[Other Sport] Cycling geeks

[Ninja Elephant]

Only a few days away from setting off for Norwich from Brighton via my Boardman, Boris.

Anybody got any particular tips about preparing for a hefty cycle? My Oldham-supporting mate I'm cycling it with has suggested we do short jogs to keep the muscles engaged but do nothing of any note and rest up, which seems pretty logical. We've got an army of ingredients for the thursday morning super-breakfast!

 

[Stat Brother]

Only a few days away from setting off for Norwich from Brighton via my Boardman, Boris.

Anybody got any particular tips about preparing for a hefty cycle? My Oldham-supporting mate I'm cycling it with has suggested we do short jogs to keep the muscles engaged but do nothing of any note and rest up, which seems pretty logical. We've got an army of ingredients for the thursday morning super-breakfast!

I'm assuming the ride is considerably less daunting now, than it was?

The regular big hitters on this thread [MENTION=19321]Pogue Mahone[/MENTION], [MENTION=225]Hamilton[/MENTION] [MENTION=16720]Indurain's Lungs[/MENTION] will have better advise than 'eat loads of pasta, this week and have porridge for breakfast on Thursday', so I'll leave that alone.

But the one rule you ought not forget is refueling on the ride:-

little and often - little and often - little and often.

Whatever takes your fancy make sure you eat and drink plenty.
Old school favourites include little sandwiches, drink, peanut butter, drink, rice cakes, drink, malt loaf, drink, bananas, drink, haribo and erm...



...oh yes drink.

If your fueling dips too low you'll have a tough job getting back to your very best, esp if you're cramping, tunnel vision, or bonking (hunger knock).

Good luck, enjoy the ride.

 

[banjo]

Only a few days away from setting off for Norwich from Brighton via my Boardman, Boris.

Anybody got any particular tips about preparing for a hefty cycle? My Oldham-supporting mate I'm cycling it with has suggested we do short jogs to keep the muscles engaged but do nothing of any note and rest up, which seems pretty logical. We've got an army of ingredients for the thursday morning super-breakfast!

.


Homemade banana flapjack.

 

[Notters]

Great day for a ride today if a little damp. I've completely wiped myself out!

 

[banjo]

Great day for a ride today if a little damp. I've completely wiped myself out!

Yep bloody lovely.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Yep bloody lovely.

I went to the gym instead.

 

[banjo]

I went to the gym instead.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Only a few days away from setting off for Norwich from Brighton via my Boardman, Boris.

Anybody got any particular tips about preparing for a hefty cycle? My Oldham-supporting mate I'm cycling it with has suggested we do short jogs to keep the muscles engaged but do nothing of any note and rest up, which seems pretty logical. We've got an army of ingredients for the thursday morning super-breakfast!

I would do a couple of 15 to 20 mile rides on Monday and Tuesday, not too strenuous, not going Hell for leather.

Be prepared for the weather! You do NOT want to get cold and wet early on, so neoprene overshoes are a must. And make sure that the clothes you take with you are sealed against the wet.

How are you by-passing London, and where are you staying overnight? Have you checked that they have somewhere secure for your bike?

Good luck NE, this sounds like a brilliant thing to do, and I am somewhat jealous.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Only a few days away from setting off for Norwich from Brighton via my Boardman, Boris.

Anybody got any particular tips about preparing for a hefty cycle? My Oldham-supporting mate I'm cycling it with has suggested we do short jogs to keep the muscles engaged but do nothing of any note and rest up, which seems pretty logical. We've got an army of ingredients for the thursday morning super-breakfast!

Oh, and what SB said about refuelling. It's all about flapjack, energy gels, jelly beans, bananas and loads of liquid. Disobeying the Velominati and their 'Rules' I always have two 750ml bottles. Make sure you get more drink when you notice that you will run out in ten miles or so. It's a bit like when the emergency light goes on on the petrol gauge in your car - you've got a bit of leeway, but you know you've got to fill up soon.

 

[Motogull]

:safeway:

Corrected for you.

 

[banjo]

Corrected for you.

I couldn't be that nasty.

 

[1066familyman]

Great day for a ride today if a little damp. I've completely wiped myself out!

Same.

I can't help feeling I could compile one of those... "16 things we learnt from toady's game"...type lists today. In fact, sod it!, that's just what I'm going to attempt to do:

1) Do NOT indulge in " Biting off more than you can chew", having "eyes too big for your belly" etc etc etc.
2) If you've been a lazy git lately, chances are it will come back to bite you.
3) Convincing yourself that going for your biggest effort to date, on a damp November, having done zero preparation, is probably the very definition of DELUDED.
4) Discovering new roads is bloody lovely.
5) Kent has miles of open smooth FLAT country lanes with barely a car on them.
6) It's possibly easier to ride for ages without encountering a single proper hill in Kent than it is in Sussex? Some may beg to differ.
7) Use your 'puter thingies' sat nav for a pre planned guided route once in a while. It might surprise you and work rather well.
8) If you have to dip out half way round your 'epic' route and find a short cut home, don't be too proud to do so. No one will know anyway, unless you tell them.....oops.
9) If you miss the odd turning, have to do a u turn and hunt for the unexpected cycle path you missed....You might be able to use this as justification for a shite avg speed.
10) There's a very good reason why the 'winter hack' notion came to pass.
11) If you're lucky enough to have one, you're meant to use your winter hack IN THE BLOODY WINTER!
12) Proper mudguards may look crap on a road bike, but they no doubt serve a very good purpose.
13) The sound of grit, crap, mud and feck knows what else grinding away at your best bikes bits and pieces isn't a reassuring one.
14) That grating sound, as much as you'd like it to, doesn't give you magic powers to make you ride faster to get it to stop quicker.
15) Village shops are expensive, but boy are they life savers!
16) Sod your avg speed!...enjoy the ride, as best you can, stop as often as necessary and make sure you get home in one piece.

All in all, I think I enjoyed today. In a Jens Voigt kind of way, but without the same level of performance (obviously!)

 

[1066familyman]

Only a few days away from setting off for Norwich from Brighton via my Boardman, Boris.

Anybody got any particular tips about preparing for a hefty cycle? My Oldham-supporting mate I'm cycling it with has suggested we do short jogs to keep the muscles engaged but do nothing of any note and rest up, which seems pretty logical. We've got an army of ingredients for the thursday morning super-breakfast!

Good luck with this Ninja...you deserve all the luck you can get!

Don't forget we all want a full report back.

 

[Motogull]

Anybody got any particular tips about preparing for a hefty cycle?

Have a contingency, try to stay with a bail out train option reasonably accessible.

You're obviously fit enough. Do the return journey too.

 

[Stat Brother]

Same.

I can't help feeling I could compile one of those... "16 things we learnt from toady's game"...type lists today. In fact, sod it!, that's just what I'm going to attempt to do:

1) Do NOT indulge in " Biting off more than you can chew", having "eyes too big for your belly" etc etc etc.
2) If you've been a lazy git lately, chances are it will come back to bite you.
3) Convincing yourself that going for your biggest effort to date, on a damp November, having done zero preparation, is probably the very definition of DELUDED.
4) Discovering new roads is bloody lovely.
5) Kent has miles of open smooth FLAT country lanes with barely a car on them.
6) It's possibly easier to ride for ages without encountering a single proper hill in Kent than it is in Sussex? Some may beg to differ.
7) Use your 'puter thingies' sat nav for a pre planned guided route once in a while. It might surprise you and work rather well.
8) If you have to dip out half way round your 'epic' route and find a short cut home, don't be too proud to do so. No one will know anyway, unless you tell them.....oops.
9) If you miss the odd turning, have to do a u turn and hunt for the unexpected cycle path you missed....You might be able to use this as justification for a shite avg speed.
10) There's a very good reason why the 'winter hack' notion came to pass.
11) If you're lucky enough to have one, you're meant to use your winter hack IN THE BLOODY WINTER!
12) Proper mudguards may look crap on a road bike, but they no doubt serve a very good purpose.
13) The sound of grit, crap, mud and feck knows what else grinding away at your best bikes bits and pieces isn't a reassuring one.
14) That grating sound, as much as you'd like it to, doesn't give you magic powers to make you ride faster to get it to stop quicker.
15) Village shops are expensive, but boy are they life savers!
16) Sod your avg speed!...enjoy the ride, as best you can, stop as often as necessary and make sure you get home in one piece.

All in all, I think I enjoyed today. In a Jens Voigt kind of way, but without the same level of performance (obviously!)

I bet you wont feel so bad in the morning, when you realise you and your bike are tougher than you think.

 

[Bad Ash]

Only a few days away from setting off for Norwich from Brighton via my Boardman, Boris.

Anybody got any particular tips about preparing for a hefty cycle? My Oldham-supporting mate I'm cycling it with has suggested we do short jogs to keep the muscles engaged but do nothing of any note and rest up, which seems pretty logical. We've got an army of ingredients for the thursday morning super-breakfast!

I would go with high cadence cycling/spinning/turbo rather than jogging in the days leading up to it.

Out of interest, how long in your planned route and how much climbing is there, and how does that compare to your longest to date?

 

[Stat Brother]

Somewhere in the region of 230 miles were cycled by the geeks yesterday.


Big November miles, chapeau geeks.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

I would go with high cadence cycling/spinning/turbo rather than jogging in the days leading up to it.

Out of interest, how long in your planned route and how much climbing is there, and how does that compare to your longest to date?

Yes, definitely no jogging!!!! Very bad for your cycling legs, even if you're used to it.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I'm assuming the ride is considerably less daunting now, than it was?

The regular big hitters on this thread [MENTION=19321]Pogue Mahone[/MENTION], [MENTION=225]Hamilton[/MENTION] [MENTION=16720]Indurain's Lungs[/MENTION] will have better advise than 'eat loads of pasta, this week and have porridge for breakfast on Thursday', so I'll leave that alone.

But the one rule you ought not forget is refueling on the ride:-

little and often - little and often - little and often.

Whatever takes your fancy make sure you eat and drink plenty.
Old school favourites include little sandwiches, drink, peanut butter, drink, rice cakes, drink, malt loaf, drink, bananas, drink, haribo and erm...



...oh yes drink.

If your fueling dips too low you'll have a tough job getting back to your very best, esp if you're cramping, tunnel vision, or bonking (hunger knock).

Good luck, enjoy the ride.

I'm going to drink so much I'll have water seeping from my pores! The 100 mile cycle added a lot of context in terms of how important it is to manage food/drink intake - concentration can disappear very quickly and that's not really something we can afford! I'm hoping to get the whole thing recorded in a single Strava event, I have a mobile charger and an overnight charger so I won't be let down by the battery - the only thing which could knacker the plan is the App itself. We'll see.

I would do a couple of 15 to 20 mile rides on Monday and Tuesday, not too strenuous, not going Hell for leather.

Be prepared for the weather! You do NOT want to get cold and wet early on, so neoprene overshoes are a must. And make sure that the clothes you take with you are sealed against the wet.

How are you by-passing London, and where are you staying overnight? Have you checked that they have somewhere secure for your bike?

Good luck NE, this sounds like a brilliant thing to do, and I am somewhat jealous.

...and what SB said about refuelling. It's all about flapjack, energy gels, jelly beans, bananas and loads of liquid. Disobeying the Velominati and their 'Rules' I always have two 750ml bottles. Make sure you get more drink when you notice that you will run out in ten miles or so. It's a bit like when the emergency light goes on on the petrol gauge in your car - you've got a bit of leeway, but you know you've got to fill up soon.

If I am honest, I should have invested in the overshoes but I'm not going to consider this Norwich trip the beginning and end of my mental excursions. A cycle home from Darlington is well underway in terms of being planned. We are going to skirt around the edge of London I believe, my mate is the navigational wizard - but we have to cross the Thames at one point, on a boat. The Travelodge (we're staying in STYLE) have suggesed their bike parking is secure... We'll see.

Good luck with this Ninja...you deserve all the luck you can get!

Don't forget we all want a full report back.

Cheers 1066, I'm hopeful it'll have a happy ending!

Have a contingency, try to stay with a bail out train option reasonably accessible.

You're obviously fit enough. Do the return journey too.

I think the route has been planned with that in mind - I'm not convinced my housemate believes I'll be able to get there!

I would go with high cadence cycling/spinning/turbo rather than jogging in the days leading up to it.

Out of interest, how long in your planned route and how much climbing is there, and how does that compare to your longest to date?

I'm going to have a couple of rides in the next couple of days and then rest on the Wednesday (having turned down an invite to play at the Albion's training complex in Lancing!!!), I ran the Brooks 10k yesterday which was probably unwise preparationally!

The route is 166 miles, and there are a couple of climbs in there but nothing major - so far as I'm aware! My longest single cycle was around 110 miles, which I completed in about 9 hours, but could have done it quicker if required (I wasn't focusing on the time so much as the completion of the course).

 

[jameswestport]

Actually that is a good point IL, about side visibility.

The alternative rear light option for that would probably be this : www.merlincycles.com/cateye-ld1100-...=Rear+Lights&gclid=CJjmoeaG9sECFQKWtAodbxoAoQ

I've not used it, but Cateye always produce good lights and this one gets great reviews.

For side visibility I've put reflective tape on my bikes in strategic places. It's black and so you don't really notice the tape on the frame, unless a light shines on it. This is the exact tape (there are many to chose from) and it really works: www.amazon.co.uk/Scotchlite-Black-Reflective-Tape-10mm/dp/B0093QJQMK

http://www.totalcycling.com/en/Cateye-Rapid-X2-USB-Rechargeable-Rear-Light/m-21865.aspx
http://www.totalcycling.com/en/Cate...Head-Light---EL460RC---300-Lumen/m-17208.aspx

Thoughts on these two?