Author Topic: Stepping up to distances greater than 300km  (Read 7915 times)

bludger

  • Randonneur and bargain hunter
Re: Stepping up to distances greater than 300km
« Reply #50 on: 04 February, 2020, 12:16:39 am »
It's a tragedy that you don't get chocolate oat milk in most places. I had some in Bristol the other year and it was godly.
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Davef

Re: Stepping up to distances greater than 300km
« Reply #51 on: 04 February, 2020, 07:22:52 am »
It's a tragedy that you don't get chocolate oat milk in most places. I had some in Bristol the other year and it was godly.
My local Tesco, Waitrose and coop stock chocolate oatly . I think it has become quite widespread now.


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Re: Stepping up to distances greater than 300km
« Reply #52 on: 04 February, 2020, 08:38:15 am »
It's a tragedy that you don't get chocolate oat milk in most places. I had some in Bristol the other year and it was godly.

I initially read that as chocolate cat milk. Sheesh the audaxer demographic has changed since I was riding regularly.

Re: Stepping up to distances greater than 300km
« Reply #53 on: 04 February, 2020, 08:58:51 am »
Night riding does get easier with time & experience, you never stop learning, here in West Yorkshire there are things to try & avoid.

Riding through Castleford after midnight.

Sleeping in Hedge bottoms, "Critters" start to nibble at you.

Never sleep in a corn field ……. Combined Harvesters do work night shifts.


T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Stepping up to distances greater than 300km
« Reply #54 on: 04 February, 2020, 09:06:02 am »
It's a tragedy that you don't get chocolate oat milk in most places. I had some in Bristol the other year and it was godly.

One BCMF I did they had instant lemon tea at all the controls, and I found it delicious. Back home I bought the same stuff and it was vile.  I guess tastes change according to needs.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

arabella

  • عربللا
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Re: Stepping up to distances greater than 300km
« Reply #55 on: 05 February, 2020, 01:08:01 pm »
Never sleep in a corn field ……. Combined Harvesters do work night shifts.

when I was young they'd stop when the air got to a certain level of dampness as that means you're harvesting damp cereal and have to pay £££ to reduce the humidity down to the necessary level for safe storage.  though things may have changed since I moved into a town.
So you're OK if there's dew/rain etc.
Any fool can admire a mountain.  It takes real discernment to appreciate the fens.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Stepping up to distances greater than 300km
« Reply #56 on: 05 February, 2020, 01:14:50 pm »
Frijj/Yazoo (sweet milkshakes) are a godsend, especially latish on longer rides. Ubiquitous in garages etc and untaxed (VAT, sugar tax) at present. Water is taxed, milk and milk drinks are not (yet).

Not everyone tolerates milk though.

While I'm firmly in the milkshake late in the ride camp, my tolerance for Frijj when digestively delicate has declined markedly since they replaced some of the sugar with sweetener, and I tend to avoid it when I've still got some cycling to do (it's fine on the train home, or immediately after a race).  Supermarket flavoured milk is now my go-to option.

Re: Stepping up to distances greater than 300km
« Reply #57 on: 05 February, 2020, 01:43:33 pm »
"Supermarket flavoured milk is now my go-to option"
Tastes of ... supermarket?
Turn, turn, turn again
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Kim

  • Timelord
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Re: Stepping up to distances greater than 300km
« Reply #58 on: 05 February, 2020, 01:55:53 pm »
"Supermarket flavoured milk is now my go-to option"
Tastes of ... supermarket?

That's the stuff.   :thumbsup:

Re: Stepping up to distances greater than 300km
« Reply #59 on: 05 February, 2020, 03:23:45 pm »
It's a first world tragedy that you don't get chocolate oat milk in most places.
FTFY

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Stepping up to distances greater than 300km
« Reply #60 on: 05 February, 2020, 05:54:36 pm »
Frijj/Yazoo (sweet milkshakes) are a godsend, especially latish on longer rides. Ubiquitous in garages etc and untaxed (VAT, sugar tax) at present. Water is taxed, milk and milk drinks are not (yet).
Not everyone tolerates milk though.
While I'm firmly in the milkshake late in the ride camp, my tolerance for Frijj when digestively delicate has declined markedly since they replaced some of the sugar with sweetener, and I tend to avoid it when I've still got some cycling to do (it's fine on the train home, or immediately after a race).  Supermarket flavoured milk is now my go-to option.

Whilst I understand why this is done, I really wish full-sugar drinks were easily available for Audax and special occasions. I might even be prepared to pay a premium.

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: Stepping up to distances greater than 300km
« Reply #61 on: 05 February, 2020, 07:28:47 pm »
Frijj/Yazoo (sweet milkshakes) are a godsend, especially latish on longer rides. Ubiquitous in garages etc and untaxed (VAT, sugar tax) at present. Water is taxed, milk and milk drinks are not (yet).
Not everyone tolerates milk though.
While I'm firmly in the milkshake late in the ride camp, my tolerance for Frijj when digestively delicate has declined markedly since they replaced some of the sugar with sweetener, and I tend to avoid it when I've still got some cycling to do (it's fine on the train home, or immediately after a race).  Supermarket flavoured milk is now my go-to option.

Whilst I understand why this is done, I really wish full-sugar drinks were easily available for Audax and special occasions. I might even be prepared to pay a premium.
Yeah, I feel like they have not considered the needs of audaxers in these changes. However remember there are more calories in freshly squeezed orange juice than choice if you can tolerate the acidity.

Eddington  127miles, 170km

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Stepping up to distances greater than 300km
« Reply #62 on: 05 February, 2020, 08:06:39 pm »
Freshly squeezed orange juice is 10% ±1% sugar.

Many other things are more. A fruit yogurt without artificial sweeteners will be around 15%.

The old original Lucozade was 20% IIRC and Ribena was around 15% before it was reformulated.

Milk drinks are on Special Offer at Sainsbury's at present.

Yop seems to offer 10% sugar and more nutrients.

The buggers have reformulated Mars drinks, which were wonderful when I was recovering from pneumonia...

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: Stepping up to distances greater than 300km
« Reply #63 on: 05 February, 2020, 09:49:42 pm »
Hmm autocorrect seems to have done something there.(choice should read coke) I'm sure it has more calories than coke. I remember being shocked one time.

Yes m&s freshly squeezed OJ 200kj per 100ml
Coca cola 180kj per 100ml

Eddington  127miles, 170km

CrazyEnglishTriathlete

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Re: Stepping up to distances greater than 300km
« Reply #64 on: 05 February, 2020, 09:57:47 pm »
Another thought about stepping up in distance is that you end up riding at parts of the day/night you don't normally ride.  I found 6am starts on my first couple of Audaxes a real challenge, so I started a whole series of training rides at 5am and 6am until I got used to it.  Equally, it might be worthwhile starting a 100 mile training ride at 6pm just to get used to the night section of a 400.

Also, I've posted many times that 400 for many people is at least as tough if not tougher than a 600, because its never easy to fit in a proper sleep stop.  So that might also be a cause of issues.
Eddington Numbers 130 (imperial), 182 (metric) 571 (furlongs)  114 (nautical miles)

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Stepping up to distances greater than 300km
« Reply #65 on: 05 February, 2020, 10:38:53 pm »
Hmm autocorrect seems to have done something there.(choice should read coke) I'm sure it has more calories than coke. I remember being shocked one time.

Yes m&s freshly squeezed OJ 200kj per 100ml
Coca cola 180kj per 100ml

'Around 10% sugar' is a good ball park estimate for both fruit juice and full-fat Coke. Some folk may prefer apple juice to orange; sugar content is similar. It might be less acidic.

Sugar is 4kcal/17kj per gram.

Sugar and acid are not tooth-friendly; Think about your teeth on longer rides.

Re: Stepping up to distances greater than 300km
« Reply #66 on: 06 February, 2020, 01:09:49 pm »
For me the key is making a tough 300k ride the norm. When I first started cycling, a hilly 200k ride was a tough ride for me. But as I rode  more and more 200s it became just a ride. When I started to move up to riding hilly 300k rides once again they were hard rides but the more I did they became the norm so the next day I could ride another.

400k rides are the most difficult IMO as you don't really have time to sleep but if your body is used to ridding hilly 300ks then you should be fine.

Fuelling is different for everybody. I have a friend who can't eat after a days riding so she's eating little and often throughout her rides. For me I'll eat little and often on rides up to 400k but on any ride longer I'll ensure I carb up just before I sleep as my body needs at least an hour after a heavy meal. And I've messed with around with gels and sports bars etc but find real food such as tuna sandwiches, bananas, homemade oatbars best for me on the bike with a proper meal such as pasta or rice as my pre-sleep
meal.

Re: Stepping up to distances greater than 300km
« Reply #67 on: 12 February, 2020, 03:45:00 pm »
Building up distances from 0 to 300 during events is the basics. Most longer organised rides (non Audax) I have done had an early morning start. So this goes along with my normal bio-rythm.
If you have a 400km. I devide this in a morning ride 200km, afternoon ride, 100km and an evening ride 100km. It's all a mind set, don't let the big numbers frighten you. 
If you do a 600km, it's nothing more then riding 2 times a 300km, with you are familiar with. I normally book a B&B half way so thay you still have a good night sleep. I don't like to ride during the night.
If I do rides longer then 2 hours, I use BORN sport nutricion. My Garmin gives me every half hour an alarm signal so that I don't forget to eat and drink. Because your body has a limit of carbohydrate intake a hour. You want to maximise this, so that you don't run out of fuel. Bigger water bottles (2x 950ml) is more weight but you have to stop less to refill.
Also training your self to have short brakes during the ride, will make it easier to finish your ride within the time limits.
Shorter distances are a great way to build up some speed. You may benefitt from this on longer rides, because if you can drive faster, You have less time on the bike and more time for recovery (at (sleeping)brakes).
Also do some training on hills or mountains of against the wind if you expect to get this circumstances on your ride. Do some investigation about your ride so you know where the controls are (google maps is very helpfull) and you know in headlines where the route takes you to.
And ofcourse have fun!

CrazyEnglishTriathlete

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Re: Stepping up to distances greater than 300km
« Reply #68 on: 12 February, 2020, 08:18:43 pm »
For me the key is making a tough 300k ride the norm. When I first started cycling, a hilly 200k ride was a tough ride for me. But as I rode  more and more 200s it became just a ride. When I started to move up to riding hilly 300k rides once again they were hard rides but the more I did they became the norm so the next day I could ride another.

As a blatant plug, I've just rerouted the Cambrian 3D as when I mapped it on RidewithGPS it came out to 290km, so I sent it from Llangollen over to Glen Ceirog and back through the Berwyns and it's now been approved at 5190m ascent.    That should fit the bill.  All the other Cambrian Series 300s will also do.

An alternative is to ride to the start of a 300 to add some distance.   Last year I rode from Basingstoke to Alresford, round Le Tour de Neuf Chevaux Blancs, and then back home, which made it about 360km and set me up nicely for my 400 and 600 later in the year.  It doesn't have to be a formal E2E to add distance.

Even just an ordinary 300 perm might help - as this it does increase self-sufficiency when you have to forage for all your food.
Eddington Numbers 130 (imperial), 182 (metric) 571 (furlongs)  114 (nautical miles)