newish to cycling - how far can i go? and what fuel to use?
Discussion
apologies for flooding this section with posts, (well i'm not that sorry, just being polite 
)
I'm newish to cycling. I've been arsing around on my mate's mountain bike for the last month or so. I've probably used it about a dozen times. Usually I do about 10-15 miles of fairly easy riding but once i did 30 miles. Previous to this I haven't touched a bicycle since I was in my early teens, (i'm late 20's now).
I was wondering how far I could ride before I got exausted to the point that I felt I couldn't go on (whether this be due to feeling sick, physically exausted, mentally exausted or that i may be risking an injury). As soon as the weather is good i'll give it a shot. So, any guesses?
What i really need to know is what do you experienced cyclists use to keep yourself hydrated and fueled up? I imagine it is some sort of high carb energy drink...? I want to make sure i keep hydrated and have plenty of calories coming in so I can really find my max range...
)I'm newish to cycling. I've been arsing around on my mate's mountain bike for the last month or so. I've probably used it about a dozen times. Usually I do about 10-15 miles of fairly easy riding but once i did 30 miles. Previous to this I haven't touched a bicycle since I was in my early teens, (i'm late 20's now).
I was wondering how far I could ride before I got exausted to the point that I felt I couldn't go on (whether this be due to feeling sick, physically exausted, mentally exausted or that i may be risking an injury). As soon as the weather is good i'll give it a shot. So, any guesses?
What i really need to know is what do you experienced cyclists use to keep yourself hydrated and fueled up? I imagine it is some sort of high carb energy drink...? I want to make sure i keep hydrated and have plenty of calories coming in so I can really find my max range...
Edited by 2seas on Wednesday 29th September 16:41
well i went out on Saturday and it was a bit of a saga:
- 9 miles in, when changing gear, my rear wheel locked up on a corner and i fell off my bike
- just after falling off i heard an almighty fog horn which nearly gave me a heart attack. there was a big lorry following me, who had managed to stop in plenty of time. why he felt the need to blast his horn is beyond me...
- so no injuries and i carried my bike off the road. inspection revealed that the gear changer thingy had caught on one of my spokes, thus locking the rear wheel. i managed to untangle the gear changer thingy, which looked a bit bent but it seemed to work. i manually changed the gearing to the largest cog on the front and about midway on the back. the rest of the bike was undamaged so i set off again, but didn't change gear for the rest of the ride.
- about 18 miles in and the weather (forecast to be clear all day) decided to start chucking it down. great.
- i ended up doing 74 miles which took me a little over 5 hours (including the stoppage). i didn't have a odometer/speedo so i didn't realise how far i'd gone at the time but i had hoped in my head that 5 hours would be 100 miles which was my goal. so it was a little disappointing to find i did 74 and wasn't too far off the century. having said that i did do it all in the hard gear, which is a consolation in my mind.
- by the end i was absolutely exhausted. i ran out of drink about 4 hours in so the last hour was battling thirst as well as lactic acid. i did think about stopping at a shop but i felt as though if i stopped i wouldn't be able to get going again. a theory which was well founded, as when i got home i crashed onto the living room floor and lay there foetal like for a while until my legs stopped burning. any attempt to stretch/move further resulted in cramping. after a while i mustered the energy to reach for my phone and order a dominos - possibly the best tasting pizza i've ever had!
- so in conclusion while i'm still suffering a bit even now (especially going up stairs), at least i've set a good solid benchmark. oh and i have a newfound respect for the tour de france racers - 30 mph average all day and up those mountains?!?! wtf!
- 9 miles in, when changing gear, my rear wheel locked up on a corner and i fell off my bike
- just after falling off i heard an almighty fog horn which nearly gave me a heart attack. there was a big lorry following me, who had managed to stop in plenty of time. why he felt the need to blast his horn is beyond me...
- so no injuries and i carried my bike off the road. inspection revealed that the gear changer thingy had caught on one of my spokes, thus locking the rear wheel. i managed to untangle the gear changer thingy, which looked a bit bent but it seemed to work. i manually changed the gearing to the largest cog on the front and about midway on the back. the rest of the bike was undamaged so i set off again, but didn't change gear for the rest of the ride.
- about 18 miles in and the weather (forecast to be clear all day) decided to start chucking it down. great.
- i ended up doing 74 miles which took me a little over 5 hours (including the stoppage). i didn't have a odometer/speedo so i didn't realise how far i'd gone at the time but i had hoped in my head that 5 hours would be 100 miles which was my goal. so it was a little disappointing to find i did 74 and wasn't too far off the century. having said that i did do it all in the hard gear, which is a consolation in my mind.
- by the end i was absolutely exhausted. i ran out of drink about 4 hours in so the last hour was battling thirst as well as lactic acid. i did think about stopping at a shop but i felt as though if i stopped i wouldn't be able to get going again. a theory which was well founded, as when i got home i crashed onto the living room floor and lay there foetal like for a while until my legs stopped burning. any attempt to stretch/move further resulted in cramping. after a while i mustered the energy to reach for my phone and order a dominos - possibly the best tasting pizza i've ever had!
- so in conclusion while i'm still suffering a bit even now (especially going up stairs), at least i've set a good solid benchmark. oh and i have a newfound respect for the tour de france racers - 30 mph average all day and up those mountains?!?! wtf!
i've read through a fair bit of material on sports nutrition on the web and i've just bought myself a very detailed (and quite technical) book to enhance that knowledge further. i'm not professing to be an expert - but equally i like to think i'm not ignorant on the subject.
there have been a lot of studies which result in overwhelming evidence to support the fact that correct nutrition can greatly enhance performance when performing endurance exercises. this applies to both beginners and professionals. so it's all well for people to say "just drink water and get on with it”, or, “i had 5 pints and a chippy halfway through my ride and i was fine” etc etc (sorry for the slight exaggeration). But, have those people ever tried to fuel their bodies the 'right' way? – I’m betting you would see a great improvement.
So, thanks for your post above – very helpful and there’s a few things in there I’m going to try out.
there have been a lot of studies which result in overwhelming evidence to support the fact that correct nutrition can greatly enhance performance when performing endurance exercises. this applies to both beginners and professionals. so it's all well for people to say "just drink water and get on with it”, or, “i had 5 pints and a chippy halfway through my ride and i was fine” etc etc (sorry for the slight exaggeration). But, have those people ever tried to fuel their bodies the 'right' way? – I’m betting you would see a great improvement.
So, thanks for your post above – very helpful and there’s a few things in there I’m going to try out.
Daveyraveygravey said:
I've found the caffeine gels give me a helluva boost, but it is a bit like running your car engine beyond the limiter. I did the London 2 Brighton ride, and then did the return trip. About half way back I was completely wasted, thinking about ringing someone to come and get me. I took a caffeine gel at this point, and managed to do the last 25-odd miles almost without noticing it. Not sure how it works, but it got me home, although my thighs were rock hard for about a week after, a muscle soreness I haven't experienced before. If I take them now, I deliberately don't push myself.
On a long ride, I try to eat a little, and often. Usually something once an hour, a banana, or a flapjack or a mars bar. A pocket full of jelly beans is nice too, helps relieve some of the more boring bits.
Lots of liquids too, water and energy gels as well as the odd caffeine.
And if you stop, only do it for 10 or 15 mins. I stopped for a pub lunch one time, and although the beer and pub grub were lovely, getting started again after was horrendous.
interesting, the 'eating once every hour' practice is very similar to what they recommend in a book i'm currently reading. It also echos similar food types to the ones you mention. i haven't got to the bit about caffeine yet - but i want to try and understand the science of why/how it actually impacts performance.. On a long ride, I try to eat a little, and often. Usually something once an hour, a banana, or a flapjack or a mars bar. A pocket full of jelly beans is nice too, helps relieve some of the more boring bits.
Lots of liquids too, water and energy gels as well as the odd caffeine.
And if you stop, only do it for 10 or 15 mins. I stopped for a pub lunch one time, and although the beer and pub grub were lovely, getting started again after was horrendous.
Edited by Daveyraveygravey on Tuesday 5th October 20:15
thegavster said:
Stop being such a big girl, I bet the amount of time you've spent reading about it on the net you could have done some decent length rides.
I've just checked some family history and around 1938, my Nan, bless her, cycled 355 miles in one day. On a bike you probably wouldn't even consider using to pop to the shops on these days.
So stop being a girl, stop reading about it and get on your bike.
And yes, I have fuelled myself properly.
what exactly is your basis for the assumption that wanting nutritional advice means i must be procrastinating and not actually riding my bike?I've just checked some family history and around 1938, my Nan, bless her, cycled 355 miles in one day. On a bike you probably wouldn't even consider using to pop to the shops on these days.
So stop being a girl, stop reading about it and get on your bike.
And yes, I have fuelled myself properly.
literally days after my first rode bike arrived i took it out for a 5 hour stint. i have also mentioned that i'm planning on doing similar at the next opportunity.
i'm after some advice on nutrition. if you genuinely believe that what you eat/drink during a ride has no affect on your performance then i wont bother continuing this conversation. Otherwise, i would be more than grateful for any advice.
RichB said:
pb63 said:
All you need is a cordial drink - 1 litre if you've got a couple of bottle cages/big enough bottle, Flap jack (preferably home made - lots of nuts), and a banana. That will keep you going...You don't need to waste your money on silly sport foods/drinks.
I was going to say that when I was marathon running I never used to eat during the run, I would just take water and the lucozade sports sachets on offer during the race. Typical duratuion was 3:45/3:50 so a long time without food but I didn't suffer. Starving at the end though. I guess it's easier to take supplies on the bike and eat if necessary. Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff