I'm riding a 400 in 10 days time...

[yello]

...my furthest distance this year to date is 220km. In fact, I haven't ridden at all for 3 weeks!! Have I left my training too late?

I know I can ride the distance, I've done it before, but usually I've had more miles in my legs in the lead up. Oh well, I'll drag myself around if I need to, I know I can do that!

I might aim for another 200 before then otherwise it's just going to be 50s each day, with perhaps a 100 then a couple of days rest before the event. Any other suggestions (bottling is not an option, I'm kind of committed!)

 

[ColinJ]

I can't give you any useful advice because the furthest I've ever ridden was only about 240 km but good luck and I hope you enjoy it!

 

[HLaB]

IMO you've got 3 day to get some training in your best to rest the week before, Good Luck

PS the furthest I've ever been is about 250km so don't take my advice too literally.

 

[yello]

I did my 50km quick circuit earlier and fair blasted around (for me, we ARE talking relatively!), close to my quickest time I think. Everything felt fine, so I don't think I've suffered for not having been out on my bike for 3 weeks. Same again tomorrow methinks.

 

[Keith Oates]

I've never done a 400 Km ride so for me it's unknown territory but I wish you good luck on the day and hope you advise us how you get on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[e-rider]

I can't imagine ever wanting to or be able to cycle 400km - the most I've done is about 180km (on several occasions) and I'm always more than ready to get off the bike by that point. My main problems are stiff neck and shoulders after 150km. How do you avoid that?

 

[yello]

My main problems are stiff neck and shoulders after 150km. How do you avoid that?

I personally don't suffer with it so it's not something I have to do anything special about. But I guess the answer is bike fit.

My Bianchi, for instance, is smaller framed, so shorter, than my audax bike. I get an ache in the small of my back if I ride the Bianchi for over, say, 4 hours. I suspect that's because I'm slightly more compressed on it. It's not a problem since I don't tend to ride it great distances anyway.

The audax bike, I can literally ride all day without problem. Though I do need to stand sometimes, or move about on the saddle just to alleviate 'numb bum' after a while. This is particularly noticeable on long, flat sections of audaxes. For me, comfort-wise, the difference between 200km and 400km is simply that the latter one is further. I'm as comfortable on one as on the other.

 

[yello]

re neck and shoulder ache; perhaps you've got too much weight forward?? A quick possible answer for that is to raise the bars. Sometimes that can be done by flipping the stem but obviously that depends on your stem. Or you can nudge the saddle forward, or slide forward on it, to get yourself more upright to reduce the weight on the bars and take more of it through your stomach muscles.

BUT, don't go messing with your saddle if it's in a comfortable place for you!! You'd be robbing Peter to pay Paul, as the saying goes!

 

[Fiona N]

Good luck

I'm signed up for a 400k BRM but not until August (Galashiels) but then I haven't actually ridden 200km on an upright for about 5 years
Consequently I've got a rapid escalation over the next two months from 120km to 400km in 100km leaps. I guess if it all gets too much, I'll just have to ride the Windcheetah - blimey, I may need to put mudguards on it

 

[Ian H]

Too late to do much about the fitness now. As HLaB said, you've got 3 days. Prob best to try some short sharp training sessions within that period, then continue riding regularly but not too hard. But if you know you'll get round, that's half the battle.

Which 400? (I'm also riding one that weekend).

 

[yello]

But if you know you'll get round, that's half the battle.

That's my thinking. Tough it out if needs be. Done it before, will no doubt do it again. A club mate suggested I try the 'little and often' approach of a pacey 50km a day, resting for just the 1 day before. I figured I have nothing to loose!

Which 400? (I'm also riding one that weekend).

One here in France. Starts just south of Tours and is a circular loop, passing my place at around 270km... handy if decide to pack, no?

It's a PBP qualifier which, for one reason and another, has kind of crept up on me.

 

[Ian H]

We might be able to share a beer next year then.

 

[Greenbank]

I was in a similar situation. I did a 400km Audax last weekend (Snowdon and Coast 400).

Before that I'd done a whole 800km in 2010 up until the ride. My longest ride was a 200km Audax.

It hurt (Snowdonia is quite hilly) but I got round in one piece with not much time to spare.

The previous rides helped prepare me mentally and I was able to draw on that to get me through my lack of physical preparedness.

 

[yello]

Cheers Greenbank. That helps a lot, seriously. It actually sounds that I'm better prepared than you were!

Now if it'd only stop sodding raining!!

The course on Openrunner should anyone be interested. Dull as ditch water in honesty, purely designed as a qualifier for riders in my area (not much happens audax wise around here) but at least it's straightforward and about as flat as can be managed. The only significant hills are my neck of the woods so I'm well familiar with, which also helps.

Edit: I'm reliably informed that they'll be around a dozen riders! Told you not much happens around here!!

 

[Greenbank]

Cheers Greenbank. That helps a lot, seriously. It actually sounds that I'm better prepared than you were!

You'll be fine then, if I read that OpenRunner track right it's got about 2080m of climbing, the 400 I did had 4200m of climbing.