Advise as how not to burn muscle mass

[Bonzothechippy]

I think I’m becoming to realise a possible big mistake I’m making on my rides. According to my garmin, I should be drinking roughly what I’m loosing. Trouble is you can’t see what you’re loosing and rely on how thirsty you are. I take two bottles of 500 ml per bottle. Garmin says 60ml per mile🤷‍♂️ I ride 50 miles and only ever drink around 700ml total.
According to garmin I’d need 3,000ml for a 50 mile ride. Who would carry that much fluid? Especially up hill climbs!!

 

[Jameshow]

I think I’m becoming to realise a possible big mistake I’m making on my rides. According to my garmin, I should be drinking roughly what I’m loosing. Trouble is you can’t see what you’re loosing and rely on how thirsty you are. I take two bottles of 500 ml per bottle. Garmin says 60ml per mile🤷‍♂️ I ride 50 miles and only ever drink around 700ml total.
According to garmin I’d need 3,000ml for a 50 mile ride. Who would carry that much fluid? Especially up hill climbs!!

I'd only ever take that amount tbh, but when I'd stop I'd buy a drink either a coffee in a cafe or a sandwich meal deal...

Only once have I been dehydrated and that was attempting to ride 400km from Bradford to verwood in 24hrs. It was the hottest day of the year in 2022 if you remember and the fields were burnt brown.

I had to hide from the heat in Churchhills pub! I didn't manage 24hrs ended up doing 30hrs!!

 

[Bonzothechippy]

I'd only ever take that amount tbh, but when I'd stop I'd buy a drink either a coffee in a cafe or a sandwich meal deal...

Only once have I been dehydrated and that was attempting to ride 400km from Bradford to verwood in 24hrs. It was the hottest day of the year in 2022 if you remember and the fields were burnt brown.

I had to hide from the heat in Churchhills pub! I didn't manage 24hrs ended up doing 30hrs!!

As much as I’d love to stop at a cafe, I’m usually on my own and concerned my bike won’t be there whilst I’m ordering.
Perfect place for bike thief’s. I could ask someone to keep an eye on the bike. 5k is a lot to loose for a cuppa and cake, I don’t have the money to replace the bike anymore. 🤷‍♂️

 

[ColinJ]

That tells me that I burn about 22 Cals/km or 360 Cals/10 miles.

On moderately hilly routes... I will go out some time and see what they are for flatter and hillier rides.

 

[BSRU]

I think I’m becoming to realise a possible big mistake I’m making on my rides. According to my garmin, I should be drinking roughly what I’m loosing. Trouble is you can’t see what you’re loosing and rely on how thirsty you are. I take two bottles of 500 ml per bottle. Garmin says 60ml per mile🤷‍♂️ I ride 50 miles and only ever drink around 700ml total.
According to garmin I’d need 3,000ml for a 50 mile ride. Who would carry that much fluid? Especially up hill climbs!!

I'd be carrying two 750ml bottles, plus an extra 750ml bottle of it was a hot day, and ensure I drank just before I left home.

 

[figbat]

I don’t drink much and have never yet failed to get anywhere. I often take a bottle with me for a 20 mile ride and bring it home untouched. Longer rides, and hotter ones, will see me drinking.

I have taken fluids and food at the recommended amounts for long rides and brought half of it home again.

 

[cyberknight]

I don’t drink much and have never yet failed to get anywhere. I often take a bottle with me for a 20 mile ride and bring it home untouched. Longer rides, and hotter ones, will see me drinking.

I have taken fluids and food at the recommended amounts for long rides and brought half of it home again.

im similar, on a cafe ride even if im riding hard i take one bottle and top it up at the cafe so lets say 2x500ml bottles and a coffee see me through a 60 plus mile ride , only when its really hot would i need another bottle but everyone is different.
for a 20 mile ride i wouldn’t bother even taking a bottle , if i cant survive for 70 ish minutes without a drink summats wrong but i do work in a hot sweaty work environment in full cut PPE so im used to being like that.

 

[CXRAndy]

I drink 1 litre per hour for Z2 rides and more if pushing on. I've got the SiS litre bottles

 

[CXRAndy]

My brother in law used to drink very little, struggled later on with bigger rides.

Then one day had the mother of kidney stones passed.

Passing out, vomitting. Doctors suggested drink far more water

 

[Dogtrousers]

I don't have much to add to some of the good comments above, other than to add that it's not just illness or starvation that will cause the body to break down muscle, but also inactivity. When I had my knee immobilised in a brace for 6 weeks I ended up with one normal leg and one joke stick leg. Took months of hard boring rehab to get it back.

As others have said, if you're exercising normally it just isn't going to happen. My guess (and it's only a guess) is that you'd be so knackered from glycogen depletion that you'd grind to a halt before you start recycling muscle in an ordinary day ride. Things may be different on a multi day ultra effort.

As to all things in cycling the key is fun. Make your rides enjoyable and interesting. Experiment with different kinds of food, different pacing etc. to find what works for you and ... have fun!

As much as I’d love to stop at a cafe, I’m usually on my own and concerned my bike won’t be there whilst I’m ordering.

I can sympathise with this. But just a little "cafe" combination lock could be enough for you to get in and out of a cafe/shop to buy some water if you are in a position to always have a half an eye on the bike. Scope the place out first before entering. Can you see the till from outside? Alternatively there are sometimes taps in churchyards that people use for flowers that you can get water from. I carry quite a lot of gear with me so a couple of locks don't make much difference. But if you're riding light it could be a problem. I normally have one ordinary and one oversize bottle for rides in the range 100-150km (60-90 miles). You could also start out with a 330ml or 500ml bottle in a jersey pocket.

You say you ride in the Surrey Hills. Here are some cafes that have good sight lines:
- National Trust Cafe at the top of Box Hill. Served from a hatch. Just take your bike with you in the queue. Yes, there's often a queue. Racks are provided that are 100% visible. And if you don't want coffee/cake there's a drinking fountain where you can fill your bottle.
- Destination Bike in Box Hill Village. Has racks outside that are visible from inside. https://destinationbike.co.uk/the-café
- Heartwork Coffee. Holmbury St Mary This is all pretty much open air. Keep your bike with you. https://www.heartworkcoffee.co.uk/

 

[cyberknight]

I don't have much to add to some of the good comments above, other than to add that it's not just illness or starvation that will cause the body to break down muscle, but also inactivity. When I had my knee immobilised in a brace for 6 weeks I ended up with one normal leg and one joke stick leg. Took months of hard boring rehab to get it back.

As others have said, if you're exercising normally it just isn't going to happen. My guess (and it's only a guess) is that you'd be so knackered from glycogen depletion that you'd grind to a halt before you start recycling muscle in an ordinary day ride. Things may be different on a multi day ultra effort.

As to all things in cycling the key is fun. Make your rides enjoyable and interesting. Experiment with different kinds of food, different pacing etc. to find what works for you and ... have fun!


I can sympathise with this. But just a little "cafe" combination lock could be enough for you to get in and out of a cafe/shop to buy some water if you are in a position to always have a half an eye on the bike. Scope the place out first before entering. Can you see the till from outside? Alternatively there are sometimes taps in churchyards that people use for flowers that you can get water from. I carry quite a lot of gear with me so a couple of locks don't make much difference. But if you're riding light it could be a problem. I normally have one ordinary and one oversize bottle for rides in the range 100-150km (60-90 miles). You could also start out with a 330ml or 500ml bottle in a jersey pocket.

You say you ride in the Surrey Hills. Here are some cafes that have good sight lines:
- National Trust Cafe at the top of Box Hill. Served from a hatch. Just take your bike with you in the queue. Yes, there's often a queue. Racks are provided that are 100% visible.
- Destination Bike in Box Hill Village. Has racks outside that are visible from inside. https://destinationbike.co.uk/the-café
- Heartwork Coffee. Holmbury St Mary This is all pretty much open air. Keep your bike with you. https://www.heartworkcoffee.co.uk/

i have used cafe locks in the past but i dont bother these days , i do tend to stop at places that are out of the way and within sight of the bike

 

[Bonzothechippy]

I don't have much to add to some of the good comments above, other than to add that it's not just illness or starvation that will cause the body to break down muscle, but also inactivity. When I had my knee immobilised in a brace for 6 weeks I ended up with one normal leg and one joke stick leg. Took months of hard boring rehab to get it back.

As others have said, if you're exercising normally it just isn't going to happen. My guess (and it's only a guess) is that you'd be so knackered from glycogen depletion that you'd grind to a halt before you start recycling muscle in an ordinary day ride. Things may be different on a multi day ultra effort.

As to all things in cycling the key is fun. Make your rides enjoyable and interesting. Experiment with different kinds of food, different pacing etc. to find what works for you and ... have fun!


I can sympathise with this. But just a little "cafe" combination lock could be enough for you to get in and out of a cafe/shop to buy some water if you are in a position to always have a half an eye on the bike. Scope the place out first before entering. Can you see the till from outside? Alternatively there are sometimes taps in churchyards that people use for flowers that you can get water from. I carry quite a lot of gear with me so a couple of locks don't make much difference. But if you're riding light it could be a problem. I normally have one ordinary and one oversize bottle for rides in the range 100-150km (60-90 miles). You could also start out with a 330ml or 500ml bottle in a jersey pocket.

You say you ride in the Surrey Hills. Here are some cafes that have good sight lines:
- National Trust Cafe at the top of Box Hill. Served from a hatch. Just take your bike with you in the queue. Yes, there's often a queue. Racks are provided that are 100% visible. And if you don't want coffee/cake there's a drinking fountain where you can fill your bottle.
- Destination Bike in Box Hill Village. Has racks outside that are visible from inside. https://destinationbike.co.uk/the-café
- Heartwork Coffee. Holmbury St Mary This is all pretty much open air. Keep your bike with you. https://www.heartworkcoffee.co.uk/

Thanks for that, I’ve always seen everyone chilling out at that cafe, I’ll pop in there for a nice coffee and a treat 😋
I love the zig zag hill as it’s fairly relaxing going up. Some lovely views especially if the clouds are low, makes you feel your way higher than you really are 🤣

 

[Dogtrousers]

Thanks for that, I’ve always seen everyone chilling out at that cafe, I’ll pop in there for a nice coffee and a treat 😋
I love the zig zag hill as it’s fairly relaxing going up. Some lovely views especially if the clouds are low, makes you feel your way higher than you really are 🤣

I like Box Hill too. Beautiful surface and a really easy gradient but it has the hallmarks of a really tough climb - hairpins and a very steep gradient either side of the road.

 

[lazybloke]

I like Box Hill too. Beautiful surface and a really easy gradient but it has the hallmarks of a really tough climb - hairpins and a very steep gradient either side of the road.

A guy i occasionally cycle with has been blitzing Box Hill recently. It's a small, gentle hill, but i think he did 9 ascents at the weekend!

I'll probably be there Sunday morning.