I'm a cyclist who loves the sport, and isn't in the best physical shape. A question for you skilled cyclists, if you can remember back to when you were newbies like me. Do you think it's true that one's body can generally do double what it is used to doing when pushed? (that's what I've heard) I can comfortably cycle 40-45 miles, and am wondering if I'll be able to handle a metric century in a few weeks. No sure answers, I know, but I was wondering about that theory.
Thanks.
cycling capacity
Thu, 04/28/2005 - 5:41am
Thu, 04/28/2005 - 5:56am
#1
"In my initial experience, I completed a century (Lake Tahoe in 2000) with the Bloomin' Metric 100 km two weeks before as my longest ""training"" ride.
For me, that season, the key wasn't the fact that I did one ride of about two thirds the 100 mile distance, but the fact that I had done several at half or more.
Everyone's situation is different, but that is what worked for me.
Look at this weeks edition of the roadbikerider.com newsletter. This week's edition has a section on pacing for long rides that you may find relevant. You can start your free subscription at their website. E-mail me and I will forward you this week's edition.
Good luck.
Gary"
Thu, 04/28/2005 - 6:35am
#2
Your first century
The two articles below will give you a good base understanding of what it takes to prep for a century. I like the first article better.
I recommend working up to it with a plan. Whatever your comfortable mileage is per week, start there. Add no more than a 15 percent increase in mileage per week with a combination of short 20-30 mile rides and one longer 40+ mile ride on the weekend. Let your body rest at least two days per week, maybe three. When your longest weekend ride is up to 75 miles, you'll be ready for a century the following weekend.
Good luck.
http://www.ultracycling.com/training/centuries1.html
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/conditioning/a/aa052703.htm
Thu, 04/28/2005 - 7:00am
#3
Metric century
Keep in mind that 100 Kilometers is only 62 miles.
Thu, 04/28/2005 - 7:47am
#4
Just do it
"You said: ""I can ***comfortably*** cycle 40-45 miles"".
In that case, a metric centry (62~65 miles) should be a peice of cake. Another hour and half, you'll bag that extra 20+ miles.
The key is how ""comfortable"" you are at the end of your current 45 miles. If you're beat at that point, you need quite a bit more, systematic training in order to make the extra 20. ""A few"" weeks should be enough for that sort of training. (but you just missed the NYCC SIGS, which would have done just that!) 4 weeks minimal, 6 weeks will be better.
If, on the other hand, you're still energetic enough to go out to dance after the 45 miles, you can easily do the 65 any time. You may not even feel ""pushed"".
Alternatively, get a better bike. The extra miles will just disappear! (and I'm NOT joking)"
Thu, 04/28/2005 - 8:36am
#5
It's not about the bike
"""Alternatively, get a better bike. The extra miles will just disappear! (and I'm NOT joking)""
Please, please tell me you ARE joking.
""Chainwheel"""
Thu, 04/28/2005 - 8:44am
#6
Yeah;
I was planning a trip to France and really want to do my best on Alpe d'Huez. So I went out and bought a 15 pound, high end bike to replace my 19 pound clunker. I then decided this was not good enough and upgraded all the hardware to save a little more weight, and bought a set of sweet, aerodynamic, carbon fiber tubular wheels. Got the bike weight down to 13.5 pounds, the rolling resistance to almost nil and the wheels slice through the air like none other.
I saved a huge one minute of time for only $8500 dollars...
Thu, 04/28/2005 - 12:29pm
#7
Point taken, but...
"...that example's a bit extreme. I've ridden the Bloomin' Metric on a Giant Cypress DX hybrid (lovingly nicknamed the Panzer Division when I took the C-SIG), and I've ridden 90 hilly miles on a Specialized Roubaix. Trust me when I say there's just no comparison. We all know ""it's the rider, not the bike,"" but sometimes, the bike just ain't helping. :)"
Thu, 04/28/2005 - 1:14pm
#8
The Point
The point was to demonstrate that marginal improvements to your bicycle don't translate into greatly improved performance, as implied elsewhere. I was not talking about the difference between a hybrid and a road bike...
PS The story is somewhat contrived as well but some details are related to a real experience...
Thu, 04/28/2005 - 1:52pm
#9
"Right -- but when I was a newbie, I thought my hybrid was just fine for club rides. So that's how I interpreted April's advice to ""get a better bike""...
Your story was definitely funnier, though, even if a bit embellished. :D"
Thu, 04/28/2005 - 2:25pm
#10
The point
"Care to bet on that ""sweet pair of aerodynamic, carbon tubaler wheel"" that our 45 mile going to 65 mile friend can improve more than ""1 huge minute"" with a new bike costing a mere 1/4 of your example?
Not that I didn't laugh at your example, contrive or otherwise. I've met riders that fits that discription. However, I've also had a counter-example.
One time, I had a friend who's having a hard time keeping up with me on a mtn bike after only 30 miles. At the climax of his suffering, I let him ride my bike (we're similar in size), just so that I don't have to call a cab for him. Well, he reached the car first and didn't want to stop! And my bike at the time? A lowly, humble, entry level TREK 2300, costing a princely sum of under $1500!!!"
Thu, 04/28/2005 - 3:06pm
#11
How much?
You spent $1500 on a bike? Walmart has them for a tenth that price!
Thu, 04/28/2005 - 3:30pm
#12
Hey, TWO people told me that this month!
Thu, 04/28/2005 - 3:31pm
#13
you bet!
And you ride across the country and beat the guy riding $8000 bikes too, I have no doubt!
Go back to your room and play by yourself with your toy bikes.
Thu, 04/28/2005 - 7:03pm
#14
Yes
On my assumption that said rider would simply be upgrading a to a better road bike, not going from a hybrid or mountain bike, or getting a better fit, yes. He might feel better about the new bike invoking a Hawthorne effect performance improvement, but under an isopower situation your premise cannot be substantiated, the primary reason being that this rider won't be moving fast enough. Most of the savings will come from the wheelset; aero wheels will save 15 seconds per 10K -- at 25 mph. At 16 mph or so, the savings is only about one second per mile.
Thu, 04/28/2005 - 9:44pm
#15
Assumptions
"We both made assumptions.
Mine is, our friend is riding at best a city bike or a fairly old road bike, at worst a K'mart special or a mountain bike with 2"" knobby tires!
Most people start riding first on whatever bike they happen to have. By the time they reach 40-45 miles per outing is precisely the time they start thinking about doing tours and training for specific challenging goals. So, I was betting my assumption being closer to the real situation being discussed, and an upgrade on bike will be appropriate."
Sun, 05/01/2005 - 6:44pm
#16
Similar experience
In 2000, my first year of road riding, I bought a Raleigh R800, which served me extremely well for five years. I was training for the Lake Tahoe century, and the Bloomin' Metric was my last big ride before the event. The weather was bad, so I was willing to hurt myself but not my good bike, so I took my Schwinn Criss Cross (which was then nine years old). Two weeks later I had the time of my life on the Raleigh, doing the Century at Lake Tahoe.
Incidentally, people asked me what it was like to ride 100 miles at high altitude. My response was that I had never done 100 miles anywhere, so I had nothing to which I could compare. I just went out and rode, concentrating on how I felt, form, cadence, eating, drinking and a bit of attention to heart rate, and least of all speed!
Now, I have moved up in the world to the Specialized Roubaix Comp! Great purchase!
Gary
Thu, 04/28/2005 - 1:48pm
#17
Better Fitting
Get a better fitting or more comfortable bike. Last fall I did a 92 mile ride and at the end, my neck, shoulders and hands were in absolute agony. Even the slightest pebble felt like a knife was being plunged into my arms.
Two weeks ago did an 89 mile ride as part ot he SIGs. Had installed gel handlebar tape the week before. No pain at all. You would be absolutely amazed how much of a difference a little more padding in the handlebars, a more comfortable seat, adding a spacer on the steerer or using a stem with a slightly higher angle can make to your overall comfort and consequently, time and mileage.
I think that is what is meant by a better bike.
John Z, a minute off of how much time?
Thu, 04/28/2005 - 6:39pm
#18
Creme
I like to put that creamy stuff on my private parts and a little bit behind there and that really helps at least for me.
