[Closed] 140 mile road ride tomorrow

Bum cream and decent shorts. Easy gears and comfortable cadence. Stand up on the pedals and move about to stretch your back and legs. Stop at cafes, walk about, drink coffee and eat cake. Look at the view, chat, distract yourselves. Work together and draft as much as possible, saves masses of energy, particularly if windy. Take your time and enjoy.

Sounds like a challenge alright. Just trust your body, it's a case of mind over matter, especially when it feels like someone is stabbing your legs with daggers on the final climbs.

Your arse will be fine. It's the next day that it's a problem.

I'm looking forward to it enjoying, the carbo loading

[url= http://www.delphcyclist.info/WorldsEnd.html ]worlds end[/url]

The old adage 'eat before you get hungry, drink before you get thirsty' is the order of the day for a long ride like that. +1 on the arse cream. There's nothing more annoying than chafing when you've still got another 50 miles to do.

Absolutely love that moorland road from Minera that drops down to World's End. Llangollen has a great offering of chips, cake, ice cream, etc. Just saying. It'll be fun.

Nowt to add but have a good one, fella. I did a 100 miler on the fixed a week or so ago on the back of being really unfit and out of shape. It took a while and I hurt but I did it.

Eat and eat and eat. Also, the odd stop just to not be cycling seems to really help me.

Also, save something treatish to eat in the last hour or so that you can look forward to. It's a small thing but being able to think "only another half hour and I can have X" is surprisingly motivational.

I don't like to stop for too long on long rides as I find it hard to get going again. Did an impromptu 128 mile ride last summer and only stopped briefly in aberfoyle for a pee. But take it easy, draft everything yuh can, tractors are good, chat and enjoy your surroundings and you'll be fine. On and a decent pair of shorts, chamois cream, make sure you're wearing clothes that don't annoy and you're bike is rattle free. Have fun.

See all the rubbish about stuffing your gob as often as you can, it's exactly that utter tosh. Eat when you want to, drink when you feel like it and have a rest of you want to. It's rubbish about the arse cream too - only time i've ever had an issue was the one time i used some. Here's the best advice you'll get - your heart and lungs recover quicker than your legs, so get as out of puff as you like but try not to get to the point where your legs are screaming.

On my double century rides, I keep my heart rate and breathing as relaxed as possible. I'm constantly working on staying out of the red. I eat a mouthful of something every 30 mins and take a mouthful of fluid with it. I also apply a good dab of vaseline to anywhere that I've previously had soreness.
140 sounds harder than it is. You'll be on the Cheshire Plain for much of it I assume? Go steady and you'll (probably) be fine.

That looks like a fantastic ride. bookmarked for next year.
good luck

Arse cream is clearly something specific to individuals. I suspect most people find it helps. Personally I can't ride for more than about 30 miles without it being nigh on essential. I struggle to understand how it can make things worse, but there ye go.

Eating pasta now I'll let you know how I get on

Although the sun is still shining this time of year, it gets cold one you stop, and can also be chilly with the shadows and windchill, i recommend a good base layer and tights 🙂

I did a 200 miler recently and after being concerned about aches and pains beforehand, it was fine.
What worked for me:
- set yourself a manageable time to do it in and try to stick to it - having something to achieve other than the distance helps with the psychological side
- drink plenty
- eat plenty even if your stomach is telling you not to
- eat something other than cake, coffee, sugary things and gels/bars
- don't eat too much in one sitting
- take it easier on the hills
- stop, but don't stop for too long as you don't want to get cold or start to ache
- ride at your own pace, don't be swayed by the pace of others - even if it means riding with your head in the wind sometimes
- there will be highs and lows - just because you are struggling at the half way point doesn't mean that you won't rally later on
- ignore the pain, it is temporary

Mileage may vary but cream of some sort I need even for a 10 mile spun sometimes. Bit harsh to dismiss as 'rubbish'

Pace is everything I think but it's not a distance I've come close to - only one 100+ ride for me.

See all the rubbish about stuffing your gob as often as you can, it's exactly that utter tosh.

On my double century rides, I keep my heart rate and breathing as relaxed as possible. I'm constantly working on staying out of the red. I eat a mouthful of something every 30 mins and take a mouthful of fluid with it. I also apply a good dab of vaseline to anywhere that I've previously had soreness.
140 sounds harder than it is.

Sorry but THAT is utter tosh. I take it you've never bonked due to lack of food and hydration ? It's not a nice place to be in, trust me

No, I haven't but that's because I eat when I want to and drink when I feel like it. I find that grazing works better for me.

Re arse cream making things worse - my shorts fit - arse cream makes them slide and cause chaffing.

I'm 50:50 on arse cream. I used to apply it before every big (road) ride and can't say it ever gave me any problems. However I stopped using it and I've found that good fitting tights/shorts and a decent saddle mean I'm not missing it.

As for food and drink, I can't believe how much some folk seem to think they need - and then are constantly stopping to pee

I can't believe how much some folk seem to think they need

different strokes for different folks.

But they're stopping to pee too much?

It is easy to take in energy via drink but I can only stomach so much so use cereal bars and the odd high 5 gel - about 2 every 3 hours but could take more.

Never used arse cream, had a few problems when wet but mostly fine. Do pros always use?

I can't believe how much some folk seem to think they need - and then are constantly stopping to pee

If you are riding for a long time it's natural to drink more than you can take on in order to minimise dehydration. Not everyone knows their level exactly.

That link contains you home address - great way to tell thieves were they can find some bikes to nick.

Good luck with the ride, BTW

I never knew what bonking was until I tried to do 130km ride this summer - missed my lunch stop, got into a strange mindset of not wanting to stop at any of the scabby food shops, couldn't eat any gels as after three or so, I was just going to chuck them up.

Last 50km, cutting it short were tough, and a horrible place to be.

About 13km from home, I had to stop at a garage to see if they a shop, only filling station in the whole of the area that didn't.

Lying on the floor, on the edge of the forecourt, not sure if I was going to puke, die, cry or laugh, a lovely attendant came over to see if I was ok and offered me some water.

I shouted and swore my way through the last 13km, which must have been a suprise for the group that rode past me with me cursing away at myself and my knackered shoulders and legs.

Never want to experience that again, it ruined the ride for me, although in hindsight it was good fun.

Never want to experience that again, it ruined the ride for me, although in hindsight it was good fun.

You're not a proper cyclist until you've completely totally bonked big time at least once!

Arse cream is clearly something specific to individuals. I suspect most people find it helps. Personally I can't ride for more than about 30 miles without it being nigh on essential. I struggle to understand how it can make things worse, but there ye go.

I've seen people on multi-day events who simply aren't used to spending that amount of time in the saddle really suffer with chafing. Problem is they try and overcompensate by putting on so much arse cream that it's oozing out of their shorts and they are sliding all over the saddle. Seeing a glistening layer of chamois cream all over the back of someone's shorts is grim. 🙁

I did it and it was great. The weather was really kind and that made massive difference. Stopped at Chester, Mold and Malpas. The only low was the moment few miles before malpas about 90 miles in its real slog but you need to get to there for the shop.

We were out for about 12 hours and riding for about 10 or so. Those audax guys really know how to put a route together but you wouldn't want to do it on your Sunday bike if you had one. They use canal tow paths, hard pack and bob through housing estates. The GT grade was perfect for it. The worlds end and the panarama above Llangollen were fantastic I'd recommend riding up there maybe not from Macclesfield.

To be honest I've done a few mountain bike rides and my col ride that were much tougher than this ride so if your reasonably fit and used to long days in the saddle I'd give it a go.

Its not my address its the audax guys the burgler would probably find a rusty old Dawes galaxy (which would be much faster than me)

Well done mate - a mighty achievement. 200 miles next time, right?

140 miles - wee bit over distance for a 200k is it not?

Well done.

its a 210 and I don't live at the beginning of the route