Training for 50 mile bike ride

mjbnj0001

newway2b wrote: »

I rode 20 miles this Saturday (yesterday) with my new padded shorts..

I am trying to add more ride time after work on way home.. although I had a lovely day yesterday... since starting this post you guys have helped me feel super empowered .. thank you

Congratulations on your milestone. First of more to come.

mjbnj0001

... water bottle case ...

that would be "cage" not "case" ...

aokoye

mjbnj0001 wrote: »

My prelim research has me looking more to the Lezyne Control Drive than some others.

I suspect that one is fine. I have the Portland Design Works Shiny Object CO2 Inflator which is essentially the same thing but a different brand. I like it because of the control you have over how much CO2 goes into the tire and how quickly it does so.

ap1972

Gels are useful to have as a standby in case you start tonk especially on unsupported rides as they get energy know you quickly. Flapjacks are one if my favourites and I've made some homemade protein bars with oats that I plan to take with me when I get on the saddle again.

mjbnj0001

aokoye wrote: »

mjbnj0001 wrote: »

My prelim research has me looking more to the Lezyne Control Drive than some others.

I suspect that one is fine. I have the Portland Design Works Shiny Object CO2 Inflator which is essentially the same thing but a different brand. I like it because of the control you have over how much CO2 goes into the tire and how quickly it does so.

Funny you should mention PDW. I was ready to get the Lezyne, but think I need a 38g for 29x2.35 tires (some online refs say this, others say 25g is fine [but lower pressure]; target pressure would be 40-50psi). REI says they haven't evaluated Lezyne for 38g. Awaiting info from Lezyne customer service. In the meantime, PDW website on the "Fatty Object" says it's perfect for 38g cartridges.

Question to any/all: the cartridges are all the same pressure and thread configurations, yes? So is it possible to combine a 25g and 16g to get effectively approx. 40g range? Or 2 16g for 32g equivalence?

I may be beating a dead horse on this topic, but I've been burned over the years on cartridge compatibility/capacity/availability with both scuba gear and inflatable life jackets (two different thread joint sizes are used).

Thanks in advance.

aokoye

So I had typed out a so-so response that I wasn't feeling amazingly confident about and then I found a post by DCRainmaker which you should really just read before mine. It's about 10 years old and aimed at people riding road and tri bikes, but it's useful none the less.

Honestly I don't quite understand the practical difference between the Shiny Object and the Fatty Object. Any size CO2 should fit in it and any other CO2 pump and they both have dials to control the speed at which the CO2 is released (the Fatty's is apparently larger to accommodate gloves). The size of the CO2 cartridge shouldn't be an issue with the inflator itself.

About the threading and the sizes (and pressure) of the cartridges, all of the threading is the same. What you see with CO2 cartridges is that there are threaded ones and unthreaded ones. That is where the compatibility issue lies . In terms of pressure - that isn't what is being measured, rather it's the amount of CO2 that is in the canister. I run 700c tires and don't have personal experience with other types of tires and the pressure you need to run them at (though I can easily extrapolate for 650b or 650c tires) but I suspect you might find this page and chart from mtbr.com useful.

mjbnj0001

Thanks for your response. No worries about being "so-so" or anything, I'm appreciate of any/all well-considered advice.

1. Both of those linked posts were good. I had seen the mtbr page which is why I'm in the quandary about 25g vs 38g. I haven't seen any corroboration of that chart yet (until just the other day, I hadn't focused CO2 at all, as I'm ramping up on everything since Christmas; part of my brain is still in the decades-old approaches from my previous biking). This is all new research for me, and I'm looking to choose a solution prior to a trip I'm taking this weekend to do some trail touring in Maryland (if I fail in my purchasing quest, I can always fall back on the minipump as contingency for this week).
2. We have six inflatable life jackets for use on our sailboat (in addition to some non-inflatables). Two different manufacturers, same grams of CO2, but entirely different cartridge specs (incompatible of course!). Means I have to carry separate stocks. If the bike inflator manufacturers have standardized on the same threading/etc. for cartridges, I regard that as a good thing (disregarding for the moment there are threaded and non-threaded styles).
3. Back in the day, 25+ yrs ago, I rode a road touring bike, and while using a Zefal frame pump when changing tires on a ride was a chore, it wasn't the 400+ strokes it took the other day to get my Schwalbe Big Apple 29x2.35" tires up to pressure range. This new bike is a bit of a learning curve for me, after decades away from cycling, as the tech and design (mtn/trail vs. road/touring) is significantly different. Too bad we concluded the old bike wasn't age-appropriate any longer, as it's in great shape. I run the Schwalbe tires at 45-50 psi and am having great experience with them so far.
4. The PDW Shiny Object has the nice leather sleeve for the cartridge; the Fatty Obect has neoprene, LOL. With that, the Fatty lists for almost 2x the cost on the PDW website. I would hope that for those $$, there'd be some engineering differences. Like you, I don't offhand know what. More gas would mean more cold, for one thing, so maybe the o-ring seals are different, or something. The other thing is that road tires have higher final pressure than plus tires, so there may be differences in inflator design regarding that.
5. I have yet to pull out a calculator to do the physics, but it seems sensible that if 38g is a true recommendation for my tires, I might be able to use two cylinders (16+25g or 2x16g) to get close to the volume needed. If that's so, then there's a wider range of inflator choices. I happen to be planning a set of errands Wednesday that will bring me very close to my local REI (local as in 50 miles from home), and they stock the Lezyne and Fatty Object. My bike shop carries GI, MSW, Bontrager, Lezyne and Planet Bike; they're 20 miles in the other direction and I won't be able to get there before I leave for Maryland.

Sorry for going on and on. I hope people find some of this discussion useful. Thanks again for your reply.

SoxyKitten

I have done a couple of spur of the moment 50 mile cycles with no training. It was tough but I managed it & im not super fit or anything. Took me just under 4hrs both times. This year however, I’m going to actually train so it’s a much more pleasant experience. I aim to just get time in the saddle, gradually increase distance & choose routes that are more hilly the further I progress in my training ☺️

mjbnj0001

mjbnj0001 wrote: »

... 5. I have yet to pull out a calculator to do the physics, but it seems sensible that if 38g is a true recommendation for my tires, I might be able to use two cylinders (16+25g or 2x16g) to get close to the volume needed. If that's so, then there's a wider range of inflator choices. ...

I found some math and physics to wrap my mind around. Digging through it. And, some confirmation that multiple cartridges would work. So, I'm thinking, solution in sight.

_mr_b

If you’re preparing to ride a 50 miler then there’s no substitute for time in the saddle. Get miles and hills in the legs.
I’d make sure your saddle is right for you as it can make a bigger difference than padded shorts.

You can and will complete the L2B just fine, the human body is an amazing thing.

mjbnj0001

aokoye wrote: »

... Honestly I don't quite understand the practical difference between the Shiny Object and the Fatty Object. Any size CO2 should fit in it and any other CO2 pump and they both have dials to control the speed at which the CO2 is released (the Fatty's is apparently larger to accommodate gloves). The size of the CO2 cartridge shouldn't be an issue with the inflator itself.

About the threading and the sizes (and pressure) of the cartridges, all of the threading is the same. What you see with CO2 cartridges is that there are threaded ones and unthreaded ones. ...

So both REI and bike shop (I made that trip also as well) were out of shelf stock on the Lezyne and Portland. I wound up with a Genuine Innovations that handles both threaded and non-threaded, presta and schrader, to head down to Maryland this weekend. I could have gotten a Bontrager presta-only, but after 35 years, I've learned that "a happy wife is a happy life," so I'll be able to support her and her hybrid with schrader. Moral of the story: pre-plan ahead, and you won't have to settle for what's on hand. Oh, and my floor pump leak failure that initiated this whole search? It turned out to be a loose seal in the head; all fixed. But I'm all the wiser for the experience.

Thanks for your time and advice, and happy riding!

VegasFit

newway2b wrote: »

Hi all I decided at the beginning of year to do the London to Brighton bike ride . I currently only ride my bike to work and back about 5 miles round trip.. not 55miles. I was wondering for anyone who is currently training or has trained in the past for long bike ride could give me some pointers please? And if you were training now if you fancy a virtual buddy?

I think this is an awesome goal. I will have been riding a year in August and I have done quite a few rides over 50 miles at this point. I have to say I didn't really train too much for them minus my normal weekly 30 mile weekend group rides. I just did a 90 mile ride a month ago and the friend that I rode with had never done a ride over 40 before that day so I think it's completely doable and sounds like you have given yourself plenty of time to train.

To echo what others have said, bike fit is important, padded shorts and jersey with pockets. I have been lucky in that I have not had to change a tire but I have taken at this point at least eight tire changing clinics which are free at local bike stores, so I do carry everything I need to change it. I always start off with one bottle of BCAAs and glutamine and when I finish that I drink water. Snacks vary from uncrustables, gummies, gu or tablets for my water.

As far as gear I get a lot of my stuff on Amazon or REI sale section. After being on a century where someone was killed I now wear a 1bandid and never take it off.

samthepanda

Me and hubby did a 60 miler in Ireland last year. I bike to work (3 miles each way) and did some spin classes, hubby did short bursts on a gym bike. The year before we had done a 25 miler with not a lot of practice and that had been fine. For the 60 miler we both did gym bike training (60mins usually) and we got out for about 4 long rides - longest was 35 miles. We have small children so it's hard to get out for long rides. The ride was tough - it wasn't just twice as long - there were Soooo many long climbs and the weather was terrible. We had practiced some climbs, but not enough. Practice lots of hillls! It took us 6 hours, but we completed it. We used mountain bikes with their original tyres - bad move. If we were doing it again we'd put road tyres on, although a road bike would be better. Our mountain bikes are 17 years old, still really good bikes but heavy compared to new ones.

Make sure you have done a couple of practice rides in the clothing and kit you will do the event in. You don't want to find it something rubs 15 miles in! Take a couple of plasters and paracetamol just in case.
I am used to riding with a rucksack, and we weren't going for time so I carried a rucksack with water, bananas,tissues, waterproofs (it's Ireland!) and a spare jumper as I get very cold when I'm tired.
On the day just try and enjoy it and be proud when you cross the line.