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Doing My First Century Ride Any Advice?


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#1 chris v

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Posted 12 June 2010 - 09:44 AM

So as the title states I have decided to do my first century ride. It for the most part is unsupported, so I have to carry my own food/nutrition. It is a semi organized group ride. I am really looking forward to it. I know there are a lot of cyclists on here... any advice for a noob?

#2 bordercolliefan

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Posted 12 June 2010 - 10:06 AM

Cool! Good for you.

Hubby's top tips:

1. Get your bike fit by a bike shop.

2. Drink at least 1 bottle of water per hour.

3. Eat at every rest stop, and eat some salty stuff (they'll have potato chips, etc.)

4. If this is a summer event, get a Kool-tie -- they go around your neck and have some kind of beads that will hold cold water a long time. Tube socks w/ice are a less elegant solution.

5. Learn how to change your tire beforehand and carry tubes/tire iron.

6. Sunblock like there's no tomorrow.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

#3 chris v

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Posted 12 June 2010 - 10:26 AM

I forgot to mention, this is a self supported ride, meaning no feeding stations. The ride is from Long Beach to Escondido on July 10th, mostly along the PCH, but will climb up into the mountains a couple times.

#4 folsombound

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Posted 12 June 2010 - 12:15 PM

Eat and drink as though it was an organized ride with rest stops. Stop and eat at least every 20-25 miles. Don't eat heavy but eat healthy. Get a Camelback for hydration, practice with it and use it. Pay attention to that advice about salty stuff. You sweat out the salts and need to replace them.
I would have recommended a fully supported ride for the first time but if you have spent enough time on the bike you should have no problem. On the coast it should be cool enough that you don't have serious heat issues but make sure you stay hydrated there and step up the hydration when you start inland and start climbing. Once you leave Newport Beach there will be a lot of rollers so be prepared for that.
Have fun! biggrin.gif

#5 bordercolliefan

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Posted 12 June 2010 - 02:01 PM

QUOTE (chris v @ Jun 12 2010, 11:26 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I forgot to mention, this is a self supported ride, meaning no feeding stations.


Hubby says in that case, bring money so you can buy water/drinks/snacks at any little stores you pass.

I said, "how do you know he'll even pass stores?"

Hubby said, "You can't ride for 7 hours without passing a store." smile.gif


#6 Robert Giacometti

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Posted 12 June 2010 - 02:52 PM

QUOTE (chris v @ Jun 12 2010, 10:44 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
So as the title states I have decided to do my first century ride. It for the most part is unsupported, so I have to carry my own food/nutrition. It is a semi organized group ride. I am really looking forward to it. I know there are a lot of cyclists on here... any advice for a noob?


The night before at about 8:30 eat 2 large Bean N cheese burritos with onions and wash them down with a twelve pack of Old Milwaukee beer. Right before you go to sleep do a shot of tequila, a shot of the green Nyqill and eat 8 Chocolate Chip cookies with chocolate syrup and honey on them, with 2 big marshmellows between them.

If you do this the night before, on Monday morning when you get up to go to work your muscles won't be sore at all.

Good luck to you, let us know how you do!

#7 bordercolliefan

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Posted 12 June 2010 - 03:38 PM

QUOTE (Robert Giacometti @ Jun 12 2010, 03:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
The night before at about 8:30 eat 2 large Bean N cheese burritos with onions


Yeah, and no one will illegally draft behind you, either!

#8 tgianco

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Posted 12 June 2010 - 03:45 PM

Go that way really fast. If something gets in your way, turn.

Regards,

Charles De Mar
Better Off Dead
In the immortal words of Jean Paul Sartre, 'Au revoir, gopher'.

If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.

#9 Jolene

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Posted 12 June 2010 - 04:48 PM

QUOTE (tgianco @ Jun 12 2010, 04:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Go that way really fast. If something gets in your way, turn.

Regards,

Charles De Mar
Better Off Dead



*LIKE*!!!! Hilarious!


(Good luck, Chris! Stay safe!)
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING MY GIRL.
We could not be doing this without you.
Much love and gratitude.

#10 Robert Giacometti

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Posted 12 June 2010 - 09:08 PM

QUOTE (bordercolliefan @ Jun 12 2010, 04:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Yeah, and no one will illegally draft behind you, either!


Thats why they call it a tail wind.

#11 tony

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Posted 14 June 2010 - 08:53 AM

QUOTE (bordercolliefan @ Jun 12 2010, 03:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Hubby says in that case, bring money so you can buy water/drinks/snacks at any little stores you pass.

I said, "how do you know he'll even pass stores?"

Hubby said, "You can't ride for 7 hours without passing a store." smile.gif

Good advice from bc's hubby. I would add:
  • Since he mentioned tube socks, if you're not using a camelback or insulated bottles, carry at least 2 and preferably 3 bottles, one or two of which are in a soaked sock (held on with a rubberband at the neck) - this will keep a second bottle cold for about an hour longer than without. On a 95-degree day, a soaked "sock bottle" filled with ice water will stay cool for about 2 hours - until you're done with the second bottle.
  • Drink Gatorade or other sports drink along with water - but not too much of it or you might get stomach problems; consider diluting it.
  • Training - a good rule of thumb is to have your weekly mileage at least equal to the distance you are planning to cover (i.e., 100 miles) and have ridden at least 3/4s of the distance in a single ride one to two weeks prior to the ride. Don't over train on the week before the ride.
  • Eat and drink often, but in small quantities (a bottle an hour, as mentioned by bc) is a good rule of thumb (more if it's hot); but don't overdue either
  • Remember, it's not a race (unless it is!); don't kill yourself in the first 50 miles!
  • Watch out for cars on the PCH
  • If you're "bonking" in the last 10-15 miles, a can of Coke may be enough to get you through to the end.
  • Have fun!


#12 chris v

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Posted 14 June 2010 - 09:16 AM

Thanks for all the advice. So yesterday I did 60 miles with no problems. Tried some stuff out as well. Did the half bottle of gatorade and half with water as well as one full bottle of water. Worked very good. Used a gel for the first time, and that really helped. And the number one biggest thing I did to improve my ride was using a chamois cream. Never tried it before yesterday, never will do a long ride without it. So, Sundays are my long ride days. Next Sunday, I'm going to do another 60 but faster, then the following Sunday will be my 85, and by then I should be good. Next week, I'll be camping, so I'm going to go ride in some altitude.

#13 brown

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Posted 14 June 2010 - 09:33 AM

Find a good sized group at a reasonable pace, drink before you are thirsty and eat before you are hungry. If you are doing 70-80 solo on training rides, it's really not much more of an effort to do 100 in a group.
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." - Steve Prefontaine

#14 Devdave

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Posted 14 June 2010 - 10:22 AM

I like to have lot's of liquids and snacks on board. Don't underestimate your calorie expenditure and need to replace it.

I will usually make sure I have a Camelback full of water - that was refridgerated overnight, and several water bottles with Cytomax with me.

I'll also take Gu's, Cliff Bar's, Sport Beans, and other stuff in a little "BentoBox" mounted to my top bar, just to make sure if I'm bonking, that I have stuff to take on.

But if you can find places to eat, (PB&J's would be good), that would probably be better, then just use the above as snacks for energy along the way.

I also try to keep my speed to a lower average, so that I have enough energy to finish, but that's just me. Some like to try and crush it, I tend to be conservative.


QUOTE (chris v @ Jun 12 2010, 10:44 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
So as the title states I have decided to do my first century ride. It for the most part is unsupported, so I have to carry my own food/nutrition. It is a semi organized group ride. I am really looking forward to it. I know there are a lot of cyclists on here... any advice for a noob?



#15 tony

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Posted 14 June 2010 - 12:35 PM

Sounds like you're ready. Enjoy...and report back when you're done.





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