There comes a time when it has to end (2000 miles ridden)

By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics and access other forums reserved for members. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today by clicking here.

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 4:16 pm

Sort of cool how this has turned into a biking thread. I love biking. I am doing <a href="http://www.tt24tt.com/" target="_blank">this 500 mile race</a> in September, trying to qualify for the Race Across America. It's a great sport, lots of fun, and keeps you in tip top shape without pounding the hell out of all of your joints. SP - have fun with that excellent bike.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

500 miles

, you lunatic, sounds like the road to the hot zone Very Happy

, man, that's going to be a bloody slog, how far will you have to do each day, 100 miles? How far is the race across Americ race, is that from coast to coast? Good luck with that YW, keep us up to date on how you get on with it, training schedules etc

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 6:25 pm

Thanks. The 500 mile race is all on one shot. I plan doing it in less than 33 hours if all goes well and the course is not too windy that day(s). I already bike about 200 miles per week. By spring and all throught the summer, I plan on biking 300-400 per week, which would include at least one century ride per week.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 41

No breaks, YW?

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

Damn, 500 miles in one hit, that averages out to around 15 miles per hour spent on the road, that's a freaking awesome riding schedule mate bow_down

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 6:46 pm

In the shower this morning while rubbing my tenderized spots I was thinking of SP's bike and what YW thought about this thread. A century a week? 300-400 miles per week to get ready for over 15 miles per hour for 33 hours? I am humbled in the presence of greatness.

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 8:05 pm

I rode my exercise bike for 30 minutes yesterday..... ummm... YW does that even constitute a warm up for you? Christ on a stick I have a lot of work to do...

But biking is the only exercise I can do that is not bad for my knees.... well cardio exercise. I can do leg lifts and the like for weight training.

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 8:26 pm

Well I'm with you in spirit SP. After 2 months off, drinking, eating and smoking just whatever I liked, it was time to get the weight off again.
I stared off training with the football team last Thursday, and I also have to do 3 sessions of circuit training a week to get up to the new fitness standards at work.

I am one sore boy right now. Crying or Very sad

Ouch.

Oh, and well done YW. You git. Wink

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 8:42 pm

I have never done a 500 mile race before. From everything that I have read, if you have put in your training (and by then, I will have), it's not as hard as it first sounds. If you stay properly hydrated, keep your electrolytes in check, stay fed, stay awake, etc... 15 MPH is not that hard. It's all about your race plan at that point. Think of it this way, the fastest marathon runners will average 14 MPH, and they do not have the luxury of a bike.

I have read that this course is somewhat hilly. That is one thing that kind of has me a bit nervous at this point. There is about 4 vertical miles of climbing over the 500 miles. Hopefully nothing too steep but still, that does worry me a bit. So, I have several very hilly courses/loops that I use to train on that are close to my house. Hopefully, by the time the race comes along, I will be so used to climbing that the only thing that I will really have to focus on is staying awake during the evening part of the race.

Wind is another factor that could prevent a sub-33 hour time, but at least with the wind, if I am fighting it, so are the people that I am competing against. It will tire them out just as much as me.

If I can pull off a 15 MPH average, that should get me into the <a href="http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/" target="_blank">Race Across America (RAAM)</a>, which is my ultimate goal. I have absolutely no illusions that I could ever win such a race. I would just be happy to get into it. The company that I work for has already agreed to sponsor me if I get in. I can think of no cooler way to see the U.S. that riding across it on a bike. My 12 year old son would be on the support crew too. I think that would be an awesome memory for both of us.

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 8:51 pm

^^That is awesome and good luck! Wink

Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 12:50 am

Quote:

I will shift at least half a stone by the end of January by going on the multi gym and not eating much, only had a sandwich and a banana since Saturday.

Hate to be a party pooper but you are not doing yourself any favours by starving yourself. The body will think there is a famine or something and your metabolism will slow to a crawl, better to eat plenty of fruit and veg, protein, and carbs when you go cycling. Drink plenty of water too.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

I thought I might have a problem with the bike, the gear trigger shifters didn't look or feel right, and I have never seen a bike with trigger shifters before, so I assumed the shifters must be on the right way that they were already fitted to the handlebar when the bike arrived, which was with the triggers on top of the handlebar above the break levers, I spent ages tonight looking through Google for bikes with close up photos of handlebars with these X-5 shifters on them, I finally found one showing a Carrera Fury with them fitted, that has the triggers on the underside of the handlebar, it then dawned on me that I might have put the handlebar on upside down, the big clues might have been when I saw that the gear indicator numbers were upside down, and the writing which says SRAM X-5, was underneath facing the downwards, I'll try turning the handlebar up the other way in the morning and see if that makes any difference Rolling Eyes

, what a friggin numpty Embarassed

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 7:06 am

Nah, not a numpty, its all part of workmanship. If its not right, have at it again. At least you did not have buyer's remorse set in with thoughts of "I should have bought the Shimano shifters". Laughing

That's usually what happens when I don't get something right the first time. I blame the part.
I prematurely went biking yesterday. I learned three things. When getting on after an intramuscular tear, don't just hop on. Lean the bike over at a 45 degree angle, lift the leg over it, and then bring the bike back up to 90 degrees. Doing it any other way is extremely painful. When being chased by a small brown dog, use the pepper spray. Do not drop the chain off the big front chain ring to a lower ratio and attempt to sprint away from a dog during the recover period of an injury. Last thing, just stay off the bike for ten days and avoid the huge hematoma the next day.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

Easy does it Connie, don't go making the injury worse than it is, if you need to rest and stay off the bike, do it, or the end result will be that you have to stay off it for even longer.

I put the handlebar on the right way up today, now it's much better Cool

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

I have still not been out on my bike yet, my new trainers should be here any day now, then I can have my first short ride Cool

I have lost a little weight already, I was 14 stone, now down to 13 stone 9lbs, just by cutting back on what I normally eat, and completely cutting out things like mayo, cheese and proper butter, all of which I have a lot of.

Since last Thursday, I have eaten 12 slices of toast with low fat spread, a sausage sandwich, 1.5 chicken kievs with a plate of pasta and I had a pizza today, I'll only eat toast on Tuesday and have a small meal on Wednesday evening, that should more or less see me down to about 13 1/2 stone, that will be 1/2 a stone less to propel forwards on the bike Very Happy

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 1:20 am

FFS, SP, sausage sandwich, chicken kievs , pizza . . . . . . . . where the hell are you getting your dietary advice from? One of the lads? Smile

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

@ BB, The sausages were grilled, I never fry anything, chicken is healthy, pizza, well, it's sweet chilli chicken pizza, I'm allowed a treat, damnit Laughing

, anyway, I'm losing weight like this, that's the main thing.

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 1:47 am

SP, you're living in cloud cuckoo land. Laughing

Sausages are sausages are sausages; grilled, fried, boiled or raw.
Chicken kiev just ain't a healthy bit of chicken.
Pizza is probably full of shite.

I'm not going to become your dietician but you could do worse than visit your GP's surgery and pick up a healthy eating leaflet.
You'll also find that eating fresh meat, fish, fruit and veg will have an added benefit, apart from the good it'll do your new sporting body, it will be cheaper.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

Some good news, my new trainers finally arrived today, tomorrow will see me out on the bike for the first time (weather permitting) Cool

, the bike is currently in my hallway sellotaped to a table so the cats don't knock it over, it's covered in dust from sitting there all this time, need to give it a clean up, I can't be going out on a bike that's not nice and shiny can I, also need to fit the trip computer to it some time today, if I can figure the damn thing out Confused

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 5:20 pm

^^A word of advice mate so you don't make the same mistakes a lot of new/returning cyclists make. Don't use WD40 on the chain, buy some proper grease if you are planning on riding in our current weather.

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 5:23 pm

^^^^
Agreed. WD-40 is a solvent and water based. It will ruin your chain.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

I couldn't resist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CTPLUcQAjk

Edit: May be somewhat NSFW. (If your boss is a Puritan)

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

@ Rodus and YW, noted, I asked about chain oils on a mountain bike forum, as my chain is pretty dryish, only a sligh bit of oil on the chain as itcame from the factory, I don't have any proper oil, so I was going to put some vegetable oil on a rag and lightly wipe the chain with it, someone advised me to leave it as it is, have a few rides and then lube it with a good oil like white lightening or finish line, which is what I'll do.

I'm a bit pissed off at the moment, I went to fit the Halfords 12 function computer, and the gap between the sensor on the fork and the magnet on the spoke should be no more than 1/6 of an inch, unfortunately, the gap is much bigger than that, it's about an inch or so, so I can't use the damn computer Mad

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 8:01 pm

Scam Patroller wrote:

... (weather permitting) ...

What, an ice storm? Shut up and get on the goddam bike. Laughing

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 8:30 pm

Yeah Barb!

There comes a time when it has to end (2000 miles ridden)	View next topic View previous topic