Holyboy does Dublin/Galway......

Holyboy

So as many of yee know, I don't cycle all that much (which may seem odd as I've worked in the bicycle trade for 14 years) but Holygirl organizes a charity cycle for the Irish heart foundation the first of which was last year and is running it again this year, as expected there was some pressure for me to take part this year, so (probably after some wine but I don't remember) I agreed.

As per the title it's Dublin to Galway and over two days which is about 100k a day, hopefully I can manage this as it would be very embarrassing if I couldn't, it's not a big event there will only be about 15 people taking part and a good few of those are non cyclists like myself.

So the reason for this thread is to ask for advice on how best to go about it, I suppose I will need to train a little bit for it but my time is limited as I work a lot.

And of course any boardsies are welcome to sponsor me if they so wish;)

I shall be riding my Basso Alu framed bike with carbon fork and Campag' Chorus 10s groupset that has a standard double!

I will try to post regular updates for any one interested how I'm getting on but I'm really starting to regret agreeing to take part.

Darkglasses

I suppose you will need to train a little bit for it! Fortunately the route is almost entirely flat, so no hill training really needed. Getting yourself used to several hours in the saddle will be about as difficult as getting used to the distances. I know you work a lot during the day - evening cycles? It's pretty bright in the evenings lately. Whack some lights on and start getting miles done. Use Strava or Mapmyride to track your spins.

Zyzz

Best advice I can give is to get as many miles into your legs as possible before then, you'd be surprised how strong you are already despite non-consistent training!

For the ride, make sure you fit your bike reasonably well, so saddle height, cleat position, handlebar height etc etc all are in a comfortable position to prevent injury during and after the 200 or so km! I'd also suggest you shop around for a good pair of cycling shorts/tights with some good chamois so yer arse isn't subject to 200km of pounding and saddle rub on your crown jewels! Also nutrition wise, make sure you are well hydrated and stocked up on the necessary nutrients to keep you going (buy some gels etc)

I wouldn't be too worried about 200km over 2 days mind you, best of luck

lennymc

any more details on the cycle holyboy - that particular charity is very close to my (excuse the pun) heart.

feck sake lads

sound like fun ,advice well get the route stick it in your ass pocket just in case you get droppen and end up on your todd these things do happen honest :eek:
what else well plenty of water and energy drink and food .
take it easy ride well within yourself dont be a hero enjoy the ride.

and hopefully i'll take this advice myself when i do it in the summer famous last words.:rolleyes::pac::pac:

dedocdude

First - get a power meter -

only jokin ;-) - I wouldn't know how to advise you on this, but give us details on how we can all sponsor you - its for a great cause.

merc230ce

I agreed to do a 140k charity cycle last year having never ridden further than about 30k, and only had 2 weeks to prep for it. At T minus 1 week I did a 75k cycle solo (in wet and windy conditions) and reckoned if I could do that I'd be ok for the longer distance in a group, and so it proved. You'll be fine. The two main things I worried about were me Swiss Roll, and nutrition / hydration.

I wore two pairs of (cheap) cycle shorts (one over the other) AND put a gel cover on my saddle AND took two Nurofen at about 70k, so that was the first issue looked after
And I just sipped and munched all day - good breakfast in the morning and then bananas, nuts, sweets and energy bars on the bike, and sangwiches at the halfway stop. Those energy bars (I had these ones: http://shop.honeystinger.com/categories/Organic-Stinger-Waffles/ ) are actually rocket fuel - I had my first at about... 90k? And then actually got into a race to the final water stop at 110k :P

doozerie

I think that riding 100km is probably achievable by any moderately healthy person, it'll just be slower and hurt more the following day than if you'd trained specifically for it (a rule of thumb I've been quoted in the past is that if you can do 75% of the distance in a training ride, you'll do the full distance without problems on the day, but I think that rule is mostly relevant when you want to do the distance in a decent time rather than simply get from A to . So I wouldn't see the distance itself as the real challenge, I think that spending the time sitting on the saddle could be more of an issue - that can take it's toll, particularly when you are climbing back on the same saddle the next day. Good cycling shorts will help here (where "good" is very subjective - it seems like no single make or model of shorts suits everyone), as will a saddle that you are used to.

In terms of training, I'd just spend time on the bike whenever I got a chance, just to get used to being on it. If you have more time before the event, and more free time, then you could vary your training in various ways to make you better able for any hills, etc., but the main thing is really to just get out and be on the bike and I think everything else is secondary. Chamois cream can help towards comfort for your rear end - it only helps prevent chafing, it does nothing to counter the pressure of sitting on a saddle, but chafing is nasty so anything to prevent that is good. You don't need to use branded stuff either, sudocream works too and is much more readily available. Avoid carrying anything like a backpack that'll put more weight on your saddle, and your back, just rely on pockets as much as you can (the benefits of wearing a cycling jersey(s)).

As already mentioned, nutrition and rest are very important too, get those wrong and the second day on the bike will be a lot tougher than it need be. For food on the bike choose stuff that you can stomach (for me that excludes gels but that's very much personal taste) - you'll want carbohydrates to keep you fuelled but you'll need stodge at some point too 'cos a diet of nothing but carbs is hard on your stomach (and palate) and won't give you everything you need over the course of a long time in the saddle. I used to bring jam sandwiches many years ago when I was out on the bike for a big chunk of the day, not sure that I could palate them these days though and particularly on a warm day. And remember that anything you carry in your pockets is likely to get warm so stuff that can melt is a poor choice, personally I like bananas, Nature Valley bars, and various of the sports-specific bars, but the likes of flapjacks travel reasonably well too. And even if you don't feel like eating much on the evening after the first ride, make sure that you do or you'll probably feel more wrecked the next day.

In terms of liquids, drink to thirst, there is a lot of guff on some products that suggests you should be practically dragging a paddling pool full of water behind you (e.g. I noticed recently that my High5 tubs suggest drinking 500ml to 1L of liquid per hour, which I find ridiculous and utterly impractical). I'd take one 750ml bike bottle of plain water and one 750ml bike bottle of energy drink with me, and top them up along the way in shops as needed - if I thought I might run out of energy drink, I'd bring another portion of the powder in a ziplock bag with me to refill my bottle when I'm out. And I'd use an energy drink that I like the taste of, it'll be a horrible chore drinking it otherwise.

Personally I think that stretching after a ride is very useful, it'll leave you feeling less stiff the following day and better able for the next ride. Even if you don't stretch though something like a bath can help.

Probably also best to prepare for a variety of weather conditions, so decide ahead of the event what kit you'll likely bring with you, few things soak up time on the morning of a ride like fretting over what to wear. …just remember to colour coordinate, 'cos when your legs are screaming at you with 20km to go, you'll be able to ignore them and just ride on home on a wave of sheer stylish awesomeness.

Oh, and don't forget to have your bike looked over beforehand too, is there a decent bike shop in your area?

petethedrummer

The prevailing wind comes from the South West. Ask them to change it to Galway -> Dublin. Put up a sail and Bob's your uncle.

wowitskev

Hey Holyboy!

I'd say the most important thing is getting used to being on the saddle for long stretches. Also

- padded shorts
- chamois cream / sudocreme
- eat like a savage
- drink when you feel like it
- painkillers for before you get on the saddle on the second day

and enjoy it.

Also, as was mentioned above, throw up an auld link for sponsorship, or would dropping by the shop do the job?