Originally Posted by
thebulls
If you can do 200 miles, you can almost certainly do 1200K. A lot of it is pure psychology.
I think it's a bit of a jump from 200 miles to 1200k (745mi), both psychologicaly and physically. A lot of physiological and mental issues can present themselves in the interval between.
Riding 200 miles (320km) will give you an idea of the issues in store on a 600 or 1200, but can't predict in any precice way how an individual will react to ultra distance.
The other thing to keep in mind is if one has been lucky with weather and other variables, how will one fare if you get hit with weather, hills, etc. on a longer brevet? All are not equal.
Originally Posted by
CliftonGK1
I think it's the idea of a 2 or 3 hour nap after a 400k, then going out and cranking another 200k that I just can't wrap my brain around.
This is easier to quantify. If you've done a 400 in reasonable form, the 600 follows well for most. My first 600 I only got 1 1/2 hours sleep, due to waiting for a friend with mechanicals. It was pretty grim getting going, but once on the bike it was fine. I've gotten use to expecting 2 or three hours, but on
last year's 600, I had a luxurious 4+ hours. The trick was riding faster overall (on a slightly easier course than previous).
I hope this year to try my first "straight through" 600. Many variables will indicate whether this will be feasable for me to accomplish.