Big Dave laaa
Biking Ninja
- Location
- Flintshire
Well the OP is struggling as she stated, so perhaps we aren't all the same. Horses for courses and you can eat mung beans or something out of the lab as long as it helps.
Why do I feel really ill after a long bike ride?
- Thread starter MrsT
- Start date
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Well the OP is struggling as she stated, so perhaps we aren't all the same. Horses for courses and you can eat mung beans or something out of the lab as long as it helps.
bikingdad90
Guru
I went out with the lads last week to do 45 miles, averaging about 21mph on the flat. I buried myself on the hills and got dropped, ended up spinning the last 10 miles home at about 10mph as I was knackered and kept cramping up.
I ramped it up trying to keep up. I normally travel along about 15mph and spin up hills, I was out my depth and afterwards was weak, tired hungry and shaking.
I was under prepared, should have brought more food and drink so I suspect like me you bonked due to lack of energy.
I ramped it up trying to keep up. I normally travel along about 15mph and spin up hills, I was out my depth and afterwards was weak, tired hungry and shaking.
I was under prepared, should have brought more food and drink so I suspect like me you bonked due to lack of energy.
If you cycle less distance i.e. go back a few months, do you still get this. If no, perhaps you are still adapting. As said, 8 miles a few times a week to 50 at the wknd is a big step up, perhaps too much. I might think about reducing my wknd distance and increasing the weekday distance. Extend your commute home in the summer (nearly) evenings and/or increase your frequency. A few weeks of that will give you some answers.
The other thing that occurs to me is your bike setup, that could certainly cause headaches and general fatigue. Wrong height handlebars or wrong length stem will increase strain on your neck and shoulders which might trigger the headaches is one example.
The other thing that occurs to me is your bike setup, that could certainly cause headaches and general fatigue. Wrong height handlebars or wrong length stem will increase strain on your neck and shoulders which might trigger the headaches is one example.
Porridge before you ride and water regularly as you go. What sort of sugary snacks? Go with flapjack or fig rolls, not choc or energy gels. Jelly babies every so often or just because they are yum 
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Exactly. That's why distance alone isn't enough for good guesses. 50 miles of moderate hills in 2 hours is a whole different thing to 50 miles on the flat in 5 hours.
I had the same problem remembering to drink and would always have a banging headache and feel sick after anything longer than 40 miles. I solved it by using the alarm on my Garmin and set it to go of every 20 min and made sure I had a good drink. If your just sipping and then forgetting to even do that then I bet my bottom bracket you're dehydrated.
nickyboy
Norven Mankey
- Location
- You want hills? We got hills
100% right. It's time on the bike and the effort you're putting in that matters. Even though I ride a fair distance every year I wouldn't dare do 4 hours very hilly hard miles (which would be 50 miles) without careful planning of food and hydration.
To the OP, eat a decent meal an hour before you set off, drink a litre of fluid during this hour. Drink plenty on the way around. Keep nibbling at food on the way round. You'll be fine
summerdays
Cycling in the sun
- Location
- Bristol
I'm not doing that sort of distance but I don't drink enough when I'm doing 30 miles if it's water in my bottle I just take sips. I put diluted fruit juice in and find that I drink far more. I found in winter it was too cold, and in summer I didn't like the taste of warm plastic flavoured water.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Taint-free bottles (sigg or similar in metal - is cleanbottle a plastic one?) would avoid the taste problem, insulated bag would avoid the temperature one, but using a bag means it's not in a cage, which annoys some people.
John Shingler
Guru
- Location
- Great Totham
agree, that's a fair jump. back it off a bit and do some smaller rides see if you get the same problem.
martint235
Dog on a bike
- Location
- Welling
Apologies if you've thought of this already but it sounds like a lot of your distance rides are on Sunday. Do you partake of alcohol on a Saturday evening? An amount of alcohol not sufficient to give you a hangover per se is enough to significantly lower your blood sugar level before you start cycling.
summerdays
Cycling in the sun
- Location
- Bristol
The diluted juice thing seems to work for me, and I don't care how diluted it is, so I can just top up with more water as I need it. Today I accidently put my bottle in my pannier and couldn't be bothered to stop and get it out, and ended up downing two glasses of water as I came in the door, then drank my water bottle too.
I tried Jelly Babies for the first time on Saturday - damn good too. Open the packet before you leave, in a pocket, just reach in and snack every now and again. Worked brilliantly and so much better than fake gel taste.Jelly babies every so often or just because they are yum
Just need to find bigger packets of jelly babies now...
@MrsT - I can't really but echo what people have said. Fuel and Water - and sleep. Make sure you get a good night's sleep the night before.
vickster
Squire
I much prefer the haribo ones from poundland. Smaller, less sweet and less powdery. Given them a try ;-)
