canklecat

That route looks like Sgt. Snorkel's cussing in the old Beetle Bailey comics. @#!%$&!!!

I'd be taking my Univega 30/40/50 triple and 13-28 rear. And some lighter, smoother tires than the Conti Speed Rides I usually prefer for our local chipseal and gravel.

I'm not sure I could handle it even with a 39T chain ring and 28 freewheel cog on the Centurion Ironman. For me, the lighter weight of the bike, wheels and tires aren't enough to offset the limited gearing.

Sir_Name 

Well, not much to add at this point, only reiterate. I did D2R2 3 years ago (time flys!), similar stats to what Neal stated above - about 60 mi and over 6000' climbing, much of it unpaved. Did F2G2 2yrs ago with similar stats. I had a 28f/32r low gear for both rides and was glad to have it on each. When you need a gear that low, it sure is nice to have. Both rides were done on my old Windsor 650b conversion that is since gone - not a light bike, close to 30 lbs. Gearing over weight imo.

I'd lean toward a shimano drivetrain with MTB rear der at least so you can cram as much gear range onto the bike as possible. Swap out some parts where needed. Triple up front is a good idea.

Work on the fit before the ride, a bit more upright for those hills.

As others have said, and you already know, go easy in the beginning and save some steam for the end of the ride. Go a little bit slower and much further. And hydrate before you're thirsty. You know that too, I'm sure. I've settled on jerky, almonds (and some chocolate when temps allow) for fuel on more challenging rides. A banana if you can carry it w/o turning to mush. Dried fruit is a good substitute if squishage is a concern. Big dinner night before, clean breakfast. YMMV.

Get some powdered stuff to add to water bottles toward the end of the ride. Replace those electrolytes. I like Skratch labs, plenty of other options as well. Get little single serving packets and bring more than you think you'll need - they don't weigh anything. ...rinse your bottles asap...

Yes, that looks like a nut puncher. Have fun!

rhm

Fixie!
Fixie!
Fixie!
Fixie!
Fixie!
Fixie!

noglider 

OK you folks make excellent arguments in favor of lower gears. As @canklecat says, the lower weight doesn't compensate for the higher gear. With Shimano gearing, I should be able to put on a cassette with even bigger cogs, so I'll even consider that, though I think a 31 inch gear should get me anywhere.

Rudi, I'm sure people have done rides like this -- and worse -- on fixies. I've even seen you ride 100 miles on one.

I'll ask the organizer if they provide food or if I need to. The food suggestions here are good. In 2010, I was in a relay team in the NYC Triathlon, just the cycling portion. I carbo-loaded the night before and the morning of. All the fuel I brought was sweet, and I guess I had had too much. The sugar tasted foul, so I'll be sure that not everything I bring is sweet.

canklecat

Regarding electrolytes, the best stuff I've found is DripDrop. It's pricey at $10 per box of 10 packets, but it's the most concentrated, complete and the best value per unit of electrolytes. It has a very slight citrus flavor, not excessively flavored or sweet -- suits me because I dislike the flavor of most sports drinks. Comes in little Mylar pouches, not much larger in diameter than a large drinking straw for milkshakes. Keeps each individual serving dry even in a sweaty pocket or rain. I tuck 'em into little niches in my saddle bag too.

When I can't find DripDrop locally (it can be ordered online) I'll grab some Propel in the same size packets, or Emergen-C in larger Mylar packets. But Propel is sweetened more than I like. Neither is as concentrated as DripDrop but Propel is really cheap, just a couple of bucks a box of 10 packets, and available at many places that also stock Gatorade (same company).

I've also used NUUN tablets but I don't carry the whole plastic tube, and even in a ziplock baggie they tend to absorb moisture quickly.

I've been prone to hypoglycemia bonks all my life so I also carry glucose tablets for emergencies. Cheap, works more quickly than gel packs, just chew one or two and drink some water. The diabetic supply section of any pharmacy is the cheapest source. Sporting goods stores also carry 'em, with a fancier label and higher price tag. I usually don't need them if I've eaten and rested properly, but stress is also a factor in bonks that's harder to control.

noglider 

Thanks again, @canklecat. I'll look into those.

My boss, who is big into roller derby and also a cyclist, says he has taken to putting a tablespoon or two into a water bottle.

nlerner

Must be hard to choke down those tablespoons, but maybe it's some sort of roller derby test of toughness.

Cougrrcj

In my much younger days, I rode Hilly Hundred in central Indiana a few times... Not a great deal of elevation climbs, but take a look at the grades!!! The 'photo-op' hill is 23%!

Hilly Hundred Home Page

I did this the first time with a 51/39 crankset and a 14-28 five speed freewheel! To quote Roseanne Rosannadanna 'I thought I was gonna DIE!' Participating in this ride for a couple of years prompted me to replace my Fuji's crankset for a 48/38/28 triple!

noglider 

Oops. I meant a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup.

canklecat

Oh. I thought you meant a silver spoon for some sort of colloidal silver booster. I wasn't gonna mention the blue skin side effect.

noglider 

Well now you better mention it.

canklecat

These guys put spoons in their water bottles. Look what happened.

noglider 

I learned there is a "club" on Strava for this ride. The top riders are amazing. Three of them climbed over 20,000 feet last week.

I'm aiming just to finish the ride. I'd like to know the time limit. I asked the organizer what support there is and am waiting to hear back.

On Sunday, I rode 71 miles, kind of by accident. I had signed up as a volunteer marshal for the 55 mile route of the NYC Century ride, but I missed a turn and ended up on the 75 mile route. The route isn't very hilly but it was very windy. By the end, I was quite tired and achy. I took a nap and then a hot bath before bedtime. On Monday morning, I took ibuprofen and stayed off the bike for the day. By midday, I was feeling strong and energetic. I rode to work today and feel great.

I'm thinking I'll probably manage to finish the Hillier Than Thou, but I better find some hills to climb this weekend.

Amitoj

I am sure you will manage just fine. Start slow, finish strong. And keep refueling yourself regularly.

And then next year, join the New England Randonneurs for their Fall Classic in VT. It will seem like a piece of cake!

ptempel

I recall reading that someone here liked eating guava paste on longer rides which I thought was a good choice. Maybe @Carbonfiberboy ? Only concern might be upset stomach from fructose so you'll have to test ride with it. Also @Dodge mentioned that he likes peanut butter packets like the Justin's ones:

https://www.amazon.com/Justins-Peanu...00E1XPY3A?th=1

I'd also try them. But banana and fig newtons use to be some of my old school go to foods.

ptempel

Tom, can you get/borrow a compact crank for the Lemond? I read about another guy doing this ride with a 36x29 low gear which a compact will get close to. Otherwise, I'd also stay with the triple.

ptempel

I also noticed that some of the top guys on the leaderboard (like Dave H) are averaging a little over 18 mph for a century. That's a great pace for that distance. I doubt that I could match that. Just ride your own ride and definately hold back even if it takes shifting down two gears in the beginning.

jcb3

I did a 12,000 ft century this spring in SoCal called Breathless Agony - seems appropriate that yours has the Grim Reaper as the mascot as well.

We had 4 long climbs, one a 10 mile, 6% and one 8 mile 6%. The first one was 5 miles but had much 10%+ grades

I rode the trek with a 30 front 32 rear and I used all of that.

What surprised me is I can normally climb a 6-7% on a club ride on the 40 chainring, but the distance made me want to ride the 30 chainring, and on the 10%+ I was on full granny!

Good luck and take it easy.


grim.jpg

Carbonfiberboy 

No, not me, though I understand the mistaken memory. I am pretty weird. My go-to is maltodextrin for long rides.

fender1

Tom,

You will be fine. Just take your time and as others have said, eat and drink continually. I did this ride:

https://parando.org/PA200_k_map.pdf

200k, with 11,000ft of climbing a few years ago and rather enjoyed it. I took my time and connected with a few other riders to help pass the miles. I did not do a whole lot of "training" before hand. My impression was that if you are reasonably fit and follow the advice given here, you will enjoy it. Don't psyche yourself out.

noglider 

Thanks, @fender1! I am coming to believe I will be fine, but I think a lot of that is because I've been training. I haven't done any of that high tech data gathering, but I do use ridewithgps to tally my miles and look at my average speed. In NYC, I don't have any big hills to climb. At the weekend house, I do, but they're not as big as on Hillier Than Thou. To compensate, I'm riding hard. I'm standing up often, which kinda-sorta simulates climbing.

I wrote to the organizer asking if there is any support (sag wagon, rest stops with food) and haven't heard back. I think I'll phone him. I'll be fine if there's no support, but I don't want to bring more than I need.

Tomorrow (Saturday) I'm going to ride a 99-mile hilly loop route starting at the weekend house. It climbs almost continuously for the first 57 miles. Then it goes down almost continuously on the way back. Given that I recovered very well from this past Sunday's 71-mile ride, I'm feeling pretty confident.

9 more days until the event.

rowebr

Love the picture! Good point about the difference between climbing on a fast 40 or 50 mile club ride when the hills are attacked with pace, versus climbing the same hill on a longer ride. On the long rides I often find myself just creeping up the steepest hills for what seems like forever. Many of our local brevets (with DC Randonneurs) have lots of climbing, and most everyone except the very strongest riders uses low gearing. I think something close to the 1:1 ratio is typical for the lowest gear.

noglider 

I did it. 64 miles and 8,000 feet of vertical climbing. Scenery was gorgeous, and roads were empty.
Not only that, I was, of course, one of the oldest riders. Not only that, I had the heaviest, oldest bike, by far. Not only that, I started at the back and finished in the middle. Not only that, and this is what I'm most proud of, I climbed all of the hills without walking or even stopping: every time I started an uphill, I did not stop until I reached the top. I even impressed my formidable and generous riding partner, Cliff. There was one climb where I was at the verge of losing my balance and momentum because it was so incredibly steep. But I made it, grunting so loudly, it echoed in the woods.

See my GPS tracks and stats at the link below.

I'm sore, but I'm OK. I had a small cramp on the ride and some nasty cramps a couple of hours later. I took a hot bath and went to bed.

Now I've been eating constantly since I got up this morning. I ate on the subway on the way to work, I ate from the time I sat down at my desk until lunch. I ate at lunch, of course, and I'm still eating and drinking water.

noglider 

My GPS tracks and stats

Salamandrine 

Congrats! Sounds like it was a good ride and good fun.