1000km Mille Pennines audax - advice :)

[iggibizzle]

Well I was after something a little more challenging. So booked on this. And as it starts 2 miles from my house, It'd be rude not to!

I started cycling last summer. Done plenty plenty miles already, 9k miles this year already!! Plenty 100milers. Done lots of tough stuff Climbing wise (wrynose , fleetmoss, others!) . But not bolted it all together in a multi day ride. Il need to do a couple of 200 milers early next year I recon to get used to being sat down so long, but has anyone got any other advice? Looking forward to / terrified of / the prospect

 

[Ian H]

Get some longer rides under your belt early in the season. Then a few shorter, faster ones nearer the date.

 

[oldroadman]

Clean shorts every day. Plenty of chamois cream. Keep eating and drinking from 20-30 mins onwards. Good padded mitts. Lowish gears. Take each day in bite size chunks, as in start to village X, 50 km, done, village X to town Y, 40km, done. Breaks up the thoughts of "300km today!!! How will I ever manage?".
Do a few 200km plus rides in training, try and keep the weight as low as you can, use all the techniques in training, you'll be fine. Oh, and plenty of food and kip each evening. If there's massage on offer, be very careful unless you are used to it, a hard massage when not accustomed will wreck legs. Best of luck!

 

[iggibizzle]

Get some longer rides under your belt early in the season. Then a few shorter, faster ones nearer the date.

Thanks. I do plenty short fast rides as it is as wanted to do tt's to and have been training for that. So will keep that up. Also done a few fast 100milers. And yes gonna get a few very long rides in before hand

 

[iggibizzle]

Clean shorts every day. Plenty of chamois cream. Keep eating and drinking from 20-30 mins onwards. Good padded mitts. Lowish gears. Take each day in bite size chunks, as in start to village X, 50 km, done, village X to town Y, 40km, done. Breaks up the thoughts of "300km today!!! How will I ever manage?".
Do a few 200km plus rides in training, try and keep the weight as low as you can, use all the techniques in training, you'll be fine. Oh, and plenty of food and kip each evening. If there's massage on offer, be very careful unless you are used to it, a hard massage when not accustomed will wreck legs. Best of luck!

Luckily I like a good hard massage on my legs so hopefully they have an option of one! Yes I am going to get some long rides in early next year. 150mile +. And I'm used to stuffing my face and drinking well on the move from previous all dayers. Yes will try to do the breaking up of the ride into smaller chunks. I imagine it's a great help mentally! I suppose I sort of do that anyway. I look out for landmarks on the horizon and use them as my next target.

 

[iggibizzle]

I might add I commute to work and back daily. So I use that for training too. Only 14 mile round trip but always stretch it out to at least 30 whatever the weather. The wind on Blackpool front probably been a great help in strengthening my legs.

 

[DrMekon]

View: https://youtu.be/wiZWD7T1HuM?t=5m20s


Andy's routes can be unforgiving. I did Pendle 600 a couple of year back (it's me going up Hardknott and Wrynose - that was at 541km). The descent from Hartside Top was the worst I've ever felt on a bike. It was so wet, so cold, so windy, and the road has just been chipsealed and not swept. It really did feel like if you had a puncture, 999 would be the right answer. This following a day where I got properly sunburnt.

The best prep would be just to do a full set of Andy's rides, IMO. Other rides rarely compare. Some people think the Old 240 is hard. It's pretty, but compared to the routes Andy puts together, it's a doddle - I was back in ~18hrs, before anyone from the Spurn Head. On Pendle, I only managed an hours sleep, and think I finished with about two hours in hand. Mille P is my big ride for next year

 

[Simpleton]

It'll be a mint ride. I'll be concerntrating more on sustained efforts on the wattbike supplemented by longish base mile rides to get used to the sleep dep. Really glad this ride is on the calender, I was thinking about the Pendle anyways and to do this will be great. It will also serve as good training for the Miglia Italia snd for those who want to know this ride opens on the 10th of January.

 

[iggibizzle]

Sounds like one hell of a challenge then luckily that's what I've been expecting. Will try a couple of the smaller (relatively) events before to get used to how these things work. And will be out every day on the extended commute, and putting in a 100miler or near most Sunday's over winter. Weather permitting. Then gonna try a few 200mile next spring to get used to that. Must be nuts.

 

[iggibizzle]

Plus plenty hill training. I'm already Up in the trough of Bowland plenty. And an hour drive from lakes or Yorkshire