Booked on but worried!
Booked on but worried!
Author
Discussion

andyscole

Original Poster:

205 posts

240 months

Sunday 8th April 2012
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Basically I've been persuaded to do the Wiggle Tour of the Peak 97 miler which includes 8.5k ft of climbing. This looks like a beast of a ride and after struggling with the 65 miles Cheshire cat (did it in 5 hours but was hard) am I biting of more than I can chew???

I ride once a week but mainly mtb ie monkey at Cannock. Can and do squeeze in quick 30 min 8-10 mile run in the week but can't really do more than that (job and 2 young kids inhibit).

Is there anything I can do or shall I just pray and do my best!!!!

Hackney

7,429 posts

237 months

Monday 9th April 2012
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get a turbo trainer

thiscocks

3,398 posts

224 months

Monday 9th April 2012
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Well you should get some long rides in before, like working up from say 40 miles to 70 or 80 miles (easy pace) over the period before the ride. Then you will know more how you will feel and how much to eat.

If you can't do any longer rides then yes it will be hard and a bit of a journey into the unknown. However if you have no time for the longer training rides then short but intense rides can help. Basically do your shorter rides as hard as possible (maybe with some rests in to begin with) so you can feel it at the end. My brother who is training for a 60mile ride has been doing this on his 15mile routes and recently did a 35miler(hadn't been that far before) with me easily, at a decent pace. Also if you have a hill near you then you could do a similar thing but repeatedly up and down it!

Rouleur

7,416 posts

218 months

Monday 9th April 2012
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...Cat and Fiddle, Winnats Pass and Holme Moss.

Hmm... You're going to find Winnats super hard and a load of climbs like the others are going to take it out of you TBH! You've got 7 weeks to prepare so can you take some days off and get some decent rides in? The Peak District is pretty relentless, there are very few flat bits and the route starts in Chapel which is surrounded by hills so I guess you'll be into them straight away.

Sorry to sound negative but it will be tough if you do so little riding.

Saddle bum

4,211 posts

248 months

Monday 9th April 2012
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Gear down!

dangerousB

1,701 posts

219 months

Monday 9th April 2012
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If I were you I'd get a turbo trainer and get up 2 hours earlier 3 times a week!
I've got a similarly nasty ride coming up in 6 weeks time and my weekly routine is:-

Monday to Saturday - 3 x 90min intervals (sessions vary, but typically 3 x 12mins @ 100% FTP/5 min RBI and I always have one "big ring" session at 65rpm which is excruciating)
Sunday - long ride, tempo, 4hrs+

To be fair, I've got to run a marathon after mine, but if you don't pull your finger out and do something similar, I fear you may find the going very tough.

andyscole

Original Poster:

205 posts

240 months

Monday 9th April 2012
quotequote all
Just as I thought. Bloody hard work ahead then!!! Got a 54 miler this Sunday with 2.7k climbs so should help me (and make me realise how tough the peaks will be).

Going to do a plan then and get on the turbo trainer before work 3 times a week with a long one on Sunday.

Cheers chaps.

Teebs

5,734 posts

244 months

Monday 9th April 2012
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That's going to hurt!

No replacement for actual bike time. You need to find a style for hill climbing that suits you, either high cadence/low gears or low cadence/high gears.

Do you have a cadence monitor?

andyscole

Original Poster:

205 posts

240 months

Monday 9th April 2012
quotequote all
No, would it help?

Teebs

5,734 posts

244 months

Monday 9th April 2012
quotequote all
andyscole said:
No, would it help?
I would say so.

I try to keep above 80 for the entire ride, closer to 100 on 8-14% grade hills. My riding times have improved since I upped my average cadence.

DrMekon

2,493 posts

245 months

Monday 9th April 2012
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Usually, I'd say no bother to a century, but that's some climbing and given your current riding and lack of time I would say that you are in for some pain. You'll make it round, of course, but I suspect you won't me much use for a day or two after.

Good work on entering - definitely going to be an experience.

Jimbo.

4,218 posts

218 months

Monday 9th April 2012
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You'll have to find time, sadly. It's a long day on the bike, and no amount of 10 milers will get you used to pedalling - hell, just being in the saddle - for that amount of time. Although I suspect you're already partly aware of this what with the 65 miler.

Find time, do the miles. And what miles you do, make sure a good chunk of them are hill reps. Do them, do some more, do them again and do them harder. Vomit? Good, means you're not carrying so much weight. Apply some Rule 5 and go once more.

andyscole

Original Poster:

205 posts

240 months

Saturday 26th May 2012
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Quick update with ride tomorrow. Done plenty of training, completing over 100 miles in last week. However I'm thinking I might just enjoy the 65 miler with 6k ft of climbing rather than the 97... Did 2k ft climbing Thursday evening over 11 miles which was pretty easy, but think I'll be beaten over the 97 espescially with the 2nd hardest climb at 80 mile point. Also 8hours in the saddle which is double anything I've done recently will finish me off.

I will update tomorrow once done!!

Simond S

4,519 posts

306 months

Saturday 26th May 2012
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Good luck smile

ShampooEfficient

4,278 posts

240 months

Saturday 26th May 2012
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No real advice, but good luck with it!

anonymous-user

83 months

Saturday 26th May 2012
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Rouleur said:
...Cat and Fiddle, Winnats Pass and Holme Moss.
I was in a transit van once that didn't make it up Winnats Pass.
Had to get out and carry a load of epoxy resin up as the driver carried.on.

All the best!