How do I increase my distance as a beginner?

[Mines_a_pint]

Don’t forget about fluids and carbs which you will need on an 80 miler...as others have said you’re already doing good mileage, just gradually add more mileage each week.
I only started cycling in 2016 after my wife entered me in the prudential 100, bought a bike in the February and started out doing just 5 or 6 miles then increased it every week until I was regularly doing 60 to 70 mile rides. It was a challenge but an enjoyable one.

 

[PaulSB]

@Lizzy_de you're clearly doing well and getting in to cycling. Great news. I would though advise this is a big jump, especially so in winter. My rule of thumb is one can increase distance by 25-30 miles above that which one is used to.

You'll need to average 12mph which leaves only an hour for a cafe stop, snack stop, etc. The other thing to keep in mind is averaging 12mph is your moving speed. Over this distance and time you could easily lose 15-30 minutes with very short stops a junctions, traffic lights, deciding which way to go etc.

Winter riding is a challenge over this distance. I suggest you continue your training with a view to doing the ride in the spring.

Sounds like your doing very well, far better to wait a while and achieve your target than risk having a long, cold potentially miserable day in the saddle.

 

[nickyboy]

You can do it now. Two things to consider:

Do it on a day when you have a tailwind. It will be much easier if you do

Either take plenty of food or suss out in advance where you can buy food, such as Co-op. Even after a decent breakfast of you're cycling for 7-8 hours you are going to need plenty to eat. Drinks likewise but it's cold and you aren't going super fast so you can top up on route. I often ask folk in their gardens for a top up and I've never been refused

 

[a.twiddler]

You can do it now. Two things to consider:

Do it on a day when you have a tailwind. It will be much easier if you do

Either take plenty of food or suss out in advance where you can buy food, such as Co-op. Even after a decent breakfast of you're cycling for 7-8 hours you are going to need plenty to eat. Drinks likewise but it's cold and you aren't going super fast so you can top up on route. I often ask folk in their gardens for a top up and I've never been refused

You sound as if you are doing quite well in terms of weekly mileage, and are comfortable on your bike. You seem to be more determined than myself in getting out regularly despite the weather recently. A drawback to everything at present is the Coronavirus lockdown, which means that some shops and facilities are closed. This not only affects food (though you can carry that with you) but also the availability of toilet breaks -quite important when you are planning to be out for longer than your usual rides, and particularly all day. Supermarkets or garages with shops are handy in this respect, though I would recommend having a good lock, and if you can park near the entrance, preferably under the gaze of staff, all the better. If the worst comes to the worst, carrying some loo roll can be a life saver if you get the call in the middle of nowhere.

If you can get near 50 miles on a ride, 80 miles is not such a big jump. To load things further in your favour, adding to what other posters have said, if you can make a really early start after a good breakfast, by the time you have a snack at your normal breakfast time, it will be a big psychological boost when you consider that you'll already have taken a chunk out of your mileage for the day. I am by no means an early bird but if I wanted to cover a distance at this time of year, that is what I would do. It is easier to set out in the dark on familiar roads, as it only gets lighter, and towards the end of the day when perhaps you are a bit slower and tired you won't have to do it in the dark. 10 miles before breakfast is worth 20 after lunch! A still calm day or one with a tailwind is a bonus, and it helps to plan your route in advance. There are still good days to be had at this time of year, although it is hard to believe after the last couple of weeks' weather.

Whether you decide to do it in the next few weeks or next year, good luck. I still remember the buzz I had when I first did an 80 mile day, and that was 50 or more years ago in hilly Wales.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Cambridge-Norwich is perfect from the point of view of the prevailing wind, which normally blows from the SW in a NE direction. This side of Christmas is not ideal due to the reducing daylight hours but the distance should be doable if taken at a steady pace and the bike is comfortable and well setup. The importance of wind direction cannot be over-emphasised when cycling. You can ride for hours with a tailwind and hardly break a sweat, but ten miles into a fierce headwind can be completely demoralising. As well as trying to choose a dry, non-frosty day to ride, the wind really does not want to be coming from the East - unusual in the UK but we do get short periods where weather systems mean the normal direction can be reversed.

 

[Solocle]

Hello everyone! I'm Lizzy and (like lots of people) took up riding around Easter time. I currently ride about 3-4 times a week between 20 and 30 mile distances (I'm from Cambridgeshire so its very flat) at a speed of about 11-13mph. I ride a Boardman ladies hybrid 8.6 womens bike. I have a goal of cycling 80 miles (from Cam-Norwich as a one off surprise, no time limit just don't want to be riding in the dark) before Christmas but I'm unsure if I'd be able to make it? I is something that realistically I could just bash out (like climbing Ben Nevis - its a slog but its not going to kill you) or am I way overestimating what is possible? Please can I have some advice? I'm a bit nervous as if I get stuck there is no one who can come and get me - I really love cycling but I'm a bit clueless...! Thank you in advance

I reckon you'd do 60 fairly certainly. 80 is a bit of a stretch - those last 20 miles are really going to drag.

That said, this time last year I made a jump from having done a couple of centuries, to doing a 200 km in the beginning of November (which really had me suffering at the end). Two weeks later, and a year ago today...

200. Miles.
Something I pretty much repeated at the end of December

The story with audaxes really is just mental fortitude - ignoring all the pain and keeping your legs moving. And boy did they hurt.
So I'm sure you could do 80 miles if you really set your mind to it. But you might never want to get on a bike again afterwards...

As a more manageable target while you prepare for 80 miles, you might want to consider riding down to London, and catching a train back, which should be about 60 miles. Depending on covid regulations and such, of course. I did a similar trip last May, and it was a very manageable and enjoyable day out.

 

[Lizzy_de]

Given your current cycling mileage you could probably do it - I always reckon you can do at least twice your longest regular mileage. If you pick a nice day with not much wind and take your time and pace yourself
Daylight will be your enemy as it is rapidly dwindling as we get nearer to shortest day in December - averaging say 10mph (that allows for stops) the journey would take 8 hours. Currently there is about 8.5 hrs daylight by 1st December that wll only be 7.5 hrs and so on. But with a decent set of lights riding in the dark can be quite pleasant if you pick the right route. So don't be afraid of the dark!
The other 'issue' could be your personal comfort in the saddle for that distance if you are not used to it.
You need to learn at least how to fix a puncture or it could be a long walk home as well. Perhaps your local bike mechanic would help here in return for cake or beer? Good luck!
[/QUOT

 

[Lizzy_de]

Cambridge-Norwich is perfect from the point of view of the prevailing wind, which normally blows from the SW in a NE direction. This side of Christmas is not ideal due to the reducing daylight hours but the distance should be doable if taken at a steady pace and the bike is comfortable and well setup. The importance of wind direction cannot be over-emphasised when cycling. You can ride for hours with a tailwind and hardly break a sweat, but ten miles into a fierce headwind can be completely demoralising. As well as trying to choose a dry, non-frosty day to ride, the wind really does not want to be coming from the East - unusual in the UK but we do get short periods where weather systems mean the normal direction can be reversed.

Hello everyone! I'm Lizzy and (like lots of people) took up riding around Easter time. I currently ride about 3-4 times a week between 20 and 30 mile distances (I'm from Cambridgeshire so its very flat) at a speed of about 11-13mph. I ride a Boardman ladies hybrid 8.6 womens bike. I have a goal of cycling 80 miles (from Cam-Norwich as a one off surprise, no time limit just don't want to be riding in the dark) before Christmas but I'm unsure if I'd be able to make it? I is something that realistically I could just bash out (like climbing Ben Nevis - its a slog but its not going to kill you) or am I way overestimating what is possible? Please can I have some advice? I'm a bit nervous as if I get stuck there is no one who can come and get me - I really love cycling but I'm a bit clueless...! Thank you in advance

EDIT: Thank you so much for everyone's responses so far, I'm so grateful and I feel really motivated. I think it's brought to light that I need to do some more research (learn how to mend a puncture for one) I'm going to gradually increase the route (Cam-Newmarket, Cam-Bury, Cam-Attelborough) just to be sure I don't burn out 2/3 of the way in!!

 

[Dan77]

You can do it but I don't imagine it would be much fun and you would be in some discomfort at the end.

I'd build up the distances so you've done at least a couple of 50 mile + rides before tackling the full distance. I'd also want to work towards a higher average pace which may be more difficult but would of course mean less time out on the road. Maybe see how fast you can go if you give it your all on a one hour ride and then work towards getting close to that pace for the full distance when you are ready. Even an extra 2mph offers a significant time saving on a ride of that distance. If the date is not going to be set, a decent tailwind alone should achieve this so a tailwind and an improvement in performance would make a really good difference.

 

[oreo_muncher]

Increase the distance you're riding by 5km/10km every time. Pace yourself- keep a steady speed. Stay hydrated and eat properly before you go. Eat something every hour. Take rest days. I have started cycling about 4 months ago and I managed to go from doing 26km and feeling sick to being able to do 173km as my record (I achieved that within 2 months of starting) . Also, I tried keeping to mostly flat routes and did hilly routes about once a week at max- slowly incorporate doing hills into your training. You just need to get used to sitting in the saddle for longer. Riding with a friend or a family member also helps, so you have someone to talk to whilst riding and are not paying attention to the length of time you're sitting in the saddle.

 

[oreo_muncher]

Also the week before your big ride- only do short rides, nothing intense- about 1 or 2 hours at max flat, you want your body rested but not out of practice. I would reduce it to only 2 rides max in the week leading to the big ride but short ones. Also make sure you're utilising your gears to the max. It sounds stupid but it took me some time to figure out how to make the best use of my gears. Also never change gears midway up a hill, just sit back and relax when going up hill.

 

[oreo_muncher]

Another point, if you're doing your first long distance ride- try keep it relatively flat. Try minimise hills because that can be quite demoralising and exhausting. A planned midway stopped or about 3/4 in is also a good morale boost. Don't underestimate the importance of proper route planning! Don't just wing it- have a proper GPS file that you're following and try stick to B roads and avoid A roads when you can. Also if you need help with route planning utilise the good folks on cycle chat!

Also make sure you take a puncture repair kit with you on the long ride.

 

[fossyant]

Get practicing on how to fix punctures. Take a couple of pre talc'ed tubes with you (always talc my tubes) - Johnsons smells lovely.

 

[mjr]

I'm going to gradually increase the route (Cam-Newmarket, Cam-Bury, Cam-Attelborough) just to be sure I don't burn out 2/3 of the way in!!

Don't worry too much: except for the bit between Bury and East Harling, if you do burn out or suffer a catastrophic bike problem, there are trains back to Cambridge (but a long wait at some of the smallest stations) - or on to Norwich once you're past East Harling.

 

[Specialeyes]

You can totally do this, @Lizzy_de - "if you can ride it in a week, you can ride it in a day", as they say. As everyone has said, the factors are available daylight, self-support and fuelling yourself, all of which you can easily arrange/practice at home. Don't overburden yourself if you're planning a route that takes in a town/village shop or petrol station every so often and do layer up, as there'll be 10 degrees difference between the warmest and coolest parts of your ride. What I want to know is who are you one-off surprising and how are you getting back?