At a young 66-years-old I will ride my Priority 600 from Flagstaff, AZ/Albuquerque, NM/Colorado Springs/ St. Louis, MO (Katy Trail)/Burlington, IO/Sioux City, IO/Tri State of Minnesota/Wisconsin/Iowa/Back to Burlington, fly home. About 2500 miles including desert, mountains, valleys, prairies, rivers, and as much dirt as I can find. I LOVE watching your endurance videos on GCN+
Si is such a wonderful presenter. I always thought mnt bikers were the cool cycling subsection that doesn't take themselves as seriously as the roadies. But Si and the GCN crew showed me it's all just rolling on 2 wheels. Would have hopped on a road bike years earlier if someone had pointed me at GCN. Love the passion and bike nerd energy Si. I may take your advice and push the distances, not just the single track. Signed a mnt bike turned road bike convert.
He really is a greater presenter, with a very appreciated self-deprecating manner and endless dry wit. Starting out with the inimitable Matt Stephens must have been great training and really a step in the right direction for the initial tone of the channel, which Si has carried on marvellously!
I turn 40 this year and wanted something to aim for after a forced year off, so I've decided to do the C2C at the end of June. Got the GCN route that Hank and Ollie did. This'll be my longest ride so far.
Best of luck jon ! I've been doing small local rides of around 10 miles twice weekly for a couple of years to keep my self active. Just purchased some bike packing equipment and going to attempt my first 100 mile ride but going to do it over 2 days, just waiting for some good weather! ... wish me luck
A tip that I learned years ago that worked well for me in 600km events or longer is taking a spare pair of shorts that already have a generous amount of chamois cream (or similar) in them. After you've had 18 or 20 hours in the saddle, changing shorts makes a huge difference. Shorts are much smaller than a sleeping bag and add a little more pep than sleeping in a cold field too. To carry on the food theme: do a month or three of rides where you only eat and drink things you'll be able to get ahold of during the ride. Go down to a few local convenience stores and walk the aisles and see what they carry, you'll be amazed at the goodies within. It's amazing what a couple of Eccles cakes and a canned Starbucks double shot can do in the early hours - just don't wolf them down all at once though unless you have lots of toilet paper and some wet wipes! If you're traveling to the event and are going through one of the towns that you'll be passing through, take a stop there and take a look around and get a feel for what they sell and opening/closing times. Looking forward to seeing future rides! Good luck.
I’ve got a target to complete a ride this year. I’ve tried it twice previously, the first time a car hit me and ruined that attempt. Last year I tried again and the legs couldn’t do it. This year I’m going for it again. 400 miles in one ride. Bristol to Lands End and back. That’s my goal for May this year.
Not doing anything as long yet, but I am doing my second 100km next month. However, the first time I did the 100km it was flat, now I've chosen a race/tour that has around 1k meters of elevation gain... let's see how it goes! In August I'm hoping to do a 100mi with over 3k meter elevation gain! Thanks for the tips Si!
At the end of last season, I did my first multi day bike tour with just me and the bike. The wife joined me and together we cycled around Corsica. Including the big climbs. Biggest tip I have is download a journal app. The journal is a million miles away from the selfie journey. Log it every day. When you put the selfies together with a journal you get a much better view of the highs and low. We are going to more this season too. And I’d agree with the points of this video: book it and do it. You may hurt at times but you will not regret it.
I'm cycling from the lake district to London over 3 days with a group of friends in May. We're all none/new riders and the weather has been terrible to try and put in training. So these videos help a lot.
April 28, riding from Romania across the border all the way to Budapest. Provided the weather would be OK I won’t be in a rush, so I’d planned it in two stretches, but that would still be probably a first for me in 6 years to ride 170-180km on consecutive days.
I won't be doing any ultra events any time soon but I am a veteran of the Michigan (USA) 24 Hour Challenge, held near Grand Rapids, MI every Father's Day weekend. My longest ride in the event was 301 miles in 24 hours- this was one of 5 rides in this event on my way to earning my 1000 mile Jersey. Riders may have a support crew. Your tips for riding such an event are on point. Have fun riding your next one! This girl has proven what she can do, and that Jersey is a source of pride and good memories.
I watched the video about that race only yesterday, and I was impressed.And now, listening to you talking about what you learnt from it, Si, actually makes me even prouder of your achievement, even if I am only a spectator to it.
Really enjoy long distance, started doing Audax rides in 2020 (after someone mentioned they were doing one and I had to google it!). Real food is key! Yes, you get really hungry but I think by the time you have drunk truck loads, there is less capacity in your stomach. Get the small Turkish wrap... not the large... :) Tricks to apply, I have my Garmin screen off most of the time... it turns up when needed for navigation... helps me stop obsessing about numbers. Pain... yes, knowing the difference between discomfort and pain... and dealing with stuff EARLY. Recovery, I reckon a good 4 weeks of gentle riding for a 400miler. Eat well, lots of sleep! Good lessons and summary!
Another example of why Si is 100% my favorite GCN presenter (sorry, Dan). Thanks for the insight - looking forward to my first 200 mi ride this summer!
What an amazing accomplishment, congratulations!!! So many inspirational accomplishments from the GCN Presenters to keep me going. I have signed-up for two gravel stage races this year: The Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder (5 days, 330+ miles) and Rebecca's Private Idaho, Queen's Stage Race (4 days, 210+ miles). I really enjoyed your ride with Rebecca Rusch, which is how I learned about this ride. Looking forward to more incredible content from GCN.
My god, I stopped this to do a job interview and finally finished it. THANK GOD. I had no idea how much Si adding music to his ride would add to MY enjoyment of this vid. I will never stop full out shout laughing at Si's rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody. Check back in a week. I'll still be laughing.
Si's frameback was a bit bulky on the sides. There are more rigid triangle-shaped framebags that are as narrow as the top tube, but they tend to be longer on the seat tube so bottles might not fit. Personally I avoid the problem by going with a saddle bag and handlebar bag only.
Good review of lessons learned. It's true the more of these that you do, the more your body adapts and the less recovery you need. At some point you end up recruiting both your slow twitch and your fast twitch fibers just to finish, so it's not surprising that doing a bunch of anaerobic efforts really clobbered you afterwards. I have a 600K, 1700K, and a 2000K event on my calendar for this year.
Thanks for the tips Si, I have 4 endurance goals this year. The first in 4 weeks is a 200 mile ride in 24hours around north Wales. Then in May I'm cycling The Reivers Route across England over 2 days. Followed by The Trans Cambrian Way across Wales over 2 days. Finishing with the John Muir Way across Scotland in September. All of them will be on gravel. All of them will be awesome.
Not doing an ultra, but I am registered for the L'Étape San Antonio this year! I'm pretty excited and I do plan to race it rather than do the stop for 20 minutes at all the refuel stations. I'll be turning 50 2 weeks after the event. Just missed moving into the next age bracket. LOL!!
I'm not sure "I couldn't do anything for a week, then later had to take an entire month off to recover" is quite the selling point Si seems to be trying to make.
Fairly new rider here. My current longest ride so far is only 120km, solo n a lil over 4hrs moving time. Still doing monthly solo century ride to increase the range and reduce moving time. I have not taken any vacation for 2years due to border closure. I've read about Jeju,SK and thinking maybe i want to try do a round island in 1day challenge (round island is around 240km, and its fairly flat)
56 and I signed up for chase the sun south longest single ride for me by a country mile… oh and I had a double diseconomy in November, then got sepsis and am only just getting on the bike for twice weekly 30 minute rides …. Gunna be a tough one 👍🏼
About "Pain" I once heard from somewhere, that cycling is a mental sport, if your mental is strong and ready to take the challenge then you have higher chance to finish it. So yeah I absolutely agree that even though distraction techniques are good, we have to still remember our body's limit so we don't get injury.
All lessons learned are in accordance with my experience, especially the need for a chain lubricant, but not for dry conditions,as shown in the video. Good video!
I'd love to do something like this one day, but I'm my own biggest enemy. I always go way too hard early on and end up crawling home at the end of the ride - not a tactic that works for longer rides...
I've done 175 miles in one day and completely agree about feeling wrecked for a day or two. I felt OK at the end of the ride and could barely move the next day. I also realized a month or so later that there was more cumulative damage to my joints than I realized. If you do something like that do several weeks of easy tempo/cool down paced rides
Not an ultra endurance guy. Far from it, but a couple weeks ago we set off with a friend for a big day out on our brakeless track bikes. We managed 220km with ±2700m elevation and an avg of 25.6kmh on 49x17 ratio. I might've been heard shouting "I'm not doing this ever again" on one of the mountains but as soon as the dust settled and my knees started to forgive me, I started planning the next one. Going through self inflicted hardship sure is addictive!
Hi Simon, really enjoyed your original video on the ride itself, and felt for you. Sincerely hope your singing improves next time lol. Doing a 650 km unsupported MTB gravel ride in Spain next month starting from Burgos riding XC down to Valencia, so thanks for these useful tips!!
I will be 64 in June 2022, and for Cancer Research Uk, I’m doing the 174 mile Hadrians Cycleway at the end of July. I will be doing this route unsupported and on my own, carrying camping kit and food with me. I’m getting excited already just thinking about it.
This is invaluable information for me! Not to the same level, but I'm doing a 125km off road cycle for Charity, a challenge I created myself. It's far behind my usual 40km ride but some of the things you talked about are going to help my 8 or 9 hour ride!
I did the Sedgefield500 earlier this year, I had planned to stop halfway but it was 40C in the Karoo so stopped at 210kms; next day I thought I’d stop again but when night came we were in the Knysna forest and it was too spooky to stop, so I carried on to the finish. Lessons learned are: be flexible, change plans as the circumstances change; and seeing the sunrise definitely gives you some watts. Never underestimate what your body can do, the mind is the part that needs to be kept strong.
Appreciateing its not the norm but perhaps the GCN tandem could make an appearance in a endurance ride. Yep it’ll sound nuts to the masses, but being a blind stoker who wants to do something like this, it’d make for interesting content.
One of the things I discovered when I entered my first ultra race was the food intake. Me too, Si... even though I felt really hungry, I just couldn't knock down a meal In one sitting.
I'm doing a couple of gravel sportives this year and a week of budget hotel/B&B touring with my son and his school- Hull to Felixstowe. Not 'ultra' but should be fun, and that's what it's about.
I agree with SI about top tube bags. Sadly I've never gotten on with them - not even the smaller ones that sit up top near the stem - because they interfere with my knees. I'm glad I'm not the only one.
Last December, I tried (solo) to ride 36 hours non-stop in San Antonio, Texas. I made it only 18. 200 miles. Learned a lot. Si and GCN, thanks for the tips. This December, I'm riding 300 miles. If I have to cough up a lung and barf a kidney, I'm riding 300, I'm not stopping. I'm 53.
Great review Si. Realising how hard (& enjoyable) ultra can be, the recovery time needed and the tips about frame bags, food and drink, priceless. Will let you know when I've taken a maddie, signed-up and completed an event. Cheers for the inspiration. p s. James Blunt will not be on the playlist.
Nice one, Si. Sounds like the good old days of debatable but sincere advice based on personal experience, (like WD-40) rather than just a substrate for hidden advertisements.
I'm going to do the former inner German border with a friend this summer. It is one of his bucket list wishes and he has a chronic disease, that gets progressively worse each year, he has maybe a couple of seasons left before he can't ride bikes anymore. I'm in the process of building a bike for this trip, because its a lot of gravel and concrete plates for tanks, it's just so difficult to get a group set for a decent price.
Si, you taught me to look for these things: You should have put that coffee cup in your backpack either crushed or upside down; that open cup is gobbling up air/watts, especially in the long haul! Hell of a ride though, congrats!
The most miles I've done so far is 65 miles. I want to ride 100miles this year. I have an American Cancer Society rideathon this year and an option is to ride 100 miles. This is the route I'm going to take. I'm looking forward to it.
My event this year - Vatternrundan in Sweden, 315 km. Third try, actually - last year was shifted to September, when I didn’t have time (and I felt so bad mentally, I could not have done it anyway), and the year before was cancelled completely.
Hi. I've ridden Vatternrundan twice. The second time the last 100 miles was into a headwind. It's not really an endurance ride more of just like a long sportive. I did under 14h both times and I wasn't that fit at the time. Just remember to take your own food/drink as the rest stops have 'Swedish' food that you won't be used to and they are always very busy. You will be astonished at the roadside support. At 3.30am just as it's getting light there are people sitting outside their houses cheering you on. Make sure your kit is firmly attached for the cobbled section as it will be littered with lights and pumps. Use the rest stops to have a break and enjoy it. I bonked 25k from home the first time, but made it to the end and still went back the next year. Enjoy the beer at the end!
@@MikeBrown-lq3iv will do, thank you! I’m riding this with a group of people I know from Zwift, some of which have done it 4-5 times. That way, we can look out for each other. Can be a big factor to have company. Not going for any fancy tight drafting, though, none of us do much racing outdoors.
Great vid, I love ultra rides - I really enjoy the post ride ‘dissection’ style of content. For me the switch to ultra rides came with a few changes. Gone were my race SPD SL’s and on with the way more comfortable SPD shoes yes they weigh a bit more but I can walk in them and with slightly more generous interior I had room for thicker socks and a gel inner sole. Other things that made king stuff way better was switching to a 28mm up front and a 32mm out back . Gel bar tape also lovely. Re. Frame bag I use a stiff sided race bags from Apidura. My knees track frame too and changing to this harder sided and narrow design worked well for me… I could go on, but that’s probably more than enough :) Steve AUDAX.Adventurer
I'll be competing in the Dale's 300km MTB race in July. As the title would suggest, it's a 300km loop around the Yorkshire Dales, with 21000ft of climbing, 75% off road, as fast as you can. It starts and finishes at Dales Cycle Centre in Skipton. Come on Si, you know it sounds good!😁
Just did a 24 hour event, my second one….The ultra world is a different special bunch of riders. Lots of older folks, recumbents, funny bikes, and insane people like myself. But come on in the water is fine.
Great vid! I´ve enlisted to the 568km / 353 Mi ”Great trial of strenght” between Trondheim-Oslo this summer. Dicipline regarding nutrition is required. My bike computer beeps every 20 min for a small zip. 15 min if really hot. Good tip with the fast food burgers!
Night time mind games is something I'm still mastering. Putting warmer clothes on and getting easy foods ready and accessible before the sunsets helps. But in the end a 20min nap can do wonders. Especially for a race length like Further East. I'm off to Rwanda next month for Race around Rwanda then off to Spain for Transpyrenees in June.
I'll be doing a 1,000 mile unsupported race across Texas in the U.S. this October. Also known as the RAT 1000. I'll take your advice and put it to good use as this will be my first bikepacking race. I'm also doing Unbound Gravel race in Emporia, Kansas in June (the 100 miler).
In 5 weeks I head off on a 6 week touring trip. Toowoomba to Townsville and back (in Queensland, Australia). I expect it total distance I cover to be over 3000km and over 10000m of climbing. Should be fun.
I'm planning on doing the tour divide this year. Hopefully an aggressive touring pace, rather than race pace will allow me to stop for hot food and a reasonable sleep schedule.
I have the same knee issue. I have a short frame bag that stays forward of my knees when seated that I use. It does rub a bit once I get out of the saddle but I try not to stand too much.
What an effort! And thank you for the tips! I'm riding the 24 hours Cup in Austria this year (and for the first time!) which are three round course races (ca 20km per round - except the last event which is 3,8km rounds) so atleast I have a base camp for nutrition and tools and stuff. Sooo, that's what I'm training for - and there is much more training to do for me to get to the results I want to achieve :)
I have come to the same conclusion on frame bags. I use a bento-style top tube bag and am trying out a hydration bag with a little storage. I'm not doing anything quite as long as this event competitively, but had tried the top tube bag for some pretty good length gravel races. I've tried handlebar bags, but really like running aerobars and haven't found one that works well with my aerobars. For commuting / bike packing, I also love my seat bag. I'm amazed with how much I can fit in there.
I did a 24hr MTB event and the weather was cold. What I thought was just numb hands and feet was actually nerve damage! Had to take 6months off the bike. Be careful how much you push yourself! And use the right gear! Lightweight cross country hardtail was not the best choice for that event! I was fast, but not comfortable!
This year will be year 2 for me of riding across the state of Idaho. Its not a race but a is a fundraiser for our local law enforcement. We ride 4 days in a row and average about 100 miles each of the 4 days. There isn't a ton of elevation gain but still riding 100 miles each day does get to you and I had to take about 3 weeks off the bike when I was done. I'm hoping that doesn't happen this year.
London Edinburgh London for me. Got a score to settle after getting within 100k of the finish last time (2017), with time in hand and good legs but my neck gave out and I couldn’t hold my head up! My partner finished after I’d taken the wind for her for 1300k!
I always plot too many places that are 24/7 even a garage as well as food stops with times of opening and closing, plenty co-op shops open 7 days a week. So I am never far from a bail out and hot top up somewhere. Sleeping bag and bivi bag every ride so if you stop your cozy for a while. Planning should take many hours if your take less or don’t bother you add to the hassle on the road when your burned a bit and increase the risk of quitting when the chips are down.
As the last year, I will probably ride all audax series lengths 200 (lots), 300, 400, 600 and 1000km. Maybe even LRM 1400 or 1600, work and family permitting..
Riding solo, self-supported from Denver Colorado to Eugene Oregon. Last year I rode solo, self-supported from Denver to Buffalo NY.
Denver to Buffalo. Amazing! That’s more than most people ride in a year!
@@jameswitte5676 21 days, one rest day, 1700 miles. Thanks for the kind words...
@@drwatsonpe I'm in MN, let me know if you want to meet in the middle sometime or go to glacier/Yellowstone
Be careful to not get dysentery. It always got me when I played Oregon trail
At a young 66-years-old I will ride my Priority 600 from Flagstaff, AZ/Albuquerque, NM/Colorado Springs/ St. Louis, MO (Katy Trail)/Burlington, IO/Sioux City, IO/Tri State of Minnesota/Wisconsin/Iowa/Back to Burlington, fly home. About 2500 miles including desert, mountains, valleys, prairies, rivers, and as much dirt as I can find. I LOVE watching your endurance videos on GCN+
Si is such a wonderful presenter. I always thought mnt bikers were the cool cycling subsection that doesn't take themselves as seriously as the roadies. But Si and the GCN crew showed me it's all just rolling on 2 wheels. Would have hopped on a road bike years earlier if someone had pointed me at GCN. Love the passion and bike nerd energy Si. I may take your advice and push the distances, not just the single track. Signed a mnt bike turned road bike convert.
He really is a greater presenter, with a very appreciated self-deprecating manner and endless dry wit. Starting out with the inimitable Matt Stephens must have been great training and really a step in the right direction for the initial tone of the channel, which Si has carried on marvellously!
Doing my very first ultra endurance ride middle of May. 361KM or 224miles! Called 36One MTB Challenge. Thanks for the advice!
It will definitely be tough as it is on MTB. Hope you can ride the whole distance and enjoy it.
I turn 40 this year and wanted something to aim for after a forced year off, so I've decided to do the C2C at the end of June. Got the GCN route that Hank and Ollie did. This'll be my longest ride so far.
Good luck, mate. 👍🏽
I also turn 40 this year, and also am planning c2c at the end of June, also following the GCN route. Maybe see you there
@@jacobwright9383 possibly 👍 If not, good luck and I hope you enjoy it 😊
Best of luck jon ! I've been doing small local rides of around 10 miles twice weekly for a couple of years to keep my self active. Just purchased some bike packing equipment and going to attempt my first 100 mile ride but going to do it over 2 days, just waiting for some good weather! ... wish me luck
@@georgedawson235 I felt like a gold medalist after my first century, it's such an amazing feeling. Good luck, I hope you really enjoy it.
A tip that I learned years ago that worked well for me in 600km events or longer is taking a spare pair of shorts that already have a generous amount of chamois cream (or similar) in them. After you've had 18 or 20 hours in the saddle, changing shorts makes a huge difference. Shorts are much smaller than a sleeping bag and add a little more pep than sleeping in a cold field too.
To carry on the food theme: do a month or three of rides where you only eat and drink things you'll be able to get ahold of during the ride. Go down to a few local convenience stores and walk the aisles and see what they carry, you'll be amazed at the goodies within. It's amazing what a couple of Eccles cakes and a canned Starbucks double shot can do in the early hours - just don't wolf them down all at once though unless you have lots of toilet paper and some wet wipes! If you're traveling to the event and are going through one of the towns that you'll be passing through, take a stop there and take a look around and get a feel for what they sell and opening/closing times.
Looking forward to seeing future rides! Good luck.
I’ve got a target to complete a ride this year. I’ve tried it twice previously, the first time a car hit me and ruined that attempt. Last year I tried again and the legs couldn’t do it. This year I’m going for it again. 400 miles in one ride. Bristol to Lands End and back. That’s my goal for May this year.
Great goal Stewart! Lots of climbing through Cornwall and Devon right there. Good luck.
Sheesh, good luck!
I did that leg for my JOGLE trip last August. 200miles 15k feet of climbing. Good luck 3rd time around👍
how did it go!
Not doing anything as long yet, but I am doing my second 100km next month. However, the first time I did the 100km it was flat, now I've chosen a race/tour that has around 1k meters of elevation gain... let's see how it goes! In August I'm hoping to do a 100mi with over 3k meter elevation gain! Thanks for the tips Si!
At the end of last season, I did my first multi day bike tour with just me and the bike. The wife joined me and together we cycled around Corsica. Including the big climbs. Biggest tip I have is download a journal app. The journal is a million miles away from the selfie journey. Log it every day. When you put the selfies together with a journal you get a much better view of the highs and low.
We are going to more this season too. And I’d agree with the points of this video: book it and do it. You may hurt at times but you will not regret it.
Watching you on the ride was really therapeutic. It was made by your genuine emotions and the wonderful score. Kudos to the composer...what an event!
I'm cycling from the lake district to London over 3 days with a group of friends in May. We're all none/new riders and the weather has been terrible to try and put in training. So these videos help a lot.
April 28, riding from Romania across the border all the way to Budapest. Provided the weather would be OK I won’t be in a rush, so I’d planned it in two stretches, but that would still be probably a first for me in 6 years to ride 170-180km on consecutive days.
I won't be doing any ultra events any time soon but I am a veteran of the Michigan (USA) 24 Hour Challenge, held near Grand Rapids, MI every Father's Day weekend. My longest ride in the event was 301 miles in 24 hours- this was one of 5 rides in this event on my way to earning my 1000 mile Jersey. Riders may have a support crew. Your tips for riding such an event are on point. Have fun riding your next one! This girl has proven what she can do, and that Jersey is a source of pride and good memories.
I watched the video about that race only yesterday, and I was impressed.And now, listening to you talking about what you learnt from it, Si, actually makes me even prouder of your achievement, even if I am only a spectator to it.
I’d really like to see you or another presenter do a brevet. Or perhaps a series of them and go to the PBP next year. That would be awesome.
PBP would be fantastic for GCN! I mean, if I can do it, you can too!
Really enjoy long distance, started doing Audax rides in 2020 (after someone mentioned they were doing one and I had to google it!). Real food is key! Yes, you get really hungry but I think by the time you have drunk truck loads, there is less capacity in your stomach. Get the small Turkish wrap... not the large... :) Tricks to apply, I have my Garmin screen off most of the time... it turns up when needed for navigation... helps me stop obsessing about numbers. Pain... yes, knowing the difference between discomfort and pain... and dealing with stuff EARLY. Recovery, I reckon a good 4 weeks of gentle riding for a 400miler. Eat well, lots of sleep! Good lessons and summary!
Another example of why Si is 100% my favorite GCN presenter (sorry, Dan). Thanks for the insight - looking forward to my first 200 mi ride this summer!
What an amazing accomplishment, congratulations!!! So many inspirational accomplishments from the GCN Presenters to keep me going. I have signed-up for two gravel stage races this year: The Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder (5 days, 330+ miles) and Rebecca's Private Idaho, Queen's Stage Race (4 days, 210+ miles). I really enjoyed your ride with Rebecca Rusch, which is how I learned about this ride. Looking forward to more incredible content from GCN.
Doing Tour Des Stations Ultra Fondo, Switzerland in August. Inspiration from Olies cracking effort😃👍
My god, I stopped this to do a job interview and finally finished it. THANK GOD. I had no idea how much Si adding music to his ride would add to MY enjoyment of this vid. I will never stop full out shout laughing at Si's rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody.
Check back in a week. I'll still be laughing.
Really helpful stuff here. I had not thought about frame bags changing your knee angle but that makes sense.
Si's frameback was a bit bulky on the sides. There are more rigid triangle-shaped framebags that are as narrow as the top tube, but they tend to be longer on the seat tube so bottles might not fit. Personally I avoid the problem by going with a saddle bag and handlebar bag only.
Thumbs up for not littering with the coffee cup! Great video and inspiring to see you complete all these challenges and events 💪
It was a paper cup. Biodegradable. 3 rains and it would have disintegrated.
@@mrscreamer379 doesn't really work like that, does it?
The breakdown of these events from the GCN presenters who did them getting a full/short video is something I didn't know I needed.
Good review of lessons learned. It's true the more of these that you do, the more your body adapts and the less recovery you need. At some point you end up recruiting both your slow twitch and your fast twitch fibers just to finish, so it's not surprising that doing a bunch of anaerobic efforts really clobbered you afterwards.
I have a 600K, 1700K, and a 2000K event on my calendar for this year.
Thanks for the tips Si, I have 4 endurance goals this year. The first in 4 weeks is a 200 mile ride in 24hours around north Wales. Then in May I'm cycling The Reivers Route across England over 2 days. Followed by The Trans Cambrian Way across Wales over 2 days. Finishing with the John Muir Way across Scotland in September. All of them will be on gravel. All of them will be awesome.
Not doing an ultra, but I am registered for the L'Étape San Antonio this year! I'm pretty excited and I do plan to race it rather than do the stop for 20 minutes at all the refuel stations. I'll be turning 50 2 weeks after the event. Just missed moving into the next age bracket. LOL!!
Love this kind of video. Thanks Si! That’d so be me with the knee/top tube bag. Great tip!
I'm not sure "I couldn't do anything for a week, then later had to take an entire month off to recover" is quite the selling point Si seems to be trying to make.
What do you mean? I don't need anything else to convince me to try it too 😀
I have this awful habit of going to work 5 days a week. If I couldn't do anything for a week, I'm guessing my boss would cure me of my awful habit.
@@mrscreamer379 when your legs are wrecked like that you can sit in a desk just fine, standing up from it at the end of the day however...
@@nk-dw2hm I don't have a desk job. I do 12 hour shifts in a factory.
Si crying, so good, thanks for including that in the video.
Fairly new rider here. My current longest ride so far is only 120km, solo n a lil over 4hrs moving time. Still doing monthly solo century ride to increase the range and reduce moving time.
I have not taken any vacation for 2years due to border closure.
I've read about Jeju,SK and thinking maybe i want to try do a round island in 1day challenge (round island is around 240km, and its fairly flat)
I just signed up for my first gravel race (130 kms) and a 150 km gran fondo. Not bad for 50 year old clydesdale.
56 and I signed up for chase the sun south longest single ride for me by a country mile… oh and I had a double diseconomy in November, then got sepsis and am only just getting on the bike for twice weekly 30 minute rides …. Gunna be a tough one 👍🏼
CTS is great, you'll love it. Try to minimise stops and you'll get there in time
@@chrisw9681 was thinking of 3 x max 20 minute stops 🤔🤔
About "Pain"
I once heard from somewhere, that cycling is a mental sport, if your mental is strong and ready to take the challenge then you have higher chance to finish it.
So yeah I absolutely agree that even though distraction techniques are good, we have to still remember our body's limit so we don't get injury.
All lessons learned are in accordance with my experience, especially the need for a chain lubricant, but not for dry conditions,as shown in the video. Good video!
I'd love to do something like this one day, but I'm my own biggest enemy. I always go way too hard early on and end up crawling home at the end of the ride - not a tactic that works for longer rides...
Thanks Si, .... enjoyed listening to your discoveries for ultra riding events/bike touring.
I've done 175 miles in one day and completely agree about feeling wrecked for a day or two. I felt OK at the end of the ride and could barely move the next day.
I also realized a month or so later that there was more cumulative damage to my joints than I realized. If you do something like that do several weeks of easy tempo/cool down paced rides
Not an ultra endurance guy. Far from it, but a couple weeks ago we set off with a friend for a big day out on our brakeless track bikes. We managed 220km with ±2700m elevation and an avg of 25.6kmh on 49x17 ratio. I might've been heard shouting "I'm not doing this ever again" on one of the mountains but as soon as the dust settled and my knees started to forgive me, I started planning the next one. Going through self inflicted hardship sure is addictive!
Race around the Netherlands and Hope 1000 in 2022 :)
Hi Simon, really enjoyed your original video on the ride itself, and felt for you. Sincerely hope your singing improves next time lol. Doing a 650 km unsupported MTB gravel ride in Spain next month starting from Burgos riding XC down to Valencia, so thanks for these useful tips!!
I will be 64 in June 2022, and for Cancer Research Uk, I’m doing the 174 mile Hadrians Cycleway at the end of July. I will be doing this route unsupported and on my own, carrying camping kit and food with me. I’m getting excited already just thinking about it.
This is invaluable information for me!
Not to the same level, but I'm doing a 125km off road cycle for Charity, a challenge I created myself. It's far behind my usual 40km ride but some of the things you talked about are going to help my 8 or 9 hour ride!
I did the Sedgefield500 earlier this year, I had planned to stop halfway but it was 40C in the Karoo so stopped at 210kms; next day I thought I’d stop again but when night came we were in the Knysna forest and it was too spooky to stop, so I carried on to the finish. Lessons learned are: be flexible, change plans as the circumstances change; and seeing the sunrise definitely gives you some watts. Never underestimate what your body can do, the mind is the part that needs to be kept strong.
Great advice - kudos for carrying on!
The tip about bringing chain lube was helpful. I did a 154 mile ride the other day and brought some along (and needed it).
Appreciateing its not the norm but perhaps the GCN tandem could make an appearance in a endurance ride. Yep it’ll sound nuts to the masses, but being a blind stoker who wants to do something like this, it’d make for interesting content.
One of the things I discovered when I entered my first ultra race was the food intake. Me too, Si... even though I felt really hungry, I just couldn't knock down a meal In one sitting.
It is comforting to find out that the big toenail thing happens to others on the endurance rides.
Yeah I missed the reference Si was making in the vid. Sounds like it might be kinda gross, but could You explain?
@@SeanoHermano Si said that his big toenails looked like they wanted to fall off.
I am turning 44 today and I am getting into Randonneuring, so 125+ mile rides and to train I am riding 200 km in Zwift today.
This kind of rides are addictive. The saying goes, “I’m not gonna do that again… until the next one”
Haha, I like that.
I'm doing a couple of gravel sportives this year and a week of budget hotel/B&B touring with my son and his school- Hull to Felixstowe. Not 'ultra' but should be fun, and that's what it's about.
I agree with SI about top tube bags. Sadly
I've never gotten on with them - not even the smaller ones that sit up top near the stem - because they interfere with my knees.
I'm glad I'm not the only one.
When doing ultra distances, comfort truly is key!
Last December, I tried (solo) to ride 36 hours non-stop in San Antonio, Texas. I made it only 18. 200 miles. Learned a lot. Si and GCN, thanks for the tips. This December, I'm riding 300 miles. If I have to cough up a lung and barf a kidney, I'm riding 300, I'm not stopping. I'm 53.
Great review Si. Realising how hard (& enjoyable) ultra can be, the recovery time needed and the tips about frame bags, food and drink, priceless. Will let you know when I've taken a maddie, signed-up and completed an event. Cheers for the inspiration. p s. James Blunt will not be on the playlist.
Si singing along is easily the highlight of the documentary LOL
Nice one, Si. Sounds like the good old days of debatable but sincere advice based on personal experience, (like WD-40) rather than just a substrate for hidden advertisements.
Worth the risk of copyright strike just to see Si singing 😍 Love you GCN!
I'm going to do the former inner German border with a friend this summer.
It is one of his bucket list wishes and he has a chronic disease, that gets progressively worse each year, he has maybe a couple of seasons left before he can't ride bikes anymore.
I'm in the process of building a bike for this trip, because its a lot of gravel and concrete plates for tanks, it's just so difficult to get a group set for a decent price.
Sounds like a really good tour!
Hope you have a lot of fun with your friend and find a groupset that suits your needs beforehand.
Si, you taught me to look for these things: You should have put that coffee cup in your backpack either crushed or upside down; that open cup is gobbling up air/watts, especially in the long haul! Hell of a ride though, congrats!
Haha, so true! That’s how ruined I was.
This bloke is a legend!!!
Hats off to you Si great ride and sum up thanks . 👌🏻
The most miles I've done so far is 65 miles. I want to ride 100miles this year. I have an American Cancer Society rideathon this year and an option is to ride 100 miles. This is the route I'm going to take. I'm looking forward to it.
Good luck 👍
Just build up gradually and make sure you take rest days.
My event this year - Vatternrundan in Sweden, 315 km. Third try, actually - last year was shifted to September, when I didn’t have time (and I felt so bad mentally, I could not have done it anyway), and the year before was cancelled completely.
Hi. I've ridden Vatternrundan twice. The second time the last 100 miles was into a headwind. It's not really an endurance ride more of just like a long sportive. I did under 14h both times and I wasn't that fit at the time. Just remember to take your own food/drink as the rest stops have 'Swedish' food that you won't be used to and they are always very busy. You will be astonished at the roadside support. At 3.30am just as it's getting light there are people sitting outside their houses cheering you on. Make sure your
kit is firmly attached for the cobbled section as it will be littered with lights and pumps. Use the rest stops to have a break and enjoy it. I bonked 25k from home the first time, but made it to the end and still went back the next year. Enjoy the beer at the end!
@@MikeBrown-lq3iv will do, thank you!
I’m riding this with a group of people I know from Zwift, some of which have done it 4-5 times. That way, we can look out for each other. Can be a big factor to have company. Not going for any fancy tight drafting, though, none of us do much racing outdoors.
This year I'll be doing Unbound 100. The most I've ridden on gravel is 65 so this will be a major accomplishment for me.
U can customize dry sag and attach it to you TT handlebar. It's the most aero configuration for handlebar bag and quick to use
Great vid, I love ultra rides - I really enjoy the post ride ‘dissection’ style of content. For me the switch to ultra rides came with a few changes. Gone were my race SPD SL’s and on with the way more comfortable SPD shoes yes they weigh a bit more but I can walk in them and with slightly more generous interior I had room for thicker socks and a gel inner sole. Other things that made king stuff way better was switching to a 28mm up front and a 32mm out back . Gel bar tape also lovely. Re. Frame bag I use a stiff sided race bags from Apidura. My knees track frame too and changing to this harder sided and narrow design worked well for me… I could go on, but that’s probably more than enough :) Steve AUDAX.Adventurer
thanks for the suggestions.
I'm gonna attempt NY to Montreal this summer.
Whish me luck
I'll be competing in the Dale's 300km MTB race in July. As the title would suggest, it's a 300km loop around the Yorkshire Dales, with 21000ft of climbing, 75% off road, as fast as you can. It starts and finishes at Dales Cycle Centre in Skipton. Come on Si, you know it sounds good!😁
Just did a 24 hour event, my second one….The ultra world is a different special bunch of riders. Lots of older folks, recumbents, funny bikes, and insane people like myself. But come on in the water is fine.
This was super interesting. I’d love to see more of these reflections from the GCN adventurers.
I was so inspired by your ride Si, I’m racing Further East myself this year!
Awesome!!!!
Great vid! I´ve enlisted to the 568km / 353 Mi ”Great trial of strenght” between Trondheim-Oslo this summer. Dicipline regarding nutrition is required. My bike computer beeps every 20 min for a small zip. 15 min if really hot.
Good tip with the fast food burgers!
The toenails! Two of mine are still black after completing a 770 mile week long ride last year. Great insights, Si. Thank you.
Is that just from the nails rubbing against the sock or something else?
@@mattyjninja I think so. Toe nails probably needed cutting before the ride. Another lesson learnt.
GCN should make Si do as many endurance events as possible. It was such great content.
Night time mind games is something I'm still mastering. Putting warmer clothes on and getting easy foods ready and accessible before the sunsets helps. But in the end a 20min nap can do wonders. Especially for a race length like Further East. I'm off to Rwanda next month for Race around Rwanda then off to Spain for Transpyrenees in June.
I'll be doing a 1,000 mile unsupported race across Texas in the U.S. this October. Also known as the RAT 1000. I'll take your advice and put it to good use as this will be my first bikepacking race. I'm also doing Unbound Gravel race in Emporia, Kansas in June (the 100 miler).
Unbound XL is on my bucket list. Over in the UK but planning to get a place in 2024
@@LUCYDIAMONDBOXER1 I also want to do Unbound XL but maybe next year.
In 5 weeks I head off on a 6 week touring trip. Toowoomba to Townsville and back (in Queensland, Australia). I expect it total distance I cover to be over 3000km and over 10000m of climbing. Should be fun.
I'm planning on doing the tour divide this year. Hopefully an aggressive touring pace, rather than race pace will allow me to stop for hot food and a reasonable sleep schedule.
This is a good follow up. The film was really good and fun but I remember thinking it could've been longer.
I have the same knee issue. I have a short frame bag that stays forward of my knees when seated that I use. It does rub a bit once I get out of the saddle but I try not to stand too much.
Good story. Get the Canyon frame bag, it stays with in the frame and doesn’t get in the way. Don’t overpack obviously.
What an effort! And thank you for the tips! I'm riding the 24 hours Cup in Austria this year (and for the first time!) which are three round course races (ca 20km per round - except the last event which is 3,8km rounds) so atleast I have a base camp for nutrition and tools and stuff.
Sooo, that's what I'm training for - and there is much more training to do for me to get to the results I want to achieve :)
Good luck!!
Thank You ❤️
Amazing video. Simon ride on!
I think Si shall try Donegal 555.
Plan for 2022 is a 500km ride on my endurance road bike. Think I will do a nap in between. Longest ever before was 300km on a trekking bike.
Got a place in this years Trans pyranees, interesting video! Thanks
Me too, second time, it's such a beautiful part of the world. You cannot under gear for this one!
@@hectorkidds9840 awesome! Was the western changeable when you did it?
@@hectorkidds9840 weather **
If we are talking the lost dot race, yes, daytime temperature up to about 30c, up high at night, close to freezing, wet and windy.
@@hectorkidds9840 yep that race. Nice good to know 😂😂 will pack a lot of kit then …
I have come to the same conclusion on frame bags. I use a bento-style top tube bag and am trying out a hydration bag with a little storage. I'm not doing anything quite as long as this event competitively, but had tried the top tube bag for some pretty good length gravel races. I've tried handlebar bags, but really like running aerobars and haven't found one that works well with my aerobars.
For commuting / bike packing, I also love my seat bag. I'm amazed with how much I can fit in there.
Isn't it much better to have a rear bag? Aero AND comfortable....
This was great Si! I loved the film, and this break down. It’s inspiring! Don’t think I’ll do a 400 race but I’ll extend a 3-day weekend ride
Thanks! Go for it Ian. 👍
Interesting that it took so long to come right. Well done!
I did a 24hr MTB event and the weather was cold. What I thought was just numb hands and feet was actually nerve damage! Had to take 6months off the bike. Be careful how much you push yourself! And use the right gear! Lightweight cross country hardtail was not the best choice for that event! I was fast, but not comfortable!
Had a similar experience on a 1000 mile cycle. Thought it was the cold but transpired to be carpal tunnel syndrome. 6 months on still got it
@@LUCYDIAMONDBOXER1 it does get better, but it’s pretty rubbish putting up with it
This year will be year 2 for me of riding across the state of Idaho. Its not a race but a is a fundraiser for our local law enforcement. We ride 4 days in a row and average about 100 miles each of the 4 days. There isn't a ton of elevation gain but still riding 100 miles each day does get to you and I had to take about 3 weeks off the bike when I was done. I'm hoping that doesn't happen this year.
I cycle a thousand mile rides with cerebral palsy on my tricycle alot. Alot of the same rules apply. Making sure your limbs don't fall off your body.
Thank you for sharing With us!
What about your Aero Bars? Did you use them at all? Where they helping With your neck or even more hurting?
Seen a loon wearing GCN kit, getting blown along the A433 to Tetbury, carrying a 40lb rucksack last Wednesday…
I’d love to see you guys do some randonneuring content. Hank and Si on a 600k brevet would be epic fun.
Doing the small Midnight Sun Randonnee 1200 mid June and the hiking Sweden’s highest mountain the week after
BC epic1000 this June at the young age of 65 .
London Edinburgh London for me. Got a score to settle after getting within 100k of the finish last time (2017), with time in hand and good legs but my neck gave out and I couldn’t hold my head up! My partner finished after I’d taken the wind for her for 1300k!
My 2022 riding goal is a four day ride from Cologne to Karlsruhe, Germany. We'll be sleeping under at least two stars, maybe three star hotels.
I always plot too many places that are 24/7 even a garage as well as food stops with times of opening and closing, plenty co-op shops open 7 days a week. So I am never far from a bail out and hot top up somewhere. Sleeping bag and bivi bag every ride so if you stop your cozy for a while. Planning should take many hours if your take less or don’t bother you add to the hassle on the road when your burned a bit and increase the risk of quitting when the chips are down.
As the last year, I will probably ride all audax series lengths 200 (lots), 300, 400, 600 and 1000km. Maybe even LRM 1400 or 1600, work and family permitting..