Preparation - who needs it ?

[Spinney]

A long bike ride is a good excuse to pig out the night before, and eat naughty foods during the ride...

 

[ASC1951]

She WAS prepared. She was mentally prepared.

That is the key. I must have done well over a hundred 100 milers and I find that an ordinary breakfast, Beans On halfway, and plain water gets me round them without any problem. This is not at any sort of race pace, OTOH I do have my free bus pass.

 

[jimboalee]

I bought a dozen pizzas shortly after Xmas. I put them in the freezer to be 'night before' carbs for my 12 or so 100km Audaxes this year.

I have done 10 100km rides and have 10 pizzas remaining.

My son ate the two that have left the freezer.

I just get up, have toast or crumpets for breakfast and go.

 

[Fiona N]

The 400 I did was hardly flat:-

Shrewsbury - Bala - Cwm Penmachno - Betws-y-Coed - Llanberis - Waunfawr - Penrhyndeudraeth - Barmouth - Dolgellau - Machynlleth - Aberystwyth - Newtown - Shrewsbury

Sorry Greenbank - I wasn't meaning to imply it was. In fact, given the list of intermediate destinations on your 400, all I can say is 'chapeau'

 

[Fiona N]

That is the key. I must have done well over a hundred 100 milers and I find that an ordinary breakfast, Beans On halfway, and plain water gets me round them without any problem. This is not at any sort of race pace, OTOH I do have my free bus pass.

Ah yes, that brings in another factor - it is my firm belief that once you get to 60, normal physiological rules no longer apply

It's the only way to explain some of my experiences beginning with the late great Ron Masterman who used to cycle 50 miles up to Perth (Western Australia, not Scotland) to watch the local summer evening racing (closed circuit not TT) then ride home again for 'his tea'. As far as I could ever see, his sustenance for this round trip was 1 x 0.5L bidon which he'd fill up with water before riding home. He was in his late 60's at the time.

At least I'm hoping so

But more seriously, I do think that a lifetime of serious exertion gives you a big advantage when it comes to endurance events, where consistency and efficiency are more important that speed (think Audax), over younger sprigs. It will be interesting to see whether the 40-something newbie cyclists we're seeing so many of in sportives will ever develop this sort of staying power.

 

[Christopher]

Ah this is tricky as I get lost in the maze that is Garstang every time I visit

Basically it's in a yard (Garstang has another 'dialect' name for these back alleys which broaden out into courtyards behind the buildings on the main street, but I can't remember what it is) with a secondhand clothes shop and a bookshop. Coming from the north end of town, down the one-way main shopping street, it's down an alley on the right side of the road about 100m short of the Y-junction at the big pub (possibly the Bull's Head). I spot it by the sign for the bookshop usually. It's really quite tiny with a couple of tables outside but it's very convenient as you can keep your eye on your bike(s) and it's quieter than the main street.

Is the word 'ginnel'? Thanks for the directions, I shall have a look next time I am up that way when the caff is likely to be open. I often go to Bonds ice-cream stand of a summers evening at Elswick...

 

[Fiona N]

Is the word 'ginnel'? Thanks for the directions, I shall have a look next time I am up

No it's not ginnel - which I think is standard Yorkshire-speak - but something like 'wynne' or 'wien' which is completely new to me. It's probably the Lancashire folk just trying to confuse us Tykes

 

[Christopher]

wynd?

 

[Fiona N]

wynd?

Yep, I think that's it. Is is a ginnel or a yard (Kendal-speak)?

 

[PMB]

Yep, I think that's it. Is is a ginnel or a yard (Kendal-speak)?

Just for confusion, Im from Lancaster and we use ginnel, but I work in kendal and its Yard!!!