First 50+ mile ride..

[Jonnny]

So tomorrow I'm off out with some friends, it's my first ride with other people.. And first ride over 50 miles.

I've ridden 35 miles last weekend in one go on my own, and felt pretty good - Except I ran out of drink and rationed the last bit for the last 10 miles.

Going to take 2 bottles this time, anything else people would recommend? Few gels for various points on the ride? Flapjack/Fig Rolls to eat?

I'm currently using High5 tablets in the drinks, should I do one bottle of this and one normal water?

[itsnotarace]

Gels for a 50 mile ride? srsly? Don't over complicate things.

Just have a good breakfast before you leave and take 1 500ml bottle, you can stop and refill en route.

[y2blade]

Well done...my max in one hit is still 25miles!


Edit: don't know why it had the "thumbs-down" thingy at the top^^^^

Edited by y2blade on Friday 30th August 10:40

[Jonnny]

itsnotarace said:

Gels for a 50 mile ride? srsly? Don't over complicate things.

Just have a good breakfast before you leave and take 1 500ml bottle, you can stop and refill en route.

I've not tried gels before, so wasn't sure on the kind of distance before you'd need them.

What would be a good breakfast? I'm at work in the morning, but we're leaving around 2pm..

[Jonnny]

y2blade said:

Well done...my max in one hit is still 25miles!

Thanks mate!

Enjoying it so far, tempted to join a local club and do more group rides.

[y2blade]

Jonnny said:

y2blade said:

Well done...my max in one hit is still 25miles!

Thanks mate!

Enjoying it so far, tempted to join a local club and do more group rides.

Excellent, I'm torn tbh as I like to ride at my own pace.

Perhaps that will change as I "level-up"

[TwistingMyMelon]

Hold back the pace for first 10-15 miles, let your body warm up, up the cadence in this period

2 bottles of drink if it suits you (one is fine for me)

Jelly babies, sweats or one flapjack should be fine.

Enjoy it!!

[itsnotarace]

My last 80 mile ride I ate/drank

Before leaving:

1x Oat So Simple microwave packet with semi skimmed milk
2x Wholemeal Toast with marmalade
1x glass OJ
1x coffee

Took with me:

1x Alpine muesli bar to eat on the go
1x 500ml bottle with lemon squash

Stopped for lunch at ~40 miles in:

1x bacon roll
1x coffee
1x slice of cake
Topped up 500ml bottle with plain tap water for return journey

On return journey stopped at a village shop and bought:

1x can coke
1x salt & vinegar crisps

Honestly I think that gels and such like are a waste of money unless you are racing and can't stop to properly digest solid food. For everything else, plan a short stop for coffee and cake or a spot of lunch. Each to their own though. For a 50 mile ride you honestly don't need that much providing you have eaten a reasonable meal beforehand

[Jonnny]

y2blade said:

Excellent, I'm torn tbh as I like to ride at my own pace.

Perhaps that will change as I "level-up"

I do enjoy riding on my own, usually early morning so it's just me and the bike.. But I think I'd quite like to cycle with others for some motivation/company.

TwistingMyMelon said:

Hold back the pace for first 10-15 miles, let your body warm up, up the cadence in this period

2 bottles of drink if it suits you (one is fine for me)

Jelly babies, sweats or one flapjack should be fine.

Enjoy it!!

I drink quite a bit whilst riding, not sure why, but I guess everyone is different and everyone has different fitness levels. I was 20st+ last year, and struggled to do over 5 miles.. Now I'm 14st and can do 30+ miles without a problem.

[TKF]

Jonnny said:

I've not tried gels before, so wasn't sure on the kind of distance before you'd need them.

Gels are food. They are a convenient and quick way of getting high sugar energy into your system. You can open them with one hand and continue riding at a race pace. i.e. they are good for racing.

People using gels if they aren't racing is a marketing man's dream. Look at the roadside after any sportive and witness dozens of empty gel wrappers from people sucked in by the hype.

If you aren't racing then you can stop and eat food. Proper food. Even if you don't want to stop you can easily eat jelly babies, bananas, flapjack etc. in the saddle.

I can understand you are anxious about the ride and want to make sure you are "fuelled" right but you'll look back at this 50 miler in a couple of months and laugh about how easy it was and how you didn't need to worry. We've all been there.

Personally I find the key is to eat little and often. I have my Garmin set to bleep every 5 miles and tell me my pace. It serves as a reminder to have a swig of drink and a jelly baby.

[T350 Al]

Jonnny said:

itsnotarace said:

Gels for a 50 mile ride? srsly? Don't over complicate things.

Just have a good breakfast before you leave and take 1 500ml bottle, you can stop and refill en route.

I've not tried gels before, so wasn't sure on the kind of distance before you'd need them.

What would be a good breakfast? I'm at work in the morning, but we're leaving around 2pm..

To be fair, I always carry gels on a ride, just incase! It's not as though they take up a lot of pocket space, or add weight so I say take at least something edible as a precaution. Everyone's metabolism is different so he may well need something on a 50 miler. Better that than the dreaded bonk!

That said, 50 miles in a group is easier than 50 miles solo, so unless the pace is particularly high you should be fine.

[TwistingMyMelon]

Gels/supplement can irritate stomachs as well (not everyones!!)

I would trial any new foods/supplement before being used on a longer or group ride as you don't want to find yourself squatting in a field with your left hand as a workaround for lack of toilet paper!

[Jonnny]

Thanks for the advice so far!

The above is what I was thinking, I've got to go to the shop later anyway to pick something up so £1 on a gel to stick in my pocket incase I start feeling bad can't be a bad idea. Probably won't need it if I eat normal food right etc.

I say 'group' - Theres 3 of us going..

[Steve Evil]

You should enjoy it, provided they don't race off too much. Had my induction to road bike riding a couple of weeks back with some friends, one of whom lent me his winter training bike to ride. So first time with cleats too - complete with comedy topple the first time we stopped. Was pretty hungover that morning, but still managed to do 58 miles with them, averaged around 17.3mph which I was reasonably pleased with. Need to get out on some more rides like that, as I've an 84 mile sportive booked at the end of October.

[Steve vRS]

Have fun.

When I am going on a long ride (40miles + for me), I have a big bowl of porridge with golden syrup for breakfast.

I take a couple of SIS energy bars with me, only because 2 months ago I bought a box of 36 of them! When they run out I will take flapjack. I normally eat them just after halfway or not at all if I feel OK.

I do put a High 5 tablet in my water as it makes it taste better and since using them, I haven't cramped up.

Steve

[Jimbo.]

Food for a 50 miler?!

[CaptainSlow]

itsnotarace said:

Gels for a 50 mile ride? srsly? Don't over complicate things.

hmm, so using gels is over complicating things but have a big breakfast and stopping for a bacon roll and cake isn't?

I don't why gels seem to be poorly thought of on this thread so far, cheap to buy on the 2-1 deals, easy to eat on the move and contain a good energy source.

For a 50 mile ride I'd carry a couple of gels, a tracker bar and one or two bottles with high5 tablets depending on temperature. No need to stop then.

[S10GTA]

CaptainSlow said:

For a 50 mile ride I'd carry a couple of gels, a tracker bar and one or two bottles with high5 tablets depending on temperature. No need to stop then.

Are you stting me?

2 x squash and maybe something to munch on at a push.

[CaptainSlow]

Nope, I tend to go out first thing so would only have a bowl of cereal beforehand.

[Jonnny]

Jimbo. said:

Food for a 50 miler?!

Why wouldn't you take food?

50 miles at 16mph (Probably will go faster as I usually average 17mph on my own..) is over 3 hours cycling - Thats quite a long time, for us normal riders. Maybe there are others on here far better and fitter than us I guess..

CaptainSlow said:

hmm, so using gels is over complicating things but have a big breakfast and stopping for a bacon roll and cake isn't?

I don't why gels seem to be poorly thought of on this thread so far, cheap to buy on the 2-1 deals, easy to eat on the move and contain a good energy source.

For a 50 mile ride I'd carry a couple of gels, a tracker bar and one or two bottles with high5 tablets depending on temperature. No need to stop then.

This is what I was thinking.. I'd much prefer to not stop, just eat on the go and keep riding. I found on my 35 miles when I stopped to check my phone for directions it took a bit to get back into the rhythm of it.