Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Double Century - pitfalls to avoid

Most I've ever ridden in a single setting is 125 miles...just finished a major cycling goal of mine (cycling up Mt Evans in CO), so it's on to the next goal: Double Century, preferably done in under 12 1/2 hrs.

Starting the research (this is my first visit into the Long Distance forum!), but as I do, I was curious of any typical "Big Mistakes" to avoid that you all have experienced.

I've read up on the "5 training Mistakes" on UltraCycling.com...but am interested to hear anyone's experience and what they would aboslutely avoid.

I've read up on the "5 training Mistakes" on UltraCycling.com...but am interested to hear anyone's experience and what they would aboslutely avoid.
Setting a time goal on a ride that's much different than anything you've attempted before :p

Seriously, there's a much bigger difference between 125 and 200 miles than there is between 50 and 100 miles. Set a time goal for something you haven't figured out yet, and you may ride too hard.

Setting a time goal on a ride that's much different than anything you've attempted before :p

Seriously, there's a much bigger difference between 125 and 200 miles than there is between 50 and 100 miles. Set a time goal for something you haven't figured out yet, and you may ride too hard.

Alrighty; point taken :o

Setting a time goal on a ride that's much different than anything you've attempted before :p

Seriously, there's a much bigger difference between 125 and 200 miles than there is between 50 and 100 miles. Set a time goal for something you haven't figured out yet, and you may ride too hard.

+10.

Biggest pitfalls:

1. Riding too hard in the first half. If you DNF, it doesn't matter what your average speed was.

2. Not eating enough food. 200 miles is prime bonk country.

3. Not staying hydrated. Know what the weather is going to be and how far apart the available services are and plan accordingly - especially in the afternoon when it's hottest. If you end up rationing water, you are in trouble.

4. Fit/comfort issues. If your butt or hands hurt after the first 100 miles, it's not going to get any better in the second 100.

not getting enough electrolytes

I've often read that many centruy riders eat something solid at mile 65-70. I have done so on many of my centuries and actually feel strong at mile 95, strong enough for a sprint finish. That's a turkey sandwich or similar.

Is there a point after the first hundred where many double riders might stop for another feed type break? 120 miles?150? Or just whenever you feel the need?

I've often read that many centruy riders eat something solid at mile 65-70. I have done so on many of my centuries and actually feel strong at mile 95, strong enough for a sprint finish. That's a turkey sandwich or similar.

Is there a point after the first hundred where many double riders might stop for another feed type break? 120 miles?150? Or just whenever you feel the need?


On a century, I like to eat something solid (like a sandwich) somewhere around the halfway point. On longer rides, I like to eat something solid approximately every 5 hours.

I've often read that many centruy riders eat something solid at mile 65-70. I have done so on many of my centuries and actually feel strong at mile 95, strong enough for a sprint finish. That's a turkey sandwich or similar.

Is there a point after the first hundred where many double riders might stop for another feed type break? 120 miles?150? Or just whenever you feel the need? I'll eat something solid when it's time for lunch or dinner. I don't tend to associate it with the number of miles under my legs, but that usually works out to something like 120 miles into a 250 mile ride.

My strongest 400k finish came after I had a nice, hearty bowl of chili about 60 miles before the finish. The last 50 miles felt like a whole new ride.

I'll eat something solid when it's time for lunch or dinner.

That reminds me ...... It struck me as amusing (in a way) that the Gold Rush Randonnee volunteers were under the impression that we cyclists wanted breakfast foods early in the morning, and lunch foods around noon, and supper foods early in the evening, and light snacks during the night ... and they didn't have much of anything ready for us when they decided that breakfast was over and it wasn't quite time for lunch, or when lunch was over and it wasn't quite time for supper!!! :eek: They obviously had NO idea that we'll eat a wide variety of foods at ANY time of the day. A big bowl of pasta works for me at 2 am, at 8 am, at 2 pm, at 8 pm, or anywhere in between ..... whenever I'm hungry. :D

So I guess one pitfall to avoid for any ride that extends over several mealtimes would be ... don't eat what you think you SHOULD eat based on time of day ... eat what you WANT to eat, no matter what time of day it is.

Hi Beanz,
Good to see you on the Long Distance Forum! Yes, you will look good in that Triple Crown jersey and even better in that Thousand Mile Club Triple Crown jersey . . .
I know you can do it!

Rick / OCRR (who has been trying to get Beanz to ride a double for three years now . . . )

Hi Beanz,
Good to see you on the Long Distance Forum! Yes, you will look good in that Triple Crown jersey and even bette in that Thousand Mile Club Triple Crown jersey . . .
I know you can do it!

Rick / OCRR (who has been trying to get Beanz to ride a double for three years now . . . )


Yup, it's time Rick. I'm getting the itch! Been riding 10 years consistently. I guess the desire aint gonna go away, so I better get the TC before I hit 50 and get too old!;)

I figure I'll go for the King of the Mtns too while I'm in shape, When I get in shape!:D

I will need some advice though. I took look at the TC rules and register stuff a while back. Looked confusing as I know nothing about organized rides. All I know is 'bring your bike'!:o

My strongest 400k finish came after I had a nice, hearty bowl of chili about 60 miles before the finish. The last 50 miles felt like a whole new ride.

Honestly, I don't think that would work for me. Well, it may motivate me to reach the finish sooner than planned!:D

No problem Beanz,
As you know, I'm happy to help! I've been doing this Triple Crown thing since Jackie first talked me into it just before Davis 2003. Been at it ever since, but really, I'm a newbee compared to a lot of these riders. I think there are five or six riders with over 100 CA doubles now.

Still, its a great community and the more riders you get to know, the better!

Soon you can have a page like this with all your stats!

http://www.caltriplecrown.org/DoublesbyName/RiderHistoryReport.asp?RiderID=729

Rick / OCRR

Wow Rick, you are a crazy one! Mine will say, He did this one, this one, and this one, now he is done with it!:D

I know Beanz,

You say that now, but you have not ridden your double first yet, so you have no idea the sense of adventure you get from it. Once you experience that . . . it's a whole different world!

You'll see . . .

Rick / OCRR

For me,
1. Not going out to hard the first 100, you've got to pace yourself. As you do more doubles you will learn what that pace is.
2. Keeping yourself hydrated. I try to drink 1 large bottle of water per hour, more if it is hot.
3. Nutrition, I found that I can't eat much over 350 calories per hour. If I eat more than that I start to bloat then I tend not to eat and drink, the worst thing you can do.
4. Getting comfortable on your bike. You need to do this so you can keep your mind in the game.
5. Plan for all contingencies, don't let things that happen on the road bother you and ruin your ride.

Bike fit, comfort are big deals, but to some extent you can ignore problems there if they're minor.

Errors in nutrition and hydration are what will kill you. You can do 2 hours with crappy nutrition, to do a strong century you need good nutrition, but any mistakes will kill you.

Too much food/too little food/wrong food can kill you. But lack of electrolytes - especially salt will sink you quickest of all.

I've been road biking for about 7 months now, and just recently finnished my first double in 11hrs45min . I was able to make the entire distance without a food stop. I caried two waterbottles, a 6hr perpetuem bottle, and an additional 6hr supply of perpetuem in a ziploc (diddn't even need a saddlebag). Perpeuem kept me happy the whole ride. Finnishing, I felt strong, strong enough to sprint up a steep hill 2 miles from the finnish, fast enough to inspre a literal pat on the back once the guy I was pacing with caught up. Felt like I had plenty more miles left in my legs.

pitfall:
I found my bar was set up too low/foreward, and I was forced to ride with the very end of my palms on it. I'm not sure how much this contributed to aerodynamics, but I could coast past people who where pedaling down hills. Could just be my tires though.

Two little gems get me through the doubles...

"A double century doesn't necessarily hurt WORSE than a century, it just hurts LONGER"

and the best advice in the cycling world - 'most every ride is going to have a bad time. Maybe it's nutrition, maybe it's lack-of-sleep the night before, maybe it's hills and headwind. Take a few minutes, get something to eat, breathe deeply and do it some more. When you're 20 miles down the road, the low will go away and will be replaced with the highest of highs!!!!

Wow Rick, you are a crazy one! Mine will say, He did this one, this one, and this one, now he is done with it!:D

Okay Beanz,
Here's a pitfall to avoid: Following other riders and thinking that they are on the correct course.

Yes, usually they are. But be sure to read your route sheet carefully and know where you are at all times. I've added a few "bonus miles" to doubles by following riders who thought they knew where they were going.

Rick / OCRR

Yes, usually they are. But be sure to read your route sheet carefully and know where you are at all times. I've added a few "bonus miles" to doubles by following riders who thought they knew where they were going.

You may have been following me. Without any exaggeration, I can say that if I'm doing an organized century or greater, at least 90% of the time, I somehow get off the course and add a few miles. I even succeeded in doing this the first time I rode the STP -- an impressive feat when you consider that you have about 8,000 riders going in a straight line.

My gosh Rick, that would be the last thing I'd want on a double. If I'm ever in Oregon, remind me not to follow "Fred"!:D

One of the "biggest" pitfalls, is probably simply choosing to ride with other riders that are going faster or slower than your pace. Often, double century rides become or seem much more difficult than they need to be. This usually happens when the cyclist starts a ride without a healthy respect for the type of conditions (weather) or type of route (hills) that the rider is going to endure.

Simply put, I figure the biggest pitfalls to completing and enjoying a double - is starting out too fast for yourself, the weather or the route......... Make a mistake about anyone of these items and it's no fun.......

Wow Beanz,

Here is a guy who knows what he's talking about!

Back in my first life of riding doubles, I actually rode a double (or two) with Richard Cranium (not his real name!) when I lived in the St.Louis area ('80 - '95). Actually, I would just draft except for very short breaks when I would take the front.

Richard Cranium (not his real name) and I rode the first century of the CDC (Central Double Century, Litchfield, IL) in 4:21 (it was a very flat course!) and I finished the double in under 12:00!

I've been trying to talk Richard Cranium (not his real name) into coming out to ride the Grand Tour with us, as has Bob Harting (who used to organize the CDC in Litchfield, now lives in San Diego), but so far no success. Will keep trying!

Rick / OCRR

One of the "biggest" pitfalls, is probably simply choosing to ride with other riders that are going faster or slower than your pace.
This is huge. Going even 0.2 mph too fast can really put you in a world of hurt after you've been out all day. I also think that going too slow is not a good idea, particularly if there is a lot of climbing. If the ride is challenging enough that you have any doubts about your ability to finish, just go at your own pace and let others ride at theirs. If you want to stay together, the faster people can take longer breaks.


My gosh Rick, that would be the last thing I'd want on a double. If I'm ever in Oregon, remind me not to follow "Fred"!:D
My buddies have wanted to shoot me on more than one occasion. Partly for bad navigation, but partly because I always want the "full treatment" -- i.e. if there's an easy way and a hard way to do something, I hate taking the easy way.

I've been road biking for about 7 months now, and just recently finnished my first double in 11hrs45min . I was able to make the entire distance without a food stop. I caried two waterbottles, a 6hr perpetuem bottle, and an additional 6hr supply of perpetuem in a ziploc (diddn't even need a saddlebag). Perpeuem kept me happy the whole ride.

+1 except I have not done a double yet. I have been riding road since late December and have been doing a century a month since February. Over this time I have found the following to work for me:

- 2.5 cap fulls of Eletewater (http://www.eletewater.com/)in my large plain water bottle at all times
- 1 bottle with 3 scoops of Hammer Pertetuem (http://www.e-caps.com/za/ECP?PAGE=PRODUCT&PROD.ID=4047&adui=ad%2C2770.hbanner%2CHOME%20-%20SMALL%20-%20PP%20-%20Homebanners), which I start drinking 2 hours into the ride and keep drinking until the end of the ride. I try to finish 6 scoops by the end of a 6.5-7 hour century. This rarely happens but I try. I find this stuff only tastes good 2 hours into a ride and tastes better the more you need it.
- Hammer Gel, I carry a 10oz. canteen
- Cliff Shot Blocks, for when I need to chew on something
- Tums, to keep the lactic acids at bay. This has really helped the last 2 centuries. No more cramping the last 10 miles. I take about 2 an hour. Way more than the recommended dosage but what the heck.
- Contemplating getting BioFreeze (http://www.biofreeze.com/)

I keep the Tums, Cliff Blocks, and route slip in a large Bento Bag. I also have an APC USB batter pack and retractable USB cable to power my Garmin EDGE 305 HR+, will fit in my Bento Bag for those long rides because the Garmin has terrible batter life.

I just completed a 150-miler solo, unsupported yesterday, my first ever, averaging 17.0 mph while riding. Total time wasn't much of a concern for me, because I did a few stops here and there to take pictures, enjoy the scenery and practice bike mechanics. I did a century earlier this year, and a few last year, but most of my rides are in the 30-50 mile range.

I can't really give any mistakes, as I don't have the experience of a double, but the info above certainly seems to apply equally to shorter rides.

Anyways, I definitely agree with not starting out too hard and pacing yourself for the ENTIRE ride. It seemed easy to get excited at the 2/3 point or the 3/4 point, but still a long way to go! If you're a masher you really have to try harder to give your knees the break they will likely need.

I also want to thank someone above about the eating a solid food along the way. I stopped at around 110 (just after two flats at the 90 and 101 mark for slipped rim strips!) and found it really helped a lot. I did several fluid stops for the "ades", but one stop I just got plain old water and it sure tasted good.

Not sure if you're doing an organized ride or not, but in doing an unsupported, solo effort I found that scouting my route (I drove it while doing other things) paid off, as I knew when the big hills were, where the roads were bad, if there was any construction, location of rest stops, etc. I also decided on an "out-and-back" route, which meant when I got halfway I turned around and came back. This gave me very little choice but to finish at the full mileage. If unsure, I could have done more local "loops" that brought me near my starting point at, say, the 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 mile points, giving me an "out" at that mileage if something didn't go right. Being familiar with the roads also helped a lot, as I felt more "at home" and knew what to expect as the ride progressed. You may also want to consider looking at the elevation profile by doing the route on routeslip dot com or another mapping site. I also planned the trip to be headwind the first half, tailwind the last half.

I'm not quite ready to try a double, but I was more than pleased with my birthday effort outcome. Good luck.