Originally Posted by
wphamilton
The only real gotcha is you'll run out of energy after around 2 1/2- 3 hours, which can be truly unpleasant. YMMV but I've found that even snacking just once after an hour or hour and a half circumvents that problem. And drink some water before it's too late.
I've learned this the hard way. My first 30+ miler with a "C" group that turned out to be more C+ or B-. 27 miles in on a 2-mile hill I bonked bad. Had to sit down for a few minutes. I'd been hydrating, but waited too long to eat (I think). Won't make that mistake again.
I plan to ride 35 or so with this same group again on Thursday, so my theory will be tested.