cycling a long way

Quoted message said:

I am thinkning about doing the lands end to john o'groats sometime
soon. i have been practicing doing longer journeys in preparation.
Last weekend I managed 180km but was very tired even though I ate
constantly. Does anyone have any advice for coping with long journeys?
Or do I just need bigger legs?

You /should/ be really tired after a day's tour! That's only a problem
if you can't move the next day as well though...

A long journey like the LEJOG is actually comprised of many shorter
ones. As long as you can keep the exertion basically aerobic you should
recover well overnight and then you're back to reasonably fresh the next
day, but a good number of miles further on than you were the day before.

Most I've ever done in a day is 100 km. I did 100 km the next day too,
and I'd done 80 or so the day before etc., net was just short of 500 km
over 6 days. Because I took my time and kept it aerobic it wasn't a
case of being able to cycle 500 km, but being able to do it a day at a
time in manageable chunks, even though I was very tired at the end of a
couple of the days. As long as you don't /really/ overstretch yourself
on any of the days you should get there okay.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

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Quoted message said:

Hi

I am thinkning about doing the lands end to john o'groats sometime
soon. i have been practicing doing longer journeys in preparation.
Last weekend I managed 180km but was very tired even though I ate
constantly. Does anyone have any advice for coping with long journeys?
Or do I just need bigger legs?

How well you cope depends on many things:
The type of bike that you ride
Your planned daily mileage
How much luggage/camping gear that you carry
The route that you choose
The type of food that you eat
How well you hydrate yourself.
The pace at which you ride.

it's not too clear whether your 180km was in one day or two days

A lot of folk plan to complete in 10-14 days at a rate of
100 - 160 km per day.

I was happy averaging around 80 km per day for 20 days on a
1600km route. I slept well at the end of each day.

I am not a typical cyclist weighing in at 20+ stones. My preparation
for the ride included rides of 100 - 200km day on a touring bike with
no luggage and a coast to coast crossing at 80km per day fully laden.

As for food - carbohydrate rich food is best: tinned rice pudding,
tinned custard, malt loaves, porridge, oatmeal biscuits, pasta, fig rolls
..........

Did you drink enough? I can get through 6 litres of fluid per 100km
on a hot day.....I've seen 750ml per hour recommended in cycling
comics and here. There are rcipes for home made blendss of energy
drinks around which are much cheaper than proprietary blends. A
50 - 50 blend of orange juice and water is a good starting point.

Quoted message said:

Hi

I am thinkning about doing the lands end to john o'groats sometime
soon. i have been practicing doing longer journeys in preparation.
Last weekend I managed 180km but was very tired even though I ate
constantly. Does anyone have any advice for coping with long journeys?

Unless you're out to set a speed record, it sounds like you'll be fine.
LEJOG is approximately 900 miles, and most people seem to take at least
ten days. If you can do 110 miles in a single day, the trick is to try
shorter journeys on consecutive days.

The most I've ever done in a day is 140 miles, which was the Dorset
Coast 200km Audax with a bit at either end - and I was only 13! The next
day I was pretty much immobilized, though.

However, a few years ago I biked across France and averaged 80 miles/day
with full camping gear, covering 720 miles in 9 days. This was at an
easy, relaxed pace, although not stopping for sightseeing.

If you can do 90 miles or so, and then still get on the bike the next
day, you should have no problem.

--
Mark.
http://tranchant.plus.com/

[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Hi

Quoted message said:

I am thinkning about doing the lands end to john o'groats sometime
soon. i have been practicing doing longer journeys in preparation.
Last weekend I managed 180km but was very tired even though I ate
constantly. Does anyone have any advice for coping with long journeys?
Or do I just need bigger legs?

Quoted message said:

Russ

It's good you ate constantly, but 180km is a LONG way and it's hardly
surprising you were tired.
Congratulations! Don't do yourself down.

Anything that stresses you more than necessary will add to fatigue.

Make sure you:

Drink enough, often enough.
Eat enough of the right food, often enough. (Don't stuff yourself with
huge meals)
Don't get too hot or cold. (Adjust your clothes ASAP to suit conditions.)
Rest occasionally, but not for too long.
If you need to pee, GO! A full bladder addles the brain & body.

Sleep if you need to, even for a few minutes.

Do not burn yourself out by riding too fast, or tire yourself by lagging
a too sluggish a pace.

Avoid alcohol before and during a ride; beware you could get very drunk
for little dosh after a ride.

I don't think you need bigger legs; you just need to put more miles into
the ones you have.

Good Luck!

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden]
Edgware.

Quoted message said:

I am thinkning about doing the lands end to john o'groats sometime
soon. i have been practicing doing longer journeys in preparation.
Last weekend I managed 180km but was very tired even though I ate
constantly. Does anyone have any advice for coping with long
journeys?

A lot depends on how quickly you plan to do your LeJog. Are you
planning to complete it in 4 days of hard riding or over 2 weeks of
gentle touring? There's a big difference in the preparation required.

--
Dave...

Quoted message said:

Hi

I am thinkning about doing the lands end to john o'groats sometime
soon. i have been practicing doing longer journeys in preparation.
Last weekend I managed 180km but was very tired even though I ate
constantly. Does anyone have any advice for coping with long journeys?
Or do I just need bigger legs?

Russ

You've made a good start, now keep it up and you'll be less tired after
your 180km as your body adapts to the effort. Start doing back to back
rides, that is maybe ride somwehere on Saturday that is about 150km
away and ride home on Sunday. Keep buildingup slowly and steadily.
DOn't overdo it, don't forget rest days are vital and enjoy it. All lon
distance riders feel tired at some point, its normal, youa re doing OK.

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Quoted message said:

Hi

I am thinkning about doing the lands end to john o'groats sometime
soon. i have been practicing doing longer journeys in preparation.
Last weekend I managed 180km but was very tired even though I ate
constantly. Does anyone have any advice for coping with long journeys?
Or do I just need bigger legs?

Russ

there was a piece in cycling plus and the guy had no real experience of long
distance cycling but managed it ok. he said something along the lines of
taking it easy. if i can find the article i'll scan it and post it to you.

chisa

Just to add to the good advice from everyone else:

On a ride like that, as long as you start off reasonably fit your main
problem will not be tiredness - as they've said, you recover overnight
provided you haven't overdone it and bruised the muscles. The main
problem will be injury: things like tendonitis in knees and ankles,
saddle sores, hand pain, etc. These sorts of things happen after
several consecutive day's riding, so it's difficult to prepare, other
than be sensible. Eg if you can happily do 180km in a day, expect to do
significantly less than that each day of a long ride. If you are used
to mashing up hills when out on a 20-miler, force yourself to gear
right down and spin up slowly.

"MSeries" <[email hidden]>typed

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Hi

I am thinkning about doing the lands end to john o'groats sometime
soon. i have been practicing doing longer journeys in preparation.
Last weekend I managed 180km but was very tired even though I ate
constantly. Does anyone have any advice for coping with long journeys?
Or do I just need bigger legs?

Russ

You've made a good start, now keep it up and you'll be less tired after
your 180km as your body adapts to the effort. Start doing back to back
rides, that is maybe ride somwehere on Saturday that is about 150km
away and ride home on Sunday. Keep buildingup slowly and steadily.
DOn't overdo it, don't forget rest days are vital and enjoy it. All lon
distance riders feel tired at some point, its normal, youa re doing OK.

Don't forget that you will sleep the sleep of the blessed after a long
ride (if you're reasonably fed & watered) Enjoy!

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden]
Edgware.

Quoted message said:

Hi

I am thinkning about doing the lands end to john o'groats sometime
soon. i have been practicing doing longer journeys in preparation.
Last weekend I managed 180km but was very tired even though I ate
constantly. Does anyone have any advice for coping with long journeys?
Or do I just need bigger legs?

Russ

Well the obvious question is - are you trying to do it non-stop or
something? 180k /is/ a long way, most tourists do days in the region of
80-100k.

To address you question more directly, what are you eating and drinking?
To cycle that sort of distance without running out of fuel you need to
be eating lots and lots of carbs, both sugar and starch and probably
drinking an isotonic drink of some sort. Fig rolls, jelly babies,
jam/honey sarnies - that kind of thing.

Alex

I cycled/camped down and up the Danube this year -- about 3000 kms. ( Last
year I cycled from home to Santiago de Compostela). I aimed to do about 80
kms a day. The longest day was 160 kms ( followed by 30 kms the next day!).
The aim of the exercise is to do a reasonable distance each day but to be
able to get set up, eat and then enjoy the evening with sightseeing etc. I
find if I do more than 100 kms then is eating and then an early night!
I like to enjoy the scenery that I am passing through and the cycle is a
pleasant way of doing it. It isn't just a matter of getting my head down and
killing of some kms -- there is more to cycling than that ( IMHO)!

Next year I plan to cycled the length of the Loire or the Rhein --- not made
my mind up yet!

--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire,
England, United Kingdom.
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Quoted message said:

Hi

I am thinkning about doing the lands end to john o'groats sometime
soon. i have been practicing doing longer journeys in preparation.
Last weekend I managed 180km but was very tired even though I ate
constantly. Does anyone have any advice for coping with long journeys?
Or do I just need bigger legs?

Russ

Last year I did lejog at 120km per day with full camping gear (me
elderly chap strong but not fit). Was heavy going - just depends on how
much you want to enjoy yourself. 80 km would be a doddle allowing
plenty of time for sight seeing but take 3 weeks instead of 2. Worst
things were; 1. saddle; my Brooks professional started hurting from day
7 on - next time I'll take an alternative spare, 2. Kirkstone Pass
(Shap Fell next time) 3. Midges.
Best things were many, various and memorable.

bon voyage

Jacob

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Quoted message said:

Hi

I am thinkning about doing the lands end to john o'groats sometime
soon. i have been practicing doing longer journeys in preparation.
Last weekend I managed 180km but was very tired even though I ate
constantly. Does anyone have any advice for coping with long journeys?
Or do I just need bigger legs?

Russ

Join your local CTC and get the advice from people who've already done it,
sometimes twice!

Quoted message said:

Does anyone have any advice for coping with long journeys?
Or do I just need bigger legs?

I joined Audax UK last year, thinking I might build up to doing a 200km
ride /this/ year. I actually did my first 200km last summer and my first
300km ride early this year. And I would have done a 400km ride this year
if other things hadn't got in the way.

There's no trick to it - just keep putting in the miles, build up your
distances, keep eating and drinking to maintain energy levels and you'll
get along just fine.

If you've done 180km already, you've got nothing to worry about. That's
a great achievement. Of course you felt tired at the end of it! I can
tell you for nothing that I was completely shattered for several days
after my 300km - but I also felt wonderful about what I'd achieved. :-)

If you're interested in long distance cycling, you should think about
joining AUK - see www.audax.uk.net - or at least join in with some of
the rides in the calendar. It's a far more sociable way to do it.

d.