London To Paris Training

[CycleStu]

Hello Everyone

This is my first post on the forum and my first of probably many stupid questions

I completed the Paris Marathon this year and after purchasing a Dawes 400 bike I have set myself a new challenge and got a place on the L2P challenge. I've had a look and can't see any info on training technics etc. Is it just a case of maintaining my general fitness and gradually building up the miles or are there other things I should be thinking about?

Thanks very much

 

[darkstar]

What's the average distance of your current rides? If you need to increase the milage significantly, do it gradually. Try 3 shorter rides and one longer ride per week. Try to log your rides so you can keep a track of your progress.
Get a sound nutrition plan sorted out and just enjoy it! Congrats on signing up, you'll have a blast

 

[CycleStu]

Thanks very much for the info. I commute to work every day but that's only a 6 mile round trip, the longest I've done to my knowledge is 25 miles in one day and that was on a moutain bike earlier in the year so I think I'll use that as a starting point and gradually build from there, maybe slightly less. I think I'd better have a good supply of inner tubes I'm a bit unlucky with punctures and don't want to be stuck 25 miles from home

 

[bobbiezak]

I cycled from Blackpool Tower to the Eiffel Tower last year (590 miles). I used a turbo trainer for the winter months, building up to an hours cycling 5-6 days a week. I also viewed a DVD of the roads in Majorca to simulate the road conditions. I did this for 3 months until spring time and the hit the roads doing a 19 mile circuit most days never being more than 4 miles from home and adding the reverse mileage twice a week. Also I used the 2 May Bank Holidays to ride 60, 70, and 80 miles back to back. This stood me in good stead for the T2T where we did 2 days of over 100 miles and 4 days of between 60 and 80 miles I also kept a record of times and conditions. Only once did I go out with the rear panniers loaded to see what it would be like. I used brand new tyres, new inners and had no punctures. Good luck

 

[Arch]

Thanks very much for the info. I commute to work every day but that's only a 6 mile round trip, the longest I've done to my knowledge is 25 miles in one day and that was on a moutain bike earlier in the year so I think I'll use that as a starting point and gradually build from there, maybe slightly less. I think I'd better have a good supply of inner tubes I'm a bit unlucky with punctures and don't want to be stuck 25 miles from home

Are your tyres pumped up as hard as possible? Soft tyres can lead to more punctures - there's a greater contact with the road, and you can also get pinch punctures if the rim bottoms out over a bump. Look on your tyre for the pressure range recommended, and if you have a pump with a gauge (a track pump is very useful), get it up to as near the top of the range as you can. If you don't have a gauge, just try for as hard as possible.

Carry a spare tube or two, but also get (and know how to use) a repair kit. Changing one tube is quicker, but you can carry a dozen patches easily, and a repair doesn't take that long to do.

Also, if you can ride a loop round where you live, you needn't be too far from home at any one time. Get an OS Landranger map and see whether you can find ever larger concentric circles around home.

Otherwise, just get out and ride and you'll find the distances increasing. Once you've done 25 a couple of times, 40 isn't a big step up, and so on. As you go further you may find more and more little tweaks to make the bike comfortable, ask here if you find you're getting any specific pains etc.

 

[MacB]

I'd add in that upping your commute wouldn't hurt, 6 miles a day is just your direct route. You could easily extend that to 10 miles each way though shower facilities at work may be a decider. If you do then try and make sure you include some testing hills.

If you did that every day and worked hard at pace you shouldn't be looking at any more than 40 minutes each way. You could then use the weekends for longer rides where you pace yourself a bit more.

 

[BalkanExpress]

+! to all the above, plus find the nastiest hill you can near to you and climb it as often as you can. This has a couple of benefits: first when you come to a big hill on the L2P you will know what to expect, and more importantly what you can do, and second, after lots of hill training you can ride the flat stuff all day

Good luck and enjoy it

 

[CycleStu]

Thanks for all the info guys most appreciated.

I think I'll extend my commute 2 or 3 times a week and add a long cycle on the weekend. Do the same principles work as with running in that doing longer cycles for a few weeks then have an easier week or is that not need cycling?

I shall find the biggesst hill I can :-)

 

[MacB]

Thanks for all the info guys most appreciated.

I think I'll extend my commute 2 or 3 times a week and add a long cycle on the weekend. Do the same principles work as with running in that doing longer cycles for a few weeks then have an easier week or is that not need cycling?

I shall find the biggesst hill I can :-)

Mixing it up is always good, rest time is important, you'll be surprised how rapidly you improve on a bike.

 

[arallsopp]

Whereabouts are you in the country? Best way to get the miles up (in my experience) is to head out with someone fitter / more experienced than you for what they call a 'social' ride.