The Knock

[zizou]

He made it sound like a badge of honour......I suppose it is.

Caused by what? cycling too far/fast and not eating enough?

It is the depletion of glycogen stores in the muscles.

It is something more than just alot of fatigue and tiredness, it can be pretty scary. I've never bonked when cycling before but had it once when i was about 16 doing hard swim training (something which is unusual i think, its usually running or cycling it seems to happen with). I had to be rescued as i couldnt keep my head above the water, couldnt move without cramping up badly. Slept for 27 hours after that and it was at least a week before i felt fit enough again to get back in the pool

 

[Garjenkins]

Sounds rough, though sleeping for 27 hours and not being fit enough to go in the pool sounds a lot like me generally......

So you can avoid it by isotonic drinks etc during and eating well and properly beforehand.

I dont think i'll be troubling mr Knock just yet as I get tired going up a speed bump at the moment. maybe a few more months of cycling and i'll be fit ebough to feel like dying on my bike!

 

[Garjenkins]

Sounds rough, though sleeping for 27 hours and not being fit enough to go in the pool sounds a lot like me generally......

So you can avoid it by isotonic drinks etc during and eating well and properly beforehand.

I dont think i'll be troubling mr Knock just yet as I get tired going up a speed bump at the moment. maybe a few more months of cycling and i'll be fit ebough to feel like dying on my bike!

 

[atbman]

He made it sound like a badge of honour......I suppose it is.

Caused by what? cycling too far/fast and not eating enough?

aka hypoglycaemia or low blood sugar. Absolutely awful () and no cure except food/energy drink, immediately.

Had it twice, once on Sunday ride with mate when I set off without breakfast. Happened after about 3 miles - cured by inhaling 2 large cheese sandwiches.

Second time on run section of Dales triathlon - took me 1hr 55min to do the 5.5 miles to the top of Pen-y-Ghent, then kind lady gave me a whole Mars bar which fuelled my return leg (by returning my legs to me).

 

[atbman]

He made it sound like a badge of honour......I suppose it is.

Caused by what? cycling too far/fast and not eating enough?

aka hypoglycaemia or low blood sugar. Absolutely awful () and no cure except food/energy drink, immediately.

Had it twice, once on Sunday ride with mate when I set off without breakfast. Happened after about 3 miles - cured by inhaling 2 large cheese sandwiches.

Second time on run section of Dales triathlon - took me 1hr 55min to do the 5.5 miles to the top of Pen-y-Ghent, then kind lady gave me a whole Mars bar which fuelled my return leg (by returning my legs to me).

 

[ColinJ]

I got The Knock as I rode up to a crossroads once. I became so disorientated and weak that I feared for my safety trying to ride across the junction so I dismounted. I then realised that I couldn't quite manage to walk the bike over either!

 

[ColinJ]

I got The Knock as I rode up to a crossroads once. I became so disorientated and weak that I feared for my safety trying to ride across the junction so I dismounted. I then realised that I couldn't quite manage to walk the bike over either!

 

[Sam Kennedy]

'Bonk' means something different to use Northerners
So I will use the term 'Knock' from now on.
I have only met mr Knock once, and that was the day of my clubs hill climb.
Because of nerves etc.. I couldn't eat breakfast (I can never eat first thing anyway).
Then I did my hill climb (I messed it up, I did a sprint to start and ran out of energy at the foot of the hill!)
Then I went to the cafe, but the bikes needed to be moved, so I helped move about 5 bikes round the back, I went back in the cafe, sat down for all of 2 minutes before everyone decided to leave, so I hadn't eaten anything since 10pm the day before, cycled to Corbridge, climbed a mile, all on an empty stomach :

I started to slowly drop from the group, then the gap increased and kept growing for a couple of miles, then a couple of people dropped back with me and said I could go home with them at my own pace if I wanted to, I said I would try to keep up the pace, then after another mile, I asked to stop to eat my cereal bars. They gave me the energy I needed to get home

It wasn't fun though, I was on unfamiliar roads, and couldn't keep up with the group, and was having to spin a smaller and smaller gear just to keep going.

 

[Sam Kennedy]

'Bonk' means something different to use Northerners
So I will use the term 'Knock' from now on.
I have only met mr Knock once, and that was the day of my clubs hill climb.
Because of nerves etc.. I couldn't eat breakfast (I can never eat first thing anyway).
Then I did my hill climb (I messed it up, I did a sprint to start and ran out of energy at the foot of the hill!)
Then I went to the cafe, but the bikes needed to be moved, so I helped move about 5 bikes round the back, I went back in the cafe, sat down for all of 2 minutes before everyone decided to leave, so I hadn't eaten anything since 10pm the day before, cycled to Corbridge, climbed a mile, all on an empty stomach :

I started to slowly drop from the group, then the gap increased and kept growing for a couple of miles, then a couple of people dropped back with me and said I could go home with them at my own pace if I wanted to, I said I would try to keep up the pace, then after another mile, I asked to stop to eat my cereal bars. They gave me the energy I needed to get home

It wasn't fun though, I was on unfamiliar roads, and couldn't keep up with the group, and was having to spin a smaller and smaller gear just to keep going.

 

[Sam Kennedy]

Oh, and one of the people who dropped back with me give me about 3-4 years worth of Cycling Weekly magazines They've kept me busy for a while!

 

[Sam Kennedy]

Oh, and one of the people who dropped back with me give me about 3-4 years worth of Cycling Weekly magazines They've kept me busy for a while!

 

[magnatom]

Having only recently started a longer commute (10 miles each way, up from 5) I started to suffer a precursor to 'the bonk' on the way home recently. It was a sudden loss in energy, a feeling of weakness and a shivery feeling. Luckily my body managed to get past this hypo and I recovered for the rest of the ride home, however, it has reminded me of the importance of keeping something sugary available for emergencies.

My problem is, not eating the emergency ration just when I feel like a nibble!

 

[magnatom]

Having only recently started a longer commute (10 miles each way, up from 5) I started to suffer a precursor to 'the bonk' on the way home recently. It was a sudden loss in energy, a feeling of weakness and a shivery feeling. Luckily my body managed to get past this hypo and I recovered for the rest of the ride home, however, it has reminded me of the importance of keeping something sugary available for emergencies.

My problem is, not eating the emergency ration just when I feel like a nibble!

 

[Kirstie]

I really struggle with this. The one time I didn't notice that I was very low on sugar I trained so hard that I lost my vision - everything just melted away in front of my eyes! Apparently that's the first stages of diabetic coma. A quick scoff of some serious carbs brought everything back to normal within 10 minutes but I was a wreck for a day afterwards.

 

[Kirstie]

I really struggle with this. The one time I didn't notice that I was very low on sugar I trained so hard that I lost my vision - everything just melted away in front of my eyes! Apparently that's the first stages of diabetic coma. A quick scoff of some serious carbs brought everything back to normal within 10 minutes but I was a wreck for a day afterwards.