Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - 200 miler/double century

I'm drunk but I have decided to do a double cent (not right now of course - when i sober up). I'm not sure how to prepare, how when or where I'll do this, but I AM going to do it. To date 104 in one sitting is the most I've done, but I figure if I can do 104 miles then I can pull off 200 miles. Right? Been riding a cylcleops trainer and figure if I put in enough time on it, then I can do this thing. Not sure what route, but it will have to be local. I'll just map out something and hit it.

Wish me luck.

I'll do better than wish you luck. I'll give you the link to a website with articles about how to ride long distances, such as double centuries, as well as a calendar of organized double century rides.

http://www.ultracycling.com/

I like doubles ... they are a nice, fairly comfortable distance. :)

Thanks, there now, this should help.

If you're near, or want to travel to the PNW, the Seattle-to-Portland ride is supposed to be one of the most fun doubles around.

californiatriplecrown.com

Are there easy doubles that you can do for the Triple Crown? Almost all of them I've read accounts of sound like high elevation gain or insane heat gruelling punishment rides. Nearly every account I've heard of StP (one of my friends at work has ridden it the past 9 years) is that StP is essentially a 208 mile rolling party train.
It could just be that everyone I've talked to about the Triple Crown has also been using it to qualify for FC508, so they're really busting their hump to find the toughest rides around.

If you're near, or want to travel to the PNW, the Seattle-to-Portland ride is supposed to be one of the most fun doubles around.

+1 for the STP (http://www.cascade.org/EandR/stp/index.cfm), i've done it twice now, although i haven't done other doubles yet. friend of mine just started riding earlier this year and completed the one-day STP w/ me, and his longest prior was 100.

but it sounds like robert is talking about an upsupported double, which is a different beast than the STP or the davis double, etc. have you done 100 miles on the road? trainer isn't going to cut it for these long distances.

one of the hardest parts about doing your own double, i'd think, is routing - unless you know the roads really well, you'll be constantly checking a map & getting lost. you might think about finding a century loop and just do it twice, that way you could easily bail at 100 mi if things aren't going well.

anyway, go for it! and report back here when you've finished it.

Are there easy doubles that you can do for the Triple Crown? Almost all of them I've read accounts of sound like high elevation gain or insane heat gruelling punishment rides. Nearly every account I've heard of StP (one of my friends at work has ridden it the past 9 years) is that StP is essentially a 208 mile rolling party train.
It could just be that everyone I've talked to about the Triple Crown has also been using it to qualify for FC508, so they're really busting their hump to find the toughest rides around.

The "easy" triple crown doubles are Butterfield, Spring Solvang, Hemet, Davis and the lowland option of the Grand Tour. You don't have to "qualify" for FC508, or any of the other 500-mile races; but most of the riders who do those races ride a lot of doubles, including the harder ones.

StP is also "easy" with little climbing.

:-)

You don't have to "qualify" for FC508, or any of the other 500-mile races; but most of the riders who do those races ride a lot of doubles, including the harder ones.

StP is also "easy" with little climbing.

:-)

I must have mistaken their use of the Triple Crown doubles as a training tool. I didn't realize that FC508 wasn't a qualifier registration event. Either way, the people that I've talked to have tales of 8000' or more of climbing, and/or temperatures that make me sweat just thinking about them.

I'm planning StP for my first double because it is well supported, the route is as flat as you can make it for where it goes, and there is always the bail-out option to complete the distance as a 2-day if I feel I can't swing it in one.

I don't know where "local" is for you, but if there's a randonneuring group nearby, consider riding with them. A 300K is pretty close to a double century so you can easily extend it if you like. Riding with randonneurs will give you some opportunity to do 200K rides as preparation to doing your double.

Seattle Int'l Randonneurs is my local club. I'm actually going to pick up my new ride in about an hour, from the shop co-owned by the RBA for the club, who's also the president of Randonneurs USA. I do need to talk with them about SIR membership and getting out riding with a group.
I'll have a few centuries under my belt for the year by the time StP rolls around, but I would like one or two 200Km rides in there as well.

Seattle Int'l Randonneurs is my local club. I'm actually going to pick up my new ride in about an hour, from the shop co-owned by the RBA for the club, who's also the president of Randonneurs USA. I do need to talk with them about SIR membership and getting out riding with a group.
I'll have a few centuries under my belt for the year by the time StP rolls around, but I would like one or two 200Km rides in there as well.

SIR is a very active club and you should have lots of riding opportunities. Sign up!

To date 104 in one sitting is the most I've done, but I figure if I can do 104 miles then I can pull off 200 miles.Right?Wrong.

It is true that if you have the background fitness to ride a 100, you can most likely keep riding for two hundred. However, to complete two-hundred mile ride will require that you ride the first 100 miles without developing any soreness nor significant fatigue.

Simply finishing a single 100 mile ride is hardly evidence that will ever make 200. If you mean to say you have finished a 100 mile ride with no pain and little fatigue - then great. Good Luck.

Pain? Not so much. Fatigue? Sure, I was tired. My longest ride prior to that one was 84 miles, and over mostly flat terrain. This century was in Birmingham, AL and was very very hilly, regardless of what their write-ups said.

I realize of course I have some more training to do and I need to do some more longer distance rides before taking this thing on, but I will do it by early Spring.

[/SIZE]Wrong.

It is true that if you have the background fitness to ride a 100, you can most likely keep riding for two hundred. However, to complete two-hundred mile ride will require that you ride the first 100 miles without developing any soreness nor significant fatigue.

Simply finishing a single 100 mile ride is hardly evidence that will ever make 200. If you mean to say you have finished a 100 mile ride with no pain and little fatigue - then great. Good Luck.

I really agree with Richard on this.

A century is short enough that you can get away with a lot - you can ride a little too fast, drink to little, not take in enough calories, and still come out of it pretty good. If you are going to do a double (or a hilly century plus like RAMROD), you need to pay much more attention.

I did STP a couple of years ago, had a great 120 miles, and a hellish last 80. I was down on salt, but I had never ridden far enough to find out that I really really need supplemental sodium. But it doesn't show up on me unless I ride farther than 120 (or a lot of hills).

A practice century where you ride at a 200 mile pace is a good idea, or even figure out how to push it to 120 or 130 miles. Some real thought about what you will eat and drink and how often is very good, as are a lot of 3-4 hour rides.

STP has advantages and disadvantages. It's well supported and there are tons of people, so it's easy to find a good group to draft in. Unfortunately, there are thousands of riders who don't know how to ride in groups and for the first 50 miles, there are a lot of them mixed in with the one-day riders. You have to be *very very* careful riding on STP, as you will see lots of stupid things (people drafting on aero-bars, swerving all over the road, etc.) Ideally plan to leave right at the beginning and riding the first two hours without a break to get ahead of them.

Good luck.

STP has advantages and disadvantages. It's well supported and there are tons of people, so it's easy to find a good group to draft in. Unfortunately, there are thousands of riders who don't know how to ride in groups and for the first 50 miles, there are a lot of them mixed in with the one-day riders. You have to be *very very* careful riding on STP, as you will see lots of stupid things (people drafting on aero-bars, swerving all over the road, etc.) Ideally plan to leave right at the beginning and riding the first two hours without a break to get ahead of them.

Good luck.

It's good to have some of that strategy going into the event. For any organized event I like to get off the line right at the first moment allowed. This past summer I did some of the shorter organized rides with some co-workers and friends, and when we got off the line a few minutes past the 'official' start we noticed that there were a lot of squirrelly riders on the course already.
I love riding very early (or through the night) so an early start time isn't a problem for me.

californiatriplecrown.com

Close, but actually it's:

www.caltriplecrown.com/

Robert Wells - I like to post drunk too!

However, one of my goals for this year is the double century. I have planned to do the STP, although I can't sign up until Feb 1. I do have my bike case, my bike, a training plan & some friends taking the ride to cheer me on (I am coming from the right coast for this thing).

My longest ride to date is 105 miles, but I do have 140 mile ride a month out before then. Also have 2 additional 100 mile rides with at least 5000 ft of total climbing so I am hoping I am still in the ballpark.

Dream it, do it! If not, suck it up and HTFU!

Robert Wells - I like to post drunk too!

However, one of my goals for this year is the double century. I have planned to do the STP, although I can't sign up until Feb 1. I do have my bike case, my bike, a training plan & some friends taking the ride to cheer me on (I am coming from the right coast for this thing).

My longest ride to date is 105 miles, but I do have 140 mile ride a month out before then. Also have 2 additional 100 mile rides with at least 5000 ft of total climbing so I am hoping I am still in the ballpark.

Dream it, do it! If not, suck it up and HTFU!

Porter20,

Based on what you've written here, you'll have a great time on STP and no problems at all. I've ridden it three times (all 2 - day though), and with that kind of base you should be fine.

There are some climbs, esp. on the 2nd 100, but nothing long and nothing steep. Just a nice change from all the (relative) flatness of the first 100 (okay, there are a couple of small climbs).

STP has Great scenery, great support and a fun route (except for the last 2 miles into Portland, but maybe they've fixed that). You'll have a wonderful ride.

Rick / OCRR

Love the drunken dreaming and goal making! :p

FWIW, I started riding in May '06. Did my first century in August '06. Off the bike and recovering from surgery from September to late October. Did another century in early December '06 and several centuries after that. My first double was Butterfield in Feb '07, then I did Solvang in March '07 and Eastern Sierra in June '07.

Based on all of the training plans and "conventional wisdom" there's no way I should have been able to do those doubles. I say register for an event, start training and do it. You'll never know until you try!

I agree. After training for Around the bay, an easy 210km/130mile ride in 06, it was a big step up to do a hilly 300km/186km ride. The weather conditions were poor, high temps followed by 2 storm fronts but I finished along with most of the other riders. The next two 300km rides were easy in comparison. Do the training, try to ride in a group of a similar speed and go for it.