First 300k?

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Bicycler
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Re: First 300k?

Post by Bicycler »

I tend to think in miles but it's not hard to do a quick calculation. 1km is close enough to 5/8 mile for calculations for cycling purposes. If you do it often enough you get a very good feel for what a figure quoted in kms is in miles and vice-versa without having to think much about it.
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Mick F
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Re: First 300k?

Post by Mick F »

Trigger wrote:Numbers are easier to deal with, 100k, 200k, 300k, 400k, 600k are nice and round compared with the mile equivalent.
Oh yes?

I'm doing a 160Km audax.
It actually measures 101.09miles.

ie 162.69Km

:lol: :lol:
Mick F. Cornwall
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Trigger
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Re: First 300k?

Post by Trigger »

Si wrote:
Trigger wrote:I'm 35, I should be in the prime of my life and fit enough to not even bat an eye at a 300k but the reality is a hilly 25k is currently very hard work.

I need some sort of goal as motivation because I can't convince myself just to go out on the bike for the hell of it, like today for instance, lovely day and I should be out on the bike but I just can't be a*sed.

Like I said I've done some 200s so the next obvious goal is a 300, I was just wondering if I started now whether I'd be ready for one this year. At the minute I find just the saddle time alone is far more exhausting than actually riding, getting off with all my upper body joints aching isn't much fun after 25k.

It would be solo and unsupported, and probably not an audax event but just my own 300k route.


It should be noted that this answer is founded on theory rather than actual Audax experience (I stopped at 200s). Reading Arrivee etc I've seen a number of people get up to 300 in a single season so you ought to be able to do it.

You already have experience of getting up to 200s. If I were you I would break it down into three separate challenges: first concentrate on just getting back into the swing of riding and get up to a 100. Then go for the 200, knowing that you have done it before and so are perfectly capable of it. Once that's achieved take stock and ask yourself if you still have the motivation for doing a 300...if you do then go for it knowing that you have a very sound base to work from and that going from suffering on a 25 up to achieving 200 is a lot harder than going from a solid 200 to 300.

As for setting targets - depends on the sort of person you are. For me, if I identify a particular ride that is currently OTT for me and say that I will be fit enough for that then I fail. But if I build it up and then choose the ride once I'm there then I'm much more liable to succeed. Other, though, work better if they have a defined goal and a mapped out plan of how to get there.


Great post, thanks.

"For me, if I identify a particular ride that is currently OTT for me and say that I will be fit enough for that then I fail. But if I build it up and then choose the ride once I'm there then I'm much more liable to succeed."

This is what I plan on doing, it is likely it wont be an actual audax event I will just aim to do my own 300k route in roughly the same time, so I wont be picking an event and aiming for it, I'll just work up to it, it's just gauging whether your ready that is the tricky bit.

One thing I want to achieve is the feeling of being in good shape, even though I've done a few 200s I was still massively over weight and never felt like I was in good shape, I'd had enough well before the end. I'd like to be able to hop off the bike at 200k rather than collapse off it.
ANTONISH
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Re: First 300k?

Post by ANTONISH »

The main thing is to stay on the bike, ride at your own pace ( I often find that a faster rider will start a conversation and I push harder to keep up my half of the conversation - best to end the conversation and drop back to normal speed I find), and limit the time at controls etc. As Mick F points out slower riders like me are going to be a bit sleep deprived - I find I don't have a problem being awake while riding but I know within 15 minutes of starting the drive home I'm going to need to stop and have a short nap.
At your age if you can ride 150k you can probably manage 300k (you may not enjoy it the first time).
I've only managed a couple of 200's this year - I'm 73 next week and was intending to do a 300k to celebrate - but events etc.
As for the metric system, I've got used to it.
I was taught it along with imperial at school in the fifties- It's fine for scientific purposes but the imperial system I think is better on a human scale.
When I'm on an audax I often find myself converting the last kilometres into miles ( seems shorter somehow :? ).
Not germain to the conversation but perhaps someone knows why the SI unit of mass is the kilogramme (i.e a multiple of another unit. )
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Re: First 300k?

Post by eileithyia »

If you are struggling to ride 25k I would suggest you need to build up your fitness and distance first. you do not say how long it is since you last rode 200km. Concentrate on re-building your fitness, then maybe consider those longer rides either later on this year or start aiming for next year. Start with some 100, 150, and 200km rides first.
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Re: First 300k?

Post by PH »

How long ago since you did the 200s? What time did those take? How did you feel at the end of them?
I wouldn't contemplate a 300 untill I'd done a couple of 200s in the couple of months before and felt OK at the end of them, that's not just for the first, that's anytime after a break.
My time for a 100 is 5 hours, I find multiples of this. plus half an hour per 100 works out about right, up the my maximum of 400.
200 = 10.5 hr
300 = 16 hr
400 = 21.5 hr

There's good days and bad days of course, sometimes a bit under, sometimes over, sometimes not able to do it at all. If you're against the clock it can become hard work, if you can go at your own pace, do so.
Good starting point would be to read the Long Distance Cyclists Handbook, loads of good information. Cheap copies come up on Ebay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/11131451 ... 0&ff14=108
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Dean
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Re: First 300k?

Post by Dean »

I reckon you could aim for the end of summer so you've the time to build up the distances slowly, and all in comparatively good weather (or at least not during winter).

There is talk of doing the Tan Hill ride again, you know. That'd make a decent stepping stone.
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Trigger
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Re: First 300k?

Post by Trigger »

Hi Dean, hope you're well!

But Tan Hill would involve trains :!:
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: First 300k?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Losing weight and getting fit, former is definately harder from experience.
You wont lose weight just training I found that I was putting weight on when doing audax's 15 years ago.
Also losing more than a pound a week is tricky and could lead to lost muscle mass, once you have the right type and amount of food intake weight will drop off week by week, I found this gave me a morale boost which was equal to actual training.

Losing weight, training for a goal and unsurported solo is a evil task but I do it by imagining the end result every time I mount the saddle, and if you fail you carry on for the next ride, its the long haul for all of us, If it was easy then everyone would do it, for me its pure personal satifaction, no other.

Good luck and report often................................
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
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Trigger
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Re: First 300k?

Post by Trigger »

I've lost 7lb in 3 weeks, low carb/high fat diet seems to be working a treat, plus I don't have to count or weigh anything which is a bonus, I just eat stuff.

I too noticed that when I was in my cycling prime I never lost any weight, but then I was a carb monster so it's not surprising.
Psamathe
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Re: First 300k?

Post by Psamathe »

Mick F wrote:How far is 300Km in real money?
TBH, I'd have to calculate it to find out. I'll never understand why Audax riders think in Km, when the majority of the British population think in miles.

300km = 186.4miles


I think we should be making better use of FFF units system. So I normally average slightly less than 37k furlongs per fortnight. My typical rides are around 37 sheppys (not strictly an FFF system unit), etc.

And the Audaxes become easy as 100k≈500 furlongs, far easier than these mile thingys.

Ian
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Re: First 300k?

Post by Edwards »

Psamathe wrote:I think we should be making better use of FFF units system. So I normally average slightly less than 37k furlongs per fortnight. My typical rides are around 37 sheppys (not strictly an FFF system unit), etc.


I can not Fathom this out, you are in a different League. :wink:

Trigger I recall that this type of diet can have problems with exercise, motivation and takes time to get used to. Could this be the reason for your low mileage at the moment?

To avoid Depression problems set yourself small achievable goals at tick them off as you go. Just an extra ! km per day to begin with should do. Then as you get fitter increase this so that you do not set yourself up to fail.
The mind and subconscious are wonderful things but can be very fragile so take care of them.
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Trigger
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Re: First 300k?

Post by Trigger »

Edwards wrote:Trigger I recall that this type of diet can have problems with exercise, motivation and takes time to get used to. Could this be the reason for your low mileage at the moment?



I've only been on it 3 weeks, I haven't had any motivation to ride for about 18 months :lol:

I'm not riding every day, I'm just not that interested enough at the minute to be out every day.
Psamathe
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Re: First 300k?

Post by Psamathe »

I do wish people (not here 'cos I appreciate it is others that do it) would not be so lazy and abbreviate 300km to 300k. To me the "k" at the end means 1000's (or 1024's). So 300k=300000 !!

Ian
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Mick F
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Re: First 300k?

Post by Mick F »

Pedantic head on here .........

It's not k, but K.
Wiki seems to disagree.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilo-

Having spent a career in electronics, Kilo was always in upper case, same as M and G and T, but sub-unity smaller units were in lower case m - milli and (can't do the symbol on here) (mu) y - micro, and p - pico etc etc.
Mick F. Cornwall
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