Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - 300km+ long distance ride - schedules

Just curious as to what is your day schedule like for those people on here who ride 300 km or more in one day?

Please tell us a break down of your day .

Basically I am curious as to how you people do such a distance.

I am saying this at 300km+ long distance ride , not a touring.

Do you ride alone or with a group?

Do you mean the day of the 300K or the days leading up to the 300K when we're training for it?


The day of the 300K starts with breakfast, last minute packing, then ... a whole lot of cycling. Much later, there's a relatively large dinner, hot shower, and sleep.

And I've done 300Ks solo ... or with 1 other person ... or in small groups.

Nice for your 300ks, did u have all your food and water with u
or did u stop and take breaks at stores on the route

300k's are easy day trips. Good breakfast, take some food with you and only stop at the controls to get your card signed and if you need some food. Otherwise ride it non stop.

For a 200k, start around dawn, take 10 or 12 hours, get finished before dark.
For a 300k, start around dawn, take 15-18 hours, finish at night.
For a 400k, start around dawn, take 19-22 hours, finish early the next morning.
For a 600k, start around dawn, finish the first day at 2:00 in the morning, start the 2nd day at dawn, finish around 5:00 or 6:00.
Stop at controls every 30 miles or so, buy food and water there.
Control times range from maybe 5 minutes if riding solo to an hour if it's really hot or other problems are coming up.
That's typical randonneuring practice, based on my experience.

Obviously, if you can ride a 200k in 7 hours or a 600k in 24 hours, you can adjust scheduling accordingly. But that's not me.

Nice for your 300ks, did u have all your food and water with u
or did u stop and take breaks at stores on the route

I had some food and water with me, of course, but I also stopped along the way to replenish my supplies. And it's really nice to stop for a meal mid-ride.

Do you ride alone or with a group?To bicycle all day or to bicycle ultra-long distances is like many other activities. It requires many years of riding experience as well as good physical habits and common sense.

Now a days - various public organizations promote all day cycling events as a means for people to "test themselves" and or do service for a given charity. Many of these people cycle all day without incident - mostly because they are "supported" by the promoters and are riding an easy route and given ample, appropriate kinds of food and drink as well as being provided with resting areas and first aid.

The reality of "real long distance experts" - like myself, is that a great quantity of experience and consideration must go into choosing safe routes that are many miles from "home base." One has to know their limitations and bring along enough fluids and fuel to make each resupply point without energy failure.

The Internet can only go so far in helping with mapping and weather. Years of conditioning and experience are the only insurance a long-distance cyclist has to assure successful rides that take place without the support and event-staff of "promoted cycling events."

A sufficiently tech-savvy person can plot out a safe route that has well-spaced rest stops along the way, using nothing but a telephone, an internet connection, and google maps.

But they have to be knowledgeable enough to know that they need to find stores or other locations to replenish supplies, be willing to drill down and look at street views for questionable stretches, and make phone calls to prospective stops to see if they have public restrooms, are really still open, hours of operation, etc...

It's not a quick task; but I don't think you need years of experience just to plot out a 300k ride.

The reality of "real long distance experts" - like myself, is that a great quantity of experience and consideration must go into choosing safe routes that are many miles from "home base." One has to know their limitations and bring along enough fluids and fuel to make each resupply point without energy failure.

The Internet can only go so far in helping with mapping and weather. Years of conditioning and experience are the only insurance a long-distance cyclist has to assure successful rides that take place without the support and event-staff of "promoted cycling events."I'd have to dispute the above almost in its entirety considering I went on a 1300 mile self-supported tour with under three months riding experience, rode a century with less than two full months experience (certainly under 2k miles), and was probably as out of shape as I've ever been when I did both (the century was completed just 10 days or so before I left on the tour on 2-3 days notice). A self-supported rider, whether on tour or a day ride is one willing and able to be just that - self-supporting. Doesn't take years of experience - just forethought, the tiniest bit of research and deliberate effort on the bike imho.

The only part of the above I don't totally dispute has to do with knowing how much water you should carry - something that absolutely varies according to rider, terrain and current/expected weather along the route.


they have to be knowledgeable enough to know that they need to find stores or other locations to replenish supplies, be willing to drill down and look at street views for questionable stretches, and make phone calls to prospective stops to see if they have public restrooms, are really still open, hours of operation, etc... Again - in many cases, a state road map is totally sufficient - especially if one is willing to talk with the locals along the route and possibly ask for water/information at houses along the route if needed.

I can't count the number of times last fall I just got in my car, drove somewhere, parked and rode - with just my water bottles/day bag with emergency food and a state/county road map on my handlebars/handlebar bag map case.

There's no point in over-thinking riding - even "long distances" imho.

Note: I probably ought to mention I seem to have a much higher than normal tolerance for riding in high raffic on major roads. I don't prefer it, but I don't shy away from it when it's appropriate or necessary on any ride.