tips for a first long ride

[johnnyh]

Hi folks,

In short I am going to do the London to Brighton for the British Heart Foundation in June, but I am going to cycle from home to London and then London to Brighton and back again.

This looks to be approx 110 miles per day for three days.

I am fairly fit and not overweight by any stretch of the imagination, but I am certainly not taking this casually.
I am struggling to get out in the cold as I am dealing with a stomach acid problem, and at the moment the cold air really plays up the pain in my throat/chest and stomach, so I am planning to either get a turbo trainer or return to the gym and use an exercise bike in the warmth for Feb.
(That said I left the gym and took up cycling to save money - how wrong I was )

If anyone has any top tips for how I can prepare for my trip I would be grateful, especially ones that involve the use of indoor training - for the next 30 days or so anyway.

I've got the first £1,000 of sponsorship in, and with both my father and father inlaw having undergone heart surgery, I really want to complete this and do something positive - heck, it could even be seen as investing in my future if my dads problems turn out to be genetic

Thanks in advance all,

Johnny

 

[Ravenz]

I wouldnt unduly worry.. plenty of time until June... you are not racing so it's as important to consider route planning, stops and feeds than actually turning the pedals around (almost)
I have the Cheshire Cat to consider at end of March.. and reckon I wont get any real road work until the start of March.. so using indoor training effectively is the key to holding the fitness up until that point....

nice to have a thread about actual rides instead of the bike 'pornpix' that has been 'dish of the day' recently..

 

[Nicensleazy]

Turbo's are great, keeps your fitness up. Prefer the road, but as we are all know, can't get out in this weather.

 

[johnnyh]

With regards turbos, I know the answer is probably "you get what you pay for", but how does it stack up to spending time on a bike in the gym, and if a turbo is the way to go (I guess it does give time on the actual bike I will use for the trip), can someone give me a steer to one that isnt going to break the bank - funds are a little low.

 

[Ravenz]

With regards turbos, I know the answer is probably "you get what you pay for", but how does it stack up to spending time on a bike in the gym, and if a turbo is the way to go (I guess it does give time on the actual bike I will use for the trip), can someone give me a steer to one that isnt going to break the bank - funds are a little low.

effort/quality on a stationery bike is probably only 60 to 75% in comparision to actual riding.. but you have to use what you have... use a PAYG gym maybe .. I have the convenience of a local council run gym that aint pretty but does what it says on the tin.. I also have the convenience of being qualified to take Spinning classes which is usually a minimum of three a week.. so that helps with cash flow to a miniscule level!

 

[johnnyh]

I have a local gym at the sports centre, again not pretty but I was a member so dont have to go through induction, can just convert to casual user.

 

[Nicensleazy]

If you are looking for a good turbo that won't break the bank, then look no further than the Tacx Satori, its what I use and it can't be beaten in the price range. Its around £130

 

[Blonde]

Does it make a noise like a motor bike or an aircraft taking off though? I may end up having to get one. I have a Tacx something or other that I stupidly bought about four years ago for about £90, but have only used twice due to the ear splitting noise that eminates from it, which, even turning the radio up to 10 can't drown out. I think it could be heard in Manchester when I was using it in Leeds...

 

[Nicensleazy]

Very low noise! In fact it was voted as the best all round trainer.

 

[johnnyh]

cheers for the steer on that nicensleazy, I am going to start in the gym fora couple of weeks initially and see about the turbo.

any other tips for preparing for my ride welcome

 

[Joe]

Just get the miles in. Not just for your fitness, but to ensure you're comfortable with your bike/position/saddle etc. In my experience you can always push through sore legs but if you have numb hands, back pain, unwanted pressure downstairs etc it can be really unpleasant!

The other big thing for distance is nutrition. Eat before you're hungry, drink before you're thirsty!

 

[Nicensleazy]

Yep, just keeping the beans up!

 

[johnnyh]

is it best to break a ride down into say four 25 mile stints and have a good munchy stop, or to try and ride and eat for as long as possible?

this is a whole different ball game to training to play 90 mins!

 

[Joe]

is it best to break a ride down into say four 25 mile stints and have a good munchy stop, or to try and ride and eat for as long as possible?

this is a whole different ball game to training to play 90 mins!

Depends!
I personally eat on the bike, and only stop for water refils and hedge visits. Others prefer regular lunch and cake stops
A general rule of thumb I try to stick to for longer rides is to start eating after an hour and aim for at least 200 calories per hour after that, but others need more or get by on less.
There are dedicated energy foods (bars, gels and drinks) which will keep you going, though they aren't especially appertising! Kind of depends how hard you're planning to ride.
Good "real foods" are flapjack, malt loaf, dried fruits, fig rolls, banannas etc
Isotonic drinks are pretty important if you're sweating alot.
Get some protein (chocolate milkshake works well) asap post ride to aid muscle recovery for the next day.
You'll have to experiment a bit. Gradually build up the miles. If you can get to comfortably riding 80 milers on consecutive days I would say you would have no problem riding three 110s. Willpower will get you further than you'd think, but if you've got the miles in before it will be a lot more pleasant
Can't advise on the indoor training, my trainer is a mental torture device!

 

[johnnyh]

cheers all, really sounds like keep on plugging away at the miles (indoor or out), and get the food/fluid intake sorted.

many thanks