Originally Posted by
bobbycorno
IME, once you can handle 100 miles comfortably, you're good to go. Beyond, just pace yourself, stay fueled and hydrated, and you can handle pretty much any distance. Well, up to a 1200k, anyway... (that's as far as I've gone)
From my own experience I agree as well. Granted I haven't did anything more than 207 as of yet. I know this sounds bad, but hopefully it will stay that way for a while. I still can't believe I've ever did another century ride yet alone 3 doubles this year. I didn't think I would ever get myself back on a bike like that again.
I do have one ride I want to do but I have certain requirements placed on the ride starting with it must be done in all daylight, solo, unsupported...roughly 246-248 miles with most of the climbing at the end of it, starting around mile 204, right before the end of the 207 miler(kinda the day loop for the whole ride) I did earlier this year. I just found out this morning one particular bridge that is key and critical to the whole ride got shut down to car traffic two weeks ago and is going to be replaced and isn't expected to be back open until the fall of 2014. It sounds like that ride is going to have to wait for a while before it happens.
When doing the real long miles 600K or more do you start out slower than you would if you was only doing a century ride or do you start out at the same pace and just expect it to get slower as the miles rack up? I've always started out at the same pace and watched the miles get slower...especially anymore since I live in the hills and it seems like my darn rides are set up so the main climbs come at 100 miles. I kinda get forced to slow down as a result. Looking back at the stats from the ride last week it slowed down around the climbing and then the overall average speed picked right back up again when the terrain turned flatter and kept climbing until I made the turn back uphill at the end of the ride.