Wiggle mega Meon epic - bricking it...
Discussion
Entered for this a while ago and beginning to brick it a bit now. Done a few longer rides lately, did 87 miles last week and wasn't toooo bad but did 68 miles today all around the south downs (even went up butser hill twice I think from different sides) and tell you what, my legs are shot. Feel as tired as the 87 I did last week.
Admittedly I didn't take on a massive amount of fuel, I had 1 bottle of SIS GO energy, 2 GO bars and 4 energy gels, on the event I'll take a lot more than that but even so....
Anyone else doing it?
Admittedly I didn't take on a massive amount of fuel, I had 1 bottle of SIS GO energy, 2 GO bars and 4 energy gels, on the event I'll take a lot more than that but even so....
Anyone else doing it?
Ttry eating "proper" food like a roll or a banana on the ride. Gels and things are useful top-ups imho and there is nothing better than eating something with substance. Fill a giant bap (oo-er!) with ham (not a ready made sandwich) and its so much nicer and still easy to digest if you dont eat it just before a massive climb!
Its a damn sight cheaper too, I reckon you spent nearly £8 on food alone on that ride whereas that big bap would be less than £2! Hell I just like saying baps!...
Its a damn sight cheaper too, I reckon you spent nearly £8 on food alone on that ride whereas that big bap would be less than £2! Hell I just like saying baps!...
I almost always make some ham rolls for longer rides but didn't have any today hence why I didn't.
Had plenty of water, 2x750ml bottles plus a 2litre camelbak.
Oh - I get energy bars, gels etc at trade price too so probably nearer 4-5 quid so not too bad but yeah.... Today was the first longer ride I did without a couple of rolls etc. To be fair, the energy bars are actually pretty filling.
Had plenty of water, 2x750ml bottles plus a 2litre camelbak.
Oh - I get energy bars, gels etc at trade price too so probably nearer 4-5 quid so not too bad but yeah.... Today was the first longer ride I did without a couple of rolls etc. To be fair, the energy bars are actually pretty filling.
Jimbo. said:
What's there to "brick" about it? It's a bike ride, and not a particularly tough one at that. Just get on and pedal. Don't ride like a dick, remember to eat and drink and the rest will take care of itself.
Jimbo. also said:
(on another thread) Bluntness cuts through the crap and gets the point across.
Rouleur said:
E38Ross said:
Had plenty of water, 2x750ml bottles plus a 2litre camelbak.
Maybe you're knackered from lugging all of that around with you, that's a huge amount of liquid!
That's quite a lot of extra weight to cart around, considering the lengths we'll go to, and the cash we'll spend to get a lighter bicycle. 
yellowjack said:
Rouleur said:
E38Ross said:
Had plenty of water, 2x750ml bottles plus a 2litre camelbak.
Maybe you're knackered from lugging all of that around with you, that's a huge amount of liquid! That's quite a lot of extra weight to cart around, considering the lengths we'll go to, and the cash we'll spend to get a lighter bicycle. This keeps comin up , people hitting a wall and trying to blame it on "fuel" (or food n' drink I prefer) . Food can be a factor but not as much as some people make out, in that as long as you get the basics right. So unless you skip breakfast and then ride 100 miles you should be ok on less food than you think! My rules:
Decent meal night before
Decent breakfast
Snacks/sweats @ 30, 50 + 70 _+ 95 miles
And to be honest that's over kill at times!
I find myself agreeing with Jimbo too much!
If your body aint in the mood or is over stretched no amount of gels/ham rolls/electrolyte drink is gonna help
Sometimes we have "bad" days or weeks, often its your body telling you it needs a few days rest.
Take a few days off and chill before, rather than over analyzing "fuel" requirements.
Decent meal night before
Decent breakfast
Snacks/sweats @ 30, 50 + 70 _+ 95 miles
And to be honest that's over kill at times!
I find myself agreeing with Jimbo too much!
If your body aint in the mood or is over stretched no amount of gels/ham rolls/electrolyte drink is gonna help
Sometimes we have "bad" days or weeks, often its your body telling you it needs a few days rest.
Take a few days off and chill before, rather than over analyzing "fuel" requirements.
E38Ross said:
Admittedly I didn't take on a massive amount of fuel, I had 1 bottle of SIS GO energy, 2 GO bars and 4 energy gels, on the event I'll take a lot more than that but even so....
4 gels? Thats obscene. I can happily ride a 60 odd miler with only energy bar, and sometimes it wont get eaten.
Overfuelling, my favourite topic.
To be honest, your legs will have good and bad days, but that depends on rest, training volume and something to do with what you ate the night before.
Plus, despite how you feel (which can be linked to a vitamin b defeceit) you might have gone quicker on your 68 mile ride.
Dump the camel bak. Two litres of water is crazy to lug around. Loads of places have a tap when on a longer ride. Pubs, Petrol Stations - hell I've knocked on doors before.
Pre ride banana or porridge ( I usually have Shreddies ) and off you go.
Can't stand gels, and actually I am sceptical of the benefits. I go half water half flat lemonade in the bottles and then take a cereal bar. for anything up to 70miles.
Go back and count up your calories on that ride. 1500 ?
To be honest, your legs will have good and bad days, but that depends on rest, training volume and something to do with what you ate the night before.
Plus, despite how you feel (which can be linked to a vitamin b defeceit) you might have gone quicker on your 68 mile ride.
Dump the camel bak. Two litres of water is crazy to lug around. Loads of places have a tap when on a longer ride. Pubs, Petrol Stations - hell I've knocked on doors before.
Pre ride banana or porridge ( I usually have Shreddies ) and off you go.
Can't stand gels, and actually I am sceptical of the benefits. I go half water half flat lemonade in the bottles and then take a cereal bar. for anything up to 70miles.
Go back and count up your calories on that ride. 1500 ?
Edited by Gargamel on Monday 1st July 12:54
I've been experimenting with food and drink.
For local training rides less than 30miles I just take a bottle and often don't finish it.
For local long rides (did 43m at the weekend) I take a bottle and GeoBar type sticky thing to eat.
For a sportive type event where I want to go flat out and get a time I seem to consume 1 bottle and 1
sticky bar every 20miles, not in one go but spread over the distance :-)
Sometimes take two bottles but leave second empty and fill it at first fuel stop, I find I need more/spare liquid later on, also worth having extra in case you need to rinse blood off yourself following a spill! :-)
Lastly for longer, exploring type rides I take a couple of bottles and several bars and gels as no fuel stops to support me and dunno how far it is, also take cash to buy more.
The Mega has fuel stops IIRC, frankly if you start with a couple of bars and bottle you can refill at the stops more than enough.
I would not ride with a camel back on the road (although I do MTBing as bottles seem to jump out of cages offroad IMO) need your back free to boil the sweat off :-)
For local training rides less than 30miles I just take a bottle and often don't finish it.
For local long rides (did 43m at the weekend) I take a bottle and GeoBar type sticky thing to eat.
For a sportive type event where I want to go flat out and get a time I seem to consume 1 bottle and 1
sticky bar every 20miles, not in one go but spread over the distance :-)
Sometimes take two bottles but leave second empty and fill it at first fuel stop, I find I need more/spare liquid later on, also worth having extra in case you need to rinse blood off yourself following a spill! :-)
Lastly for longer, exploring type rides I take a couple of bottles and several bars and gels as no fuel stops to support me and dunno how far it is, also take cash to buy more.
The Mega has fuel stops IIRC, frankly if you start with a couple of bars and bottle you can refill at the stops more than enough.
I would not ride with a camel back on the road (although I do MTBing as bottles seem to jump out of cages offroad IMO) need your back free to boil the sweat off :-)
Just Checked the rules again, some fantastic lines on that.
Rule #91// No Food On Training Rides Under Four Hours.
This one also comes from the Apostle, Johan Museeuw, who said to @frank: “Yes, no food on rides under four hours. You need to lose some weight.” Or, as Fignon put it, sometimes, when we train, we simply have to go out to meet the Man with the Hammer. The exception is, of course, hard rides over two hours and races. Also, if you’re planning on being out for more than four hours, start eating before you get hungry. This also applies to energy drink supplements.
That's you told
Rule #91// No Food On Training Rides Under Four Hours.
This one also comes from the Apostle, Johan Museeuw, who said to @frank: “Yes, no food on rides under four hours. You need to lose some weight.” Or, as Fignon put it, sometimes, when we train, we simply have to go out to meet the Man with the Hammer. The exception is, of course, hard rides over two hours and races. Also, if you’re planning on being out for more than four hours, start eating before you get hungry. This also applies to energy drink supplements.
That's you told
I did the Mega Meon a few years ago. Was pretty good and there are some great views in the last few miles.
I cant remember if there were any significant climbs that I found tough. It was my first big ride
I'm quite tempted by this year's Mega Meon, but I just have too much DIY to get done
I cant remember if there were any significant climbs that I found tough. It was my first big ride
I'm quite tempted by this year's Mega Meon, but I just have too much DIY to get done
TwistingMyMelon said:
This keeps comin up , people hitting a wall and trying to blame it on "fuel" (or food n' drink I prefer) . Food can be a factor but not as much as some people make out, in that as long as you get the basics right. So unless you skip breakfast and then ride 100 miles you should be ok on less food than you think! My rules:
Decent meal night before
Decent breakfast
Snacks/sweats @ 30, 50 + 70 _+ 95 miles
And to be honest that's over kill at times!
I find myself agreeing with Jimbo too much!
If your body aint in the mood or is over stretched no amount of gels/ham rolls/electrolyte drink is gonna help
Sometimes we have "bad" days or weeks, often its your body telling you it needs a few days rest.
Take a few days off and chill before, rather than over analyzing "fuel" requirements.
I agree with you to some extent - most people you see out riding at the weekend don't need to fuel, they just need to keep pedaling slowly for a few more days, but if you're already lean and have good Watt/KG then you don't have enough juice for more than an hour without fuel if you're pushing on.Decent meal night before
Decent breakfast
Snacks/sweats @ 30, 50 + 70 _+ 95 miles
And to be honest that's over kill at times!
I find myself agreeing with Jimbo too much!
If your body aint in the mood or is over stretched no amount of gels/ham rolls/electrolyte drink is gonna help
Sometimes we have "bad" days or weeks, often its your body telling you it needs a few days rest.
Take a few days off and chill before, rather than over analyzing "fuel" requirements.
Thanks walm.... I do believe they are going up butser. I rode up it twice on Sunday.
I'm not THAT worried about the event to be honest, I know I can do it but know I'll find it tough. I'm off work all day tomorrow so will probably pop out for another ride though probably not quite that long, maybe 40-50 miles.
I'm not THAT worried about the event to be honest, I know I can do it but know I'll find it tough. I'm off work all day tomorrow so will probably pop out for another ride though probably not quite that long, maybe 40-50 miles.
Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff