Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Riding 350 plus

Hello all i am a new road cyclist and i am barely trained for a 40 or 50 mile ride right now but my long term goal is to ride from my current home in columbus ohio to my hometown in Midland, Michigan. It is 350 miles on highways in a car so i know it will be longer on a bike and maybe not possible but i was wondering if there are any things i can do now to work up to my goal. I would also like to race bikes though so i cant just totally drop strength training and sprints. I know that this goal is very high and im not nearly prepared but i was wondering if there is any advice i could use to get ahead of the game early.

Just keep increasing your distance.
Once you reached 75 mile rides you should be ready for the trip.

... I would also like to race bikes though so i cant just totally drop strength training and sprints. I know that this goal is very high and im not nearly prepared but i was wondering if there is any advice i could use to get ahead of the game early.

One of the mistakes that many long distance riders make is ignoring their speed and climbing training. They concentrate on slogging along on long distance training rides. The truth is, you don't need to train on long distances to ride them. It's the quality of your training that is more important than the distance. Continue the speed work and throw in some longer rides. You'll be ready before you know it.

Hey thanks alot guys i did 31 miles yesterday but it was pretty hardcore so im working up. Thanks for the input.

Hello all i am a new road cyclist and i am barely trained for a 40 or 50 mile ride right now but my long term goal is to ride from my current home in columbus ohio to my hometown in Midland, Michigan. It is 350 miles on highways in a car so i know it will be longer on a bike and maybe not possible but i was wondering if there are any things i can do now to work up to my goal. . . .

Yes.

Ride. Long. Frequently.

Then,

Ride. Longer. Frequently.


Everything else will follow.
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However, riding LONG and racing may not be compatible.

One calls for riding near your earobic / anaerobic limit.

The other calls for lower heart rate cycling well below your aerobic limit hours at a time.

I race and have been getting into riding longer distances more recently. I ride with local race-pace rides (24+ avg) a few times a week, and it has done nothing but help my overall riding. Training close to your max heart rate will make you stronger and faster.

Also, having a heart rate monitor has helped me immensely. Before I used one I would try to ride a long ride using about the same effort as I would on a 30 mile ride, and I would blow up before I could finish. I just finished Six Gap in Georgia (104 miles and 11,000+ feet of climbing) still feeling great because I had a HRM and a lot of high-intensity training under my legs.

Check out www.outdoor-pursuits.org for a list of group rides around Columbus and the organized bike rides and tours. The ride out of New Albany has a good A group. You can also check out the Westerville Bike Club.

The longer tours are mostly over for the year but can be excellent training. Start early and hang on to the pacelines for as long as possible. When you drop off go slow and recover then catch the next paceline. Following Team Roll into at 20 mph headwind at 20 mph will give you some idea what racing will be like.

The key is to not let yourself get into the red zone on a long distance ride. A heart rate monitor can be useful but if you have a good feel for what your body is doing you can do without. If you do go into the red zone though, it can take a long time to recover.
btw, if you train properly 340 miles is very doable in less than 24hrs.

Check out www.outdoor-pursuits.org for a list of group rides around Columbus and the organized bike rides and tours. The ride out of New Albany has a good A group. You can also check out the Westerville Bike Club.

The longer tours are mostly over for the year but can be excellent training. Start early and hang on to the pacelines for as long as possible. When you drop off go slow and recover then catch the next paceline. Following Team Roll into at 20 mph headwind at 20 mph will give you some idea what racing will be like.

I have actually done a Westerville Bike Club rie but i went out with the C group because it was my first time and i barely made it but now im much improved and could ride B possibly a slower A group. I am gunna check out some other stuff though. I actually know i guy on team Roll he has told me alot about it.