Tips on how to make my first long ride (3 hours) easier?

[patmahe]

Hi all,

Now I know some of you are supermen and consider 3 hours in the saddle easy, but I am not, and I dont.

So I am going to be doing a 3 hour road ride at a steady pace on Sunday, what should I be prepared for and what preparations should I make.

Longest I've done in one stint is about 2 hours.

Cheers

[Stablelad]

Padded pants/seat. Energy bars. Plenty of fluid.

[Exige46]

Consider your clothing - its all very well being nice and warm when you are cycling, but if you have to stop to fix a puncture you will soon get cold.

Always better to start off slowly and get faster rather than the other way round. Its no fun to blow up 20 miles from home particularly in this weather.

If you are not taking food, at least take some cash for emergency cake / chocolate / can of coke to tide you over.

To be honest, if you have done two hours without problems, then three should be ok as well as long as you are sensible with effort early on in the ride.

[patmahe]

Cheers chaps

[g_stacey]

Good to do it with mates or a club. Time goes quicker and as a group youl'l keep a good pace (race!)

G

PS Dont forget the Chafeze

[Nuggs]

Decent padded shorts are a must. I'd also recommend you use chamois cream (Sudocrem from the local pharmacy is fine, although Assos cream/DZ Nuts are superb).

Take a couple of energy bars. Take two bidons: one filled with energy drink, the other with water.

Drink and eat regularly (little and often). Don't wait until your thirsty or feeling wobbly; you'll be too late.

Make sure you dress in layers. That way you can moderate your heat better.

Most of all - enjoy it!

[Saddle bum]

This time of year look after your hands and feet. Do not underestimate how cold the extremeties can get. If it is damp, rub some baby oil onto your legs and bum, it is a good insulator.

Wear a hat.

[leggly]

Also, you're not allowed to notice or even consider somebody on a mountainbike as human. Ignore them as you ride by in the tailwind of an Argos truck as a lesser life form. they'll only be having fun in the areas not frequented by lycra clad whippets. SMILING IS NOT ALLOWED.

[Parrot of Doom]

Make absolutely certain your saddle is at the correct height, and don't push yourself.

[khushy]

saddle and boredom are my two main challenges - when I go out I am normally in the saddle for about 6 hours all told - I dont like stopping as it upsets my concentration and I find it really difficult to get back on!!!

Have yet to find a comfy saddle but for next year I have a new Selle T1 which looks comfy or a NOS Rolls - will be interesting to see whats best.

On the boredom front I always cycle with my MP3 player - its very relaxing and takes the pain away from the hills etc.

Good Luck

khushy

[RobDickinson]

khushy said:

saddle and boredom are my two main challenges - when I go out I am normally in the saddle for about 6 hours all told - I dont like stopping as it upsets my concentration and I find it really difficult to get back on!!!

Have yet to find a comfy saddle but for next year I have a new Selle T1 which looks comfy or a NOS Rolls - will be interesting to see whats best.

On the boredom front I always cycle with my MP3 player - its very relaxing and takes the pain away from the hills etc.

Good Luck

khushy

Man you can spot the roadies!!

[Saddle bum]

RobDickinson said:

Man you can spot the roadies!!

Yup, they're normally going quite quick and look cool. Their bikes are normally clean and immaculate.

[Kylie]

patmahe said:

Hi all,

Now I know some of you are supermen and consider 3 hours in the saddle easy, but I am not, and I dont.

So I am going to be doing a 3 hour road ride at a steady pace on Sunday, what should I be prepared for and what preparations should I make.

Longest I've done in one stint is about 2 hours.

Cheers

Time in the saddle! Hi alarm bells ring when you say your not really used it. This means you need to build up gradually. I normally do lots of 1 hour - 2 rides during the week when I am in cycling mode then at weekends build up to 2-3 hrs. Sure you can go out and do 3 hrs with minimal fitness but you will enjoy it better with base training
Hydration is very important too!!

[RobDickinson]

Minimum 1 liter of water per hour and eat something every hour too.

[patmahe]

Cheers everybody,

I did my ride and enjoyed it, made a concious effort not to push too hard early on but was still tiring towards the end. Drank lots of fluids but didn't have enough sugary snacks to keep energy up. Had a headache when I finished so I'm guessing I should have taken on even more fluids.

Bum is a little sore but nothing to worry about, all my cycling muscles ache a little today but I expected that. Still glad I did it, had a great sense of achievment, especially considering my first time back on a bike in years was just a couple of months back

Thanks for all the advice, it really did help.

[Saddle bum]

patmahe said:

Cheers everybody,

I did my ride and enjoyed it, made a concious effort not to push too hard early on but was still tiring towards the end. Drank lots of fluids but didn't have enough sugary snacks to keep energy up. Had a headache when I finished so I'm guessing I should have taken on even more fluids.

Bum is a little sore but nothing to worry about, all my cycling muscles ache a little today but I expected that. Still glad I did it, had a great sense of achievment, especially considering my first time back on a bike in years was just a couple of months back

Thanks for all the advice, it really did help.

It is advisable to do a couple of miles, tonight, around the block to loosen the muscles and disperse the lactic Acid.

[Nuggs]

RobDickinson said:

Minimum 1 liter of water per hour and eat something every hour too.

In this weather? Kidney failure ahoy...