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  • It's always the food issue that concerns me....i know how easily i can bonk, so i always try and take lots of food rather than relying on finding places along the way.
    I assume with an audax people find out where more food can be bought along the way rather than taking it with them?

    Oh yes, particularly on longer rides (400k+) where you are likely to be riding through the night. But even in daylight you have to really discipline yourself. If you're rolling ata cracking pace but starting to feel a little hungry, you check the map for a suitable shopping place. Better to lose pace for a couple of minutes here than to crack just beyond and grovel to the next spot. In the over night sections planning is pretty important. I always do a bit of checking on where 24 hour garages are along the way and carry enough food to get between them. It takes a bit of experienced google work but it's better to know and not need than vice versa.

    Part of hunger and bonking is psychology. I've seen riders crack to a less than 15kph pace because they swear they've bonked only to perk right up after only a cup of tea and then go on for ages. They started feeling a bit hungry and I reckon they hit a bit of a vicious circle, not because they've properly bonked but because after a certain distance/time, the body will do some pretty cruel things to make you take a rest. Stomach says peckish, brain says exhausted and close to full physical collapse. Brain says tired, body says all nessecary muscles have been stolen by aliens etc.

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