BrilloPad; a challenge

[DaveB]

This is what I am thinking. I detest airports. I freak when I go through customs. Where do they find the low life that work there? In Ovtober we go to the KInder Hotel in Zell Am See. Mrs BP wants me to drop her, kids and bags at terminal. Then I park car and make my own way through.

The prospect of getting my bike through is a great challenge. Then getting bike from airport to hotel. Then doing it all in reverse.

Mich - I am willing to go to any bike meets that I can get to by ferry. I think you are cloggers based? Anything suitable? Belgium? France?

BP
PS I must say the 290km is ideal though - a nice run out.

Get yourself a bike case and take it through as luggage. Easy.

Bike Carrying Case | Transport your bike | The Bike Box

[Mich the Tester]

Get yourself a bike case and take it through as luggage. Easy.

Bike Carrying Case | Transport your bike | The Bike Box

Cool wheel bags; ideal for taking the piss out of any Frogs we thrash while we're at it. 'Look monsieur, it's my magic wheels!'.

[DaveB]

Cool wheel bags; ideal for taking the piss out of any Frogs we thrash while we're at it. 'Look monsieur, it's my magic wheels!'.

I'd be up for this as well, I might even manage to train for it since it's 10 months off. Not sure the 30 mile commute really counts

[Mich the Tester]

I'd be up for this as well, I might even manage to train for it since it's 10 months off. Not sure the 30 mile commute really counts

I'll be riding 120km tomorrow morning and I do 3 interval training sessions per week (one intensive, two extensive). The only thing that really concerns me is completing the full 290kms; the pace is do-able (average between 34 and 36 km/h and you'll be in the top 100 or so), but just carrying on for 9 hours is the difficult bit for me as I don't have an endurance background in any sport.

[DaveB]

I'll be riding 120km tomorrow morning and I do 3 interval training sessions per week (one intensive, two extensive). The only thing that really concerns me is completing the full 290kms; the pace is do-able (average between 34 and 36 km/h and you'll be in the top 100 or so), but just carrying on for 9 hours is the difficult bit for me as I don't have an endurance background in any sport.

I wouldn't go into it with any other aim but finishing. Depending on the numbers riding you will find you have to stop for the feed stations as there will probably be queues for the food and water. It's chance to stretch the legs and back, take piss and apply chamois cream if needed.

9 hours isn't that bad if you are used to riding generally. I've done 6 and 8 hours rides without problems and I'm not a competitive rider. They key is keeping yourself fueled and hydrated and pacing yourself. Ride at your own pace, and don't try to compete with the nutters who think they can ride like the pro's. You'll overtake them again soon enough anyway. If you can get in a train thats going at a comfortable pace it's a huge bonus and worth dropping your pace a little for to take advantage of it.

[Mich the Tester]

I wouldn't go into it with any other aim but finishing. Depending on the numbers riding you will find you have to stop for the feed stations as there will probably be queues for the food and water. It's chance to stretch the legs and back, take piss and apply chamois cream if needed.

9 hours isn't that bad if you are used to riding generally. I've done 6 and 8 hours rides without problems and I'm not a competitive rider. They key is keeping yourself fueled and hydrated and pacing yourself. Ride at your own pace, and don't try to compete with the nutters who think they can ride like the pro's. You'll overtake them again soon enough anyway. If you can get in a train thats going at a comfortable pace it's a huge bonus and worth dropping your pace a little for to take advantage of it.

I'm training with the local racers to get used to riding in a train; that makes a huge difference. It'll be important for Milan as there's always a fairly light wind coming inland from the coast.

On the one hand, you're right; just aim to finish. Trouble is I'm a competitive little tulip and in every sport I've ever done I've done it to win, and at the very least got used to being among the top 10% or so of the competitors.

[BrilloPad]

I'll be riding 120km tomorrow morning and I do 3 interval training sessions per week (one intensive, two extensive). The only thing that really concerns me is completing the full 290kms; the pace is do-able (average between 34 and 36 km/h and you'll be in the top 100 or so), but just carrying on for 9 hours is the difficult bit for me as I don't have an endurance background in any sport.

I reckon 29kms/hr is more manageable - especially bearing in mind you have to climb over a km. More than that I am very impressed!

[Mich the Tester]

I reckon 29kms/hr is more manageable - especially bearing in mind you have to climb over a km. More than that I am very impressed!

Well I average 32 on the flat for a couple of hours on my own without too much trouble; in a train I'm faster, obviously. Have done some time triallish type training recently too, and I can ride a 6km straight stretch of road near my house at about 42km/h with TT bars but without TT wheels or skinsuit (aiming for 45 though!). Add to that, in a sprint I've got plenty of speed because rugby has given me strong legs. I guess the endurance can be trained up, and riding in a train will help, but that leaves the one big weakness; hills. I've lost some weight, am down from about 100kg a year ago to 93kg now, but it's still a big bloody great lump to push up a hill.

[BrilloPad]

Well I average 32 on the flat for a couple of hours on my own without too much trouble; in a train I'm faster, obviously. Have done some time triallish type training recently too, and I can ride a 6km straight stretch of road near my house at about 42km/h with TT bars but without TT wheels or skinsuit (aiming for 45 though!). Add to that, in a sprint I've got plenty of speed because rugby has given me strong legs. I guess the endurance can be trained up, and riding in a train will help, but that leaves the one big weakness; hills. I've lost some weight, am down from about 100kg a year ago to 93kg now, but it's still a big bloody great lump to push up a hill.

Wow! This sounds like a challenge! I am seriously impressed!

Re the hills - you have kleets? Apparently they make it easier?

How much of the 93kg is fat? At 93kg you might be all muscle.

Oh and well done on the weight loss!

[Mich the Tester]

Wow! This sounds like a challenge! I am seriously impressed!

Re the hills - you have kleets? Apparently they make it easier?

How much of the 93kg is fat? At 93kg you might be all muscle.

Oh and well done on the weight loss!

Cleats make a big difference because when you get to an uphill slope you can use your stomach muscles and adductors to pull up on the pedals as well as push down; that distributes the effort to more muscles and gives you probably 20% more power for short bursts ( if you've trained those muscles, obviously). Do lots of crunches and knee raises and you'll get extra benefit from cleats.

Fat at last measurement was 13% and can come down, but I never had much fat anyway (more than now, but not much); not that it really bothers me as you need a bit of fat to recover if you get the flu or a tummy bug. That frog rugby player Chabal got flu a couple of years ago and then missed the whole 6 nations because it took him 3 months to recover; he had about 6.5% body fat and his doc advised him to eat fatty mcburgers once a week just to get a bit more fat on him so that when he's ill his body eats up the fat instead of muscle.

Also, bear in mind that even though I only started serious bike training about 10 months ago, I've been in serious physical training for about 30 years now, so I've got a head start. I'm 9 years younger than you too!