How to approach whole day rides?

[pjclinch]

As a bike shop mechanic in Vaison-la-Romaine once commented on the gear setup done by my then-LBS, everything has come together to ensure that it doesn't work properly (tout est réuni pour que ça marche mal).

In the case of that clunker it'd be my knees, lungs and heart.

But as long as it wouldn't be your hands/wrists/arms then at least the bars seem to be okay...

Pete.

[mattsccm]

Don't make it complicated. Foodwise, shove whatever you like or have in your pockets. I carry a small pack of Dextrasol tabs as they get me home or to a shop if I bonk. They live, damp, fused permanently and manky in the saddle bag. I roughly eat when ever I feel the need, maybe every 30 odd miles if I am going far but for a morning 50 maybe never. Rides I organise usually don't have a café stop as that means 10 or even 20 less miles in the same time. Calories and easy to carry are the main concern, stuff worrying about the precise content.
Waterproof shoes are few and far between. The skateboard style things are more commonly without vents. (Who the hell needs so many vents in the UK?) Or look at "winter" shoes. Or wear water proof socks. What ever you do seal the ankle area.

[Jon in Sweden]

I was out for most of the day yesterday. 161.4km, 2439m elevation gain, 95% gravel. And it was 3c with mizzle (misty drizzle) for much of it.

I had a good breakfast and took 550g of carbs in four bottles (the ride was a two parter, with a return to the car half way to meet my friend for the second half). I had a decent lunch of homemade soup/stew with homemade bread. I then ate like a horse when I got home.

About 6800kcal burned on the bike in 6hrs 15m. I ate about 7000kcal yesterday, so I have some catching up to do today.

My point is that you can ride hard for a long time with carbs in your bottles. You really don't need much else.

[Audax67]

My point is that you can ride hard for a long time with carbs in your bottles. You really don't need much else.

Aye. Back when I was doing long-distance rides I thought of my body as a calorie-burning engine: as long as the fuel went in the pedals went on turning. Once I'd reached a steady state I could keep it up for days, with the need for sleep as the main limiting factor.

Time marches on, though...

[Bmblbzzz]

Bad for your teeth mind.

[mattheus]

I was out for most of the day yesterday. 161.4km, 2439m elevation gain, 95% gravel. And it was 3c with mizzle (misty drizzle) for much of it.

I had a good breakfast and took 550g of carbs in four bottles (the ride was a two parter, with a return to the car half way to meet my friend for the second half). I had a decent lunch of homemade soup/stew with homemade bread. I then ate like a horse when I got home.

About 6800kcal burned on the bike in 6hrs 15m. I ate about 7000kcal yesterday, so I have some catching up to do today.

My point is that you can ride hard for a long time with carbs in your bottles. You really don't need much else.

So is that 2 rides of 3h each, with a stop for stew in-between?

[Jon in Sweden]

So is that 2 rides of 3h each, with a stop for stew in-between?

I stopped for 15 minutes (not dissimilar to a brisk cafe stop) and the calories from stew were around 800 whereas I took in 2200kcal from my bottles. The stew wasn't really necessary, but it was 3c and pretty grey outside.

[Jon in Sweden]

Bad for your teeth mind.

I am not convinced it's an issue. I only touch the bottles every hour or so, and it's mostly maltodextrin, which is tasteless and not sweet at all.

I have no fillings or issues with my teeth, for reference.

[Jon in Sweden]

Aye. Back when I was doing long-distance rides I thought of my body as a calorie-burning engine: as long as the fuel went in the pedals went on turning. Once I'd reached a steady state I could keep it up for days, with the need for sleep as the main limiting factor.

Time marches on, though...

I haven't quite got your endurance, but it might be a case of me pushing harder for a shorter period of time. I am quite comfortable at a high power output for 5-7hrs now, which is an improvement on earlier this year. So long as I take in at least 100g an hour, I'm fine. Really, I need to do more though at my size.

[Jon in Sweden]

An example of a full day ride today.

Pretty poor weather really. 3-5c, with savage headwind for the first 70km. I rode 200km in 6hrs 5m. Just under 7000kcal burned, 312w normalised power average.

Started the day with two breakfasts - 650g Turkish yoghurt with blueberries, lingon berries and 30g sugar. Then 90 min later, porridge. 80g oats, 380ml full fat milk, 30g sugar.

On ride, I had carbs in bottles, with a refill at 110km. Total, 580g carbs in the bottles, and a chocolate muffin.

Immediately after the ride: protein/maltodextrin shake with over 100g carbs.

For the 30 minutes preceding the ride, the ride and the 30 minutes after the ride, I consumed about 850g carbs.

I still have a lot more eating to do today, and will still be playing catch up tomorrow. The extra long ride was due to the forecast of heavy snow Tuesday night into Wednesday.

[mattheus]

About 315km on Friday night.

Some sausages were consumed ~5am, and crumpets-with-butter at 30km to go, and .. well I don't keep a food journal, so you'll have to speculate, sorry ...

[Nearholmer]

About 315km on Friday night.

You didn’t omit a decimal point there, did you??!!

[mattheus]

About 315km on Friday night.

You didn’t omit a decimal point there, did you??!!

Sorry:
About 315.0km (that will upset any engineers reading )

Finished at dusk on Saturday. Then had some veggie dahl, and half a beer in a china mug - I remember that meal!

[Nearholmer]

Good lord; that is one heck of a distance in one go!

[PH]

Then had some veggie dahl, and half a beer in a china mug - I remember that meal!

And a bit of moonraking? It's on my to do list, not least for the legendary hospitality.