Getting started with long distance rides...

MrSmyth has probably got more high quality photos of fatty reserves than fatty reserves themselves.

how dare you madam, those photos MrSmyth took of me were 'artistic' and not meant to end up in the pages of your monthy subscription to 'ChubbyChasers'

fatty reserves indeed, pfffft!

You're on the 1st team - far too good to be a fatty reserve or fatty substitute.

MrSmyth has probably got more high quality photos of fatty reserves than fatty reserves themselves.

fraid not. i have some fatty preserves though.
very nice spread on toast with a glass of Brunello

links plz!

ride long and slow and short and fast, then long and fast.

[QUOTE=MrSmyth;1198606]"I couldn't do more than a couple of hours without feeling starving"

I think perhaps the most interesting thing here is that when a rider is suffering from 'bonk' they usually don't feel hungry - they just feel knackered and have to be ordered to eat.

Conversely the overweight, who certainly don't need to eat (they actually need to stop eating) will often state they are extremely hungry, and will believe they have symptoms of near starvation.

So I suggest 'feeling hungry' is a poor guide to one's nutritional state.

In the past I've spent quite a bit of time reading about feeding theories in connection with cycling. My mind wants me to be able to excel at 100's and 12's, but my body has never agreed with it, and complains bitterly after 50 miles of anything resembling racing speed.
For several years, after absorbing the opinions of a number of 'experts', I went in fear of 'glycogen crash' caused by eating sugar. I suffered a number of devastating attacks of hunger knock through various policies of only taking weird concoctions while riding; the worst of these was when, miles from anywhere, my 'nutritional' drink froze in the bottle.
Now I eat as much sugar as possible, not forgetting to add in a substantial dose of caffeine. I don't buy commercial energy bars, I use supermarket marzipan cut up into suitable sized lumps and wrapped in kitchen foil. This has proved to be the best strategy I've tried so far.

All the above only applies to riders in a hurry. If you've plenty of time, you can eat and drink whatever you fancy.

[QUOTE=MrSmyth;1198606]"I couldn't do more than a couple of hours without feeling starving"
.

that's not actually me you are quoting there.

when i get the bonk it can happen quite quickly, i get agitated start rambling and it even affects my vision.
i came close to getting off the bike and lying down by the side of the road once, luckily a milky way from a corner shop saved the day.

[QUOTE=MrSmyth;1199986][quote=clubman;1199861]

that's not actually me you are quoting there.

Sorry, I hope you can accept my apologies for misquoting you. The quotation marks should have made it clear to me.

In my own case hunger knock usually shows itself first in trembling in the legs and arms, which I believe is a common symptom. I've taken good care to avoid this situation for a long time now.

@pascalo - i would recommend a 40miler to start as mentioned previously, perhaps with rolling hills, no major climbs.. also do you commute at all by bike in the week?

as i commute upto 100 miles per week on a fixie / winter training bike.. my geared road bike distances varies depending on:-

1. who i am with,
   
2. the weather,
   
3. time available,
   
4. where i'm heading as i have six routes from home (NW8),
   
5. demand for proper training,
   
   

bonking is a horrible feeling, as it affects you physically and mentally.. and once should be enough for anyone.. but we all need to be reminded of the risks, especially after a long spell
away from the road.

i am changing my food to suit my blood type A+.. This includes protein in the morning not evenings, no beer, no red meat 'c) anyway we will see how long that lasts..in the past i probably ate all the wrong things.. so i am carefully developing a seasonal diet to fit in with my cycle training, with incremental changes each week. As I need to get back up to 120+ mile weekend rides for this summer's 1000km alpine tour.

Also i think it is very important to develop a good posture for cycling and this is where a good bike fit and your core strength needs to be tip-top, so i'd say that yoga is probably worth investing time in. And learning to relax when riding, that is where you need a cycle partner and head out of town to a stress free area.

good luck Pascalo, PM me if you want.. hopefully see you on the open road soon..

Al

the couple of times i've really bonked have been very long or hard rides, but im not actually sure it was bonking;more extreme fatigue and feeling the need to either not stop untill i get home, or actually having to get off the bike and jsut rest.

The first was the ride to rye with the forum a couple of years ago, and my muscles were cramping so hard i was having to stop every 20 minutes and stop as the pain was too intense, once it got to about 10miles to go i was able to continue through the pain just by focussing on the next mile ticking off on the computer.

The second was the way back from the maths ride where the traffic lights on the way back to london and all the stop starting got too much for me and I just started running the red lights in a nose down head for home technique, luckily Jimbilly came with me at this point; i've never felt so good as when we reached archway and i was back in familiar territory.

the point is that you dont know what works till you try it, it's best to try and hydrate and eat little and often and to make sure you have bail out plans.

riding with a group is good as it gives you moral support and you have others around who can spot danger signs and help out if neccesary.

so try to go on some forum rides but between now and then, try to pick routes that give you easy bail out options and dont increase the distance too rapidly.

@pascalo - i would recommend a 40miler to start as mentioned previously, perhaps with rolling hills, no major climbs.. also do you commute at all by bike in the week?

I am contracting, so it depends if/where I am working, but before I left for Oz I did typically commute around 100 miles a week I'd say.

Question about "bonking": Is this the same as going down with low blood sugar, with shivers, heavy breathing and feeling completely flattened? Had that a couple of times when I did MA training, and a nice supermalt would usually fix it.

the couple of times i've really bonked have been very long or hard rides, but im not actually sure it was bonking;more extreme fatigue and feeling the need to either not stop untill i get home, or actually having to get off the bike and jsut rest.

As they say, if you're not sure whether you've bonked, you haven't. I got the bonk on the 2004 Dunwich Dynamo by trying to tag along with a group that was way too fast for me. It was really quite a feeling--luckily, it wasn't far to the feed station, but I remember riding through Sudbury barely being able to see, let alone turn the pedals. I'd never known it before and have not had it since.

Question about "bonking": Is this the same as going down with low blood sugar, with shivers, heavy breathing and feeling completely flattened?

That's her.

i am changing my food to suit my blood type A+

Want to buy a bridge?

I'd put Scientology as having a considerably stronger grounding in science than Blood Type/Group Diets. Just eat a healthier diet.

(The Blood Group Diet seems to work because each suggestion is a relatively healthy diet in its own right. You'll see similar results if you follow the suggested diets for any of the blood groups, regardless of your own group. It's been routinely panned by experts. Hopefully Ben Goldacre has it queued up.)

my muscles were cramping so hard i was having to stop every 20 minute

The usual cause of cramping is salt/electrolyte depletion. Very common on long rides as you sweat out the salts and don't replaceme them adequately (i.e. only drinking water to replace the fluid loss). Electrolyte tables like Zym and Nuun are the modern fix, I usually use Nuun tablets in every other bidon of water (every bottle on hot rides). The old school fix is a banana which is high in potassium.

The usual cause of cramping is salt/electrolyte depletion. Very common on long rides as you sweat out the salts and don't replaceme them adequately (i.e. only drinking water to replace the fluid loss). Electrolyte tables like Zym and Nuun are the modern fix, I usually use Nuun tablets in every other bidon of water (every bottle on hot rides). The old school fix is a banana which is high in potassium.

Calcium is also pretty important. Part of what you sweat is calcium and it needs to be replaced to prevent some cramping. I advise chocolate milk.

Aren't calcium salts present in many electrolyte solutions?

For Nuun:-

nutritional information

the following is the nutritional information for a serving of nuun based on one tablet dissolved in 500ml (~16oz) of water. there are 6 calories per nuun tab.
active ingredients level (mg)

Sodium (carbonates) 360.0
Potassium (bicarbonate) 100.0
Calcium (carbonate) 12.5
Magnesium (sulfate) 25.0
Vitamin C 37.5
Vitamin B2 500mcg
other ingredients: citric acid, sorbitol, sodium carbonate, natural colours flavours, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, polyethylene glycol, magnesium sulfate, sodium benzoate, calcium carbonate, acesulfame potassium, riboflavin-5-phosphate.

Aren't calcium salts present in many electrolyte solutions?

For Nuun:-

Yes and Nunn will do this but on the other hand, Nunn tablets aren't chocolate milk.

Nuun ftw

as we all have different metabolisms our food requirements will vary considerably

when I have bonked my perspectve shrinks, cannot make sound judgement calls and I felt feint and severely disorientated - v v bad!

Don't worry about this though, get out and ride, you will need to try and experiment a little

nuun tablets are amazing though

I'd put Scientology as having a considerably stronger grounding in science than Blood Type/Group Diets. Just eat a healthier diet.

You are probably right, but there are some foods i don't digest well or i have an allergic reaction.. i have trained for many years for marathons / triathlons / big rides and generally eat well and with moderation.. i just plan to adjust it whilst maintaining the energy levels i require..

like green tea instead of black tea..
reduce amount of red meat and dairy products..
drink red wine instead of beer..
protein in the morning, not in the evening..
organic root veg

this is already working, I don't plan to omit foods outright.. and i couldn't exist on just tofu, berries and nuts anyway.. it is all simple stuff really, nothing radical..

The main reason for this is i expect there to be long term benefits..

homemade flapjacks ftw..
marmite cereal bars definite no..
nuun tablets are the best

So, I started today by getting the bike and riding from eastbourne to brighton. Awesome day!

Set off from Pevensy about 11 and got to brighton maybe 13.30?
The hills just outside eastbourne were a killer, and I still need to get used to the gears and all that.
Powerade in Seaford, a Reese peanut bar in Peacehaven, that's all I consumed.

I started getting a cold feet around Peacehaven as well, not sure why that is. Felt like the blood supply in the toes was cut off from pushing on the cleats. Maybe time for some better shoes.

Good effort! Eastbourne to Brighton is a good ride. You're correct, East Dean hill out of Eb is a killer. After that it's a nice quick, scenic route. Love it.

I'm a bit confused about bonking, could someone please clarify what it actually is?
I searched it on google and received an urban dictionary definition - having sex.
The previous comments are pretty amusing in this context...

when i get the bonk it can happen quite quickly, i get agitated start rambling and it even affects my vision.

bonking is a horrible feeling, as it affects you physically and mentally.. and once should be enough for anyone.. but we all need to be reminded of the risks

It may be better to look for "cycling the bonk" in google

[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitting_the_wall[/ame]

Good example - Contador leading Paris-Nice 2009, bonks and loses the jersey, and the race to Sanchez:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2__pXSC4ofQ#t=1m21s