Silly long rides...
- Thread starter DaGonz
- Start date
OK, so i have been doing some research on "silly long rides" record breaking ones infact, albeit from a previous era. While we are all online sharing Garmin info on day long trundles cast your mind back to technology, road conditions etc of the late 1930's and have a look at the state to state records from the great man below.
One one word AMAZING!
http://www.bicyclehistory.com.au/malvernstar/opperman_the_cyclist.htm
One one word AMAZING!
http://www.bicyclehistory.com.au/malvernstar/opperman_the_cyclist.htm
Australia
Likes Bikes and Dirt
You'll be fine - big kms on the road is pretty easy compared to the MTB and theres generally heaps of places to get food (service stations)! I just fill my pockets with packet type food like I would for a 24 before heading out and take a couple of bottles... there's usually plenty of places to fill up on all but the most remote rides...
Check out this - 320km in 10hrs or so... coming from a 24 solo background you'll be amazed at just how far you can go on a roadie in much less time
I think I'll cover food by taping GUs to my top tube. I'll tape 2 tubes and a few CO2s to my seatpost/ in a saddle bag. I'll also put a big red light on the back in case I get caught short of home. I'll have mobile phone + cash + credit card + emergency contact/ medialert card incase things go awry in any way. I'll have 2 bottles on the frame adding up to 1.6L or so. I'll tape planned directions to my stem a la ProTour style (although they have gradient maps). I think that means I just need to fit enough gatorade poweder to make a ridiculous amount of gatorade in my pockets
... now, the question is, do I need an emergency front light and a wind vest? (I prefer to dodge the camelback where possible cause I'm not used to carrying the weight on my back like I used to be)BTW, any thoughts on my suggested route? I had it suggested to me that Springwood road would be a wiser choice than Bells Line Road.
Cheers,
Andrew
P.S. no doubt! Roady miles are sooo easy and fast compared to MTB miles!
bear the bear
Is a real bear
Pizzaz
Likes Dirt
I'd only go back to have a crack at the 'win' for the Enduro for which you really need support. Most guys had family etc out to swap bottles off etc and a couple were on TT rigs with motorcycles in support... Family wise just not going to happen I think
But a lot of fun though!
DaGonz
Eats Squid
Yes solo. most of my rides this length with only a few exceptions are solo. I use them as much as anything as an escape into my own little world. See below on the how's
IMHO, learn to eat real food & drink water. Don't be afraid to take a wee camelback. but:
* Always take a real pump and some patches
* learn what combination of clothes you can get away with. I've got a combo thats interchangeable, represents the bare minimum and can take me from warm and wet to cold and wet and all the bits in between. Carrying things like a vest is ok if you don't expect rain. otherwise its use is limited.
* real food is where it's at. You don't need gu's etc... learn to eat M&M's, salt & vinegar chips, muselli bars and other crap. Don't always expect you have any opportunity to get anything other than water on route though. That being said, I take gu's usually as an emergency "oh crap, I've got 50k's to go and I've run out of food" measure. I stopped taking gatorade powder on long trips but do buy powerade/gatorade/coke at a servo if I can get it
It comes down to learning how much food you need, and learning to rely on food you can by from service stations and small corner stores. Do enough and you will figure out what works for you and what doesn't
But *shrug* each to their own
Cheers
Spoonie
DaGonz
Eats Squid
I've done a couple of rides in that area, like this one:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/47443481
and this one:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/71853016
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/71852926
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/71852848
Some pretty stuff, and some hellish stuff in there. I was hating the world by the end of the first day on that 2nd trip. I lost count the amount of times I went up through 1200m's asl and back down again.
Cheers
Spoonie
cha_cha_
Likes Dirt
bells line is fine if you're out there early. getting up to the top is fine just about any time, but once you go over the top it's a bit twistier and faster (for the cars) so it's a bit dodgier. nothing bad, but it could be better. springwood rd and gwh have alternatives, back ways and more shoulders so it's better, but there's always traffic and a lot of roadworks between woodford and wenty falls...
6 of 1
half a dozen of the other
bells is pretty nice though...