Help and advice on training for a 100 mile ride

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I am looking for any help or advice on a charity ride that I am doing with a few friends in early June (Norwich 100).

I have ridden 80 miles by myself and so have no qualms about doing this.

One of the other people has done this distance for charity previously but it was a few years ago. The other is very overweight and is doing this (as well as gym work) to lose weight and get fit.

We have agreed that we will go out together on Saturdays twice a month on rides.

Anyway, the question I really want to know is what sort of distances should I be aiming for, We will start in February, so ideally looking for (eg) 2 x 25 miles in Feb, 1 30 and 1 45 in March etc
 

AlanW

Guru
Location
Not to sure?
VictorL said:
We have agreed that we will go out together on Saturdays twice a month on rides.

Anyway, the question I really want to know is what sort of distances should I be aiming for, We will start in February, so ideally looking for (eg) 2 x 25 miles in Feb, 1 30 and 1 45 in March etc

I would suggest that you should be getting more miles in than you are planning for to be honest, certainly in the case of the others. You need to be getting out every weekend and start building up your base fitness, even if its only 25 miles to start of. But you do need to get some basic training in ASAP.

And also you need to try a ride somewhere nearer the distance that you intend to be riding on the day. You say that you have ridden 80 miles before, but believe me, that extra 20 miles can seem a whole lot further.

Please don't under estimate how much stamina is required to ride 100 miles and your diet is equally, if not as important as riding your bike.

You also need to be trying out and experimenting with different energy drinks and don't leave it till the day to discover that a certain drink doesn't work for you.

Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
 

Tynan

Veteran
Location
e4
plenty of time surely?

and it's 'only' a 100 miles

granted some training will makes things go more pleasantly and make sure the bike is comfy

I've done some long rides including 2 Dunwichs with nothing other than malt loaf and sarnies plus the halfway stop soup and roll, with all respect to OP, he's not racing is he?
 

Fab Foodie

hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
Location
Kirton, Devon.
Tynan said:
plenty of time surely?

and it's 'only' a 100 miles

granted some training will makes things go more pleasantly and make sure the bike is comfy

I've done some long rides including 2 Dunwichs with nothing other than malt loaf and sarnies plus the halfway stop soup and roll, with all respect to OP, he's not racing is he?

With respect though, you have enough experience to know what your body needs to go that distance.

Agree though, there's plenty of time, but I would go out together at least once a week, especially to help get the less fit up to some sort of fitness asap. In the early stages 2 to 3 short rides/week for the beginners would be useful.
Once you've ridden say 25 miles, 50 soon becomes pretty easy and 100 is not far behind, but you need to build stamina and learn how to fuel (and particularly drink) as the mileage goes-up and that's the main trick.
The other thing often overlooked is that 100 miles can be a lot of hours in the saddle, so good comfortable kit is required firstly and secondly it's an awful long time exposed to the elements, fine if a nice day, but if it's very hot, raining, windy etc that's gonna take a lot more out of you.

So, you have plenty of time, but start getting in some early miles now, so that when the clocks change you're already into some comfortable distances!

At 8pm tonight me and my mates are out for our sunday night constitutional, 25 miles in town and country. A few years back most of them could barely ride 10 miles, now 100/day is a just fun day out!

Good luck!
 

StuartG

slower but no further
Location
SE London
My view is that your friends need a sustained increasing training programme. It doesn't matter how low you start - the objective is to make each increase easy including the final ride. Barring weather/puncture fairy issues - a doddle.

But doing this without taking too much time out - presuming they have a day job and maybe even a weekend wife?

Cycling together more than once a week is probably impractical. Obviously if commuting is an option - this will build up endurance even if it is only 5/10 miles each way. If the commuting distance is further - consider going halfway by car and cycle the rest or whatever.

Or, and this is what I favour, is using running as a complementary training exercise. It is particulary good at building up your aerobic capability - so hills (OK so it is Norfolk) don't become a big issue. It also builds up your leg muscles too. A 10 mile run will make 50 mile bike ride feel easy and it takes far less time.

Also if you, like me, are a fair weather rider - doing it for enjoyment - I use a gym when times and weather are difficult. With the instrumentation the running and cycling machines do feedback your improved fitness levels which is a part of the important morale building exercise to keep a sustained pleasure in achieving our aim. Consider keeping a diary to show improvement.

The above is not appropriate to people seeking to achieve optimum performance (which is what most of the literature is about) but may optimise your enjoyment. If you can exercise in more enjoyable ways - do that instead - just keep building up in as many small incremental steps as you can.

Oh - and checkout your saddle. It can become a very sore point over 100 miles. Discomfort there and your general level of fitness won't make it any easier. Get the best. For me that is a Brooks - but you have to break those in before you really start doing the miles.
 
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