Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Well I almost blew my first Brevet

I've been riding on and off for 20 years now. For the last 2 years I've been riding 6 days a week 150-250km a week including one longer ride on weekends of between 50-100km. This Saturday just gone I entered and finished (just) my first Brevet. The route is supposed to be the hardest one on the calendar in my area with somewhere around 3300-3500 vertical metres of climbing (over 10000 feet), depending on who you ask ;) I decided to ride my heavy touring bike with a handle bar bag because it is comfortable and strong and I've done over 6000km on it so far. To my surprise all the other riders where on go-fast carbon and alloy racing bike, not a handle bar bag, hub dynamo or fat tyre amongst them. Some very nice bikes though.

The first 40km contains a lot of climbing with some sections approaching 20% grades. I love to climb but mostly ride on my own due to the odd hours I have available to train. The first part of the ride was great, I was really enjoying the challenge of being around other riders. By about the 15km mark I found myself with the leading two riders, taking turns and working hard. By the 30km mark as we hit another steep grade my good sense decided to make a return and I realised that if I didn't want to blow up I was going to have to slow my pace.

The first check point was at 34km, I grabbed some food and water took off with two leaders and another fellow who had come in behind me. Yes I know bad mistake. By the time we started descending at the 42km mark I had dropped behind the other three riders, and by the bottom of the decent I new I was in trouble, my legs where starting to twitch and cramp. I joined up with another rider I had passed on the decent who was riding better than I, but he kindly stayed with me and we shared the work as best I could. He really helped me through to the second checkpoint at 84km.

I grabbed more food an water, but new I was in trouble. I had been drinking a full bottle an hour with electrolyte replacement and eating well, but the cramping in my legs was getting crippling. I left the checkpoint with the rider I came in with and he stayed with me for quite a while giving me his wheel and words of encouragement. We hit the next steep climb and I had to let him go. Every time I tried to put any power on the pedals it seemed every muscle in my legs would cramp up. I was in serious pain and almost had to stop, it was only the fear of not being able to stand that actually kept me moving. I did the only thing I could and grabbed my lowest gear, 30x34, and spun up the climb. I've never used my lower gears and hardly ever the smallest chain-ring on my triple. After Saturdays ride I will never buy a long distance bike without one; it saved me.

Two more riders passed me about 10km out from lunch and pulled me in. I ate rested and drunk well at lunch (110km) and my legs felt a little better. Overall apart from my legs I was feeling good, which was very frustrating. The checkpoint from lunch to 154 km saw the longest steepest climb of the day. Many people I rode with during the day confessed they had walked it in previous years. I managed to hang on to my two riding companions from before lunch, mostly due to their kindness, up to the base of the climb. Before attempting the climb we all scoffed jubes and drank as much as I could stomach, which combined with my lowest gear got me to the top and the last check point at 154km. Hopping off the bike at this last checkpoint I was determined to finish but could barely stand due to cramps in my legs.

The last stretch was undulating with one long decent and a few sharp but shortish hills. With 25km to go I was by myself just trying to turn the pedals over and not stare at the mileage count on my computer. My neck was seriously hurting, which I had expected due to several old whiplash injuries, and my upper body was surprisingly tired from all the climbing descending and rough roads. I stopped probably 6 times on the final 47km but managed to get home in under 11 hours (I think) and under 9 hours actual rolling time. Much slower than I was expecting but then nothing went quite like I expected.

I found the whole experience humbling and wish I had paced myself better at the start. I'm not sure if or when I'll do another long ride, but even a few days after finishing I'm thinking about how I can get my neck better to have another crack. I must say my fellow riders and the ride organisers were possibly the nicest group of sports people I have been associated with. There where no jokes at my obviously non-race bike, and I lost count of the number of times they encouraged me or gave me their back wheel when they could have saved themselves time on the bike by keeping on their way.

All in all, a very long day :o

Good on ya! Give yourself a little time to recover, and you'll be itching to do another.

As far as the neck problems go, you may want to consider switching to a recumbent. It's amazing how much easier on the body the reclined position is. I switched to a 'bent two years ago after 35 years on df's. After all that time, my bike position was very well dialed, but I'd never been able to find a saddle that worked well past 100 miles. Since then I've completed my first 1200k randonnee with no discomfort other than general fatigue and sore legs. None of the df riders I saw on the last day could say that - they were all standing on the pedals and shaking out their hands. And my times are at least as fast on the 'bent as they were on the df - very solidly middle of the pack. Something to consider.

SP
Bend, OR

:recum:

It's often tempting to keep-up with the faster riders, it's human nature.

Sounds like a great day and I'm sure you'll be out again soon.

Michael

Slow down a bit and work on perfecting bike fit. (http://www.veloweb.ca/bikefit.html)

Good on ya! Give yourself a little time to recover, and you'll be itching to do another.

As far as the neck problems go, you may want to consider switching to a recumbent. It's amazing how much easier on the body the reclined position is. I switched to a 'bent two years ago after 35 years on df's. After all that time, my bike position was very well dialed, but I'd never been able to find a saddle that worked well past 100 miles. Since then I've completed my first 1200k randonnee with no discomfort other than general fatigue and sore legs. None of the df riders I saw on the last day could say that - they were all standing on the pedals and shaking out their hands. And my times are at least as fast on the 'bent as they were on the df - very solidly middle of the pack. Something to consider.

SP
Bend, OR

:recum:

The OP doesn't need a new bike. What's the point in spending a couple thousand $ on a new bike when all of the issues he had can be addressed with a proper fit (a core exercise regime will probably help the old neck injuries as well). I've done a half dozen 1200ks with no seat, hand or feet issues. So have the majority of experienced randoneurs that I know(and I know a lot more than a few). I don't know who you've been riding with but that isn't what I see on the 1200's I've done? Just because you spent 35 years on a DF doesn't mean you were fit properly on your bike. If you couldn't ride over 100 miles without discomfort something was wrong. If I were you and paid someone to fit you on your bike, I'd be asking for my money back...

Regarding the cramps, are you sure you were hydrating properly? Often we think we are and in reality aren't. You may need to try a different electrolyte as well. Cramps are usually a result of dehydration and/or a lack of certain minerals that your muscles need. Something you were doing there wasn't working. As far as going out too fast goes? Well, there isn't a whole lot you can do about that... ;) I know, I've suffered from that malady for a long time myself! I'm hoping some day to find a cure.

Congrats on finishing. I've felt like crap after a long ride where I've really pushed myself and think "I'll never do that ride again" ... but a few days later my head is clear and I'm raring to do better the next time.

Congrats on finishing.

I fail to see the point of such sadistic route planning where 15 - 20% grades with insane amounts of climbing are made part of a brevet series. I understand there is a lot of overall climbing on PBP, but gratuitous use of killer grades and 3x the rate of climbs on a ride that's part of the series to qualify for PBP seems like a way to discourage, rather than encourage participation. On something outside of the series - I've no problem with it.

Maybe I should move to Florida and just quit whining.

Congrats on finishing.

I fail to see the point of such sadistic route planning where 15 - 20% grades with insane amounts of climbing are made part of a brevet series. I understand there is a lot of overall climbing on PBP, but gratuitous use of killer grades and 3x the rate of climbs on a ride that's part of the series to qualify for PBP seems like a way to discourage, rather than encourage participation. On something outside of the series - I've no problem with it.

Maybe I should move to Florida and just quit whining.

Sometimes it is just an RBA with the "my ride has to be harder than yours" attitude and sometimes it just a result of the local terrain. In some areas it is just too difficult to make a route easier. Some RBA's think that the more difficult brevets prepare the riders better for the 1200k's. There are lots of reasons. PBP has something like 5000+/-ft of elevation gain per 100miles. It's actually a pretty easy course (if the weather is good). Does a 200k with 15,000ft of climbing prepare you better for PBP? I don't know but I do know that the Florida riders, whose brevets have very little climbing, have very good finishing rates...

Good on ya! Give yourself a little time to recover, and you'll be itching to do another.

As far as the neck problems go, you may want to consider switching to a recumbent.

Thanks,Yeah I think I'll do a century next just to ease back into it, and who knows I may try bent one day :)


It's often tempting to keep-up with the faster riders, it's human nature.

Yep and riding fast feels great so it's easy to over do it.

Slow down a bit and work on perfecting bike fit. (http://www.veloweb.ca/bikefit.html)

I guess it will take time and more experience to find my pace on longer rides, but starting slow and building up would certainly be a less painful way to learn.

Thanks for the link I'll use the info you have there to revisit my bike fit.

Regarding the cramps, are you sure you were hydrating properly? Often we think we are and in reality aren't. You may need to try a different electrolyte as well. Cramps are usually a result of dehydration and/or a lack of certain minerals that your muscles need. Something you were doing there wasn't working. As far as going out too fast goes? Well, there isn't a whole lot you can do about that... ;) I know, I've suffered from that malady for a long time myself! I'm hoping some day to find a cure.

I suspect you are spot on. I was sure I was hydrating properly and was very consistent with my fluid intake, but I was climbing hard for the first couple of hours so maybe it wasn't enough. I suspect as you suggested that rather than fluid it was some sort of electrolyte imbalance because even though I was going hard, I train hard at distances much longer than the first 50km that killed me on the weekend. I should have been able to go at that pace and if I over cooked it pay for it much later in the day not in the first couple of hours. Any suggestions you have on brads or strategies for mineral supplements replacements would be welcome.

The cramps thing is all a bit of a mystery to me. I would have understood if I bonked or cramped later in the day because I went to hard early on, but like I said I train at that sort of intensity, I only decided to let the leaders go because I was worried about later in the day. To get such crippling cramps in under 50km has me a bit mystified :eek:

Congrats on finishing.

I fail to see the point of such sadistic route planning where 15 - 20% grades with insane amounts of climbing are made part of a brevet series. I understand there is a lot of overall climbing on PBP, but gratuitous use of killer grades and 3x the rate of climbs on a ride that's part of the series to qualify for PBP seems like a way to discourage, rather than encourage participation. On something outside of the series - I've no problem with it.

I'm not sure if it's part of a series or not. I'm very new to this brevet stuff. It was on the official calendar, the brevet cards they gave us looked very official and had to be handed in at the end for some sort of verification. And I could order a finisher medallion from the French governing club(?) so it seemed official enough I guess.

As to the course, it certainly was challenging, but I knew that going in. It was very scenic and well supported. I actually had more of an issue with the rough roads, feral magpies that kept attacking us, and smoke from grass fires that made breathing a bit difficult at times :eek:

The roads where so bad that the section of chip seal where a nice relief. I don't grip the bars hard at all but I still manage to lose a layer of skin of the palms of my hands. I think I will be going for larger lower pressure tyres next time. I've let the 700x35c marathon tyres I commute on down from 85 psi to 60 psi and the ride is much nicer and doesn't feel any slower, so big tyres it is for me from now on as long as they aren't too heavy.

I've found that I just need to make sure I look fully left and right every 5 minutes or so to keep the neck stiffness away. That's it. No moving bits of my bike around, just a little stretch for the muscles every now and then.

We Florida riders have great finishing rates because wind is harder than hills, and we have wind aplenty !

Congrats on finishing.

I fail to see the point of such sadistic route planning where 15 - 20% grades with insane amounts of climbing are made part of a brevet series. I understand there is a lot of overall climbing on PBP, but gratuitous use of killer grades and 3x the rate of climbs on a ride that's part of the series to qualify for PBP seems like a way to discourage, rather than encourage participation. On something outside of the series - I've no problem with it.

Maybe I should move to Florida and just quit whining.

We have a few gnarly brevets available as part of the spring and summer series, if the RBA chooses to use them. The 600k the Seattle Randos rode last weekend is a perfect example: The Mountain Pass 600. The thing is basically a string together of the 4 highest ridable mountain passes in the area. There was a 36% DNF rate on it... and still, people come back for it year after year.
Of course, it was balanced by the spring series 600k this year which was relatively flat, by comparison to just about any SiR brevet.
There's typically 1 "really good" climb thrown in on any SiR brevet, just for the challenge. The summer 400k went about 200 gently rolling kilometers before heading up a 2 mile climb that varied between 12 adn 17%, then levelled off to a mild uphill series of rollers for another 12 or so miles. The spring 300k tossed a short (3 suburban blocks) 16% grade at us around mile 180.
Those are challenging, but nothing that makes me feel like I'm gonna spew from the prolonged effort. The Mountain Pass 600 is of the latter sort, known for being a ruiner of fun.

Sometimes it is just an RBA with the "my ride has to be harder than yours" attitude and sometimes it just a result of the local terrain.

Our friendly Georgia Rando group, Audax Atlanta, puts on a Fall 200K every year that's affectionately called "Bundrick's Revenge". It is really kind of meant to poke a finger in the eye of the guys who think that they're studly because they ride the famous "Six Gap Century" ... Six Gap crosses six of the highest passes on the Appalachian Trail here in the north Georgia mountains. But some folks refer to Bundrick's Revenge as Ten Gap because... you got it... it crosses ten gaps. It actually crosses some of the nastiest climbs twice! 200K and about 16,000 feet of climbing.

This year there were only two DNF's out of I think 19 riders... And one guy rode it on a 48x18 fixed gear!