Cyclists, how far is 113 miles...?

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Elle408
Elle408 Posts: 500 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Not literally of course, but there's a charity cycle that I think I'd like to take part in and I'm not sure really what sort of fitness level I'd need to be at to cycle this far, how long roughly that would take, if I'd need any particular equipment? I go out for an hour or so every week and do about 10miles, but that's up a mud track, mountain biking so I'm not sure what the difference would be on a road!

Any encouraging (or discouraging) long distance cycle stories would much appreciated!

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  • chelso0o
    chelso0o Posts: 366 Member
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    It is totally doable. That's a little over a century (century as in type of ride, not time span). One of the things you should consider is the elevation change of this ride. A century in Kansas is FAR different from a century in Colorado. Is start out ireasing your mileage and increasing your days per wk. Get up to doing 20-30 miles 3x wk. Then once u can do that, increase your miles each wk to where Jou have one long day -- your training day-- where the purpose of this ride is solely to build your endurance for longer times in the saddle. How long will it take you to complete 113 miles? Depends entirely on how fast you ride. Also... I highly suggest getting a ROAD bike. 113 miles on the road with a mountain bike or hybrid will make you want to shoot yourself in the face, I promise :).haha
  • scott091501
    scott091501 Posts: 1,260 Member
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    Most charity rides are supported meaning that there are rest stops every 17 to 20 miles. Generally stocked with sports drinks and snacks. My guess is all you need are a handful of GUs to bridge any gaps and 2 bottles. Just make sure your under regions are ready for the ride.
  • chelso0o
    chelso0o Posts: 366 Member
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    Also, don't forget to follow up your long training days with a recovery ride the next day. Nothing super intense, just like 30 min to work out the soreness and kinks
  • 2012x
    2012x Posts: 149 Member
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    Im doing 60mile one in 198 days!

    Looking at doing it in 5 hours.
  • sheclimber
    sheclimber Posts: 176 Member
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    It is totally doable. That's a little over a century (century as in type of ride, not time span). One of the things you should consider is the elevation change of this ride. A century in Kansas is FAR different from a century in Colorado. Is start out ireasing your mileage and increasing your days per wk. Get up to doing 20-30 miles 3x wk. Then once u can do that, increase your miles each wk to where Jou have one long day -- your training day-- where the purpose of this ride is solely to build your endurance for longer times in the saddle. How long will it take you to complete 113 miles? Depends entirely on how fast you ride. Also... I highly suggest getting a ROAD bike. 113 miles on the road with a mountain bike or hybrid will make you want to shoot yourself in the face, I promise :).haha

    Good Advice! I trained for my first Century (100 miles) last year when most of my rides where15-20 miles and the biggest thing I found was getting time in the saddle so your body was ready for that long on seat and in that position.

    And, absolutely get a road bike if you don't have one - the gearing is so much different, the bike is much lighter, and your speed will reflect that. And more speed means you're done faster.

    You'll want padded shorts for sure and some chamois cream.

    And lastly, train on the type of terrain you'll be riding. If you need to work on your climbing skills you won't want to leave that until game day.

    Oh! And train with friends! You'll be on the bike A LOT!! and it's always a great way to help pass the hours.

    I'm doing more big rides again this year and I can't wait!
  • Elle408
    Elle408 Posts: 500 Member
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    Thank you everyone! This was brilliantly helpful!

    They have the option of doing 55 miles or 35 miles too, but I really want to do the full mileage!

    I'll hunt around for a good training plan and see if I can get a good deal on a road bike, if I do do it, I'm quite competitive and I couldn't cope being last (or wanting to shoot myself in the face, lol). Luckily there's a couple of months until the day so I should be able to build up to it by then! Very excited!

    It's the Tour de Latitude if anyone's interested, from London to Suffolk!

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