# Getting cold feet about tomorrow's audax



## oreo_muncher (19 Sep 2020)

In total it will involve 182km- the most I ever done is 108km. Starting to think I have bitten off more than I can chew by doing this audax. Should I do it or walk away (or cycle away )from the challenge?


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## dan_bo (19 Sep 2020)

Do it. Weather's lovely. Eat lots.


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## Sharky (19 Sep 2020)

You can do it. 

Just "soft pedal" for the first 80k, have a good feed/rest and you know you can do the remaining 108k, so you'll do it no problem.


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## Landsurfer (19 Sep 2020)

just plod along and enjoy it .....


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## Sharky (19 Sep 2020)

Looking forward to seeing few photos form the ride and the certificate.


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## davidphilips (19 Sep 2020)

If you dont do it you will always regret not going for it so just have a go chances are you will not only really enjoy it but will look forward to the next one.


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## Ming the Merciless (19 Sep 2020)

Do it. Isn’t there an option for train or lift from your mum once the audax is done?

The weather tomorrow is about as good as it gets. It may be the last good weekend for a few months.


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## oreo_muncher (19 Sep 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> Do it. Isn’t there an option for train or lift from your mum once the audax is done?
> 
> The weather tomorrow is about as good as it gets. It may be the last good weekend for a few months.


No- have to suck it up and cycle around 50km to the event (because of train issues) but after the event (110km) I can cycle to Grantham (20km) to get the train. My Mum was meant to drop me off to the event but bailed on me :/


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## Ming the Merciless (19 Sep 2020)

So ride there. Take a break , eat and drink. Ride 50km have another proper feed. Ride to end of audax. Have a good feed, take a break. Then ride it home.

So don’t see it as a big ride. See it as a series of shorter rides with proper breaks to refuel and recharge in between.

Give yourself plenty of time to ride there so you can take it easy. Same again on way home. There are only time limits during the middle audax bit


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## cyberknight (19 Sep 2020)

Audax have pretty easy time limits, just enjoy it and take breaks where and when you need and enjoy the day


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## oreo_muncher (19 Sep 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> So ride there. Take a break , eat and drink. Ride 50km have another proper feed. Ride to end of audax. Have a good feed, take a break. Then ride it home.
> 
> So don’t see it as a big ride. See it as a series of shorter rides with proper breaks to refuel and recharge in between.
> 
> Give yourself plenty of time to ride there so you can take it easy. Same again on way home. There are only time limits during the middle audax bit


Worried I won't pack enough food. Im thinking of packing 6 energy gels, some veggie gummy bears, 3 protein flapacks,some oreos, PBJ sandwich and water. I don't know what else to pack for food or is that enough?


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## Landsurfer (19 Sep 2020)

Dump the gels, the processed food and just feast on Petrol station food ...lol ... we did on our lejog ... real food works .... Never pass an Aldi or a Lidl ...... ..... biscuits ..... packs of biscuits ...lol


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## davidphilips (19 Sep 2020)

If you have any bananas take a few, try to eat little but often same with fluids, just keep the pace low just go with 2 goals in mind, first is enjoy it and second to finish it and feel that you could have done it faster.


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## oreo_muncher (19 Sep 2020)

Landsurfer said:


> Dump the gels, the processed food and just feast on Petrol station food ...lol ... we did on our lejog ... real food works .... Never pass an Aldi or a Lidl ...... ..... biscuits ..... packs of biscuits ...lol


Vegan so a bit difficult with food in places like petrol stations.. .I got some oreos packed with me.


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## Ming the Merciless (19 Sep 2020)

Then take more than you think plus cash in case you do run out. You’ll find something on way round.

be audacious


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## DCLane (21 Sep 2020)

So @oreo_muncher ... did you ride it?


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## Sharky (21 Sep 2020)

DCLane said:


> So @oreo_muncher ... did you ride it?


Of course he did, but his legs won't let him come down the stairs.
Anybody who has done a mega ride for the first time will know what I mean.


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## DCLane (21 Sep 2020)

Sharky said:


> Of course he did, but his legs won't let him come down the stairs.
> Anybody who has done a mega ride for the first time will know what I mean.



After my first 400 I never even made the stairs - slept in the event car park


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## Ming the Merciless (21 Sep 2020)

DCLane said:


> After my first 400 I never even made the stairs - slept in the event car park



Always take a rope on a 400 then you can hang upside down from the nearest tree and sleep like a bat 🦇


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## oreo_muncher (21 Sep 2020)

DCLane said:


> So @oreo_muncher ... did you ride it?


I rode 50km to Fulbeck- I was 40 minutes late to the event  I did half the event 57km and realised there is no way I'm finishing on time because I had to stop every now and then (I was on 107km bu then), so I cycled to Oakham and thought I'll get a train home but then they weren't running on sunday- so I cycled back to Notts- did 173km that day and did not complete the audax. Now I feel to embarrassed to ever try do another audax, I slept 5-6 hours and my body was giving up on me in that audax. Now Im too embarrassed to even be on this forum  I don't think I'm a great cyclist.


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## Ming the Merciless (21 Sep 2020)

@oreo_muncher I have been riding audaxes for 10 years. I still do not finish all the audaxes I set out to do. There is nothing embarrassing about not finishing an audax. It’s about being audacious and challenging yourself a bit. It doesn’t always go to plan.

So don’t be down hearted, pick yourself up, have a think about what you have learnt this time around. Then try and improve on those things next time.

173km is nothing to sniff about and longer than 99% of cyclists have probably ever ridden. Many never go beyond 161km (100 miles).


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## DCLane (21 Sep 2020)

oreo_muncher said:


> I rode 50km to Fulbeck- I was 40 minutes late to the event  I did half the event 57km and realised there is no way I'm finishing on time because I had to stop every now and then (I was on 107km bu then), so I cycled to Oakham and thought I'll get a train home but then they weren't running on sunday- so I cycled back to Notts- did 173km that day and did not complete the audax. Now I feel to embarrassed to ever try do another audax, I slept 5-6 hours and my body was giving up on me in that audax. Now Im too embarrassed to even be on this forum  I don't think I'm a great cyclist.



Positives; you rode further than you've done. You've learnt about riding further. Oh, and you've done an 'imperial' century rather than just a 'metric' one.

My first 120km audax was so traumatic I didn't do another audax for 18 months : I forgot my bottles at the start so saw everyone else disappear off when I went back to get them; my new pannier rack fell off after 5km and a late starter gave me some cable ties to hold it on; I got a flat and because the bike was new the tyres were difficult to get off; I'd not considered how to navigate so got lost ... a lot. Arrived 2 minutes before the cut-off to scraps of food at the end cold, befuddled and still wondering how I got back.

You tried. Have another go - and you now know you can do the distance.

Pacing may be an issue: I'd suggest spending time getting your speed up so you can keep inside the time limits. A local club would help here if you can get one that does enough rides. Even time on a circuit would help; Harvey Hadden's a decent Circuit in Nottingham and Beeston CC have done events on it.


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## uphillstruggler (21 Sep 2020)

oreo_muncher said:


> I rode 50km to Fulbeck- I was 40 minutes late to the event  I did half the event 57km and realised there is no way I'm finishing on time because I had to stop every now and then (I was on 107km bu then), so I cycled to Oakham and thought I'll get a train home but then they weren't running on sunday- so I cycled back to Notts- did 173km that day and did not complete the audax. Now I feel to embarrassed to ever try do another audax, I slept 5-6 hours and my body was giving up on me in that audax. Now Im too embarrassed to even be on this forum  I don't think I'm a great cyclist.



don’t be too hard on yourself, that’s a decent distance to cycle when you’re inexperienced

experience will grow as will the miles.

jump straight back in, best of luck


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## Soltydog (21 Sep 2020)

It's a shame you didn't manage to complete it, but no shame in not doing it. 173km is a good effort in anyone's book  I tried 3 or 4 times to do a 100 miles & quit around 80-85 miles, eventually I did make the 100 mile ride, but was dragged round the last 10 miles or so by a couple of the good folk off here  I'm sure you would have regret it more if you had not even attempted it, I know I would, there's always next time 🤞


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## oreo_muncher (21 Sep 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> @oreo_muncher I have been riding audaxes for 10 years. I still do not finish all the audaxes I set out to do. There is nothing embarrassing about not finishing an audax. It’s about being audacious and challenging yourself a bit. It doesn’t always go to plan.
> 
> So don’t be down hearted, pick yourself up, have a think about what you have learnt this time around. Then try and improve on those things next time.
> 
> 173km is nothing to sniff about and longer than 99% of cyclists have probably ever ridden. Many never go beyond 161km (100 miles).


I technically rode longer than the actual distance of the audax but feel bad about not completing the audax itself. It was a nice route,some hilly bits though or maybe I'm a big cry baby about hills still. What are some of your reasons for not completing an audax,do you have any good stories? I leant to actually be on time, sleep 8 hours before one and not miss checkpoints...i missed all of them somehow (3). I hurt my back and shoulders from my backpack, any idea how to not let that happen next time ? Also don't know what do about phone battery lasting long enough to use the map, I only got back to notts because I was on the A606 and just followed that the whole time . Also pack some non sugary food, my mouth was sickly sweet by the end of it.... I don't know what will be the next time I attempt an audax.


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## Sharky (21 Sep 2020)

Well done, a really good effort.


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## oreo_muncher (21 Sep 2020)

DCLane said:


> Positives; you rode further than you've done. You've learnt about riding further. Oh, and you've done an 'imperial' century rather than just a 'metric' one.
> 
> My first 120km audax was so traumatic I didn't do another audax for 18 months : I forgot my bottles at the start so saw everyone else disappear off when I went back to get them; my new pannier rack fell off after 5km and a late starter gave me some cable ties to hold it on; I got a flat and because the bike was new the tyres were difficult to get off; I'd not considered how to navigate so got lost ... a lot. Arrived 2 minutes before the cut-off to scraps of food at the end cold, befuddled and still wondering how I got back.
> 
> ...


I know I could have done the actual audax itself if I started on time, got 8 hours of sleep and didn't have to ride those brutal 50km to get to the event itself, so I'm annoyed at myself that I did not finish it because I know I was capable of doing the actual route. Your first audax sounds rough.I really hurt my back and shoulders from carrying a litre of water in my backpack (had an additional 1l in my bottlecage) and some other stuff that did not fit in the jersey. I don't actually know how to still fix a punctured tyre- I got the tools for it , tried to once in a fake scenario and the bike shop had to put my bike together, not my finest moment. Any tips on phone battery life for navigation? My phone died on me and if it was not for me just following the A606 I would have not made it back to Notts... I did do a further distance than the actual length of the audax, but still beating myself up over it. My average speed was 19.1km/h by the end of the day, not the best speed though,I try drink and eat often but my energy seems to sometimes drop and I could barely cycle at some points  , barely managing 10km/h... I'll look at the circuit thing you mentioned, thanks.


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## ColinJ (21 Sep 2020)

oreo_muncher said:


> I rode 50km to Fulbeck- I was 40 minutes late to the event  I did half the event 57km and realised there is no way I'm finishing on time because I had to stop every now and then (I was on 107km bu then), so I cycled to Oakham and thought I'll get a train home but then they weren't running on sunday- so I cycled back to Notts- did 173km that day and did not complete the audax. *Now I feel to embarrassed to ever try do another audax*, I slept 5-6 hours and my body was giving up on me in that audax. *Now Im too embarrassed to even be on this forum * I don't think I'm a great cyclist.


Don't be daft - that was a _great _first attempt! 

Give yourself some time to think about it and plan your next outing. Maybe you are running out of daylight hours and warm weather to want to try another this year, but keep riding and work up to doing one next spring perhaps?

There are ways that you could carry more water on the bike.

I would think about getting a dedicated GPS device for the bike if you can afford a suitable one.


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## oreo_muncher (21 Sep 2020)

uphillstruggler said:


> don’t be too hard on yourself, that’s a decent distance to cycle when you’re inexperienced
> 
> experience will grow as will the miles.
> 
> jump straight back in, best of luck


Any tips for improving?I've only been cycling for 2 months,started on 24th of July, I'm a bit of a newbie


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## Sharky (21 Sep 2020)

Re back packs - don't. 
Always make the bike carry the weight. When it's on your back, every time you get out of the saddle or move your back up/down, you are lifting extra weight.


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## oreo_muncher (21 Sep 2020)

Soltydog said:


> It's a shame you didn't manage to complete it, but no shame in not doing it. 173km is a good effort in anyone's book  I tried 3 or 4 times to do a 100 miles & quit around 80-85 miles, eventually I did make the 100 mile ride, but was dragged round the last 10 miles or so by a couple of the good folk off here  I'm sure you would have regret it more if you had not even attempted it, I know I would, there's always next time 🤞


Haha it was not intentional, I had no choice, I had no other way of getting home.😅 If the trains from Oakham were working I would have gotten the train back to Notts. I guess I tried which counts. What's your furthest cycled distance now?


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## PMarkey (21 Sep 2020)

You were audacious  so you might not have ridden the official audax but so what ? at the end of the day it's just a bike ride 
as for food try nuts I did a 200 yesterday and the days intake consisted of a sausage sandwich and coffee at the second control and two packets of Lidl nut snack packs plus a frijj milkshake also get yourself some sort of saddle bag so you don't have to load up your jersey pockets .


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## oreo_muncher (21 Sep 2020)

Sharky said:


> Re back packs - don't.
> Always make the bike carry the weight. When it's on your back, every time you get out of the saddle or move your back up/down, you are lifting extra weight.


How do I carry my bike tools(which I don't know how to use myself but carry incase anyway) , that extra 1l,i have one bottle cage but can't fit on another because my frame size is small (50). Also extra food that my jersey did not fit? I had plastic lunchbox with 2 sandwiches inside in my backpack as well.


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## cougie uk (21 Sep 2020)

Nice work on the distance. That's a longer ride than I've done this year and I've been riding about 40 years !

As you've discovered back packs are a no no. 

Look at what other cyclists do. 

You can pick up bar bags and top tube bags for not much money at all. 

You'll pare down the stuff you need as you learn more. 

Joining a club or getting your mates into cycling would help you as well. 

I did a 100 miler the other week with two cake stops (there is vegan cake) and an energy bar. It's all about the cake. 

Keep up the good work. I'd never have attempted that distance after such a short time so you're doing well.


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## Beebo (21 Sep 2020)

oreo_muncher said:


> How do I carry my bike tools(which I don't know how to use myself but carry incase anyway) , that extra 1l,i have one bottle cage but can't fit on another because my frame size is small (50). Also extra food that my jersey did not fit? I had plastic lunchbox with 2 sandwiches inside in my backpack as well.


Carradice saddle bag is one option for storage, or even just a rack bag. 
If you had made the start on time you would have seen what the old timers use. 
Also adding a 50km ride on to the start of an event which you are already worrying about is pretty ballsy.


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## oreo_muncher (21 Sep 2020)

ColinJ said:


> Don't be daft - that was a _great _first attempt!
> 
> Give yourself some time to think about it and plan your next outing. Maybe you are running out of daylight hours and warm weather to want to try another this year, but keep riding and work up to doing one next spring perhaps?
> 
> ...


Thanks 😅 

Need to find solutions to some of my problems definitely. I just don't know how to get rid of those energy dips where doing 10km/h is even hard and I need to stop, I eat and drink often. Not sure how to continue in terms of training now. I just ride my bike but think I need something structured and specific to actually improve. I do not think I'm doing another one till next year, should I just try another 100km-ish one or try a longer distance?

My frame size is only a 50, the guy at the bike shop said he wouldn't be able to fit another bottle on there (I have a 1l one)

Which GPS devices would you recommend?


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## Sharky (21 Sep 2020)

Handlebar bags are good. Also topeak beam racks which have qr fittings. 
You can always get water refills on the journey either from shops, or just ask any member of the public standing in their front garden. They can only say no, but most will help.


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## oreo_muncher (21 Sep 2020)

PMarkey said:


> You were audacious  so you might not have ridden the official audax but so what ? at the end of the day it's just a bike ride
> as for food try nuts I did a 200 yesterday and the days intake consisted of a sausage sandwich and coffee at the second control and two packets of Lidl nut snack packs plus a frijj milkshake also get yourself some sort of saddle bag so you don't have to load up your jersey pockets .


Thanks  Think I'll make myself a veggie sausage sandwich for next bike ride, think Im put off sugary top up foods, my mouth was so sugary from the whole day that I could feel my teeth erroding. Might try nuts, some crisps, haha and if there is a mccdonald's I would go for some fries  Any other savoury food recommendations are welcomed! How much can saddle bags fit?Any recommendations?


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## Soltydog (21 Sep 2020)

oreo_muncher said:


> Haha it was not intentional, I had no choice, I had no other way of getting home.😅 If the trains from Oakham were working I would have gotten the train back to Notts. I guess I tried which counts. What's your furthest cycled distance now?


Having no other option to get home is a great incentive  I always gave myself a 'get out of jail option' & sometimes it's too easy to use it. My first century ride was probably 12-13 years ago on a cold January day, I did my first solo century ride in the February & being solo that was just as tough, but once you have done a few, they do seem to become easier. Think I've done over 100 miles on over 90 days now, my longest ride was a few weeks ago, I rode to my parents & back, just over 184 miles. Was hoping to do 200+ mile ride this year, but Covid kind of put a stop to that earlier in the year  Maybe next year


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## oreo_muncher (21 Sep 2020)

cougie uk said:


> Nice work on the distance. That's a longer ride than I've done this year and I've been riding about 40 years !
> 
> As you've discovered back packs are a no no.
> 
> ...


What's your longest ever distance in a day?

I don't know because I was late about 40 minutes to the event  so didn't see them...

I can't fit anything else on my handle bars anymore- I have lights,bell,quadlock and bike computer... Top tube bikes-I'll look into that, thank you 

My sister is a road bike cyclist- but she's in a different city than me for uni  We cycled together during the summer though when we were both at home, a highly recommended way to get away from your parents.. I'm meant to join the uni cycling club but not sure how things will work with covid. Wanted to join OVB (cycling club in Notts) but wouldn't make the cut, Im too new for them most likely. 

I love cake. But a bit put off sweets after yesterday, felt like my teeth were erroding by the end, with energy gels, gummies, citrus flavoured sports mix dissolved in my water, oreos, flapjack, pbj sandwich... I don't know how you did it on so little food!!!!! 

What should I do next, since Im not doing another audax anytime soon? How do I progress from here? What goals should I set myself?


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## oreo_muncher (21 Sep 2020)

Beebo said:


> Carradice saddle bag is one option for storage, or even just a rack bag.
> If you had made the start on time you would have seen what the old timers use.
> Also adding a 50km ride on to the start of an event which you are already worrying about is pretty ballsy.


Thanks for the recommendation, just looked it up and it looks promising! Haha  maybe that's where it went wrong, being too ballsy.


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## Ming the Merciless (21 Sep 2020)

oreo_muncher said:


> I technically rode longer than the actual distance of the audax but feel bad about not completing the audax itself. It was a nice route,some hilly bits though or maybe I'm a big cry baby about hills still. What are some of your reasons for not completing an audax,do you have any good stories? I leant to actually be on time, sleep 8 hours before one and not miss checkpoints...i missed all of them somehow (3). I hurt my back and shoulders from my backpack, any idea how to not let that happen next time ? Also don't know what do about phone battery lasting long enough to use the map, I only got back to notts because I was on the A606 and just followed that the whole time . Also pack some non sugary food, my mouth was sickly sweet by the end of it.... I don't know what will be the next time I attempt an audax.



Reasons for DNF

Being complacent about fitness and preparation having completed what I thought were harder audaxes the year before. Never underestimate your current challenge no matter your past history. Always prepare, you are only as good as your current preparations and fitness.

Physical deterioration (not an accident ) that made it impossible to continue riding safely after so many hours in the saddle.

Heat Exhaustion / dehydration. I’m not great in the heat and didn’t do enough to combat and keep on top of it.

Stomach issues meaning I couldn’t eat any more and grinding to a halt with lack of energy, with a long remote section ahead. Balancing safety against the desire to finish. Needed a good sleep, then gradual reintroduction of food to recover.

You examine the reasons these things occurred then try and make changes to avoid. Sometimes changes take a while to find the solution. But you try again if you like audax. Not finishing, now and again, just becomes part of your audax experiences. At long as the ratio of finishes to not finishing is right for you, and you enjoy the rides, you keep returning.


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## oreo_muncher (21 Sep 2020)

Soltydog said:


> Having no other option to get home is a great incentive  I always gave myself a 'get out of jail option' & sometimes it's too easy to use it. My first century ride was probably 12-13 years ago on a cold January day, I did my first solo century ride in the February & being solo that was just as tough, but once you have done a few, they do seem to become easier. Think I've done over 100 miles on over 90 days now, my longest ride was a few weeks ago, I rode to my parents & back, just over 184 miles. Was hoping to do 200+ mile ride this year, but Covid kind of put a stop to that earlier in the year  Maybe next year


Wowwwww, that is kind of insane! Well done! Haha, I had no get out of jail card. How did you do such a long ride?! How long did it take? You must be in really good shape, like one of those people down in Richmond Park with very strong muscular legs! Let me know if you ever do that 200 mile ride!


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## oreo_muncher (21 Sep 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> Reasons for DNF
> 
> Being complacent about fitness and preparation having completed what I thought were harder audaxes the year before. Never underestimate your current challenge no matter your past history. Always prepare, you are only as good as your current preparations and fitness.
> 
> ...


Wise words


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## Ming the Merciless (21 Sep 2020)

The other thing I should mention is that with experience you catch problems much earlier and tackle them before they bring you to a halt. If there’s something not quite right try and deal with it sooner rather than later.


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## oreo_muncher (21 Sep 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> The other thing I should mention is that with experience you catch problems much earlier and tackle them before they bring you to a halt. If there’s something not quite right try and deal with it sooner rather than later.


I still need to learn bike maintenance and repair, I still don't know what to do about bike punctures , and Im always paranoid about that happening when Im in the middle of nowhere.......I have 2 left hands when it comes to stuff like that, Im embarrassed to admit.


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## Soltydog (21 Sep 2020)

oreo_muncher said:


> Wowwwww, that is kind of insane! Well done! Haha, I had no get out of jail card. How did you do such a long ride?! How long did it take? You must be in really good shape, like one of those people down in Richmond Park with very strong muscular legs! Let me know if you ever do that 200 mile ride!


Cheers, I spent nearly 11.5 hours in the saddle, but with an hour or two break at my parents house, so technically 2 rides of around 90+ miles in 1 day  I guess my legs are fairly strong, but over the years I've learned what my body needs/can manage on with regards to food & drink. I'd been back into cycling a few years before completing my first century ride so you're well ahead of me  you might get a 200 mile ride in before me, Mine will be sometime next year hopefully.


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## oreo_muncher (21 Sep 2020)

Soltydog said:


> Cheers, I spent nearly 11.5 hours in the saddle, but with an hour or two break at my parents house, so technically 2 rides of around 90+ miles in 1 day  I guess my legs are fairly strong, but over the years I've learned what my body needs/can manage on with regards to food & drink. I'd been back into cycling a few years before completing my first century ride so you're well ahead of me  you might get a 200 mile ride in before me, Mine will be sometime next year hopefully.


Haha  How are you training for the 200 miles? I have no idea how to train other than just riding my bike, but I probably need some other strategy! That is absolutely crazy, I don't know how your parents did not make you stay overnight! Haha I bet you raided your Mum' fridge the minute you got there! I don't what goals to set myself next,any idea-except for 200 miles. 11.5 hours is quite quick, considering you had to maintain a pace.


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## oreo_muncher (21 Sep 2020)

Soltydog said:


> Cheers, I spent nearly 11.5 hours in the saddle, but with an hour or two break at my parents house, so technically 2 rides of around 90+ miles in 1 day  I guess my legs are fairly strong, but over the years I've learned what my body needs/can manage on with regards to food & drink. I'd been back into cycling a few years before completing my first century ride so you're well ahead of me  you might get a 200 mile ride in before me, Mine will be sometime next year hopefully.


How is your average speed so high?


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## PMarkey (21 Sep 2020)

My longest ride was


YukonBoy said:


> Reasons for DNF
> 
> Being complacent about fitness and preparation having completed what I thought were harder audaxes the year before. Never underestimate your current challenge no matter your past history. Always prepare, you are only as good as your current preparations and fitness.
> 
> ...





You just described me at the start of the 2016 Wild Atlantic Way  I finished day one (360km) and I knew I was screwed and nearly packed then but figured I would just try and get as far as I could , I ran out of time on the last day with 114km to go


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## oreo_muncher (21 Sep 2020)

PMarkey said:


> My longest ride was
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Well done! That's absolutely crazy you managed to go so far!


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## icowden (22 Sep 2020)

oreo_muncher said:


> I still need to learn bike maintenance and repair, I still don't know what to do about bike punctures , and Im always paranoid about that happening when Im in the middle of nowhere.......I have 2 left hands when it comes to stuff like that, Im embarrassed to admit.



When you get that nice top tube bag, get a spare inner tube, some tyre levers and a pump (hand pump). Practice taking your wheels on and off so you are comfortable with doing that. If you have conventional brakes (rather than disc brakes) also do some googling to find out how to release them so you can get the wheel off.

If the tyre is flat it's usually easy to get the tyre off, release the valve and remove the inner tube. It's getting it back on that's the hard bit. You want to seat your innertube - get the valve in the little hole nicely and put the holding nut on but not too tight. Then put a little bit of air in the inner tube, but only a little bit. Then you want to use those tyre levers to get the tyre over the inner tube. That's the hardest bit. Once you have the tyre on, get the wheel back on the bike and start pumping (or use one of those groovy gas inflators if you feel massively confident!.

There are loads of people on here who will give you much better guidance than I just have :-)


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## Ming the Merciless (22 Sep 2020)

oreo_muncher said:


> I love cake. But a bit put off sweets after yesterday, felt like my teeth were erroding by the end, with energy gels, gummies, citrus flavoured sports mix dissolved in my water, oreos, flapjack, pbj sandwich... I don't know how you did it on so little food!!!!!



I did say on your other thread to have some savoury even though for the distance you were doing, you can get away with sugary stuff.

Now for some science. You ask how some can ride so far and not need to eat very much. You’ve essentially got two energy stores, your fat reserves, and your glycogen stores. You’ve also got ATP for sprinting.

Glycogen is stored in the muscles and in the liver. Glycogen stored in your arm muscles can’t be used by your leg muscles. But glycogen in the liver can. Muscles use their local glycogen store first, followed by the liver. You have about 2000-3000 calories of glycogen stored if you are rested.

Fat is stored round the body as we all know. We have about 100,000 calories of fat reserves. Even the skinniest person will be close to this figure.

When cycling you’ll be burning between 400-600 calories an hour. So worst case glycogen will be used up in 3 hours, or may last around 7 hours. Fortunately we have those fat reserves and even at 600 calories an hour thats 166 hours it’ll last almost 7 days. For sprinting our bodies make ATP but that is for only short sharp bursts such as getting up a steep bit of hill quickly.

But we don’t exclusively use glycogen for fuel or fat for fuel we burn a mixture. The mix depends on our fitness and the intensity we are working at.

Fitness is a wooly term so what am I referring to? You can train and improve the amount of fat the body uses (for energy) at all intensities. You’ve head of the long low intensity rides, those slow rides that feel effortless and aren’t doing anything. They are not just about getting time in the saddle. It actually gets the body to adapt and produce more of the enzymes needed to utilise fat as an energy source, your capillary network in the muscle also gets denser for delivering oxygen and remove waste products from the muscle . Research says the rides need to be at least two hours and increase the duration as you get used to it. Then there is high intensity which forces the heart to adapt and get stronger, and for more muscle fibres to get recruited or added. Combine the two, in the right proportions , and your endurance fitness will come along in leaps and bounds. You’ll be burning more fat at higher intensities, meaning you don’t need to eat half as much, and you won’t be exhausting your glycogen on a long audax. Your heart is able to deliver more oxygen rich blood at lower bpm, and your muscles are more easily able to utilise the oxygen, your fibres are stronger , the muscles aren’t working as hard for a particular intensity, you have more fibres and can store more glycogen. Your legs are more fatigue resistant.

Back to sugary snacks. When sugar spikes in the blood, and we have more sugar than we immediately need, then insulin gets released. The insulin helps convert the excess sugar to be stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles. But another affect of that insulin is that it suppresses your body from burning fat for energy. In effect your body sees the excess sugar and thinks it means it can burn the glycogen instead. You are tapping into that energy source that will only last a few hours and not the one that can last a number of days. Once the sugar is dealt with and insulin levels drop, your body will start to utilise your fat reserves as a percentage again.

If you think about it. Our ancestors might do some high energy hunting for a few hours, burning glycogen. Then sit around for long periods burning fat. It’s only recently we’ve had easy access and frequent access to foods high in sugar.Our bodies haven’t really adapted since the days we were hunter gathers. So what happening kind of make sense from an evolutionary point of view.

Foods have a glycemic index which indicates how quickly the sugars are released into the blood. If it releases quickly into the blood you get that spike and insulin quickly rises to combat it. It’s why it’s suggested you eat low glycemic foods like porridge, slow release. You don’t get the big spike, nor massive release of insulin , so fat burning can continue as no big excess of sugar in blood stream.

Sugary snacks are great to dig you out a hole and say get you to the next shop 20 mins away. But they should not be regularly snacked on, on a long ride, as it’ll just cause your energy levels to alternately peak and then slump, and eventually bonk as the glycogen is burnt more and runs out.

Some of this based on experience, and some based on the science I’ve read.


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## ianrauk (22 Sep 2020)

oreo_muncher said:


> I rode 50km to Fulbeck- I was 40 minutes late to the event  I did half the event 57km and realised there is no way I'm finishing on time because I had to stop every now and then (I was on 107km bu then), so I cycled to Oakham and thought I'll get a train home but then they weren't running on sunday- so I cycled back to Notts- did 173km that day and did not complete the audax. Now I feel to embarrassed to ever try do another audax, I slept 5-6 hours and my body was giving up on me in that audax. Now Im too embarrassed to even be on this forum  I don't think I'm a great cyclist.




Well done on the distance you did. It's a great achievement. So don't give up on Audax. It's all a learning curve for you.

On a side note did you let the organiser know you had scratched? If not, can you please do so in future. If for any reason you scratch again. Otherwise they would have been waiting for you to finish, that, and also it's the polite thing to do.


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## cougie uk (22 Sep 2020)

oreo_muncher said:


> What's your longest ever distance in a day?
> 
> I don't know because I was late about 40 minutes to the event  so didn't see them...
> 
> ...




How come you were so late ? Misjudged the pace ?

I'd set myself little goals - go visit a castle or something 40 miles away or something. Research a decent cycling cafe and ride there. 

You do need to be able to fix punctures. Look it up on YouTube and practice on your front wheel first. 

Get that sorted and then you can practice on the rear wheel. 

Of your bike is looked after and cleaned I reckon 95% of incidents are punctures.


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## roubaixtuesday (22 Sep 2020)

oreo_muncher said:


> I don't think I'm a great cyclist



You most definitely are a great cyclist - you cycled 173km!


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## oreo_muncher (22 Sep 2020)

icowden said:


> When you get that nice top tube bag, get a spare inner tube, some tyre levers and a pump (hand pump). Practice taking your wheels on and off so you are comfortable with doing that. If you have conventional brakes (rather than disc brakes) also do some googling to find out how to release them so you can get the wheel off.
> 
> If the tyre is flat it's usually easy to get the tyre off, release the valve and remove the inner tube. It's getting it back on that's the hard bit. You want to seat your innertube - get the valve in the little hole nicely and put the holding nut on but not too tight. Then put a little bit of air in the inner tube, but only a little bit. Then you want to use those tyre levers to get the tyre over the inner tube. That's the hardest bit. Once you have the tyre on, get the wheel back on the bike and start pumping (or use one of those groovy gas inflators if you feel massively confident!.
> 
> There are loads of people on here who will give you much better guidance than I just have :-)


I have leevers, mini pump and an inner tube. I took the wheel off and took things apart, I just couldn't fit the tyre back on around the inner tube well and it was rubbing..I tried re-adjusting it but couldn't get that right.


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## oreo_muncher (22 Sep 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> I did say on your other thread to have some savoury even though for the distance you were doing, you can get away with sugary stuff.
> 
> Now for some science. You ask how some can ride so far and not need to eat very much. You’ve essentially got two energy stores, your fat reserves, and your glycogen stores. You’ve also got ATP for sprinting.
> 
> ...


Thanks for explaining, made lots of sense since I'm a science student  So is the only thing I can do for now is just to spend more time in the saddle and wait for my body to adapt? I just can't help but snack quite frequently because I get tired.. I should eat more low glycemic index foods, think I ate majority high glycemic foods on that ride😅


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## oreo_muncher (22 Sep 2020)

ianrauk said:


> Well done on the distance you did. It's a great achievement. So don't give up on Audax. It's all a learning curve for you.
> 
> On a side note did you let the organiser know you had scratched? If not, can you please do so in future. If for any reason you scratch again. Otherwise they would have been waiting for you to finish, that, and also it's the polite thing to do.


I did let them know.


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## Sharky (22 Sep 2020)

oreo_muncher said:


> I have leevers, mini pump and an inner tube. I took the wheel off and took things apart, I just couldn't fit the tyre back on around the inner tube well and it was rubbing..I tried re-adjusting it but couldn't get that right.


When at first you don't succeed - give up



Then watch all the help videos you can find on Google or ask a friend. 


Then try, try again


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## oreo_muncher (22 Sep 2020)

cougie uk said:


> How come you were so late ? Misjudged the pace ?
> 
> I'd set myself little goals - go visit a castle or something 40 miles away or something. Research a decent cycling cafe and ride there.
> 
> ...


I woke up shattered at 6:05am, I thought I'll be leaving by 6:30am but didn't leave till 7:10am and then I was so tired that cycling got a bit hard...I didn't get lost on the route or anything- to the event, I planned my routes in advance on strava to follow.

I tried practising before with a video tutorial- but couldn't fit the tyre around the rim well so it kept rubbing..so had to get the bike shop to fix it..


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## cyberknight (22 Sep 2020)

Only skimmed through the replies I have 3 mins of lunch time left 😱
Well done!!
You could mount another cage so the bottle is under the down tube below the other bottle just make sure your bottle has a cap to keep the road grime off!

My last 113 miler I had a cake stop then a proper stop later where I had a sandwich.on top of that I had 3 energy bars.water wise I had 2 bottles and topped one up to give me 3x750 ml and 2 coffees for the ride.if you want to carry more food besides pocket s what about s top tube bag?


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## ianrauk (22 Sep 2020)

oreo_muncher said:


> I did let them know.




Good stuff...


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## PMarkey (22 Sep 2020)

Try not to confuse thirst with hunger , this was a problem I had when I first started audax and I was constantly stopping to eat as I felt generally weak and thought it was lack of food but after awhile I came to realise that I was actually thirsty and that after a few mouthfuls of water my pace would pick up again .


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## cougie uk (22 Sep 2020)

Oh and you should be able to fit a second bottle cage on the seat tube. 

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/zefal-wiiz...6aROvMGtXJnGbtQ2jcdXSQhcDmbykOgBoCk34QAvD_BwE

You just pull the bottle out mostly sideways.


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## Ming the Merciless (22 Sep 2020)

oreo_muncher said:


> Thanks for explaining, made lots of sense since I'm a science student  So is the only thing I can do for now is just to spend more time in the saddle and wait for my body to adapt? I just can't help but snack quite frequently because I get tired.. I should eat more low glycemic index foods, think I ate majority high glycemic foods on that ride😅



Now you see one thing that can make you tired is having high blood sugar. You know diabetics can feel tired a lot? High blood sugar as they are not producing the insulin to clear it. So your constant snacking on the sweet stuff may be the cause of your tiredness.

You don’t have to wait for adaptions but you will need to ride slower initially on audaxes if you don’t want to have to eat a lot. If you’d arrive on time you’d find these old timers who aren’t that fast on the road, and you’ll likely pass them and think that’s the last you’ll see them. But after the next control or stop you’ll suddenly find them somehow ahead of you. This will happen several times and they may even beat you back to the finish. Your overall time is the sum of your moving time and stopped time. By riding slower you can significantly reduce the amount you need to eat, and can minimise stops. So overall your elapsed time is not longer.

As you adapt you’ll be able to ride faster and still not need to eat that much. You’ll only stop for water top ups or a social.


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## oreo_muncher (22 Sep 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> Now you see one thing that can make you tired is having high blood sugar. You know diabetics can feel tired a lot? High blood sugar as they are not producing the insulin to clear it. So your constant snacking on the sweet stuff may be the cause of your tiredness.
> 
> You don’t have to wait for adaptions but you will need to ride slower initially on audaxes if you don’t want to have to eat a lot. If you’d arrive on time you’d find these old timers who aren’t that fast on the road, and you’ll likely pass them and think that’s the last you’ll see them. But after the next control or stop you’ll suddenly find them somehow ahead of you. This will happen several times and they may even beat you back to the finish. Your overall time is the sum of your moving time and stopped time. By riding slower you can significantly reduce the amount you need to eat, and can minimise stops. So overall your elapsed time is not longer.
> 
> As you adapt you’ll be able to ride faster and still not need to eat that much. You’ll only stop for water top ups or a social.


Thank you. I'll try that, my sugar levels must have been sky high at one point! It's so hard to resist the urge though to just eat.


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## ColinJ (22 Sep 2020)

oreo_muncher said:


> Which GPS devices would you recommend?


I still use a very simple old device which I bought in 2006 - a Garmin Etrex. It has been very reliable and I will probably continue to use it until it finally dies. You would probably want a much more modern device...

I like the Wahoo Elemnt Bolt. My cousin has one and I was impressed with it. It only has a monochrome screen, but it is very good in bright sunlight unlike _some _colour screens. A Garmin Edge 520 Plus appeals to me too. There are lots of videos on YouTube reviewing those and similar devices. They are currently available for about £185 if you shop around.

There are cheaper, older, less sophisticated devices. I suppose it depends on what features you want, and what your budget is. If you are only interested in basic data such as speed and distance, and reliable navigation, you ought to be able to pick up an older device on ebay for under £50.


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## Ming the Merciless (22 Sep 2020)

oreo_muncher said:


> Well done! That's absolutely crazy you managed to go so far!



@PMarkey hasn’t told you quite how far the Wild Atlantic Way audax is 😀


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## cyberknight (22 Sep 2020)

I like me 


ColinJ said:


> I still use a very simple old device which I bought in 2006 - a Garmin Etrex. It has been very reliable and I will probably continue to use it until it finally dies. You would probably want a much more modern device...
> 
> I like the Wahoo Elemnt Bolt. My cousin has one and I was impressed with it. It only has a monochrome screen, but it is very good in bright sunlight unlike _some _colour screens. A Garmin Edge 520 Plus appeals to me too. There are lots of videos on YouTube reviewing those and similar devices. They are currently available for about £185 if you shop around.
> 
> ...


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## ColinJ (22 Sep 2020)

cyberknight said:


> I like me


I like you too!


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## Ming the Merciless (22 Sep 2020)

ColinJ said:


> I like you too!



I like them


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## cyberknight (22 Sep 2020)

ColinJ said:


> I like you too!


haha i was trying do quote using my smartphone , although i like you too


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## uphillstruggler (22 Sep 2020)

oreo_muncher said:


> Any tips for improving?I've only been cycling for 2 months,started on 24th of July, I'm a bit of a newbie


I don’t think that distance after a few months is a bad effort

the only advice I would give you is keep riding and don’t pressurise yourself too much, after all, Audax is a social event unlike sportives which tend to be a little competitive ime

I’m sure there’ll be better advice than mine by far more experienced riders.
Keep asking questions on here, people are friendly and usually happy to share their tips and experiences

as for additional bottle storage, you can get the ones that strap to your handle bar stem from Planet X for a tenner, multi use too. See the picture attached


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## Soltydog (22 Sep 2020)

oreo_muncher said:


> Haha  How are you training for the 200 miles? I have no idea how to train other than just riding my bike, but I probably need some other strategy! That is absolutely crazy, I don't know how your parents did not make you stay overnight! Haha I bet you raided your Mum' fridge the minute you got there! I don't what goals to set myself next,any idea-except for 200 miles. 11.5 hours is quite quick, considering you had to maintain a pace.
> How is your average speed so high?


No real training plan for the 200 miles, I've just increased my distance cycling over the years & reckon 200 is certainly doable now, maybe 250. I do the odd training workout on zwift which does seeem to help out on the road. It appears the more I suffer on the turbo, the less i suffer on the road 
I just ride at whatever pace feels comfortable, especially on long rides, I used to push hard & chase Strava segments, but it was spoiling my cycling & my enjoyment of rides. I ride just about every day, so don't push too hard as the legs really suffer. My wife has got the cycling bug this year so It's been great getting out with her at a slower pace than usual, keeps my pace down & enables more miles


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## cyberknight (22 Sep 2020)

With regard s extra bottle cage i was thinking of a strap on one and do something like this? they used a toe strap to hold it secure





With regards distance have you considered joining a club and building up your speed and distance as well as the benefit of advice and help from the members.
This was my latest century which we did as a small group

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/your-ride-today.173254/page-1784#post-6117789


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## ColinJ (22 Sep 2020)

How about a *TRI-CAGE*?


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