hairyleg

My first decent length ride yesterday, after a wet slushy winter of commuting. It was a very nice day, around 50'F, and some riding friends call and we set up a ride. I somehow got the impression that it was going to be a relatively easy, short ride, so I didn't prepare very well. (didn't eat enough, didn't stretch well enough...) Actually, it was about 35-40 miles total, and we took it, um, not slow. I didn't have a computer on my bike, so I don't know exactly how fast we did it. About 20-21mph av I guess.

Anyway, about 8 miles from home, I just lost all sensation of power in my legs. I wasn't hurting, just felt really weak, as in had nothing left to ride on. Bonked. I'll eat better next time. So, that was an encouraging first-of-season ride.

rufvelo

Everyone does. Even Lance and Indurain have admitted to 'forgetting to eat in time'.

Everyone's different. With experience you'll learn your body's requirements, then eat/drink before you are hungry/thirsty. Long rides without food and spares/tools - asking for trouble.

my58vw

I have bonked, so hard that I pulled over an lay on the ground for about 10 minutes until someone came and brought me food... it was a group century. Always leave home with enough food and water or a plan to get more. I now always have some sort of high energy food if I every bonk like that again...

2Rodies

I was in a race in September and I BOOOOONKED hard. End of lap one and my body just shut down. It was 103degrees and 98% humidity something this California boy just ain't used too.

BryE

Everyone bonks. At the end of this past summer, there was a "Mayor of Bonk City" thread. It's worth your time to search for it - some of the stories are hilarious.

substructure

My bonk story:
I cramped stiff, started hallucinating, begging God for forgiveness, and almost spoke in tongues.

This was all new terrain with a group of guys who have been riding for over 10 years. I couldn’t keep up enough to consider drinking, eating, spinning, talking, thinking, breathing, etc. I was a mess.

But joined them the next week.

bbattle

I was on my way to the coffee shop to get a Macho Grande Latte Latte (with sprinkles) but when I got there, the shop was closed. The next coffee shop was over 3 miles away! Well, always up for a challenge, I set off.

The going was tough; I had to cross some railroad tracks and there were these two Pomeranians that chased me. Luckily they were behind a fence.

I was tired, sore, and starting to perspire, when the coffee shop appeared. I was so excited, I shifted into 34-16 and blasted the last block and right up to the door.

But before going in, I wiped my brow, cleaned my Oakleys, and wiped down the bike. There was a bit of dust on my Sidis so I cleaned them thoroughly before going inside.

It was a close call but if I had to it over again, I wouldn't hesitate. Not being able to pose down at the coffee shop is just not an option.

NoRacer

It's very easy for one to bonk when the task at hand is 'open looped' (i.e., you don't know exactly how hard for how long) even if you do eat and drink properly before hand. This is because it has been shown that when those two details are missing from your brain, you will use more glycogen during the exercise bout than if you did know.

rufvelo

Hence the need for planning, as with other things in life.

BarconsOrBust

I taught Lance and Miggy how to bonk back when I first started riding.

rufvelo

Just want to add, don't confuse bonking with reaching the limits of your endurance, where no matter how much food/water you have/consume, your body just shuts down, simply because you lack the ability to go further. This surprises many attempting their first century for example, even with a bag full of fruit and sandwiches & plenty of water at hand, they just want to get off the bike and sleep for a month!

Occidio

I always bonk on my first ride out or my first day of a season. It's horrible and last for 30 mins! After that initial bonk it doesn't happen again until the next extended break.

Yeah I should get rollers or a trainer.

caligurl

from everything i've read.. i'm really glad i've never bonked! *knock on wood*

Hipcycler

I once bonked before the ride a couple of seasons ago....

I put on a Nashbar sleeveless jersey with bibs over the top of it.

Clearly, my mind had shut down from lack of nutrition.

geraldatwork

This is exactly what happened to me on a tough 50 mile trip about 2wo weeks ago. I can keep up with the group pretty well even excelling on flatter trips but the journey included a lot hills, some pretty steep. At 210 lbs the hills eventually took their toll and with about 5 miles left I couldn't keep up with the group. When a hill came up even a shallow one I just couldn't get my legs to work. It was not a case of not eating as I ate during the ride and we stopped for food at about the 30 mile mark.

mollusk

I was in the early to mid-stages of a bonk yesterday.

I took a short 20 mile, but fast ride on Saturday after spending the morning fencing. On Sunday, my normal long ride day, I had obligations so I did a 40 mile ride with intervals and I thought that I could always do a long ride on MLK day as I had the day off. Yesterday I planned a 70 mile ride and with shifting winds I had headwinds of about 10 mph for 3/4 of the ride, but it was otherwise a beautiful day. I also didn't eat enough or drink enough (one Clif bar and two water bottles), because I was being stupid. Around 60 miles into the ride I started getting slower and slower and was only going about 15 mph and was hurting like heck. Good thing I had a Clif bar in my pocket. I ate it over a mile stretch and started feeling better pretty quickly. I'm pretty sore taoday, though.

pigmode

Exactly. Half the desciptions here do not seem to be of bonks, but of tiredness or soreness. Because of my diet and workout program, I am always at the edge of bonking--its a very fine line to straddle.

Occidio

Energy gels really work for me when I bonk. I try to bring some with me all the time but boy that taste horrible!

snowyfox

I bonked once when I did a 30 mile ride on a MTB with 25 MPH head winds 3/4 of the time. I made it about 25 miles then the last 5 were going at a walking pace. I only took water with me on the ride so that may have something to do with it...

Voodoo76

Funny thing about a real Bonk, you dont feel tired almost euphoric. But ya cant just cant go. I seemed to be most vulnerable early in the season.

Got hit real hard once, about 10miles from home but just a couple from my training partners parents. Max speed 8mph. We stopped and dug up some Girl Scout cookies (thin mints i beleive). I pretty much consumed the whole sleve in one bite. Top speed still 8mph but I made it home.

chipcom 

Sometimes I don't know if I should call you a poser or a hoser!

$0.00/Gal

I bonked on a tour I did last summer. Normally we'd wake up in the morning and without eating we'd ride to the next town and eat a big breakfast. One day the ride to the next town was quite a bit longer than others. My mind started getting foggy and I wanted to vomit. I stopped and ate an energy bar and downed a whole bottle of water and limped into the next town.

Good times.

EventServices

If you ain't bonked, you ain't ...um.... uh..... what was I saying?

timmhaan

i just hate cramping up. especially in the sides and in the thighs. because, when that happens, you know you're not going anywhere without extreme discomfort. if i'm on a solo ride, i'll pull over and wait until my body stabilizes a bit. eat whatever food i have, drink whatever water i have, and just wait...

substructure

A friend of mine had both his legs cramp so bad that he fell over going up a hill. He couldn't unclip his shoes and had to wait for some ladies to pull him off the road so he wouldn't get run over. I guess the group left him for dead.