Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - max distances and what to expect

hi all!
gonna plan on riding at the 24 hours of booty and wanted to get some input on two things.

1. what is the longest distance you've ridden within a 24 hour period? -just curious :)

2. how can i prepare better before attempting to ride AFTER my first 100 miles - or what should i expect?

i've done lots of centuries and my personal longest ride was 126 miles on a really hot summer day by myself just for giggles... although it wasn't that fun. what can i do to better prepare myself for distances over that with little rest stops in between for sanity. this course will be short 3 mile laps on fairly flat streets. here's the link if ya wanna check it out. http://www.24hoursofbooty.com/

i will assume the usual. eat / refuel plenty, maintain a moderate pace, hydrate hydrate hydrate. occasional rest stops etc. i would like to try for 200 miles within the 24 hour time. any extra are bonus miles.

The longest distance I've done in 24 hours is 462 kms: http://www.machka.net/24hour/2006_UMCA24hour.htm

As for other advice and information, start reading: http://www.ultracycling.com/ There's A LOT of good info on that site. :)

The longest distance I've done in 24 hours is 462 kms: http://www.machka.net/24hour/2006_UMCA24hour.htm

As for other advice and information, start reading: http://www.ultracycling.com/ There's A LOT of good info on that site. :)

good info.

anyone else wanna chime in with their max distances ridden in one go?

'tis embarrassing to admit for some of us who know there are real distance geeks out here. I've done some doubles with some change, but no really long rides yet.

The mind is willing and doesn't care what the body thinks, but the circumstances (i.e. boss, wife, and travel gods) have not yet allowed me to do something really long yet. A 24 hr event is on my list of rides to do, but that will probably not happen this year.

Longest in one go was 204 miles. On the bike time was just under 11 hours. Total time add a few more hours.

Longest is 300 miles in 21.5 hours.

What to expect? Boredom. Your gonna get awfully tired of seeing the same things over and over and over on that four-mile loop.

my longest distance covered in 24 hours was roughly 250 miles on a 600k. We started at midnight, and I seem to recall that, a little after midnight the following day, I had made it to the 400k control point and napped there for about 15 minutes before pressing on for the rest of the event. I think that I had roughly 3 hours of off bike time during that ride, but never collected proper stats comparing saddle to total time.

I agree with supcom that "24 hours of booty" sounds dreadfully boring. The same 4 mile loop done 50 times? It's like the cycling equivalent of writing lines on a chalkboard. "I will ride 200 miles in 24 hours. I will ride 200 miles in 24 hours." ;) I think the ennui and repetition would be more daunting than the physical toll on your body. Best that it be done with friends so that you can chat the time away.

280 miles (451 km) in 24 hrs on a 600K. This was a figure-eight route so at the 280 mile point, I took a shower, a two-hr. nap at the hotel, had breakfast and spent a bunch of time marshalling a group together (horrible weather was tempting a lot of people to quit....many did) and then finished the remaining 100 miles.


...FWIW, the first 280 miles was pretty flat, the last 100 did have a bunch of hills. Lots of rain, lightning and wind on day two, too.

...FWIW, the first 280 miles was pretty flat, the last 100 did have a bunch of hills. Lots of rain, lightning and wind on day two, too.

oh, yes, I will say as added information, that the 250 miles that I did on my 600k involved climbing a mountain twice. I think that, by the time we reached the 400k control, we had done a little more than 12,000 ft of climbing.