour and drink plenty of water with energy and isotonic powder. Also have notifications on my head unit to remember me to eat and drink.. Water every 15 minutes, gel every 1 hour, and solid food every 2 hours . I also pay attention to my heart rate. Never going into the red and noticing how fast it recovers after a bigger effort. Slow recovering HR or not going up as usual are signs that that u are about go into the deep of bonking hell 🤣🤣🤣🤣
5 yrs ago I went to eating one meal a day (in the evening) and never snack. Im now fully Fat Adapted and always ride fasted and can ride 200km w no issues. I only drink water and never bonk. When you break the sugar/carb addiction you can efficiently burn body fat, which is very liberating. Sugar/carb addiction can lead to fatty liver and type 2 diabetes.
@@MrKadillak that sounds very interesting actually. could you maybe tell me more about how much you ate in that single meal and what kind of macronutrients were in it? I would love to have a look into this as it sounds like a huge advantage for long distances!
@@erzhaiderI typically eat meat, eggs, complex carbs (sweet potato, carrots etc) until I feel full. No alcohol, no ultra processed food and zero snacking. I only raise my blood sugar/insulin once a day. I may eat fruit, but only after eating my carbs/proteins to lesson the sugar spike.
Energy gels. bars, drinks only create a vicious sugar spike/crash cycle.
Don't put out in the first hour what you can't put out in the last. Shooting for a triple Stelvio in August. It'll be a big day
Good advice, good luck on the stelvio!
cool, is that up all three sides?
@@DaveAtkinson that's the goal. Did a double in 2021 up from Bormio, down Prato and back up. Have to add Umbrail Pass
That’s a v big ride. Last August did Prato fast one day, Bormio the next v steady, then Mortirolo and Gavia the next. Was def too hot for me to do any more in one day.
@@markc17 Love that descent to Prato. The first 10km with the hairpins is magical We have 4 full days planned:
Day1: Lago di Cancano
Day 2: Stelvio x 3 (lots of bratwurst at the top 😉)
Day 3: Bormio 2000 (rest day)
Day 4: Mortirolo / Gavia loop
Good vid. Cheers
Exactly the kind of channel I need. I've been obsessed with bike riding eversince I was a kid. Now it's been ages since I've dome the 240 km Day Around The Bay in Melbourne and I'm preparing for my next 200 km ride. Finding someone in my age bracket is essential to get me back up to speed. [thumbs up!]
Awesome tips Sir, I'm still very young and I'm not aiming to be a professional bike racer either but these tips will help me train a lot since riding a bicycle is my passion.
Do doordash on bike, get paid to bike my guy
Riding in groups takes practice, or else you could be involved in an accident. Group cornering is very scary, especially at speeds.
I'm 61 and want to do my first 100 miles this Spring or Early summer.Am very excited about it but haven't done anything that length before.hope I can take something from this video.
Congrats!!! That amazing!
I have a goal to bike 45km in Aug on my hybrid eek! First long distance ever!
I would also suggest making a permanent list of things to take for spotives etc. I once drove 250 miles to a century ride only to discover.... i didn't bring my cycling shoes. 😢
Good tip! We’ve been there!
A great vid. I’m a new subber.
Welcome aboard!
Haha - a very unusual tip ! Get unaccustomed of Coffee -- for a while before the ride ( one ore two weeks at least ).
You will feel in training that your energy level with coffee is rather an artificial one -- rather have a good green tea once a day 😉
Remember we are designed to store energy. Train to tap into it rather than always relying on exogenous carbohydrates. Also keep in mind, the longer the ride, in general, the lower the intensity so the longer your stored energy will last.
Always got nutrition wrong. Never took enough. Get that hungry you’d eat the bar tape.
Guilty of that as well 😅
I have 3 big cross US state rides planned. BAK (Bike Ride Across Kansas), Ragbrai, and Mountains to Coast ride across North Carolina, all about 500 miles each in a week. I did all 3 of these last year as well. So I need to get back on the trainor more often till it warms up.
Awesome! Some cool events there, good luck!
great thanks
6. Find people to ride with.
This right here is my problem. Long solo ride it is.
Some review of vintage Bicycling does come in handy afterall.
Carbs are a big challenge for diabetics, as is fuelling in general......... It would be nice for these sort of channels to consider this.
amen to that
These channels aren't run by medical professionals and probably don't know how to go around fuelling for a bike ride with diabetes?
Could say the same for coeliacs as well. Cake is no good for as just like "normal" pasta.
Typ1 or 2? It's abig difference
For nutrition, I would add to make sure your digestion tract is cleared of food prior to a long outing so your fat-burning is at it's peak when you start. This will aid you in burning a bit less glycogen initially and optimal fat burn to start.
Chase The Sun in June - generally pretty flat but never cycled 205 miles before 😮
Awesome! Definitely one for the bucket list
same, longes to date is 80mi, trying to ramp up the training distances now!
I find the lunchbox sized baby maltloaves really good for fuelling on longer rides. Can pack a good few into pockets easily enough and doesn’t matter if they get a bit squashed. Done many centuries and 200k’s with just these, a banana for first munchies and energy/carb drink in my bottles. Depending on distance and how many carried I’ll plan to eat one every 25 miles or so. That keeps regular intake of fuel going, similar for drinking - I always plan to drink at regular mileage intervals say 3 miles or less as it gets warmer. Long climbs drop that down to maybe every mile. Gives you something to aim at. I use sachets of my energy drink to carry with me and top up bottles during the ride, again with planning for how long the ride is, knowing how far I’ll go per water bottle and where I’m able to stop for extra water.
On hotter days will drink extra at stops too as you can drain the bottles fairly quickly once you set off again if you’re getting warm.
Great tip to take the energy sachets with you, we definitely recommend that. The malt loaves are good unless you try and eat them all in one!
First tip for long rides = don't leave your rear light on when you stop for coffee breaks (like your bike behind you when you are talking). It might end up with the battery running out when you are actually riding.🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈
I’m doing my first year of Unbound in Kansas ❤🎉
Awesome! What an event - Enjoy!
Same here. See you there and good luck!!
Carb loading the day before easily the most important. If I don’t, I’ll bonk in 10 miles and be hopelessly eating gels all day trying to catch up.
If I carb load right, I can drink only water for 100 miles with no carbs at all and feel like I have plenty in the tank. Its amazing the difference carb loading will do
So if you “carb load” you are saying you can cycle for 5 hours at a hard pace the following day with zero carbs ingested on the bike and have no drop off in performance or pace and feel great?! And if you don’t “carb load” you bonk within 30 minutes?! I’m calling total absolute BS on both of these statements.
@@paddyotoole2058 Yep -
Have done a dozen centuries without any calories - all under 6 hours and at least 5.000 ft of climb. Is that world tour pace, obv not, but it’s not going soft either.
Frankly, I don’t really care if you don’t believe me. Your body’s requirements are different than mine.
carb loading makes a great difference for how i feel the entire ride, but I still need to eat a ton
This is the stupidest comment ever!!! Carb loading is a lifestyle.... and not something you do the night before a ride. Tell me you're an idiot cyclist without telling me you're an idiot cyclist.
Most average weight men can only store around 2500-3000 calories in glycogen. That's at most 3-4 hours of strong riding. I once crashed and burned horribly in well under 3 hours with no food during the ride despite carb loading and having had breakfast.
If you can do twice that, you're lucky. But I don't think most people should expect your experience will apply to them. Gotta keep eating...
Great tips. First Unbound for me on June 1st.
Would you consider a 1x grx granny gear for the dragon ride. 38 and 11,48 ish. Did the medio last year suffered but made it grand this and hopefully the devil next I will be 56 by then. My cadence is low 65 .75 and ftp about 250
My plan is to ride the Hotter N Hell 100 (full route) this summer. I currently ride 100-125 miles per week. I’m known to be a little heat sensitive, so adapting and preparing for that is my largest concern. Muscle cramps and overall heat exhaustion are my greatest fears.
Sounds great! Definitely find which electrolytes work best for you!
Lots of views of the Bwlch live at the foot of it on Treorchy side
I keep my heart rate at less than 80% MHR for the first half and then start pushing later. Hydration is VERY important as well. Hydrate for three days before the time and keep drinking every ten minutes about 750ml per hour.
Cramps on inner thigh are killer at 43 degree Celsius. Laat ride with 200k 1890 mts climb, cramps started kicking in at 120...
Practice your bunny hops.
Not just cake, I find it's important to balance cake with a mini pork pie...
It is all about the #balance
A blob of mustard might stop you getting cramp too.
Awesome tips Sir! It is amazing how so many folk think you don't need much food or a greasy burger at the top of Ditchling Beacon will sort them out for the last few Kms into Brighton. Sadly I train on my own now after having my two very expensive bikes stolen some years back.
Curious how training with other people means you get your bike stolen??
@@rob-c. In my case, sadly true. And it was all down to one jealous individual, at the time a close family friend. It does happen you know!
Good video, best tip: get a proper bike fit👍
good advice, may i add 1 tip: stay clear of muc off lube!
Yeah, zero friction cycling does not rate it. Says it wears off quickly. Not good for a 600km ride.
@@a1white Believe me i've have tried Muc Off products and they are _trash_ especially the Wet Lube.
Wish I could ride more. It keeps snowing here every time I have a free day
The indoor trainer is your friend. I know I would be no where near the cyclist I am without the ability to train in the early morning, late evening or on bad weather days.
The indoor trainer is like your wife’s friends. Even if it’s social to hang out with them, it’s very boring and you are counting the minutes hoping you can go home soon.
I try the indoor bike but it's just so much more boring but still every bit as tiring. I can barely stand to go 10% as far as I do outside
Where can I get one of your jerseys? Thank you! 😊
Just a note about the food.
The statement, "Eat as much as you can," is only partially correct. Certainly, eating too little will quickly pull the rug out from under you. However, eating too much can also lead to problems, especially under intense physical exertion. The human body cannot process a lot of food under strain. If you eat 5 bars every hour, the body is more occupied with digesting this than with supplying energy to the body. Stomach pains are the consequence.
So, it's important to consume the right amount of food in a timely manner.
Ok the longest ride I have completed is a 100 km challenge ride, I have attempted a Century ( 100 miles) ride, but I pulled out between half and 3/4 way through, cramping, cumulative fatigue from multiple long rides in recent weeks with overtime hours at work , plus upset stomach from a sports drink mix.. But I have always made sure to take some Gummi bears or Jelly beans or similar, as an immediate sugar hit if you feeling flat, about to bonk. Obviously a stop into a shop to grab a can of coke can also help to perk you up . Something I have learned from experience is don’t attempt a big ride if you have just gotten over an illness. Luckily for me in my case I found out I was not up to it on the first big climb at about 5 km into the ride, I just was blowing up, I pulled off the road into a driveway and I was literally seeing stars, huffing and puffing, and shaking all over. Someone pulled over with me, I told him I was a bust and I was pulling out, and I also contacted the person we arranged to be the sag wagon, that I was pulling out and just heading back to the start line and my car.
Im hoping to do my 1st 100 mile ride at the end of August. Im regularly doing 30-35 miles just now. Any tips on when i should be increasing this significantly?
4:10 , those devlish integrated handlebars .
Hydration too
Absolutely!
Actually more important than carbs especially if you have electrolytes in the drink.
Ok but how about a full review of that Lauf Uthald?!
Hi Ben, hope this helps…I’m afraid we haven’t done it in video format: road.cc/content/review/lauf-uthald-306037
I ride since I'm 16. Now Im 62. I ride 2000-4000km per year. So I have around 150'000 km in my legs. But I never understood people liking to go very long. Anything over 2.5 hours doesn't really exite me.
It's not the BONK. It's called Seeing Black Snow. Or in Flemish, "Niet meer weten van welke parochie je bent".
"No longer knowing which parish you belong to." 🤣
Happened a few times I must confess.
Well, we’ve now got a new favourite saying!
Split the ride into 50kms sections so 200 km is 4 sections,stop have good food and go again,I never think OMG 200Km, just 50 easy.
Chris Horner did a vid like this weeks ago.
HANDS Arrrrrgggghhhh!
The putting on/taking off a jacket on the bike thing is a bit unnecessary if you're on a 6 or 7 hour ride, but the rest of this was really good.
My tip, be sure to have a fun playlist on your headphones.
Hate to listen to music when riding. There are plenty distraction already : you have to look on a wheel of front rider, listen a traffic closing, listen to your group fellows. Also you can suffer without music better.
@@vadymvv I ride alone. But I get what you are saying.
@@vadymvv Could never understand why you would want to screen out the sounds of nature. And yes, listening out for traffic is probably the most important reason.
@@bitchoflivingblahI always ride with music. It lets people know I’m around. Animals don’t like loud noises- so I make loud noises. I sing, I dance, I shout- I keep it cool. And the music keeps me in cadence.
@@DipDuckDive whatever rocks your boat.
I can not agree with your view on a bike fit. I would put on the first place in the preparation process. And i would mention, that going to pro is your first and only option.
I rode up to 300 km rides before i made bikefit and that was awful. But next 3 to 5 days after those rides were even whorser. I was not just tires. My knees, back, hands were destroyed.
Last year i paid a small amount of €100 and went through bikefit in the nearest shop. Additional 130€ were spend on changing saddle and handlebar. After that i forget about any pain after riding a bicycle. Even more. I wend on 300 km one-day solo ride and on the next day i was tired, but there was no any pain.
And that was the cheapest available option.
Anybody got any advice for older riders whom seem to keep getting very painfull knee injuries . Got the right distance for seat to pedals but suffering from worst rear knee pain and has lasted over a month , keeping me from riding and walking.
Give your knees time to warm up when you start your ride, don’t over exert until you’ve done at least 20 to 30 minutes
@@kickedinthecalfbyacow7549 Thanks for the tip.
@doesnotcompute6078 Yep ligaments are certainly painfull . Not healed properly yet but getting there. Cheers.
Sleep water sugar 🥳👍🏻
Went Keto - no more bonking or needing food
I was gonna comment this. Glycogen 800 gram of stores about 3k colaries, compared to fat, hundreds of thousands of calories even on a lean person. More efficient sustained energy.
2:20 jam sandwiches .
im a teenager who wants to do a 32km with my cousin we pushed ourselves as far as we could got about 12.5km in not bad for a start seeing its in august i think we might be able to do it problem is hes got a shite bike
Fig rolls.....fuel of the gods. One every 40 mins
Stay just below zone 2 (240-270w) I'd stay at 230w, 80g of carbs per hour. If your not an athlate don't go crazy over hills hold your high end z3 for longer hills and just spin steadily.
Good luck packing 80g carbs/hour on a 5 hour ride…!! That’s like 15 gels
@@SamuelBlackMetalRider that's the problem.. Your talking gels. I'm talking powders in water bottles, even 80g sugar packets. All you need. Eveything your are buying and consuming is sugar, but more broken down. Sugar water, or even get 250ml of squuezey bottle. Put in 250g of sugar, melt with warm water and add cold water, mix. Your own gel. Take 2 of these in back pockets that's 500g sugar and some bars or whatever else. Your bottle can fuel the first 3 hours, 120g carb mix in there. I do may 100km rides this way ~ 3 hrs.
@@BikesKomsCRO you’ve been watching Jesse now haven’t ya? I prefer fruit paste, yummy, and dried Sultanas. High carbs concentration of all dried fruits and much more vitamins than just white sugar. Granted Sultanas are not easy to eat WHILE riding. 200g in 2 small pouches will give you 150g carbs, 500kcal, Potassium, Iron, , Magnesium, mucho B vitamins and a lotta minerals. White sugar can compete with that
@@SamuelBlackMetalRider dates and haribos.. On rides I'm focused on fueling to perform. After I focus on the nutrition after & before! Can't stand sultanas, they are always an obstacle in food 🤣
@@BikesKomsCRO too bad ´cos they’re the best option, better than dates! Try Dried Apricot, killer as well, filled with carbs & vitamins. I sometimes go for Skittles because they are Vegan unlike most Haribo that use disgusting pig/cow gelatin…
do i need pink bike?
Disagree with the first point. It's better to get out with a faster group that you can hang with rather than solo ride or be with a slow group that you are much faster then.
If you’re going for the fastest time possible then yes that’s the way to do it but it’s all too easy for it to end badly especially for riders trying to ride a distance for the first time
I would agree. I did the RAMROD around Mt Rainier - 152 miles and 10k ft of climb. Usually ride 20 mph solo, but hopped in a paceline a bit above my preference, but we ate up the first 100 miles in 4 hours.
It was too efficient to skip. Once I hit the climbs, I def went my own pace without the benefit of a draft.
Probably the best tip is to greatly reduce the amount of carbs and go keto or carnivore, that way you will never bonk (much better for your teeth too)
TLDR: eat well before and stay well fed during.
Unless you are carnivore. Then take some fat treats along!
200 grams of white sugar in your water bottle will always get you home
and to the dentist....
@@arhu74 sugar doesn't rot your teeth,
Carbonic acid from sweet drinks does.
Sugar is pH neutral
@@5x9withQSB I guess they taught me nonsense then in dental school
@@5x9withQSB sugar feeds bacteria which produce acids that break down enamel .
Slow and steady wins the race. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Insert generic platitude here. But seriously, take it easy on your legs, and your heart and lungs. If you normally cruise on the flat at say 27kmh, sit on 24-25kmh. Take it easy on the hills. Survive them, don't try and set a new PR. Draft other riders when you can and roll on the downhills, just turning the legs over with zero effort.
Best advice on here
most people start too fast.
The "secret" is to ride all year, and if you don't like it on the roads in winter, take up MTBing.
Toilet breaks!
Go by car.
Every time I see other guys who ride promoting cell phone addiction it's annoying to me. Guys have been road riding throughout the entirety of the 20th Century without the things, but now all of a sudden we have to have them? Sort of like with the bike helmets or China Flu shots. Now they're oh so important? I know there are lots of pods out there who can't help themselves but to do compulsively what other people do, but as for me I can actually think for myself, and live and ride as if I don't have a cell phone, especially since no one had them when I was younger. Also I see the gadgets (the phones and other things) generally as conflicting with the dynamic of being out on the bike, being outdoors, getting exercise and fresh air, taking in the experience, and NOT staring at tiny screens or pressing tiny little buttons! It's kind of being neurotic actually, not being able to leave the crap for a while.
@@doesnotcompute6078 It's only a must if you're an addict. It isn't a must for me. I can find a phone if I have to. No one had them before 25 years ago, but they're a must now? They certainly are not.
What do you do in an emergency? Nowadays it exist no public phone.
What do I do? Stay angry at the city for yanking the pay phones negligently and idiotically. Other than that, deal with it. The fact is no one really broke down next to a pay phone before. They had to sit and hope someone drove by to help. I can do that. Or they walked to make a call somewhere. I can do that too. So that's all the same. I really don't buy into the magic wand and baby pacifier business with the cell phones. I reject that mentality. I don't want to become like that. It's unmanly.
Pace don’t race
Misleading title. Cycling long distance can be made “easy”
Wow
Oh my gosh, these are not tips but a formula for failure and possible permanent injuries. FIRST: if you are drafting, then you did NOT ride 100 miles; this is a personal challenge to teach yourself cycling skills and training. IF you are drafting, you are cheating and just out for the ego of claiming the ride. Wrong attitude and no reason to accept the challenge, it is meaningless.
SECOND: it is not a race, you should know your pace and heartrates and terrain you ride, if you don't you haven't trained enough. Before even considering a century ride you should already be a great cyclist having: variable pedal candances from 80-110 in smooth controlled strokes. You know efficiency with at least 3 different pedal strokes (articulations). Bike mechanical knowledge should be excellent and on the road repair well-rehearsed through years of experience.
THIRD: All bike fitting problems should have been solved long ago, long before your first day of training for 100 miles. The traditional road racing bike may be a first choice for many, but a hybrid equipped with flat bars, bar ends and aero-bars is a much more comfortable choice. You will need the added skills of aero-bar riding and the common sense of not using them in town or heavy traffic.
FOURTH: That meal before the ride is useless, you should have been on a strict organic/natural diet for years; this pure diet will be your fat stores on your body. Fat stores is your only energy source on long rides (not sugars), and that source needs to be pure. If you eat crap food full of chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, drugs, you will always feel like crap on the bike, and will be always supplementing your bad food choices with sugar/"power" bars/caffeine. You don't need any food before or during the ride if you eat pure. Fat (hydrocarbons) is your only energy source that will never run out in 100 miles. IF, like most, you have been on a crap diet your entire life, it may take years to adapt this no-food fact into your life and bike rides. Pure fat stores is energy heaven, crap fat is why people run out of energy along with under-training or un-intelligent training.
FIFTH: Training for your body, know what body type you are, what talent you were born with, don't take advice from others on miles and intensity. A power body (endomorph) with low VO2 max capability is the worse body to attempt 100 miles, you will need at least 5 years of dedicated endurance training...and still not be able to make 100 miles without pain and injuries. Alternatively, an endurance body (ectomorph) with great God given talent and a high VO2 uptake could train for less than a year and be successful. Know how to train for your body, NEVER take advice from pro athletes. Know how to recover from training and continue to gain strength, endurance and speed. Chart your successes and failures, get to know YOU! Try different strategies in training, diet and recovery. Genetics, what you are born with, is 50% of success. You can complete 100 miles with near 0% genetics with dedication, patience, and intelligent training and recovery you will discover about yourself along the journey of this challenge. For some this distance may be impossible with the genetics you were given...just as this is a difficult event for the power body, it is the same for the endurance body wishing to compete and win in power lifting....an impossibility.
The worse advice anyone gives is the old..."you can do anything you are willing to work at". Horrible advice, you will be good at what God gave you at birth, develop those gifts and be happy in life.
(I have been a long-distance ultra-marathon cyclist for 56 years, competed in Race Across America and many other ultra-marathon events).
wow, i bet you're a riot at parties. you make riding 100 miles sound like climbing everest without oxygen. it's not that hard. i'm an endomorph with bad eating habits and i can knock out a century (or a double century) no problem at all. and i'll draft whoever i choose, thanks, oh great gatekeeper of the mystical 100-mile portal.
Funny that over 10% by mass of you is fat - 9000 kcal/kg - but you "ran out of energy"? 😅
What is wrong with this equation? So, its all wrong. Didn't really watch the rest of it.