Coggy
Well-Known Member
Go for it !
doing more miles, when should i?
- Thread starter Pikeman
- Start date
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Go for it !
thunderlips76
climbs for cake
- Location
- BARNSLEY
slowmotion
Quite dreadful
- Location
- lost somewhere
Half a litre of water and a couple of coffees on the same ride. A lot of sense about beer though, FF.
When I started, I really thought I would die on my first 5 mile ride. ( Vomited into a bush in Battersea Park actually.) It scared me so I took it really gently for a little while thereafter. Gradually I did more five-milers, and then increased the distance and frequency. I didn't push myself...I just wanted to enjoy myself on the bike so that I wanted to do it more. Just pootling about discovering parts of London that I wouldn't see on foot or on four wheels. No point in making it some kind of self-inflicted torture is there? It became a pleasure, not a joyless routine. I'm about five years down the road now. Any day when I can't get out is one of regret. I'm not an athlete but it's blooming good fun.
Just take it easy.
nickyboy
Norven Mankey
- Location
- You want hills? We got hills
I suspect it isn't a physical issue that is preventing you doing more than 10 miles. Whilst making sure your nutrition and hydration are OK is important, they aren't going to stop you doing 12 miles instead of 10. As others have suggested, it's probably a mental barrier. Just plan a loop that is a bit more than 10 miles, once you're half way you have no choice but to complete it. You'll be surprised how easy it is
nickyboy
Norven Mankey
- Location
- You want hills? We got hills
There is always this argument on CC about hydration. It's whatever each individual needs and that's down to his own morphology and the circumstances of his ride. You can't say someone is drinking too much or too little without the facts.
Obviously a social-paced ride on flattish terrain at night will require less water than a fast, hilly ride on a hot day. FWIW, I try to ride as fast as I can and it's very hilly here. On a warm day I need 1 litre per hour. By that I mean I drink at that pace and probably don't stop for a pee on a 3 hour ride so I really need that much. I'm sure I'd need a lot less on the Whitstable night ride.
6 pints for brekkie sounds just dandy
w00hoo_kent
One of the 64K
- Location
- Maidstone or Greenwich
Miles are just miles, providing you're comfortable on your bike it's how you approach them that matters. Should you rush out and do a 40 mile time trial (do they even exist?) no, probably too soon, can't see you getting anything out of it. Should you go and ride your bike at a pace you are comfortable with for 40 miles? Yeah, go for it. At a steady pace you can munch miles all day. At 10mph, happily under any average I've seen on a Fridays ride, 4 hours riding is 40 miles. Wth a stop or two stretching it out that's doable for the vast majority if they want to.
As I lengthened my rides I started carrying a bit more provisions and I made sure I was happy with my contingency plans (for me a telephone and family with access to cars that could carry the bike if need be, but knowing your train options is similarly valid). The only thing working against longer rides is the free time to do them, if you've only got a couple of hours then don't give yourself a mileage target that's going to leave you flat out on the road from trying, if you have plenty of time then go for it and see what pace you managed after the event.
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Of course.There is always this argument on CC about hydration. It's whatever each individual needs and that's down to his own morphology and the circumstances of his ride. You can't say someone is drinking too much or too little without the facts.
Obviously a social-paced ride on flattish terrain at night will require less water than a fast, hilly ride on a hot day. FWIW, I try to ride as fast as I can and it's very hilly here. On a warm day I need 1 litre per hour. By that I mean I drink at that pace and probably don't stop for a pee on a 3 hour ride so I really need that much. I'm sure I'd need a lot less on the Whitstable night ride.
6 pints for brekkie sounds just dandy
However in the context of the OP ....
What I see is that much of the debate and so called 'information' about cycling food and hydration is fueled by the sportive/wannabe racer fraternity and the associated media - you need 1L/hour and you must x eat gels/minute. Many new to cycling read and hear this stuff and accept that that's the only way to do it, and unless you're going super-fast on a hot day over very lumpy terrain, it's just not necessary IMO. I ride with a lot of very experienced (OK - old!) cyclists who do big miles at a goodly pace that seems to do increadibly well on a bit of flapjack and significantly less quantity of water than magazines would have us believe, in fact we should be falling down with dehydration after 30 miles.
So I get a bit frustrated when I read about a newbie starting out doing 10 miles being told about how many gallons of water and food to eat when at this stage it's completely unnecessary. There's absolutely nothing wrong with taking some water along, but I don't think its the OP's issue right now.
Mark1978
Veteran
- Location
- Shouldham, West Norfolk
I always find that the first 10 miles i do on a ride feel a bit more of a struggle as I warm up. Once i get to 10 miles and get a nice cadence rhythm going, i get less and less out of breath and it becomes easier (until i hit about 60 miles). As for drinking, i tend to drink about 750ml on a 20 miler, which is my average ride during the week. If im doing a 10 miler, i dont bother. I'll normally take on a couple of litres for 60 milers as well as a good amount of flapjacks or jelly babies.
One other thing - your mouth will feel a lot drier if you are breathing through it while riding. This makes me feel like a need to drink more so im trying to get myself to breathe more through my nose.
One other thing - your mouth will feel a lot drier if you are breathing through it while riding. This makes me feel like a need to drink more so im trying to get myself to breathe more through my nose.
Coggy
Well-Known Member
Nobody was telling anyone how much they SHOULD drink.
Unless you can show me otherwise.
As it happens, last night did 16.5 miles in just under an hour and had no more than 200ml of water during the ride.
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Agreed.
Most people understand when they need to drink and when their mouth and throat gets dry and that water intake is required for vigorous activity.
They do occasionally. Usually at the start of the season when times don't really matter and the cobwebs are being dusted off.
It only seems like yesterday that I rode the Hainault Road Club Hilly 40 with a time of 2:16:11, won by a great rider Vic Gibbons in 1:47:57. Checking my logs, it seems "yesterday" was in April 1970!
The real "yesterday",( i.e. Last night) rode the club 10 and wasn't last.
Hi all, just wanted to say thank you for all the responses, really helpful and it did set me thinking and what I have concluded is I started cycling a few weeks ago to lose weight and it is helping. At forts it was a real discipline and I made myself go out each day. Now it's more of a challenge so not really easier just a different outlook. So I've decided sod how far I'm gong I'm just going to keep going out and enjoying it and if I do feel the urge to go further I will if not I will keep enjoying what I am doing 
Chiffer
New Member
- Location
- Haydock ( st helens)
Ive been cycling for nearly two weeks now and keeping hydrated is the key for me, but im not going to or want to break records yet. A good 750 ml or there about has seen me through 20 miles although I think i drank more at the end of the ride! As I did today never put still lemonade in your bottle I gurned for 18 miles!
Big_Dave
The unlikely Cyclist
- Location
- Alfreton, Derbyshire
I'm 45, 5'11" and 18 stone (half muscle, half fat
) over the last 10-12 weeks of road cycling I've gone from riding 10 miles to over 50 miles, getting past the 10 miles depends on how you ride and the gear set up on the bike. do your 10 miles a few times to build your confidence then add a couple of miles extra, you will find somedays you can do the extra miles on these days go for it, if you are on your off day do your ten miles, just stopping just a minute or two can recover your legs considerably and you are away again, as time goes by you will find you will want go further, Have a good drink before you set off and drink your fluids little and often on the ride, if you are thirsty then you are already dehydrated. Keep at it, fitness improves every time you exercise, your muscles will take a few days to fully recover when first starting out do a ride 2-3 days off, ride, days off while your body gets used to the exercise. What is the gearing on your bike, fitting easier gearing if you are struggling will make riding a lot easier.
) over the last 10-12 weeks of road cycling I've gone from riding 10 miles to over 50 miles, getting past the 10 miles depends on how you ride and the gear set up on the bike. do your 10 miles a few times to build your confidence then add a couple of miles extra, you will find somedays you can do the extra miles on these days go for it, if you are on your off day do your ten miles, just stopping just a minute or two can recover your legs considerably and you are away again, as time goes by you will find you will want go further, Have a good drink before you set off and drink your fluids little and often on the ride, if you are thirsty then you are already dehydrated. Keep at it, fitness improves every time you exercise, your muscles will take a few days to fully recover when first starting out do a ride 2-3 days off, ride, days off while your body gets used to the exercise. What is the gearing on your bike, fitting easier gearing if you are struggling will make riding a lot easier.