garethzbarker

Hi,

I entered a 12 hour recreational riding event that takes place in at the end of the week. It's informal but there are some cool prizes for riders of different classes. At first I just wanted to do 6 hours but now I'm thinking about doing as much as I can. There are only 50 riders and a lot of them are weekend riders. The rules are you get a card punched each lap and you can break as often as you like, You could probably even take a nap if you wanted haha. The event is really more about pushing yourself and meeting personal goals.

My longest ride straight has been 6 hours and 30 minutes of pedaling in 8 hours. I know where to keep my heart rate to resist muscle fatigue but on that ride I was pushing the whole way and eventually my legs just gave out. I'm not in as good shape as I was before that ride. I had a back problem so I was forced to prep for the ride mostly doing core workouts the last couple of weeks with very little cardio. I changed out my stem and moved my bars to put myself in a more upright position. I've tried the set up for a few rides and it's really comfortable

The ride is a flat 15km loop with a station that has water and snacks. I plan on taking it slow and drafting off people then pushing myself the last 2 hours. I'm going to leave poweraid at the staging area and grab one every few laps. I planned on bringing a bunch of peanut butter sandwiches in my saddle bag

But I'm looking for any advice or tricks out there on staying on the bike the full 12 hours. Could really use some nutrition advice. What usually finishes me is back pain, knee pain, hot spots or just the whole body going stiff and weak from holding the riding position. I've also had an episode where I almost passed out from not eating right but that was a long time ago. By the way, should I aim for low aerobic HR numbers or right on threshold of anaerobic?

Thanks
g

drmweaver2

First, you're too close to the event to get any significant training in now. If you aren't physically ready today, you won't be by the end of the week. So, I'd suggest not riding more than 10-15 miles per day through Thursday and nothing Friday if the event is Saturday. (Maybe don't ride at all after Thursday noon.) Rest completely Friday.

Second, decide if you want to maximize time on bike or distance covered. They are not necessarily the same thing. Plan your energy expenditure and any "big rest breaks/naps" accordingly.

You may be able to cover more distance over time by pedaling for longer periods with an easier gear than your usual 1-2 hour rides.

Short (15-30 minute) naps spaced 5-7 hours apart may be sufficient to get you through 24 hours without prior long-distance/endurance training according to some 'Net sites. If you find yourself weaving on the road - STOP. Take a nap. Riding off the road may end your ride for good.

Physical and emotional support/encouragement throughout the ride will be extremely helpful. A support crew may not be able to spend all 24 hours with you - but you might be able to have family/friends support you in shifts or show up at specific times with food/clothing/whatever. If you have a support crew/friend who can offer a leg massage every 4-6 hours, so much the better.

Before you decide to quit - if you reach that point during the ride - take a 15 minute break and eat/drink something. Then, take a 15 minute nap. Afterwards, reconsider if you really want to quit.

General advice about the bike/equipment/ride itself.
0. Bike fit. 12 hours on a bike will exacerbate every niggling strain, pain and over-strech/compression point. If your bike doesn't fit now, is it worth $ to ask for a quick fit adjustment/examination at your LBS? Do you have a knowledgeable friend who can help with it? You could use guidance/suggestions from the 'Net and a video cam to do limited self-examination for saddle/pedal adjustments and even hip-rocking-while-pedaling.

1. Change your riding position often - at least every 15 minutes - since you've previously experienced stiffness/pain issues. Address each sensation as it occurs - decide if changing positions or needing a break/equipment adjustment is appropriate (the former more likely than the latter).
Move your foot around on the pedals if you're not using clipless pedals. If using clips and straps, move your foot forward so the pedal is slightly behind the foot pad to alleviate some hot foot issues. Concentrate on not allowing your knees to bow in or out while you pedal.
Change hand positions regularly.
Ride upright and stretched out at different times. Use the drops sparingly - except for stretching - unless you're naturally flexible or used to riding in them already. Riding in the drops can help stretch your back out if used strategically.

2. Constant hydration - every 15 mins - seems to be common advice. Drink on a schedule on the bike if you want to maximize distance - don't wait for the rest stop/control area. But do sip/drink there also.

3. Scheduled nutrition - eat 200-300 calories an hour.

4. Bring spares - 2-4 tubes; carry 1 leave others at the control/rest area. Carry your pump, a tube repair kit and a multitool. Leave bigger/heavier/more specific tools at the rest area --- might want to check and see if the ride has a mechanic to help with issuses. Prob want to bring a spare spoke or two and a spoke wrench. Duct tape and cable ties may keep you on course! A few spare nuts and bolts would be good.

5. Bring extra clothing to adjust layering/coverage throughout the day. If you have them, bring an extra set of bike shorts - change after 12 hours (if you have 4 pair, change every 6).
It WILL certainly become cooler at night - plan for it.
What about winds? Headwinds will drain you if aren't prepared for them - wind chill, resistance, eye tearing. Consider using wrap-around glasses/goggles if necessary (goggles may look stupid, but they do work).

6. Bring chamois creme/butt butr, etc. Don't hesitate to use it.

7. You'll be riding at night - so double and triple check your lights beforehand. If using battery powered lights - bring more spare batteries than you think you'll need - then add half again more. Carry a full set of spare batteries with you for both front and rear lights. Leave other spares, including spare light bulbs (Front and rear) in the rest area.

8. Possibly bring one spare tire.

9. Every time you stop to get your control card intialed/stamped - STRETCH.

Good luck. Let us know how it went.

garethzbarker

That's good advice and there were a few things in there I had not thought about like bringing extra clothing and power napping, it's only a 12 hour ride but the ride starts at 6pm and lasts though the night, will probably get a little tired. I'm setting up a tent near the staging area and it would be nice to change clothes if I need to or power nap.

Fit is dialed in on this bike. It's why I'm bringing my road over my hardtail really. I think I'm going for time not distance on this ride. Thanks again.

drmweaver2

Here's a thread that you might find useful in terms of nutrition.
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-past-70-miles.

((For some reason, I read "12 hours" but was thinking "24"... :facepalm)

robbleebob

Hey Gareth,

I'll be joining you Saturday night, and I'm definitely psyched. The good thing about this course is that it appears to be flat. I know most of the cycling I do usually involves two or three +500m climbs which aggravates my back, but I find as long as I am spinning on the flats, the pain is focused more in my legs (which is probably where it is supposed to hurt). Hopefully having switched your stem-out, and with regular stretching, your back should be good.

I am a little worried as I am lying in bed with a touch of the flu--timing is everything. But I am thankful that this flu will at least keep me off the bike and resting for the event. The ride starts at 6pm which means that rest is going to be key... why the hell did we sign up for this?!

I have done a fair amount of long-distance cycling, and the one bit of advice I would give is: to eat something that you are comfortable eating (your body is gonna be pissed at you for making it work all night), don't push yourself until the middle of the ride (you'll have a better idea of what your body is telling you), and get off and walk/stretch semi-regularly. I have quite a few goals to that I want to accomplish on this ride, and I'm hoping that this bug doesn't take those away, but whatever happens, I know it's gonna be awesome!!

See you Saturday!

Robb

Homeyba

The easiest solution is to not get off the bike. Every three minutes you are off the bike is a mile you could be down the road (at 20mph). A 12hr ride is too short for a nap unless you start to fall asleep on the bike don't stop for that.

Make sure your fit is right. Check with a professional fitter if you need to. Don't guess on fit. If you are fitted properly 12hrs should be a piece of cake on the bike.

I don't think you can carry enough PBJ's to fuel you for 12hrs (I couldn't anyway). As mentioned above, figure on 200-300cal/hr for quality fuels.

Finally, don't get off the bike!

garethzbarker

Hi Rob, neat to see you on here! I hope your flu dissipates. You will be able to find me easy, I'll be the chubby guy on the purple road bike. I've only been cycling for 2 seasons but I'd like to do more distance events when I get into shape. This season I tore my knee and pulled my back, just bad luck. I'm going into this weak but I'll just try my best.

Thanks for the tips guys

Homeyba

That's all we can ever hope for! Try and have fun and a great ride!

Richard Cranium

Well, give up the HR monitor ideas. In your case, they will confuse you more than help you find your goal.

The key to any long distance event is to ride so slowly that you never have to stop. For some one like my self, I would aim for riding 11:40 out of the 12 hours. For casual riders 10 out of 12 would be impressive.

Without knowing anything about you, there's little use in guessing goals.

Still there is "theoretical advice" that applies no matter the situation. First of all, understand your goals are actually goal "windows" that have to be adjusted to the contingencies resulting from weather or other changeable events.

Secondly, realize that 12 hours is a relatively short period of time but resist the notion of focusing on the whole event. Break up your goals into to three-hour segments. For example give yourself 10 minute off for the first three hours. Then twenty minutes for the second, and finally 30 minutes per each last segment.

Get the point? And lay out all your supplies ahead of time, a support person should help keep your mind from wondering during a stop. Have all your favorite foods available. Don't try new stuff. Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc Etc etc etc etc

Repeat as necessary - for success.

robbleebob

Great advice from all. Sorry to hijack this post, but I'd like to ask for a little advice from the same people: this even is an all night ride, how will this differ from regular rides--specifically regarding food intake? I'm also planning on adding an extra 100k back home (assuming all goes well), from someone's experience, are there things I need to be aware of?

I usually throw myself into these events without much planning, and then I find myself thinking I should have asked someone... thanks.

seenloitering

You're going to ride slower at night, so don't be afraid put out a little more power while you have the light. Lot's of light helps at night. I would suggest the following...

1. two powerful headlights and a headlamp so you can read your computer and signs and such.
2. follow people who have done this ride before.
3. be very careful if you draft, and let them know you're there ("Hi, I'm on your six").
4. don't make any of your lights flash - you'll give people seizures.
5. Go out for a couple short, but remote, night rides before the event, so it isn't a total shock. Riding in the middle of nowhere at night is very different than riding through civilization at night.

garethzbarker

yeah I'm going to go out tonight for an hour or so just b/c I rarely cycle at night; the area we are cycling is supposed to be very well lit though.

lhbernhardt

A flat course is not necessarily an advantage. It's nice to be able to get out of the saddle every now and then to go up a climb, or to stand up out of the saddle on a descent to stretch the legs. A dead flat course means your butt is likely going to be on the saddle all the time. Not good, it will just be aching, even with your most comfortable saddle. Shift into your top gear every now and then, stand up, pedal.

L.

garethzbarker

I went out tonight wearing what I thought I'd wear on the ride and I rode kind of slow to simulate the ride. I got everything just warm enough except my upper legs. Is it ok to wear long underwear under lycra? I know it's not ideal but I can't think of any other way. The leg warmers I have don't do anything for where the wind hits my thighs.

drmweaver2

A couple of possibilities:
1. Wear long underwear OVER the lycra. Wear gym shorts over the long underwear. Reason: the lycra/cycling shorts have strategically placed seams that you don't want to negate with "misplaced/inconvenient" seams in the long underwear. A seam rubbing you in the wrong place will become damn uncomfortable over time.

2. Manuafacture yourself some wind shields for your upper thighs. These can be made from thin-plastic (plastic bags) and some method of keeping them there - long velcro strip, elastic, etc.
Commercial product: https://www.rainlegs.co.uk/ Take the idea and use it.

I'm sure someone else will chime in eventually.

Carbonfiberboy 

Wear cycling tights over the shorts. That's what everyone else does. PI makes good ones. Any bike shop should have them, at least something if not PI.

garethzbarker

haha I found a pair of seamless tights to put under the lycra. If you think lycra looks weird try walking around the house in tights. I'm also going to pack some long gym shorts to put over the set if I need to. Leg warmers cover up past the kneecap so I'm set. packing plastic bags for the hands and I bough sports earmuffs.

Carbonfiberboy 

Very stylish, really. You just need a tunic. Tights go over the shorts, though. You want the pad against your butt. Don't change anything butt-related for sure.

Jim from Boston

Currently for the winter I'm only commuting daily about 14 miles, and one of the torments is when riding below ~ 35* F or so, my upper, and mostly posterior thighs get chafed and remain that way most of the winter. I had been thinking about wearing my rain pants under my tights as windproofing, but plastic bags seem more flexible. What I think I'll do is just poke my foot through the bottom of a (clean) garbage bag and the tights should hold the bag in place over my thighs.

I'll need a few continuous days of riding at less than 30* to test the effectiveness, and I probably will report to the Winter Cycling Forum. "Thanx and a tip o' the hat"--another reason to look forward towards colder weather.

drmweaver2

Wearing rain/wind pants under tights is a wasted effort. The tights will get wet and/or allow the wind to pass through - so they'll provide little to no termperature-insulation/anti-wind value.

Using the tights to hold the bags in place atop your thighs makes some sense on its face - I use the bottom elastic of my cycling shorts for the same purpose and a cheap 1-inch-wide elastic strap for the bottoms (ex-girlfriend left about 5 yards behind when she moved out. 5 mins hand stitching the ends together - et voila! )

OTOH, if what you are looking for is temperature-insulation value, try newspaper under the tights. It has "some" anti-wind value but zero anti-wetness value. Also, the disadvantage is it is noisy.

crockett

winter sux

Jim from Boston

Soon after my post I tried a plastic garbage bag on one leg for comparison at about 22*F with a 15 mph crosswind, for my 14 mile commute. I don’t think it made a difference, other than profuse sweating that was demarcated from where the bag ended on my calf.

However, I did try another different layer between my thin inner tights and thicker outer ones. Previously for temperatures below about 20 degrees I had used a pair of surgical scrub pants as a windproofing layer. They are a cotton/polyester blend, pretty loose and not constricting. I have started using them now at temperatures up to 30*F.

This morning at 28*F with a light wet snowfall, I wore them. I realized when I was a few miles out that I had considered wearing the rain pants to keep my legs dry. I noted that there was a layer of unmelted snow on my thighs, suggesting to me that, like snow on a roof of a house, my legs were pretty well insulated since I did not lose enough heat to melt the snow, and they were dry and sweat-free.

Many of us who revel in winter riding tout bibs for winter riding, but I’m happy with the layers of tights, since I already had them. One of my great motivations for inclement weather riding is to answer that perennial question, “You didn’t ride your bike today, did you?” This morning within an hour I was asked three times.

drmweaver2

Exercising/riding in the cold presents opposite-ends-of-the-spectrum challenges relating to temperature/temperature control.

Body heat will naturally be conducted away from the body to the cooler surrounding air - basic laws of physics. Thus the need for insulation; too little and you feel cold because of the loss of body heat. However, too much insulation will cause too much of the heat generated by exercise to be retained and over-heating of your body may result. So it's a balancing act.

The idea of the plastic use is primarily as a windbreak - moving air conducts more heat away from the body than does stagnant air. The reality is that the material and thinness or most plastic trash bags results in little real temperature insulation value while being nearly 100% water/vapor-proof. (Think about it, freezer bags allow the food inside to reach below freezing temps but keep humidity inside - hence the frost inside the bag.) So there's another balancing act. If you can allow more or less air flow between your thigh and the underside of plastic, then you allow more or less humidity (sweat) to be moved away from the body to the surrounding air with minimal heat loss. With homemade elastic straps that have velcro on the ends, adjusting the fit/tightness should result in no sweat-soaked legs/thighs on cold days. (FWIW, I first tried experimenting with this decades ago for snow skiing when I skied in jeans because I couldn't afford ski pants - back before Goretex existed.)

Ultimately, using plastic bag "rainlegs" as windbreaks is a poor man's solution, something that as efficient as other solutions. The idea was offered primarily as a temporary/money-saving solution.