Distance

[tank]

I am use to cycling a short distance to work and back and I go out with the local CTC group on some Sundays.

I ride a HPV Street machine GTe.

I have been given the challenge to cycle 100miles in a day. This is further than I have ever ridden before. I am registered on a cycle ride for the bank holiday which is about 85 miles long. How much more would it likely take for the extra 15 miles or so?

Thanks

[cookie32]

Let me start with good luck on the 85 and double down on the 100.
I haven't done 100 yet but a group of us have it penciled in for September. I know our limitations are routing, physical ability, how to refuel wisely, timing, where, when, and how long to stop? Saying all that if you can reach 85 miles even if you slow roll the last 15 miles at 10mph its only another 90 minutes.
I've done 65, and I feel it's mainly about and taking the appropriate breaks along with eating and drinking the right things so your body doesn't give out. Your body starts to run out of glycogen at 4 and a half hours so plan according.

Good luck, you CAN DO IT!

[hoarder]

Tank, what's your weekly mileage / monthly mileage ? Can you say you cycle most days ?
I found that doing a total of 50-60 miles during the week got me to a level of fitness where doing 60 in one day was not a problem. I recently did 85 in one day, and if time hadn't have been an issue, I would have carried on to do my first "imperial" 100. My Garmin recorded slightly slower speeds towards the end, but not much. And the advantage (you'll know this already) of 'bent riding is the increased comfort afforded by the seating. So, after my 85 miles, I could have carried on to the 100, becuase I didn't ache like I would have if I'd ridden it on my DF.
Food and Water / Comfort breaks are now my concerns for longer rides. Good luck with yours.

[pjclinch]

I've yet to do an imperial century... I had planned one riding home from getting my Streetmachine's brakes upgraded to HS-33s, but the heavens opened in a set-in sort of way when I got to Falkirk so I diverted to Stirling and bailed on to the train.

But what I've found over the years is that as long as you're not doing an insanely big jump and have general cycling legs then as long as you're not planning much beyond being stiff the next day then you can just keep on trucking, even if the speed drops and the low gears get a bit of an extra workout. All the usual stuff about keeping fed and watered applies, of course: you can't run on empty, but it's (mainly) aerobic so as long as the fuel is there you should probably manage to chug onwards.

Pete.

[Stradageek]

All good advice, keep eating, keep drinking, plan at least a couple of long stops (30mins+ each) and you'll be surprised how easy it is, especially on a nice comfy recumbent!

I normally try to do really long rides in company, get a friend to join you for at least some of the way, encouragement always helps!

[[XAP]Bob]

Keep eating, keep drinking, keep the pedals turning....

I do 10 mikes a weekday and can do 100 without issue - just pace it. I'm can push 150W all day, 160 flattish miles in 12 hours, 100 mountainous miles in 10

[BlackPanther]

My longest ride is usually my commute, 12 miles each way, occasionally coming home the long way round. One weekend I decided to cycle from home (Doncaster) to my Brothers in Milton Keynes. I planned to stop around Melton Mowbray, but couldn't find a decent and safe place to pitch the tent, so ended up doing 95 miles the first day. Was surprised not to be stiff/sore the next morning, and did the last 40 miles in the morning. I was amazed how easy the ride was, as I fully expected to struggle what with me never doing anywhere near that distance. 3 days later I rode back the whole way in a day. I reckon a stop ever 40 miles, keeping well hydrated, and well fed should keep most fit people going.

Btw, this was on a road bike.......I reckon it would be a doddle, and far faster on the Raptobike.

[Rob Archer]

I did the Dunwich Dynamo (116 miles overnight London to the Suffolk Coast) in 2013. I usually ride 40-60 miles a week in shorter rides and in the couple of months before the Dynamo I did longer rides once a week starting with a 50 miler and building up to 65. I rode my StreetMachine Gt and really enjoyed it. I honestly felt I could have done a few more miles -once I'd had a sleep! I'm thinking of doing a daytime 100 before the days get too short. I'd better get training!

[Geoff.D]

Before retirement 3 years ago I was doing a 25 miles round trip commute into Rugby. Pretty flat miles, but their accumulated value gave me enough "recumbent legs for 60 65 miles days out if I wanted. Four things then happened. Retirement. A move to the Cotswolds. A Chirstmas present from my daughter of an entry ticket to the Craig O'Mount sportive in the Highlands. A retirement present to myself of of an ICE trike.

I was in exacctly your shoes, tank. Could I up my game?

I simply set out to extend my self and the sportive (5 months ahead) was the goal. I decided to do it in stages. First I did 30 milers around the lanes, and began to feel comfortable (on two wheels) with the demands of steep banks, until I no longer worried about them (except the effort, of course). But I'd always have a coffee/sandwich stop as an incentive. Then I extended to 50 miles (still along the lanes and over the valleys), with my coffee stop being 35 miles, with the return being flatter and less in miles.

Then I started using the trike, slower but more relaxed still. And I found that I could extend my route to the coffee/sandwich stop to 60 miles, with a outdoor chocolate/liquid intake on the way. And the flattish 15 miles home still remained an easy finish in my mind. I felt that I'd broken it's back in that first 6 hours.

And the break through came almost without planning. One day, I'd done the 60 miles (I had various routes to get to this favourite stop in Burford, otherwise I would have got bored). I felt good, so decided to extend the last leg to 20 miles, by going into Moreton (easy run) and treating myself to a second coffee stop. But, by then I was on my home patch. I had options, most of which were easy enough because I was now on the north edge of the Cotswolds. So, I set of on a flat 15 miles to the bottom of Edgehill, ground my way up because I knew that from the top I had only a wonderful ridge and then a varied descent back home. 105 miles and it felt OK.

What lessons do I think there are - set off early; know the terrain and pace yourself accordingly; take sustenance; have a treat in sight as an incentive; break the back of it in the first "session" leaving the homeward leg not so challenging; vary the routes for interest; forget the computer except for mileage readings; repeat as necessary. It's wonderful how one's "norm" can be lifted.

Good luck,tank.

[bluemootwo]

A fellow StreetMachine rider! I did a 100 a couple of summers ago and the last 10 miles were tougher than the first 90. If you are going to be in company for 85 miles, make those your last 85 by doing 15 on your own before the start. That way you have company and encouragement at the end when you need it most.

[dakari-mane]

The furthest I ever managed in one go was 98 miles on a full loaded tourer. The last 20 miles of which were my own personal hell. That said I'd done 90 miles the day before as well so was pretty burnt out.

I don't think, if you can do 85 miles, that you'll have any issue doing 100. As long as you keep stoking the furnace you ought to be able to churn through the miles. Is the route fixed or are you able to pick your own? (What I'm angling at is can you get all the big hills out of the way early)

[tank]

Thanks for all the advice.

The 85 miles is a set route so I am unable to choose when to do the hills.

My original plan was to do the 85 miles tomorrow and then to go out on another day to do the 100 miles but after reading the comments I think I will now try do the 100 miles tomorrow. I think the best way to do it is to park 7 -8 miles away and then do the set route in the middle and force myself to cycle the last bit on my own but having to do it so that I can get home.

I have my fuel all sorted and a camel pack so water is also sorted.

I'll let you know how I get on when I can

[Geoff.D]

Best of luck, tank