100 miles in 5 hours challenge

[Toffee15]

Yeah, I'm really lucky. I've got the flats of the coast and the hills of the Lake District on my doorstep. It just depends how much torture I want to put my body through!

 

[nickyboy]

Added to which, speed kills as you get older. I'm 55 and find it much easier to average 16-17 mph for 50 odd miles rather than 20 mph for 10 miles; plus there's a inverse proportion thingy going on, which I don't really understand, meaning you have to work soooo much harder just to eek out another 1mph on that average.

That's why, as I've mentioned before, the best way for us mere mortals to achieve 100 miles in under 5 hrs is to catch a lift on the back of a fast group and let them drag you round!

Here's the boring science:

Riding on the flat, there are two resistances you have to overcome. The first is the rolling resistance/mechanical inefficiency. This is the same regardless of how fast you cycle

The second is wind resistance. That varies with speed (as you'd expect). But it is proportional to the square of the speed. That is the killer that makes it so hard to increase speed, even by small increments.

Say you're cycling at 15mph and say your rolling resistance is 20 resistance units. Your wind resistance will be 15x15=225 resistance units so the total is 20+225 = 245 resistance units

Now increase speed to 16mph. Rolling resistance is still 20 but wind resistance is now 16x16 = 256 resistance units so the total is 20+256 = 276 resistance units

So in this case, increasing speed from 15 to 16mph (6.7% speed increase) increases the resistance you have to overcome by 12.7%. So you have to deliver 12.7% more power to increase your speed by 6.7%.

 

[ColinJ]

Here's the boring science:

Riding on the flat, there are two resistances you have to overcome. The first is the rolling resistance/mechanical inefficiency. This is the same regardless of how fast you cycle

The second is wind resistance. That varies with speed (as you'd expect). But it is proportional to the square of the speed. That is the killer that makes it so hard to increase speed, even by small increments.

Say you're cycling at 15mph and say your rolling resistance is 20 resistance units. Your wind resistance will be 15x15=225 resistance units so the total is 20+225 = 245 resistance units

Now increase speed to 16mph. Rolling resistance is still 20 but wind resistance is now 16x16 = 256 resistance units so the total is 20+256 = 276 resistance units

So in this case, increasing speed from 15 to 16mph (6.7% speed increase) increases the resistance you have to overcome by 12.7%. So you have to deliver 12.7% more power to increase your speed by 6.7%.

Apparently, it is even worse than that! The drag resistance increases as the square of velocity, but the power needed to overcome it increases as the CUBE of velocity - LINK.

 

[totallyfixed]

Apparently, it is even worse than that! The drag resistance increases as the square of velocity, but the power needed to overcome it increases as the CUBE of velocity - LINK.

I will be sure not to tell dr_pink who is racing the national 12 hr next Sunday.

 

[ColinJ]

I will be sure not to tell dr_pink who is racing the national 12 hr next Sunday.

Good luck @dr_pink!

 

[totallyfixed]

Good luck @dr_pink!

Thanks Colin, she is bricking it, for the first time ever she is ranked No1 in a National race and is last woman off, now experiencing a new level of stress that wasn't there before.

 

[ColinJ]

Thanks Colin, she is bricking it, for the first time ever she is ranked No1 in a National race and is last woman off, now experiencing a new level of stress that wasn't there before.

I can only imagine ...

I used to get butterflies before group rides on my training camp holidays in Spain and we weren't even racing! Nervously dashing back in to the hotel toilets before we set off and almost breaking my neck when my Look cleats slipped on the tiled floor of the lobby ...

 

[ColinJ]

Thanks Colin, she is bricking it, for the first time ever she is ranked No1 in a National race and is last woman off, now experiencing a new level of stress that wasn't there before.

Oh, looks like she missed the podium by just 4 miles - shucks, but a great effort in what sounded like very hard conditions! RESULTS.

Women:
1. Jasmijn Muller (Paceline RT) 256.41 miles
2. Jill Wilkinson (Chester RC) 256.29 miles
3. Crystal Spearman (Nopinz) 243.81 miles

dr_pink did 239.67 miles.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I did 100 in almost exactly 5 hours on Saturday, I was not displeased with myself.

(er ... 100km, that is)

 

[Hacienda71]

Oh, looks like she missed the podium by just 4 miles - shucks, but a great effort in what sounded like very hard conditions! RESULTS.

Women:
1. Jasmijn Muller (Paceline RT) 256.41 miles
2. Jill Wilkinson (Chester RC) 256.29 miles
3. Crystal Spearman (Nopinz) 243.81 miles

dr_pink did 239.67 miles.

Well done dr_pink
My mate came third in the mens.

 

[totallyfixed]

A bit of a story here, dr_pink was directed on to the slower finishing circuit with still three and a half hours to go, this is highly significant as she was on schedule for around 245 miles so this definitely affected her total mileage and she is devastated, ended up doing 65 miles on this slower loop more than any other woman. The consequence was plain to see. Unfortunately for her it was very windy too, not to mention torrential rain, so as the lightest person in the field it was bad luck really. Today is not a good day, but thank you for the kind comments.

 

[13 rider]

A bit of a story here, dr_pink was directed on to the slower finishing circuit with still three and a half hours to go, this is highly significant as she was on schedule for around 245 miles so this definitely affected her total mileage and she is devastated, ended up doing 65 miles on this slower loop more than any other woman. The consequence was plain to see. Unfortunately for her it was very windy too, not to mention torrential rain, so as the lightest person in the field it was bad luck really. Today is not a good day, but thank you for the kind comments.

Still an epic ride for us mere mortals .sounds like a bit of a cock up but still well done @dr_pink . Looks like things just didn't go for you chin up were still in awe of your ride

 

[ColinJ]

Just to give you a bit of motivation:

the age 80 100 mile TT record:

100 Mile Age 80 Ron E Hallam 2011 4:33:53

I was getting a bit depressed reading an article describing physical decline with increasing age (especially since I will be 60 in January) but then I found THIS PAGE which includes that record. Flipping heck, I would be chuffed to have achieved a sub-5 hour century at any age, let alone one in my 70s or 80s!

I know it takes a special individual to do anything like that, but the fact that some people have done it is enough to show that the negative effects of ageing can be greatly retarded by hard work.

I am going to try and up my mileage by about 50% next year and work to get faster. I am slowly catching up with my 62 year old mate but he is still about 15% quicker than me on long, hard rides.

I might plot a suitable flat route for a century ride in the Vale of York since I am never going to manage a 5 hour time over the hills round here. Maybe a 25 mile loop which I could do 4 laps of next summer.

A bit of a story here, dr_pink was directed on to the slower finishing circuit with still three and a half hours to go, this is highly significant as she was on schedule for around 245 miles so this definitely affected her total mileage and she is devastated, ended up doing 65 miles on this slower loop more than any other woman. The consequence was plain to see. Unfortunately for her it was very windy too, not to mention torrential rain, so as the lightest person in the field it was bad luck really. Today is not a good day, but thank you for the kind comments.

Oh - I just spotted that post ... that sounds like a total cock up! I thought the idea was to let the riders do as many laps of the main circuit as they could and only move them to the finishing circuit when they would not have time to complete another big loop? Commiserations to dr_pink, and good luck with the big hill climb at the weekend! (I think it is this weekend?)

 

[totallyfixed]

I was getting a bit depressed reading an article describing physical decline with increasing age (especially since I will be 60 in January) but then I found THIS PAGE which includes that record. Flipping heck, I would be chuffed to have achieved a sub-5 hour century at any age, let alone one in my 70s or 80s!

I know it takes a special individual to do anything like that, but the fact that some people have done it is enough to show that the negative effects of ageing can be greatly retarded by hard work.

I am going to try and up my mileage by about 50% next year and work to get faster. I am slowly catching up with my 62 year old mate but he is still about 15% quicker than me on long, hard rides.

I might plot a suitable flat route for a century ride in the Vale of York since I am never going to manage a 5 hour time over the hills round here. Maybe a 25 mile loop which I could do 4 laps of next summer.


Oh - I just spotted that post ... that sounds like a total cock up! I thought the idea was to let the riders do as many laps of the main circuit as they could and only move them to the finishing circuit when they would not have time to complete another big loop? Commiserations to dr_pink, and good luck with the big hill climb at the weekend! (I think it is this weekend?)

Yes, this Sunday, first rider off at 11am. If you only watch one hill climb in your life this is the one. professionals and amateurs in the same race. Massive crowds and live commentary, this was dr_pink from last year on the steepest part just before the crowds of spectators

 

[Flyingjenni]

Hi there, here's the link to the ride...

https://www.strava.com/activities/368054015

I've been enjoying 'refueling' today!

OMG! Bet it was a fantastic ride!