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• #27
Can I jsut stack up energy bars and water to keep me going between meals?
You can, but you'll feel dejected and miserable and will have an evil aftertaste that will take hours to flush out of your mouth.
Ed and Doctor Cake have already suggested the two perennial staples of the long distance cyclist's diet, the banana and the flapjack. I was once in a shop preparing for a long ride the next day when I saw, I shit you not, a load of BANOFFEE FLAPJACKS and it was as though all my Christmases had come at once. I bought them all. They were amazing, but the shop has never restocked them which is a great injustice to all Clapham-based cyclists.
I like those Nakd bars as they're just squashed up fruit and are easier to carry than non-squashed up fruit. I've also started taking jelly snakes on rides because they are delicious and quite easy to eat while riding. Don't make the mistake of loading up on sugar alone, though, as you'll feel great for a few miles and then you'll feel like you want to crawl into a ditch and die. Filled bagels are good if you have the space to carry them. Your mouth will get dry and it might become difficult to shovel the required carbohydrates into your face. Take two water bottles. You might prefer to fill both with plain water, or you might prefer to fill one with plain water and the other with something isotonic (I like Nuun as it hasn't got caffeine in so you don't get the post-caffeine slump once it wears off - there is also a 20% forum discount on Nuun tablets if you buy from them directly!)
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• #28
I did the C2C2C, Sunderland-Whitehaven-Sunderland, in late August this year.
West to east, the route really isn't bad at all and chances are good that you'll have the wind behind you all the way. And as has been said, once you hit Consett or thereabouts, it literally downhill all the way to the coast.
Being as winter seems to come later and later these days, I'd be prepared for wet weather and bad visibility, particularly over Hartside. West to east is easier in bad conditions as the descent eastwards is less technical.
Depending on how strong you're both feeling, I think it may be worth while planning a couple of alternate endings to the ride. The typical way would be to come through Stanhope and up Crawleyside bank. It's only short, but can be a killer if your bike is loaded, you're not used to riding with luggage and you're already tired when you hit it. Once you're at the top there's quite a slog of exposed country with a fair few rolling hills to compound the effort. The alternative would be to carry on through Stanhope missing the left turn up Crawleyside and make your way to Sunderland through Tow Law, Lanchester, Beamish.
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• #29
You really want that weight to be on your bike instead of on you.
sobs
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• #30
Doctor Cake, if you can give me some info on that B&B that would be great! I think we'll plan to take 3 days, just to avoid being de-motivated if we plan 2 and don't make it! Is their any websites online that can give me some detailed info on different routes, particularly with incline details on different routes.
So far, I've decided to;
Order a TacX saddle mounted dual water bottle holder, TT style.
Have a look at some panniers for a reasonable price, if anyone has a link to some cheap/second hand ones it would be appreciated.
Have a look at some flapjack/supplies.Thanks again for all the input, I'm grateful for any more!
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• #31
panniers are fairly indestructible. go for second hand...
also have you considered gooch cream?
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• #32
Oh god, yes. Consider gooch cream.
Have a look at ridewithgps and search for C2C within 5 miles of Whitehaven and it'll give you a load of routes with elevation profiles other people have done: http://ridewithgps.com/find
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• #33
Some bits are seriously hilly - fixed in two days would be tough work, IMHO, not least because you'd be spinning out (and wearing yourself out) on the descents if you're running a gear that would get you up the hills. If you're supremely fit and have titanium knees then go for it, but I'd consider taking a third day or taking gears.
The route I went, I had no real off road bits - nothing I couldn't handle on 28/700s at any rate (unlike some of the cycle routes I've followed in Devon/Cornwall where the road turns to very rough scree and you really need to be on fat tyres).
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• #34
Doing it on fixed is certainly doable but I'd recommend front and back brakes if you have the mounts for them. Brakeless should definitely not be considered.
Why the TT style water bottle holders?
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• #35
If no-one's mentioned 'hydration' yet, consider Nuun for your water bottles (if you're posh), discount available to forum members, or a drop of squash (not sugarfree) with a big pinch of salt in there. It's a huge help to prevent dehydration, and salts also help prevent leg cramps. I have found these one of the hardest things to cope with on harder rides. I have some salted nuts in my pocket for an extra salt hit should cramping happen.
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• #36
I did backpool to hull this summer 2 days and a morning, pretty care free really if you know how to camp and what areas to look out for, plan a route and have tools to repair punctures etc the trip sorts it's self
Sounds great! I'd love to do this unlikely-sounding ride.
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• #37
Some bits are seriously hilly - fixed in two days would be tough work, IMHO, not least because you'd be spinning out (and wearing yourself out) on the descents if you're running a gear that would get you up the hills.
v
Doing it on fixed is certainly doable but I'd recommend front and back brakes if you have the mounts for them.
Extremely underrated, I wax lyrical about fixed with two mechanical brakes, made a world of a difference when I went touring.
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• #38
Late to the party, Ed?
two-brake fixed since 2006 :)
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• #39
It's not a party when you keep thing to yourself.
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• #40
Doctor Cake, if you can give me some info on that B&B that would be great! I think we'll plan to take 3 days, just to avoid being de-motivated if we plan 2 and don't make it! Is their any websites online that can give me some detailed info on different routes, particularly with incline details on different routes.
http://www.addinghamviewbandb.co.uk/Addingham_View/Home.html
We stayed here when we did C-2-C and it was absolutely lovely. The hosts are very welcoming, there was homemade cakes waiting for us when we arrived and there is no pub in that village, and we weren't keen to get back on our bikes, so Alan drove us to the next village for some good food in the local pub for dinner. Breakfast was amazing as well, and it's right at the base of the Hartside climb, so you can look over what you're going to have to overcome while filling up on delicious pancakes and other good stuff.
It took us about 7 hours to arrive there from Whitehaven (which included a break in Keswick to recover from the hailstorm we got caught in and for some food).
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• #41
Have a look at some panniers for a reasonable price, if anyone has a link to some cheap/second hand ones it would be appreciated.
http://www.lfgss.com/thread114713.html
flagged as spam
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• #42
salts also help prevent leg cramps.
"it doesn’t appear that nutrition has much at all to do with localised muscle cramps during exercise"
http://cyclingtips.com.au/2011/06/nutrition-and-muscle-cramps-%E2%80%93-what-does-the-science-say/
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• #43
Am I the only one insterested in the salted nuts in Skully's pocket?
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• #44
Yes
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• #45
Good. I hate sharing.
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• #46
It's not a party when you keep thing to yourself.
I didn't. Random sample:
https://www.lfgss.com/post620262.html
:)
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• #47
v
Extremely underrated, I wax lyrical about fixed with two mechanical brakes, made a world of a difference when I went touring.
Ed, you make it out like I was advocating cycling without brakes!
The one time I have been touring fixed, I had two brakes and a moderate gear. Getting up the steepest hills meant attacking them pretty hard and feeling pretty pooped by the time I got to the top, and spinning down them meant I didn't have the recovery period that you'd have with a freewheel.
I wish I was still that fit, 'cos it was a great feeling. But I wouldn't add time pressure on top of it, because cycling fixed in a deep bonk when it's getting dark and you've got to navigate isn't so much fun, in my humble opinion. I haven't done LEL, and you have - fair enough. Have these guys?
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• #48
First of all, I'm not bragging about how far I ride, I'm giving a rough idea of my current capability. This time last year I couldn't ride 10 miles without coughing up shit. Now I've got fitter and I'm proud to say I can ride 50 miles on a social ride.
Secondly, thanks everyone for the feedback, wasn't expecting this much! I think I'm going to try out carrying my weight on my bag, as it seems to be highly recommended. The only worry is that I'm going to have to stretch my money to fund spare tubes, a B&B (Not camping to save hassle with a tent) and other things, so if I bought a carridice/pannier style bags, I'd have to get cheap second hand ones. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Strava them miles and see how long they really are.
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• #49
^^ What was a moderate gear for you? the best I found was 48/20, around 65GI with mahoosh tyres which was perfect on the cols despite the washing machine noise my legs make on the descent (fuck, I still can feel it).
LEL is doable, like other have said above, it's about being careful, don't push too hard, eat and drink appropriately (they have a great piss chart in the LEL), and timed your sleep well.
People bonk usually because they underestimate the task on hand.
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• #50
I was on about 65-68, I forget the exact gearing but thereabouts.
I guess I'm saying it's easy to underestimate the task riding a hilly course fixed, which is why I'd allow a bit more wriggle room.
Mr Cake and I did C2C in Feb 2012 and can recommend a lovely B&B right at the base of the Hartside climb if you are after a stopping point. If you want to save a bit on funds, I think it's quite doable in 2 days, so you only have the cost of one overnight stay, but you'll have to judge your own fitness levels. It is quite a hilly route and I wasn't expecting it to be so hilly on the first day, so struggled a bit.
If you follow the sustrans route, there are a few places that are rather off-road (the cycle path out of Keswick is one of them), so that might affect your bike decision.
I'm a great believer in flapjacks and bananas over energy gels as well. Happy to share some of my fav recipes.