Road Cycling - ride/race question

Okay, here's the back story. I've done many 20mile straight rides. I've done a few 40mile total rides, with a long stop at mile 10, and another at mile 30. What I'm wondering is, there is a race/ride in my area that has a 25mile and a 63mile course. Should I atempt the 63mile course yet, or wait until I've done some distances closer. After the 40mile ride I was worked pretty hard.

Maybe work up to being able to do the 40 mile ride with no stops. Then the 60 miles will be no problem with 1 stop.

Okay, here's the back story. I've done many 20mile straight rides. I've done a few 40mile total rides, with a long stop at mile 10, and another at mile 30. What I'm wondering is, there is a race/ride in my area that has a 25mile and a 63mile course. Should I atempt the 63mile course yet, or wait until I've done some distances closer. After the 40mile ride I was worked pretty hard.

i don't know your area, but i think the jump from 40 miles to 63 may be too much. especially if it would be a race. someone correct me if i'm wrong, but i think you should be able to comfortably train at 20-25% more distance than you would plan on racing (i don't race yet, but i read this). if it's a normal ride though, i think you'd be able to get through it with some effort. would probably be wearing yourself out though.

I would work my way up to it also... UNLESS you are just wanting to see if you can complete the 60.
If time and finishing position arent important and just the satisfaction of the ride is, then go for it.
Otherwise I would work my way up to , training without stops, working on spinning, cadence, time and speed, once you know you have the endurance then blast away..
Good luck and ride safe

Cool, thanks for the info guys. I think I"m going to do the 25miler and as you all have said, work up to the next level.

Cool, thanks for the info guys. I think I"m going to do the 25miler and as you all have said, work up to the next level.

Is it an actual USCF race? Or is it more of a charity ride?
If it’s an actual race, from what you said you would be way way in over your head on the 63 mile ride.

It's more of a charity ride, that's why i put the race/ride in the subject. From what it says it looks to be more of a ride type deal.

Okay, here's the back story. I've done many 20mile straight rides. I've done a few 40mile total rides, with a long stop at mile 10, and another at mile 30. What I'm wondering is, there is a race/ride in my area that has a 25mile and a 63mile course. Should I atempt the 63mile course yet, or wait until I've done some distances closer. After the 40mile ride I was worked pretty hard.

I'm going to go against the crowd and say do the long one. If it's a supported charity ride, you can SAG it in if you bonk and if you don't it will be =very= satisfying. It also helps if you have someone to ride with. You can take a cell phone for security's sake. Another option is to sign up for the long one, and if the weather is bad (cold, windy), you can bail and go with the short one.

I did a 68 (my odometer said 70 dammit!) last year in a windstorm when my longest previous ride of the season had been a 15-16 mph 30. I made it and felt good about it.

Okay, here's the back story. I've done many 20mile straight rides. I've done a few 40mile total rides, with a long stop at mile 10, and another at mile 30. What I'm wondering is, there is a race/ride in my area that has a 25mile and a 63mile course. Should I atempt the 63mile course yet, or wait until I've done some distances closer. After the 40mile ride I was worked pretty hard.

I subscribe to the "three hour theory." Up to three hours, most people seem to be able to function OK just on their base training. If you can ride 13mph or so for three hours without a lot of huffing and puffing, that's 40 miles. Over 3 hours, the rules of the game seem to change. You may have used up the carbohydrate stored in your muscles, so your body has to switch over to burning fat and it doesn't do that as well. That's the dreaded "bonk" or "hitting the wall." The Boston Marathon course should actually be relatively easy to run (it's mostly downhill) except that many fitness and recreational runners hit heartbreak hill just as their bodies are beginning to make that change. On a bicycle, you can minimize that effect by eating or drinking to replace the energy that you're expending. It's harder for runners to do because the bouncing up and down seems to make it harder for your stomach to digest food.

I think there might be two enjoyable ways that you could participate in what you describe as a race/ride.

You could "race" it. Ride at an intensity that has you just breathing heavily and try to hold that pace for the whole 25 miles. Or you could "ride" at a conversational pace, eat cookies and fruit along the way, and ogle at the girls for 63 miles. Both ways are good.