Road Cycling - Can I do this MS150???

Just reading the Beginner's Guide thread and the suggestion to work toward a goal of 20-21 mph on the flats during the first year, to stay in the 2nd gear, etc.

Makes me wonder if I'm being too ambitious in eyeing the MS150 San Antonio-Corpus Christi (October 2003) ride in my first year of road riding*.

*I did two rides on my too-small, ill-fitting hybrid last year... one of 20 miles and one of 30 miles. Laid in bed and moaned all the next day after each one, but I did it.

Now I've got a road bike, 14 miles of relatively flat roads (never leave the middle gear, but do use all of it) averages between 14.5-15.5 mph for me. I've got about 30 lbs left to lose to get to my goal weight (god bless Weight Watchers), should be within 15 lbs of that by October.

I'm doing a much hillier (than where I live) ride in early June of 27 miles. Should really teach me a lot about riding hills.

I just want to make sure I'm not kidding myself that I can do this ride. I think I just need some reassurance... and maybe tips for making sure I'm ready. I expect it to be hard. I just don't want to have that "vultures waiting for me to fall of my bike and die" feeling while I'm riding.

Thanks for all the great advice you all give. It really gives us newbies a place to get reliable advice.

I've done the ms150 in vermont and it was and always will be a challenge,esp for a beginner.. My suggestion to you is to try to work up to at least 8-10 hours of ride time for at least 2 months before the event. Start off with some good spins ,don't worry about your average speeds until later on.After a while you can use your "clock " to be your guide to increasing your average speed .Good luck and happy trails.....................Maple

hgalindo: You can do it. The ms150 ride is not a race. Plan to ride it at your own pace. I'm doing a ms150 ride in September. I bought my bike January 29th of this year. In another thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25613&highlight=ms150) I laid out the training plan I came up with to prepare myself for the ride.

Good Luck!

Zack

YES! You can do it. Like ZackJones said its not a race! with a better fitting bike and lots of time training. each week try to do more miles.. the more you ride the better you get! drink plenty of water before you get thruisty (SP).
eat before you get hungry. dress for the weather. and have fun. its not a race.
wish you luck on your new bike.
K

Great thread! I like the sat/sun breakdown, too. I'll definitely use that. Looks like this one is approx. 83 miles the first day, 60 the second, so I think if I can work up to 70/40 miles, I'll be good for it. The second day is supposed to be easier terrain (can anyone validate that rumor?) so it'll be fine.

And believe, I'm SO down with this NOT being a race. I won't even race my husband... Totally about going at my own pace. Though I have a hard time reigning myself in now that I've got road equipment under me. It's so alluring to just go FAST FAST FAST... But I'm learning to moderate.

I did my first MS150 this year - 180 miles. Houston to Austin.

Bought my road bike in September of 2002 - was only doing mountain biking before then. I followed a good training schedule and was so happy to do my first English Century on the first day of the MS.

That being said, I think you may be pushing it trying to aim for 20 - 21 mph. I averaged 17.4 which was about 2 mph below my metric century average. Enjoy the ride - like the others said, dont make it a race.

I saw alot of others riding like blazing saddles past our pace line at the first 30 or so miles only to see many of them wiped out at lunch.

Just build up the miles. Don't worry about speed. Slowly build up your distance. I would say shoot for being able to do two 60 mile days back to back a couple of weeks before the event itself then back off a little to husband your reserves. My training got shot to hell last year. A lot of travel 2-3 months before then I was off the bike completely for three weeks then ONE week back on before the event. The Saturday before, the first day the doc said "Go", I did 20+. The next day I did 62 or so. It violated all my training principles, but I felt like I had to get in one more 60+ ride for confidence and still have time to recover from it. After a week of regular 22 mile round trip commuting I was able to get through the 75+75 pretty nicely. I would like to have done it faster, keeping up with my buds, who did average close to 20. I was happy to just meet my self-imposed 5 hour max each day. I did NOT want to be on a bike saddle more than 5 hours!

I wish I could have convinced some of the slower guys on our team to be realistic and form a second paceline at 17-18. I really think I could have maintained that in a paceline. Instead they all hung with the big dogs as long as they could then suffered like dogs for the last half. Toddling along at 15-17, mostly by myself, I caught and joined some of them for the last 15 miles or so. A couple suffered severe cramping and dehydration for their folly. My point is to get a feel for what YOU think you can realistically do then stick with it even if others blow past you. If you can ease along at 15-17 you will finish in 5 hours, even with quick pit stops to refill bottles and grab more food, which is not too shabby. Riders will be dragging in for another 3-4 hours. Remember, you have to do it again the next day so don't use it all up on Saturday.

Let us know where to send pledges.
Regards,
Raymond

You guys are the best! Thanks for the encouragement and advice. I certainly wasn't suggesting that I felt I needed to be riding 20-21 mph... I was just startled that someone posted to another thread that that's the speed one should aim for in ones first year. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't underestimating the speed that I needed to be at to finish at least second to last... :D But at the very least, if there are people riding this on anything other than a road bike, I'll at least beat them!

I'm still anxious about it, but that's my nature. New stuff, especially physical challenges, freak me out. (Went through this when I upgraded to my road bike... ) So, I'm not quite ready to commit, but I've got time to let it simmer and think positive thoughts. Oh, and I really MUST learn to change a flat sometime... sheesh. I'm so green!

When you mentioned finishing faster than the folks on bikes other than road bikes. On the MS this year, I had a guy who passed me 5 times on a MTB with Knobbies - couldnt figure it out till I saw him crawl into a sag wagon. Apparently he was pumping it as fast a possible then saging to the next rest stop. Odd way to go.

THAT'S funny... I guess it's the sprinters approach to touring?

I did the MS 100k on Marths's Vineyard last year, after only riding for a month. I was not in the best of shape at the time (or now :) ) but i made it. If you're in any kind of shape, you'll make it.

Now THAT'S what I wanted to hear! :D

Seriously though, they've got rest stops less than 10 miles apart for most of the ride. If I can just take the "make it to the next rest stop" approach, I'll be fine. 9 or 10 miles is nuthin'!

I started riding in February and I rode the MS 150 (Houston to Auston) in April. It was all hills!! I recommend stopping at every rest stop (not too long) and getting something to eat. The second day was the hardest, but it wasn't that bad.

Woo! That is a tough ride, man! Good for you!! I don't even like to DRIVE to Austin... And yes, I do plan to stop at every break. If we're being honest, I really do these rides for the free food.

Last year, at the Novemberfest ride in Sealy, they had the best cookies I've ever eaten. :D I'm so easily amused.

I love the Houston - Austin MS- This year was my first.

Cori - did you go through the park? That was my favorite part. Would not have traded that. The Saturday ride was my first English Century. I had been riding up to 100 but never quite made to the century. Generally I stopped at every third rest stop. Packed GU and Cytomax to carry me over. (Only stopped when one of us had to hit the port o let.

I was invited by a friend to ride the Delaware MS150 last year only 5 weeks before. I didn't even have a bike and wasn't in particularly good shape.

I bought a 15 year-old Schwinn 10-speed touring bike and began to ride. I started at 5 miles per night and increased by 3 miles each 3 days for 2 weeks. Then, my mother had a stroke and I didn't ride in the evening because I visited her in the hospital.

After a week, I resumed my "training." I rode 15 miles per night for 5 days & then decided that the wheels on the Schwinn needed to be trued as there was wobble in their rotation.

I got the bike back one week before the MS150 & did a 40 mile ride. The rest of the week I rode 12-15 miles per night.

I finished the MS ride averaging 13mph. I wouldn't recommend training as I did, but it does show that it can be done.

Just remember, it is not a race. Start off easy. If you find yourself still feeling strong at the halfway mark, pick up the pace. If not, just keep plugging away.

Ride with a goal of making the next rest stop. The next thing you know, you'll be at the finish with a great sense of satisfaction.

That ride was the beginning of my new addiction to riding. Hi, gang. My name is Mike. I am a bike-a-holic. I have been 2 days without riding. (The bike is at the LBS for a tune-up) :(

Good luck on your ride.

Originally posted by hgalindo
Seriously though, they've got rest stops less than 10 miles apart for most of the ride. If I can just take the "make it to the next rest stop" approach, I'll be fine. 9 or 10 miles is nuthin'!
Yep... just look at it as a bunch of 10-mile rides instead of this big long thing. This year's Houston-Austin MS-150 was my first time to ride it and it was incredible! You'll do fine; just get your miles in, don't worry about speed too much, and focus on enjoying the ride. One nice thing about your ride is that it won't be nearly as hilly as the Houston-Austin run -- actually, your ride should be more or less downhill on average since you're riding to sea level. :D

Anyone thats some can do it. Thats is what they are geared for. I have seen people on mtn. bikes do just as well as those on road bikes. The important thing is to remember its NOT A RACE and good luck