Couple of questions .... & i completed 75miles :)

[Cat]

Sorry if they have been asked before but i cant seem to find them if they have.

First off yestaday i completed my 75 mile charity bike ride, woooo, took me 7 hours, but the other half had a few problems with his shoes, which caused him to slow and obvisouly me too as well ...

Any how, im thinking about doing it next year solo, and was wondering what people tend to eat and how much on a longish bike ride. On this one i ate 2 banannas & 3 bars... Im worried about over consumming calories from being a Fatty now a skinny

Also on the ride the chain and gears have picked up a lot of dirt, how to you clean it and what would you recommend i use?

Thanks All

xx

 

[NormanD]

Hi Cat

First off congrats on the 75 miles covered ..well done to you both (even the slower other half)

What you ate is fine, the bananas and energy bars will keep you going, you would have burned most of that off before the end, it's making sure you have plenty to drink on a longish ride, dehydration will sap your energy more than anything else.

I clean the chain with old rags. just hold the rag to the chain and spin the chain through it a couple of times, then lube and repeat. If the chain /cassette is really grubby, then I'll use an old stiff paint brush and washing up liquid in warm water, let dry, then lube the chain.

hope it helps
Norm

 

[HLaB]

Congratulations Cat

I tend to take Bananas on a ride at moment because they are cheaper but in the past I've took them, cereal bars energy bars and energy gels. I'd tend to force my self to take one every 20-25 miles (eat before you are hungry) saving the gel for the last 10% of the ride. I wouldn't worry about the calories of these you soon burn them off. Edit and as NormanD says drink.

For chain cleaning I use the 'Mickle' method; if you do a search for that you should find it. Basically it involves wiping your chain with a rag several times; oiling the chain; wiping again and oiling again. Living in a flat and not having an outside tap I tend to use Baby wipes instead of the rag and usually only lube once.

 

[Cat]

Thanks All, Ill give that a go havent cleaned my bike and its done proberly just over 200 odd miles, so as you can amagine its not very clean.

How would you go about cleaning the bike its self? x

 

[HLaB]

Depends how bad it is and where I am. If its in the flat its just more baby wipes if its at my parents, with outside tap its just a light sponging. I used to use cleaning stuff but I found stuff like muc off a bit aggressive for my liking.

 

[navrat_biker]

Hi Cat,

Well done, thats a great distance to cover in one ride. For food, dont worry about input as what your outputting is far greater. 1 hour of cycling is expelling anywhere between 300-600 cals depending on your tempo. I tend to go a muller rice before a ride bout (30 mins before) then during ride eat Clif bars, go with shot bloks (as easy to eat and not messy like gels) and then have leat two bottles on board with an enrgy drink like lucozade body fuel or High 5 Energy source sachets.

Thats what i do for a living so any advice just PM me or email me - just view my profile for details. As for your bike chain, it depends how dirty it is. You can get a bike chain cleaner that fits onto your chain and then you turn the pedels over to run the chain through it. Other than that take it to a local bike shop and get a service done on it as they will ensure all the cables have the correct tension still and will check all your spokes are fine etc... shouldnt cost you alot at all.

 

[jimboalee]

As you are not racing anyone, I would suggest you have a whole one of your favourite pizzas the evening before the ride, a full English breakfast with marmalade laden toast a couple of hours before the ride and a few of your favourite cakes during the ride.
Swill it all down with Latte from a coffee shop, or if it's a hot day, full sugar coke; or whatever non alcholic beverage you are forced to abstain from during 'normal' life, but dearly want to swig down with no sense of guilt.

On charity and leisure rides, your supposed to enjoy yourself. How can you enjoy yourself if all you eat is non-descript tasting bars, gels and energy drinks?

 

[Cat]

Thanks Navrat Biker, & im sure to take you up on your offer of e-mailing or PM-ing with any questions. I've got right into fitness in the last year or so & really enjoy it, it also helps me to keep the weight off too.

Jim, if i ate a whole pizza the day before, i wouldnt even have the energy to get up and go, i become very sluggish with heavy things like that dont know why.
The bars were very tastey, cookies and cream, chocolate orange, yummmy... could unch on one now, love sweet things...

Last time i done the 75mile i stopped off for a pub lunch and i couldnt even move and didnt want to get going again lol couldnt risk it again this time, although it was a good day

 

[navrat_biker]

cat,

your like me cant stomach something as large as a pizza inside us whilst biking. makes me sick. jimboalee you must have a very strong constitution indeed to eat things like that then ride several miles on top

like many i want to know what i am putting in and expelling isnt going against my training. Its hard work so why ruin what you have built up.

 

[marinyork]

I can rarely manage a pizza either. I found your body somehow builds up more of a tolerance to the distance after doing five or ten of that distance and that it either ends up screaming for food or says things like sugar tablets and nibbles are all right.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Bacon Baps anna banana (Brekkie)
Burgers anna coke (lunch)
Jelly Babies and Beef Jerky (in-flight refuelling)
Sport Hydration Tabs + a teaspoon of honey (making the water taste nicer)
Pint of Beer Nesquick Milkshake (Recovery Product)

Gels are for cissies...


Chains; See 'Mickle Method' Never use solvents.
Bike Cleaning; Baby Wipes (sometimes after a quick soaping down with Fairy Liquid and hot water if really grimey).

 

[jimboalee]

cat,

your like me cant stomach something as large as a pizza inside us whilst biking. makes me sick. jimboalee you must have a very strong constitution indeed to eat things like that then ride several miles on top

like many i want to know what i am putting in and expelling isnt going against my training. Its hard work so why ruin what you have built up.

Hmmm...

Must be me.

Having said that, anyone reading this thread who fancies riding the west coast of Italy from Nice to the Amalfi better get in training to shovel stodgy dough and Durum wheat based food down their gullet.

Would anyone have the stomach to eat a half kilogram of lasagne followed by a half litre of Italian ice cream the evening before a 100 km stint in 30 Deg C temperatures?

You should try it, it's quite fantastic.

 

[Cat]

Can anyone recommend any good road bike maintanance books?

 

[HLaB]

Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance and Road Bike Maintenance (Guy Andrews) are good. I find the former very detailed sometimes too detailed sometimes and prefer the image led approach adopted in the 2nd.

 

[shippers]

Hmmm...

Must be me.

Having said that, anyone reading this thread who fancies riding the west coast of Italy from Nice to the Amalfi better get in training to shovel stodgy dough and Durum wheat based food down their gullet.

Would anyone have the stomach to eat a half kilogram of lasagne followed by a half litre of Italian ice cream the evening before a 100 km stint in 30 Deg C temperatures?

You should try it, it's quite fantastic.

No worres.
Other than the 100km "stint".