Ride Across Britain - Brilliant!!

[knapdog]

Hi there (my very first thread)
At 5'10", 13.5st and the age of 58, I've signed up for next year's Ride Across Britain, but I'm a little disappointed with the views of a small minority who seem to be knocking it.
Their main gripe is the cost and the fact that everything is being done for you. Well, £1100 is a very high cost, but, personally, I don't smoke, drink only in moderation on the weekend, plus this year we haven't had a holiday, all of which is a saving towards the event. For someone like myself, starting out on such a (crazy) challenge, I need all the help I can get and appreciate all the back-up. My time can come again where I may wish to undertake an independent trek and gain further satisfaction.
In the last 8 years or so I've probably ridden only 20 miles, in total, and even before that I only occasionally went out on weekends on my hybrid. I've now treated myself to a new Specialized Secteur Elite and in the last month I've had three longish (for me) rides and have graduated to a 52 mile run, though I'm only averaging about 12.5 mph.
How I'm going to manage 1008 miles in 9 days I do not know, but I'm going to give it a good go......and I can't wait!!

 

[ianrauk]

Hi Knapdog, Who is knocking it?
Well done for getting abck on the bike and undertaking such a challenge

I have also just bought a Secteur Elite, pick it up friday.

 

[Garz]

Hi Knapdog, Who is knocking it?
Well done for getting abck on the bike and undertaking such a challenge

I have also just bought a Secteur Elite, pick it up friday.

+1

Garz

 

[BJH]

Good luck to you - should prove a real challenge and is for avery good cause !

Maybe 2011

 

[upsidedown]

Sounds brilliant, best of luck and hope you have a great time.

 

[isv]

I've signed up for the Ride Across Britain too... the training required looks pretty daunting. I'm 46, pretty fit but they still reckon I'll need 6-9 months to prepare.

I signed up for it because, quite frankly, it is something I've always wanted to do but and I don't think I'll ever do it unless someone helps with the organisation and gets me a group of fellow cyclists to spur me on.

Now I just need to get myself a new bike as there's no way I'm going to do that distance each day on my MTB!

Alan.

 

[knapdog]

At least you're one more I know on the ride! I agree with you regarding the training schedule. I'll try to follow it as best I can but I just know that I'll be doing my own thing.
Against all the general advice, for me, I have to get the miles in. Never mind all the exercises to increase my strength/stamina/hill climbing etc, psychologically I have to know that I can cycle long distances before I can think of anything else. Two weeks ago I managed 85 miles in 6hr 15mins on a fairly flat course, with no wind, from Barry to Chepstow, which averaged out at 13.6mph. For me this was a big, big ride. Once I can get a century under my belt I'll start believing that I can just possibly manage the RAB challenge.
At my age and state of fitness I have lots to think about. What will happen after two or three days? Will my knees give up? I know I'll be dreading the hills as at the moment I'm only too ready to drop down to the lowest gear to make life easy for myself. But I am determined and I hope it's this that will get me there.

 

[sarahm]

Hi Knapdog and ISV, I've also signed up for RAB and am looking at my training schedule with real intrepidation! To date the longest ride I have done is 50 miles, but I am hoping 9 months of some serious training will get me to the end

Knapdog, how is your Specialized Secteur going? It's a toss up between that and the Tricross at the mo!

 

[knapdog]

Hi Sarahm. I've only, previously ever had a hybrid so I can't really compare drop handled bar bikes. I really like the Secteur. It has a very good finish and I've found it really comfortable on long rides. When I first had it (about 8 weeks ago) I took it down the road and, embarassingly, didn't know how to change down a gear as I didn't realise that that you had to flick the brake levers inwards! That summed up my standard of cycling!
Yesterday I set off at 07.00 determined I was going to do a century, from Barry. I got to Chepstow and went on to Monmouth (57 miles). I averaged 14.2 mph on the way there, which for me is good. However, at Tintern on the way back (67miles) and facing another 47 miles, my will to live vanished. At one stage just before Newport I had had enough and had made up my mind that in another 2 or 3 miles I was going to phone my wife to pick me up. I took an energy gel and managed to keep going. Just before Cardiff I got 100 miles up on the computer for the first time.
To cut a long story short I got home clocking 113.74 miles in 8hrs 35mins at an average of 13.2mph. The trouble is I was feeling really negative. I didn't enjoy the last 50 miles at all. All I wanted to do was get home and be finished with it. I was in bed by 19.45.
Now I know that I'm doing everything a**e-backwards by not increasing my mileage slowly but apart from sore knees when I get out of a chair today, I'm O.K. But, the bottom line is....I really don't know whether I'm cut out for this RAB challenge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dave Davenport]

Just stick with it knapdog, it will get easier and you'll enjoy it more, 114 miles in 8.35 ain't bad!
Also it's quite common to go through a bit of a bad patch after 5 or 6 hours, taking a short break and eating something usually does the trick, you'll work out what suits you re. feeding, pace etc. as you do more too.

 

[knapdog]

Thank you, Dave, for your encouragement. I have started a new post: "Food and Drink to ride better", in the Beginners section in the hope that members can analyse what I ate and drank yesterday and advise me regarding future intake.

 

[sarahm]

Hi Knapdog- thanks for your thoughts on the Secteur, I've also only ridden hybrids and mountain bikes, so I know what you mean about the gears. I tried out a racing bike the other week and literally went round the block, I was too scared to try and change gear so didn't want to go further

Do you think the secteur could handle gravel tracks with the right tyres? Nothing too hectic just thinking of touring in France down some of the voie vertes.

Well done on your ride anyway, you're way ahead of me, I've not attempted the century yet, although like you it's something I do want to try and see if it settles my mind. Bloody impressive time as well IMO!

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Well done knapdog

I have done two 100 mile rides in the past two months and I know what you mean by losing enthusiasm at just over the half way mark. On the first ride I could have quite happily just gone to sleep at the side of the road at the 70 mile mark but I found that after some food and a gel or 2 I was away again, and the exact same thing happened on the last one at the 61 mile mark so I think it is just something that happens at that stage of the ride so you just have to ride though it.

 

[knapdog]

Do you think the secteur could handle gravel tracks with the right tyres? Nothing too hectic just thinking of touring in France down some of the voie vertes.

Sarah, I wouldn't be using the Secteur on anything other than tarmac. Plus, if I can do a century at the age of 58, then you can and will, for sure!!

 

[knapdog]

Well done knapdog

On the first ride I could have quite happily just gone to sleep at the side of the road at the 70 mile mark QUOTE]
Phil, thanks for your reply. I can now see, from others, that my food/drink intake just wasn't right. I'm glad you experienced what I was feeling also. If I could have waved a magic wand I would have been out of it all and back home. Now, two days later, I still don't know how I'm going to do these distances on consecutive days, but I guess that is what training is all about!