Ultradistance Cycling?
Machka9
Posts: 25,701 Member
Does anyone here do ultradistance cycling ... like, for example, audax/randonneuring or 24-hour races or the RAAM or similar?
I used to be an active ultradistance cyclist ... then several things happened and I have only dabbled in it for the past several years, but this year I'm getting back into it again. I've done 200 km and 300 km randonnees this year, with some idea of going further in the next few months.
I used to be an active ultradistance cyclist ... then several things happened and I have only dabbled in it for the past several years, but this year I'm getting back into it again. I've done 200 km and 300 km randonnees this year, with some idea of going further in the next few months.
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I used to do a century once a week in the summer months. It's been so long since I've done that though and I have t as a goal of mine to be able to do one again...0
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I do some Audax events in the UK, some "half Audax" (100k) but also a couple of the more classic 200k events.
Planning on doing a few more far flung events this year to enjoy some new scenery - they are a wonderful way to explore beautiful countryside.
Also planning a multi day London to Paris ride to experience something new.
There's a sneaking desire to do a 12hr event but currently can't see myself having the time for the training required. Might park that one until I retire!
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It is a bit time consuming, but I've done most of my training while working full-time + attending uni part-time.
The best was when I lived in a place where I could, quite easily, commute to and from work by bicycle. My rest days were the 13.6 km round trip commute. Other days, since I was on the bicycle anyway, I just kept riding.
Now commuting isn't so easy so I'm trying to train in other ways.0 -
There's a sneaking desire to do a 12hr event but currently can't see myself having the time for the training required. Might park that one until I retire!
From what I understand, the UK does have some good 12 and 24 hour events. I wish that sort of thing would come here to Australia.
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My post didn't show - trying again...
I have done a couple of 300k both were one day event. But I am not sure if these can be classified as ultra actually, maybe 600k+ idk... A few friends have just completed a 600k event last weekend in Tokyo in about 40 hours oh boy that sounds fun
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My post didn't show - trying again...
I have done a couple of 300k both were one day event. But I am not sure if these can be classified as ultra actually, maybe 600k+ idk... A few friends have just completed a 600k event last weekend in Tokyo in about 40 hours oh boy that sounds fun
Yep ... 300K in one day is an ultra. That's what my 300K randonnee/audax in April was ... 300 km which had to be completed within 20 hours, including all breaks. We did it in just a few minutes over 17 hours.
I've done some 400Ks (27 hour time limit) and 600Ks (40 hour time limit), one 1000K (70 hour time limit) and four 1200Ks (90 hour time limit) ... but all of those were a few years ago, and we'd like to get back into it again.
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Thank you!
Did one in May and one so far in June. Going to try one of the permanent courses next (rather than an organised event). Loop from the historic city of Winchester over the South Downs and Salisbury Plain.
May do it on my hybrid for a change.1 -
Yep ... 300K in one day is an ultra. That's what my 300K randonnee/audax in April was ... 300 km which had to be completed within 20 hours, including all breaks. We did it in just a few minutes over 17 hours.
I've done some 400Ks (27 hour time limit) and 600Ks (40 hour time limit), one 1000K (70 hour time limit) and four 1200Ks (90 hour time limit) ... but all of those were a few years ago, and we'd like to get back into it again.
Thanks so much for explaining, and.... you are one super strong cyclist! Your resume is IMPRESSIVE! I reckon you have done those ultras before you can do them again so best wishes.
And you have just put some ideas in my head - I used to think 300 is very likely the longest I can handle but now... hmmm...
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Yep ... 300K in one day is an ultra. That's what my 300K randonnee/audax in April was ... 300 km which had to be completed within 20 hours, including all breaks. We did it in just a few minutes over 17 hours.
I've done some 400Ks (27 hour time limit) and 600Ks (40 hour time limit), one 1000K (70 hour time limit) and four 1200Ks (90 hour time limit) ... but all of those were a few years ago, and we'd like to get back into it again.
Thanks so much for explaining, and.... you are one super strong cyclist! Your resume is IMPRESSIVE! I reckon you have done those ultras before you can do them again so best wishes.
And you have just put some ideas in my head - I used to think 300 is very likely the longest I can handle but now... hmmm...
Thanks.
But I am just a bit out of practice these days. I ended up developing DVT when I moved to Australia (on the flight over here) in 2009 and that took me out of the action for a couple years. And I put on some weight. Etc. Etc.
However, this year, I'm the slimmest and feeling the strongest I've felt since pre-DVT ... so there's hope!
BTW - used to be that the 400K was my favourite distance.0 -
Dark Bikefo 200K - Saturday 18 June
My husband and I cycled 200.23 km with 2227.58 metres of climbing. It was a 200K randonnee to celebrate the winter solstice.
6 riders set off at 7 am, just as the sky was lightening slightly and we could make out the yachts and birds on the bay. The temperature was a chilly 4.3C with a bit of a headwind bringing the "feels like" temperature down to 1.8C.
Our route took us out the cycleway, a common cycling route. Unfortunately some drunks had been out there during the night and there were large patches of broken glass here and there along the way, so large that we had to lift our bicycles over.
Once on the road, the glass problem disappeared, and a little further up the road, the temperature dropped to 3.3C. Funny thing was, just before Rowan told me it had gotten colder, my feet and hands started feeling very cold and I was doing windmills (rotating my arms around like windmills) to try to warm my hands.
Onward to New Norfolk and then Bushy Park, the first control. Up till that point, there wasn't much climbing at all. But soon after the climbing began. One of the first climbs was a long steep thing that left me feeling quite nauseated and dizzy at the top. It was a tough climb! I saw it on the way back and thought, "I climbed that???"
At that point, I wondered about the possibility of finishing the event because I knew there would be more climbing for a while yet and I just didn't feel up to it! But I kept slogging away ... up and up ... and then, all of a sudden, I got a second wind or something and had energy for the rest of the 200K.
Unfortunately Rowan had issues with cramping again which kind of slowed him down.
We arrived in Bothwell, the turn-around point, with about half an hour to spare ... and got some salty food + ice cream. We were hungry! But it was a quick stop and we were back on the road again and heading back.
Everyone said that it's downhill on the way back from Bothwell. Well ... um ... not really. There is quite a bit of climbing for the first 32 km out of Bothwell ... and then, finally, it's downhill. I really enjoyed the downhill bit. That was fun!
For some reason, the section from the 145 km point to the 159.99 km point took forever!! I felt like I was watching those kilometres tick by for somewhere in the neighbourhood of 12 hours. Several times I watched to make sure that my computer was actually working ... at times the numbers seemed to freeze. I began to long for numbers in the 160 range ... just for something different, just to prove that we were actually getting somewhere. I had to laugh when I figured it had to be 160-something already, looked down at my computer and it read: 159.99. I couldn't catch a break!
Darkness was falling as we rolled into New Norfolk again and stopped at a little shop with a very friendly lady behind the counter. We chatted a bit about long distance cycling. She may have been there the last time we got our cards signed on the "So you want to ride 100 miles" event we did several months ago.
The next bit was my least favourite. It's a busy 16 km or so with narrow shoulders that sort of come and go, and includes a 2 km stretch with no shoulders. I'm not fond of it in the daylight ... the night was no better. Although I do have to say that most drivers were pretty good. It's just that there were lots of them.
I was relieved when we got off the main road onto a quieter road, and even happier when we got back onto the cycleway again. Fortunately the broken glass had been cleared away.
And we rolled into the finish area after 12 hours and 36 minutes.
And photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/machka-bb/albums/721576626487619963 -
I've done a few, but way, way back... as in 20+ years back. Used to race Time-Trials, did 10's,25's but specialised in the 50's, 100's and 12H's. Also, did the full set of brevets to qualify for BPB, but was knocked off the bike whilst out training a couple of weeks before the event - turned out to be a racing career ending injury (smashed femur, broken pelvis and (worst of all) lost my nerve for road riding) - took nearly 15 years to get to the point where I could swing a leg over the bike again. I'm back up to the odd century now, but time off the bike, age, and excessive weight mean I'm slow, and, these days, I get bored riding for much more than 6 hours or so at a time, especially alone - which is pretty much the only way I get to ride - being too slow to join any of the local clubs, so the longer stuff isn't really an option anymore.
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I'm just getting into audaxes. Done a few 100s. Working towards my first 200 towards the end of the year. My husband is doing his first 300 on Saturday. TheBigYin, that's such an incredibly sad story. I'm so sorry.1
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Um, this sounds delightful. I don't know of any of this sort of event around me (US - Florida). I'm just getting into the 100+ miles...training for an IM event in September.0
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Wow! I would just be happy getting in a century at this point. I think I could really enjoy ultra rides, but I need to get in far better shape before I do something like that, not to mention needing to find the time. Even working up to a century has been a challenge so far in terms of time out on the road. It didn't help that I have been away two weeks in the last 4 with no bike available to me (or time while away to get out since the days went from 7am to about 9pm every day for the one stretch).0
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For some reason, the section from the 145 km point to the 159.99 km point took forever!! I felt like I was watching those kilometres tick by for somewhere in the neighbourhood of 12 hours. Several times I watched to make sure that my computer was actually working ... at times the numbers seemed to freeze. I began to long for numbers in the 160 range ... just for something different, just to prove that we were actually getting somewhere. I had to laugh when I figured it had to be 160-something already, looked down at my computer and it read: 159.99. I couldn't catch a break!
I totally see what you mean, the distance just froze... I am pedaling so I got to be moving right?! The cadence, gradient, timer, HR, temp all were moving but the distance counter just stalled no matter how hard I stared at it lol
This often happens around 115-120km but once busted through those few slow km then I'm good again...
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Um, this sounds delightful. I don't know of any of this sort of event around me (US - Florida). I'm just getting into the 100+ miles...training for an IM event in September.
Look up Randonneur USA: https://rusa.org/
Then if you Search for Rides and choose Florida ... https://rusa.org/cgi-bin/eventsearch_GF.pl
Looks like there are some events coming up in October.
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My training rides are being thwarted by winter weather! Grrr!0
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Got a decent training ride in yesterday ...
Distance: 164.9km
Moving Time: 8:54:36
Total time: 10:17:33
Elevation Gain: 1,767m
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Machka90 -
weather in Melbourne this weekend was amazing!!0
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I have to rehab my leg which I injured a few weeks back before doing any really long rides. Pre-injury several hours riding was not a problem. Post injury even 1 hour is pushing it if I go at any significant speed. I can't wait to get back to what it was like before.0
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rileysowner wrote: »I have to rehab my leg which I injured a few weeks back before doing any really long rides. Pre-injury several hours riding was not a problem. Post injury even 1 hour is pushing it if I go at any significant speed. I can't wait to get back to what it was like before.
I've been there. I hope you heal quickly.0 -
Another weekend ... another training ride ...
Saturday we cycled 100.2 km on Bruny Island. We drove out to Kettering, caught an early ferry and spent the day on the island.
First we cycled out to Adventure Bay, and we stopped along the way for a few photos. In Adventure Bay we had an excellent lunch ... panini sandwiches and a large slice of carrot cake. Then we cycled to Alonnah, and on our way, we stopped and bought some fudge. And then we cycled back to the ferry again.
The day was fairly relaxed with a goal of covering 100 km without stress, and testing a few things.
One of the things I was testing was my new helmet. My previous helmet just hasn't been quite right, especially with a thick headband under it. It was either strangling me or blocking my vision and I was finishing rides with a really stiff neck and shoulders. Today I rode with my new helmet, and it was good! Hardly noticed it was there and my neck and shoulders feel normal.
Rowan was testing narrower handlebars, which seemed to pass the test.
I was testing a raised saddle height because it seems I've done something to my right knee which might be related to my new boots. Raising the saddle height does seem to be better, but it might need to come up a little bit more.
And we were testing Bushells Coffee and Chicory Essence. We mixed up a bottle with Ensure and a decent amount of Bushells Coffee and Chicory Essence which contains 66 mg of caffeine for every 20 ml (2 tablespoons). Well ... it tasted good and I (who drank most of it) felt awake and energetic by the end of the ride!
It was about 10°C on the ferry going over ... and cooled to about 8°C at one point along the way out. But it did warm again to near 10°C in the middle of the ride. With the bright sunshine, which made a rare and welcome appearance, it felt quite a bit warmer than that. Toward the end of the day, it dropped to about 6°C ... and that's when my feet started getting cold again. I need to solve that problem soon!
Overall, it was a really good ride ... first one in this recent batch of training where I've felt really comfortable on the bicycle, like I could keep riding.
Distance: 100.2 km
Elevation: 1154 metres (3786 feet)
Moving Time: 5:38:49
Elapsed Time: 7:16:34
Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/machka-bb/albums/72157668975966700
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400K randonnee complete!! 408 km in total, cycled in 24 hours 45 min.
First 400K in about a decade! These used to be one of my favourite distances, but my fitness level kind of dropped off and I had a couple DNF's a few years ago. But I've lost weight and have been training ... and finished this one!!
My husband (who also rides these events) stuck by me and encouraged me after I broke a tooth at the 200 km point which made breathing, eating and drinking rather difficult.4 -
400K randonnee complete!! 408 km in total, cycled in 24 hours 45 min.
First 400K in about a decade! These used to be one of my favourite distances, but my fitness level kind of dropped off and I had a couple DNF's a few years ago. But I've lost weight and have been training ... and finished this one!!
My husband (who also rides these events) stuck by me and encouraged me after I broke a tooth at the 200 km point which made breathing, eating and drinking rather difficult.
The blog report of our 400K:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Machka9/view/red-gum-400k-northern-victoria-august-13-2016-887260
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Yup, I'm doing that as well. Training for Borders of Belgium (1000km) in September. Lovely ride today of 125 km. Now tapering off though. Got my sights on either London Edinburgh London next year, or the Transcontinental, or even the Transatlantic Way. I ride long when I go touring too. I love covering lots of ground and going different places in one ride. Distance is liberating.0
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