Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Planning my first brevet Saturday 3/27

200k in Ohio. Yesterday I rode 158k solo in about 7 hours, but that was on familiar roads with no navigation needed and no checkpoint stops. I've ridden 200k solo before, once pulling a trailer with camping gear in hilly terrain, but still this thing is intimidating me :(
I'm worried about under hydrating, about under eating, about being too slow; worried if the randonneuring rules will trigger my authority issues. I need this thing over so I can move on to 300k!

I seriously doubt you'll have any problems. It sounds like you are in more than adequate shape. Your 158k ride was at a pace that would be under 9 hours for 200k, and you'll have 13.5 hours, so you shouldn't have any time problems. Heck, you'll have time to bonk and recover and still finish with lots of time to spare. I don't know how many riders a brevet draws in Ohio, but here in California, a 200k brevet draws enough people that you don't have too much trouble navigating, just follow the experienced people. I think the only thing you have to fear is fear, itself.

Keith

one caution is not to follow the experienced people too blindly. Although my experience riding with the Ohio Randonneurs is that there aren't too many people on their rides.

You should be in fine shape if you've ridden 158k. The thing to remember about organized rides is that it is almost guaranteed that there will be another newbie in the group for you to ride with, or an experienced rider who is more than happy to ride with you and share their wisdom.

Eat and drink the same as you would on a training ride. And don't worry about being too slow. As long as you make the cutoff points, you'll be in good shape.

Just do it. That's well within the 2/3rds rule.

And, if you are going to have authority issues, dye your hair purple beforehand.

there isn't any authority to generate any issues. You do have to get your brevet card signed at the controles, and probably get a receipt at the end.

okay thanks everyone, I'll chill out about it.

I'm not sure how much hand-holding you'll get. If you have any questions, don't be hesitant to ask.

I will be there with you for the Ohio 200K this weekend. This will be my first attempt at riding a brevet event. I know for a fact I have not rode enough in preparation. A previous work schedule of only working 1-2 days a week turned into 5-6 days during the previous nice weather. I only got in a few 30 mile rides in that time.

You will be fine with the ride, me on the other hand?

I'll be there. Likely a little bit behind you :) (also did 100 miles this weekend, about 15mph moving average)

It looks like there are nearly 60 riders registered for the ride! Doesn't sound like you should really have any problem.

I did my first 300k w/ this bunch last year, and it was a good time.

My experience is that most of the riders are out of sight in front of me, a few behind me, and I need to do my own navigating. You may or may not have anyone visible to follow.

The routes may be hillier than what you're used to, but times are generous enough that if you can keep moving, you're okay. If you're concerned about the time, take your lights, vest, & anklebands just in case.

I don't have much problem with hydration when it's not hot, don't have to worry about eating, as that comes naturally (although I tend not to get that hungry while I'm riding, but that varies from person to person- I'm blessed with fat reserves, some people aren't.

Get receipts at each control, even if you don't think you need them, just in case...you know, belt-and-suspenders approach.

One thing that can be different is you can hit a headwind for 60 miles at a time, and that can be rough mentally, but nothing you can't get past.

Good luck and report back.

One tip about navigation: review the cue sheet - maybe even walk through it on google maps, bikely, mapmyride, or the like.

This will familiarize you with the route, and identify any potentially tricky turns.

+1 on going over the cue sheet with a mapping program. I'm doing a 400k this Saturday and I put the route into MapMyRide.com two nights ago. Then I pulled up the elevation profile and noticed two major climbs that I didn't know about before. It's good to know where the hills are in advance. I'll add the mileage at the summits to the cue sheet before I print them out, so I'll have a clue as to how much farther I have to go when I'm in the middle of the climb.

Keith

Guess I'm ready. weather.com says 30F at depart time but zero chance of rain for the day.

Very nice ride! It was a bit cccccold at the start, with a bit of a headwind at the end, but overall enjoyable. Now I decide whether to try 300k in 2 weeks :twitchy:

Congratulations!

My rule is that as long as I keep enjoying brevets, I'll keep riding them. "Enjoy" doesn't mean every second--yesterday's brevet had me cursing quite a bit, though I never got to the "I'll never do this crazy sport again" stage. Anyway, five years in, I keep enjoying the rides. If I get to hating them or dreading them I'll know it's time to at least take a break, if not stop.

So in deciding whether to try the 300Km in 2 weeks, I'd say "Ask yourself if you had fun on the last one." What is there to lose, and if you don't try, you'll be kicking yourself!

Start the ride: "Whee!"
3/4 of the way through: "Never again!"
After the ride: "Well, it wasn't that bad."
Next day: "Hey, that was great!"
Next week: "Let's do it again!"
Moral is that part of the enjoyment is savoring the accomplishment, it's not just all in the ride itself.

Very nice ride! It was a bit cccccold at the start, with a bit of a headwind at the end, but overall enjoyable. Now I decide whether to try 300k in 2 weeks :twitchy:

Even my unprepared self finished the 200k right around my time goal. That last 40 miles was the worst time on a bike for me. The wind out of the SE and then either traveling east or south was really rough, and doing it all alone basically the whole time. Also, not to mention that it was in Ohio so there was nothing but farmland around you.

I wasn't feeling too well last night, but feel much better the next day except for some sore legs still.

My goal is to ride enough that I actually enjoy a ride all the way through.

I am thinking of a 200k this summer. What do you all do about food and water? Carry it with you? Buy along the way? Is anything provided at the check points?
thanks, MikeB

Congrats Downtube!
I go through several phases like StephenH...especially the one when I am getting ready in the morning thinking I could just sleep in!

For food I bring a few powerbars and a few cliff bars for variety, plus about 5 or so Accell Gels. Water with Nuun/Zym/Heed. I stay away from Gatorade/Powerade now.

I bring the stuff with me because it's cheaper to buy at certain stores ahead of time, but I've noticed almost all gas stations/marts/general stores have some sort of 'powerbar' or similar. You don't want to try something new on a long ride, so I prefer to pack it with me.

I think I went through 5 total bars and 6 Accell gels plus lunch on my last 200k which took me 11 hours. I got away from Gu, as the Accell has protein and the Gu does not.

At the stores I just buy water and drop in a tablet. At the halfway mark I pick up a light lunch. This last ride it was chocolate milk and small pack of Fig Newtons. I wanted a banana but couldn't find one at that store.

Sometimes I treat myself to a payday at another store along the way.

However, everyone's body is different. Some people eat junk food, some people only do Hammer products.

I haven't been on a brevet that has a supported check point, ours are just gas stations/quickee marts, but I guess some clubs might.

I am thinking of a 200k this summer. What do you all do about food and water? Carry it with you? Buy along the way? Is anything provided at the check points?
thanks, MikeB

On our typical ride, the check points are at convenience stores, and you get food and water there. Keep in mind, this is in north Texas, not Montana, and towns aren't usually too far apart. If you're planning out your own ride, then figuring out food and drink is one of the things to work on. Food isn't usually a problem, but if you're riding in the heat and sweat a lot, then water is an issue. If you're riding a regular brevet or permanent, then the cue sheet should indicate where and when food and drink are available.

On a brevet, where they have more riders, they may have someone organizing food at a particular point, especially if the schedule or length is such that people will get to a control after the store is closed.

Sounds to me like every club is different, and food may even be handled differently depending on the ride. I think the best plan for any brevet is to check with the organizer to find what food will be available on the route. In general though, whether riding on my own or with a group, I'm going to carry emergency food with me even if I expect to acquire food along the way. I like this site.

http://www.ultracycling.com/nutrition/eatingselfsupportrides.html

600 calores and 60 grams of carb per hour for me :eek:

I am thinking of a 200k this summer. What do you all do about food and water? Carry it with you? Buy along the way? Is anything provided at the check points?
thanks, MikeB

If you are planning this ride in Montana, you might want to check with some of the more experienced riders there. When I lived in Utah, I ran through 5 water bottles in a 30 mile ride. Hot and near zero humidity is a problem for water consumption and water carrying. In the densely populated east, I still carry 3-4 Clif bars with me and try not to eat them unless I can't buy what I want on route.

I am thinking of a 200k this summer. What do you all do about food and water? Carry it with you? Buy along the way? Is anything provided at the check points?
thanks, MikeB

If you are planning this ride in Montana, you might want to check with some of the more experienced riders there. When I lived in Utah, I ran through 5 water bottles in a 30 mile ride. Hot and near zero humidity is a problem for water consumption and water carrying. In the densely populated east, I still carry 3-4 Clif bars with me and try not to eat them unless I can't buy what I want on route.

>>600 calores and 60 grams of carb per hour for me :eek:

I would have gained weight on the ride.

I took in 290cal/hour, and burned 525 cal/hour (yep, rode with the powermeter on Saturday).

Great day (except for the killer headwind).

What's kinda amazing is that the wind was "only" about 8mph last weekend. (Yes, it felt bad to me too...)

I need to work on joining up with other riders on these brevets. I tend to be more of a solo guy, but it would have made the last leg of the 200k more enjoyable with some people to break through that headwind.

What's kinda amazing is that the wind was "only" about 8mph last weekend. (Yes, it felt bad to me too...)

I need to work on joining up with other riders on these brevets. I tend to be more of a solo guy, but it would have made the last leg of the 200k more enjoyable with some people to break through that headwind.

I need to work on the same, I ended up solo for the headwind stretch as well. I definitely don't want to be solo in the dawn/dusk portions of the 300k.

Thanks for the help! Found a brevet and a permanent up here. Both 200k.
The permanent is from Red Lodge Mt to Cooke City and back. Top of the world highway. Beautiful veiws. That is my main goal for the year. Try for the middle of August, can snow anytime up there.
There is one century near here in July. The 200K brevet is June 19.
Have an 89 mile climbing route planned for a couple weekends. Ride to the local ski hill.
Lots of plans, hope my knees hold up.
Any one using big bags or racks for the shorter rides? How about tires. I have some Conti 4000's in 25mm I'll be mounting up shortly. Currently using the Specialized All Condition Armadillo 28s, maybe a little on the heavy side. Haven't flatted after 1800 miles, hoping little less weight will help me along a little bit.
Thanks again, MikeB

My goal is to ride enough that I actually enjoy a ride all the way through.

Now, there's a good approach. I have yet to enjoy a brevet all the way thru, so I'll just have to keep trying... :rolleyes:

SP
Bend, OR
:recum:

I have been sick and some injuries caught up to me over the winter, so I don't think I'll meet that goal. The ACP 200k I rode at the end of March was an exercise in barely beating controle cutoff times and trying to avoid cramps.

wmbigs - i've heard the Armadillos are a bit harsh and heavy. I'm a fan of the Gatozkinz and you can't beat the prices from probikekit, but I have limited experience with different tires.

I use a handlebar bag if I need to take off and store cold weather clothing during a ride but here in Texas we're done with the cold weather so it's off the bike now. I have a top tube mini saddlebag that holds my bars and gels.

Riding out of Red Lodge, MT - you could do worse for scenery. But then again, until you are out on the road that very day- you don't really "know" how its going to go. Good luck, tailwinds -err or "no" winds......