Texas - *Gulp*

Well, I just signed up for my longest ride ever, 104 miles. It's the longest route of the Space Race near Galveston. My previous long is 63 miles, but I figure it'll be a good warm up for the MS150 which is the following weekend.
So are there any bits of wisdom for a ride that long. :)

Just take it 10 miles at a time, you can do 10 miles easy.

Yep it is a tough one.
I have provided sag support the pasted two years.
Last year we had about 70 riders on the 100 mile give up @ about 80 miles and all asked to sag in from Liverpool.

The 100 route goes all the way down the Demie Johns.

Here is a Slideshow: 3,000 plus riders

http://s256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/09%20Space%20Race%20Start/?albumview=slideshow

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/09%20Space%20Race%20Start/TeamTwo.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/09%20Space%20Race%20Start/IMG_3259.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/09%20Space%20Race%20Start/WeeMart.jpg

Well, I just signed up for my longest ride ever, 104 miles. It's the longest route of the Space Race near Galveston. My previous long is 63 miles, but I figure it'll be a good warm up for the MS150 which is the following weekend.
So are there any bits of wisdom for a ride that long. :)

Very Windy.

I rode 15,900 miles last year with 27 centuries.
I recommend you ride the 63 mile ride.

But you can try and The Sags can bring you in. Haha

Nah, just go for it.

Advice: Don't overcomplicate it. People will tell you how many Twinkies to eat per hour and how much to drink like it's all rocket science, and it isn't. Just keep riding, don't get in too big of a hurry at the start. It's not so much a matter of IF you can do it, it's matter of how long it'll take you. If you've done 63 mile rides, you have a pretty good idea of whether you felt fine at the end or totally wiped out, and that'll be a good indication of how the 104 will work. It may or may not be windy, but at least it won't be windy AND hilly like some other places.

Edit: I was just contemplating going for it myself, and discovered it's on a Sunday, not a Saturday. Website: http://www.spacerace.org/

StephenH Come down and ride Sag with me.
Listen to um holler about the long straight road with the headwinds.

I had my experience with headwinds back in December. Did a 211k brevet from Italy, TX, down to Mexia and Groesbeck and back up. It was pretty much pure tailwind going down and pure headwind coming up. I did my fastest 100k ever going south and my slowest 100k ever coming back north. But I made it, just hung in there and ground my way back north at 10-12 mph. It's not terribly hilly in there, but it's not pancake flat, either. Anyway, I'd try to come down and ride it if it was on a Saturday.

StephenH - I know intake is not a science, but before I learned about the importance of calorie intake after a few hours I would bonk and it was down hill frm there. Personally with around 300 calories/hr, I get tired, but I can keep up my pace the whole ride.

Doing 60 miles and 100 miles are comparable, but you have to physically and mentally prepare yourself. The wind is a killer, bt with enough training you learn to cope with it.

Good luck on everyone's MS150 training.

Yeah, I had experience with wind last year out at the Fort Bend ISD ride. It was my first time riding in wind consistently over 15mph and I tried to maintain the same speed instead of the same cadence and I had a hard time. I've since learned to just ride within my limits instead of trying to keep pace with others.

I rode the 80 mile route last year in the Space Race. It is still my longest ride. I think we only had tailwind for about 2 miles and the rest was headwind or crosswind. But, there aren't any hills that I can remember. Just go for it and have fun!

Not an expert, but I personally wouldn't ride 100 miles the weekend before the MS 150. 2 weeks before, yes. But on my first century, it took me a week to recover (although it was the HH100). Most information I get is that you should wind down training in the last 1-2 weeks.

Well, I just signed up for my longest ride ever, 104 miles. It's the longest route of the Space Race near Galveston. My previous long is 63 miles, but I figure it'll be a good warm up for the MS150 which is the following weekend.
So are there any bits of wisdom for a ride that long. :)

First and foremost: 10Wheels took a picture of me and didn't say hi :( (I'm on the left in the yellow shirt and back facing camera)

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/09%20Space%20Race%20Start/bear3.jpg

As for the ride, I would hold off on the century until after the MS150 just in case. Seriously, I didn't do my first 100 until the Shiner Bash and have done 3 or 4 since.

As for last year's Space Race, as many have already said, it was a fun ride for the first 20 or so miles. When that headwind hit, the next 50 freaking sucked donkey testicles :twitchy:

I was kind of wondering about that, but I figure that if I get the second longest route turnoff and feel I'm pushing too hard, then I can cut it short.

It was ridiculous how many people took the sag from the Wee-Mart last year. My ego won't let me sag back, unless I am physically unable to go on. Take a shorter route, yes. Sag, no.

It was ridiculous how many people took the sag from the Wee-Mart last year. My ego won't let me sag back, unless I am physically unable to go on. Take a shorter route, yes. Sag, no.

I said tghe same thing until I did the WRATH last year. When I stopped at a rest stop and my body was shacking violently because I was starting to get hypothermia. I decided to SAG before dying on the road.

We were riding out there today in 15 mph winds.
Got in 74 miles and I am beat.

It was ridiculous how many people took the sag from the Wee-Mart last year. My ego won't let me sag back, unless I am physically unable to go on. Take a shorter route, yes. Sag, no.

I could be mistaken but pretty sure 99% of us at WeeMart were on mile 80 of the 100-mile route. From what I recall, 15 mph sustained with 30 mph gusts. Rest stops were running out of water/food/time limits.. With the MS150 only 2 (?) weeks later, it just wasn't worth it and by that point, my ego was very much checked at the door.

Gladly took the SAG back and my legs greatly appreciated it.

I could be mistaken but pretty sure 99% of us at WeeMart were on mile 80 of the 100-mile route. From what I recall, 15 mph sustained with 30 mph gusts. Rest stops were running out of water/food/time limits.. With the MS150 only 2 (?) weeks later, it just wasn't worth it and by that point, my ego was very much checked at the door.

Gladly took the SAG back and my legs greatly appreciated it.

We rode to WeeMart Tuesday, 87 miles, temps 66* to 76* 16 MPH winds the whole ride, Kicked my old butt.

We rode to WeeMart Tuesday, 87 miles, temps 66* to 76* 16 MPH winds the whole ride, Kicked my old butt.

HTFU!

Sorry but I've been looking for an excuse to say that.

:p