RunningPirate

The Moss Beach 200K Brevet (actually, it was a little over 200K, which translated to 128 mi).

I'm tired, my muscles are a bit stiff and my knees are a little sore...and I feel GREAT!

I posted a little about this in the LD/Rando forum, but the universe must have really wanted me to do this ride because the weather was about perfect and I was blessed with no flats or mechanical failures. Also, 28 x 32 gearing was my close, personal friend on the uphills, which made up for the fact that I was on a 35 lb rig.

Scenery (beaches and inland coastal farms between Santa Cruz and Moss Beach) just made it all the more better.

Finally, I was able to kill two goals with one stone: Complete a Brevet and do a century ride.

Now I'm trying to determine if I want to start training for a 300K....

iforgotmename

Congrats! That sounds lik an awesome day.

CraigB

Congratulations on the major accomplishment, and the great time you had.

StephenH

Congratulations. You are officially a Randonneur! And not to worry, but you train for 300k the same way, just keep riding 200k's!

Homeyba

What's a 300k? It's just 62 more miles than a 200k! Piece of cake.

cyclokitty 

Amazing! That sounded like a great ride as well!!

CliftonGK1

Yup, you're hooked. Welcome to the crazy rando crowd.

RunningPirate

Oh, well, that's only 50% more! What am I worried about?

timmythology

Congratulations, you've earned it.

Homeyba

That's the attitude! Well, sort of. Most people don't have a problem with the 300k if they make the 200k. It's the 400k that seems to be more of an issue. Many people have more problems finishing a 400k than even the 600k. You'll do fine though! Just remember to keep your cup half full because brevets are 90% mental!

RunningPirate

Thank you! So, how is it that more folks have problems with the 400K than the 600? Is it that with the 400, most folks try to ride through without sleep, whereas with the 600, there's no way around it?

...and yes, I can see how the mental aspect is important...during the last 25 miles or so, my head was having arguments with my ex-girlfriend...oiy! I can see how thoughts can easily turn dark when not tended to properly.

CliftonGK1

I've never heard that the 400 is tougher than the 600, but I've heard that more people have a tougher time with a 600 than with a 1000 or 1200 because above the 600km mark you get some extra hours on the clock.

You can read my accounts at Permanent Clydesdale

*edit*
I've only ridden up to a 400k, though.

Homeyba

You just haven't been doing brevets long enough yet Clifton. It's because the 400 is straight through and the 600k you get a sleep break or you can ride slower straight through. You don't have much choice on the 400k how you're going to ride it. You can make the 600k more difficult if you want. I did one in a little under 23hrs once. That was pretty tough. The last one I did we rode 400kms on our singles, stopped, got cleaned up and went out for dinner, slept 8 hours had a big breakfast then rode the last 200kms on tandems, finishing in 39:45. That was one of the easiest 600ks I've ever done, and by far the most fun! btw, Both those 600k's were on the same course.

ecovelo

Awesome RP!!

That's beautiful country out there!!

Congratulations on your "double" accomplishment!

DanteB

When I've done the 300 miler, 483k, at the Grand Tour it's a mental event. You do the ride straight through, you have 24 hours to complete it. It usually takes me around 21 hours, but I have to be very careful that I don't stop very long at any rest stops. I spent 90 minutes at 11 rest stops, 8 minutes per stop. One of them was a lunch stop, some stops I took clothes and lights off and others I was putting clothes and lights back on.

Sayre Kulp 

Congrats. Some day I look forward to trying my hand at randonneuring.

RunningPirate

So is the concern about stop time at controls about time, itself? or are there other issues (e.g. stiffening up, losing mental momentum, etc..) that you're concerned with? I was thinking being that I finished with just under 3 hours to spare, that next time, I should consider spending a little more time stretching and resting - not much mind you. Also, were these manned controls you were stopping at, or stores/mini marts? 8 mins to get in and out of a store seems difficult enough, let alone when there's a string of riders in front of you buying stuff (it's not that I'm doubting you, I'm more wondering about the logistics behind it).


Thank you, Sayre...you know, you could do a 200k Brevet, which would not only check the Rando box, but also clear out your double century goal (that is, unless you have a specific ride in mind).

DanteB

The 300 is part of the Grand Tour which has a 125, 200, 300 and 400 mile options. The time limit for the event is 24 hours and it is part of the Triple Crown Series. This not a brevet, the LA wheelmen have rest stop every 2-3 hours riding time where you can pick up food and drink. With 5-600 people on the course it is very easy to get hung up in rest stops trying to get food and drinks. When you do the 300 or 400 you are allowed to have a sag met you at the rest stop with your food and drink to help you get through them quicker, you can not have a sag on the 125 or 200. The reason I was quick in and out of the stop was I wanted to get done, was feeling good and was afraid if I had a mechanical it might take me to long to fix it. Also, I wanted to see how fast I could do it.

Homeyba

I've done the grand tour a bunch of times, it's a great ride. I've wanted to get down there and do the 400 but it just hasn't worked out.

On brevets many people spend way too much time at the controls and then wonder why are barely making the controls or not making them at all. Remember if you're going 20 mph and you sat at the last control for 15 extra minutes you could have been down the road 5miles!

StephenH

The 600's usually get broken up into something like a 350 and 250, so the first day is easier than a 400. For example, the 600k coming up this weekend, the first loop is 225 miles.

The problem with time at controls is simply a time issue. You can waste an awful lot of time without realizing it. For example, I did my first 300k last fall. My bike odometer showed I averaged 16.4 mph or so (had good winds!), so that gave me around 12 hours ride time, but my overall time was 15 hours. How the heck did I spend 3 hours standing around convenience stores? I don't know, but the time went somewhere. (And actually, some of it was spent stopped on course and on a side trip I made, but still, there's a lot of time that gets wasted.) If you're riding a 200k in 8-9 hours, that time won't make any practical difference to you. If you're moving slow enough that you get short on time, it's a problem. If you're doing multi-day rides, then every hour you spend sitting around at controls will mean an hour's less sleep somewhere else.

One minor thing I've learned is, try to do multiple things at once when you're stopped. Specifically, be doing something else while you chew. I refill my bottles, mix the Perpetuum in, turn my cue sheet over, etc., and all of that can be done while I'm munching on something, instead of eating inside and then coming out and doing all that stuff.