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Going the distance — learn how to build up to an epic ride

Planning a long ride later this summer? Here's how to build up gradually so you can finish it without breaking yourself

Lac de Roselend (CC BY-NC 2.0 will_cyclist:Flickr)

Planning a long ride this year? Here's how to build up to it so it's a joy and not a chore.

A few years ago I broke my leg and was off the bike for several months. When I’d healed I set myself a target of riding a 100-mile Audax. In the process I learnt quite a bit about increasing the distance you’re capable of riding.

Get comfortable

Mat Brett has written an excellent guide to being more comfortable on your bike. His tips are the first place you should start. If you can’t ride more than a few kilometres without discomfort, then you can’t aim for three-figure rides in kilometres, never mind miles.

I’d add to Mat’s advice: stay relaxed on the bike and change position often. If you hold your arms and neck stiff, you’ll get sore and tired quickly so keep your arms bent, flex your neck and give your arms a stretch and a shake now and then. Switch your hand position around between tops, hoods and drops too, and get out of the saddle from time to time.

Choose your target

Sportive riders (CC BY 2.0 Paul Dobson).jpg

Sportive riders (CC BY 2.0 Paul Dobson)

I knew the prospect of a 100-mile ride would get me off my arse to regain the fitness I’d lost while broken, but I was realistic about just how fit I was going to get in the three months I had. I wasn’t going to aim for some ludicrously hilly Welsh or Lake District monster nutter epic. I signed up for a very pleasant pootle about the lanes of Essex and Hertfordshire instead, with just enough rolling hills to keep it interesting. As Clint Eastwood once said: “A man’s gotta know his limitations.”

Buy new shorts

2022 road.cc x stolen goat kit lifestyle 8

Okay this is a bit off-the-wall, but bear with me. I discovered that my once-favourite shorts were long past their best. The liner was knackered; they no longer cosseted my bottom the way I wanted them to. I grabbed myself a couple of pairs of new shorts (road.cc Evo bibs as it happens — you’ll probably think I’m biased but they really are very very nice, as are our shiny new bib shorts for 2022).

There’s something inspiring about new shorts. Shorts are never as comfortable as when they’re brand new, in my experience, and fresh Lycra has a scent and feel that’s unique, and that it loses after a few washes. Ok, maybe I’m just odd. Moving along…

Build up gradually

If your usual ride is a few miles to and from the office, with a 20-mile potter at the weekend, don’t try and go straight to doing a 75-mile ride. Sure, that’s obvious, but it’s a mistake a surprising number of people make. You might manage it — some people are just talented — but it’s more likely you’ll plod the last half cramped and uncomfortable, and decide not to bother after all.

Speaking of cramps, gradually building up your fitness seems to be the best way to avoid them. An overview article in the journal Sports Health concluded that the evidence is poor that cramps are caused by dehydration and electrolyte loss. (And this cynic notes that explanation is very popular among people trying to sell you electrolyte drinks. Funny that.)

A better explanation — called the ‘neuromuscular theory’ — is that cramps arise from over-tired muscles that aren’t accustomed to the amount or intensity of work you’re asking them to do. That’s why you get cramps at the end of an unusually long ride even if you’ve drunk lots, and why they tend to hit on long climbs, where you’re working very hard and for a long time.

That leads to a quandary. You want to get fitter and build stamina, but to do so you have to ride further and that means you’re risking cramps. That’s why you build up gradually. Don’t double your distance between one ride and the next, unless you enjoy rolling round on the living room floor squealing like a pig the evening after a ride.

Coaches recommend building up your rides 10-20% at a time, so your weekly long ride should be 10-20% longer each week and your total mileage each week or month would also be 10-20% greater.

If you’re aiming for a century, as I was, then you should be aiming to finish with a ride or two in the 80-mile range a couple of weeks before the event.

Pace yourself

The other way of trashing yourself is to try and go hard every time you ride. You can’t do a 50-mile ride at the same pace as you do a 3-mile office dash; not without lots of the right speed-orientated training anyway.

If your aim is just to finish your target long ride, then aim for a pace that feels easy enough you could keep it up all day.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t aim for a fast time, by the way, but for relative beginners to long rides, going fast is almost certainly less important than finishing. With the confidence boost that comes from knowing you can go the distance, you can work on points for speed on your next long ride.

Plan and explore

Plotaroute.jpg

Building up the stamina for a long ride will quickly get very dull if you ride the same routes every time. Judicious use of one of the many route-mapping websites out there is a great way to plan new routes away from major roads. Combine that with a guide to cycling cafes and you’ve got the perfect combination of route and refreshment stops.

Unless you have old-school map and route skills the best way to follow a route is to load it to a mapping GPS. Yes, they’re not cheap (the Polar V650 is the cheapest we’re currently aware of) but they’re very handy for exploring new routes.

Buddy Up

2022 road.cc x stolen goat kit lifestyle 69

I did some solo rides in preparing for my comeback century, but for many I had the company of a very patient and much fitter friend. Thanks Al!

Your milage my vary, but I’ve always found it easier to get out for a ride if there’s someone else to ride with, even though I don’t mind riding alone once I’m actually out the door.

We did the century together too, which Al described as “the slowest hundred miles I’ve ever ridden.” Hey, it was a nice day – what’s the rush?

Eat and drink

komoot coffee ride Mike Stead Escape Route coffee.JPG

Fuel and water are vital for any long ride. You might be able to do 20-30 miles without eating, but you’ll deplete your body’s energy reserves (the glycogen stored in your liver and muscles) after a couple of hours, and then you need to eat or you risk the dreaded ‘bonk’.

However, you don’t need to scoff expensive gels and energy bars. Sports nutrition products can work well, especially if you’re in a hurry and need the almost-instant energy hit they provide. But we’re talking more leisurely riding here, just as easily fuelled by bananas, Snickers bars, jam sandwiches or whatever is your favourite sugary snack. There are even these marvellous things called ‘cafes’ which give you a place to sit that’s more than six inches wide and will make you a coffee for a further boost.

As for water, carry a couple of large bottles and top them up whenever you get the chances (cafes are good for this too). Drink lots. It’s better to have to go behind a tree than to get dehydrated.

John has been writing about bikes and cycling for over 30 years since discovering that people were mug enough to pay him for it rather than expecting him to do an honest day's work.

He was heavily involved in the mountain bike boom of the late 1980s as a racer, team manager and race promoter, and that led to writing for Mountain Biking UK magazine shortly after its inception. He got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish and he could do better. Rather than telling him to get lost, MBUK editor Tym Manley called John’s bluff and the rest is history.

Since then he has worked on MTB Pro magazine and was editor of Maximum Mountain Bike and Australian Mountain Bike magazines, before switching to the web in 2000 to work for CyclingNews.com. Along with road.cc founder Tony Farrelly, John was on the launch team for BikeRadar.com and subsequently became editor in chief of Future Publishing’s group of cycling magazines and websites, including Cycling Plus, MBUK, What Mountain Bike and Procycling.

John has also written for Cyclist magazine, edited the BikeMagic website and was founding editor of TotalWomensCycling.com before handing over to someone far more representative of the site's main audience.

He joined road.cc in 2013. He lives in Cambridge where the lack of hills is more than made up for by the headwinds.

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28 comments

Avatar
horrovac | 20 posts | 3 years ago
0 likes

In a couple of years I went from being exhausted after 30km to riding the PBP in two legs (stupid idea, don't do it). Two most important aspects are food and pacing. If you want to go far, monitor your exertion (pulse at a comfortable level) and eat. No, not the energy bars and drinks and other wrapped stuff that fits in your pocket. Sit down and eat a propper meal like a plate of pasta, you'll be surprised how your form keeps up. Before, I refused to stop for meals while cycling, thinking that I can't digest much while riding, but when you're set to ride 3 days with barely a stop you have no choice. So I kept waiting for my form to crash, and it never did. Most I did before was 400km, and then I rode 600 at one go and was feeling better than before.

 

One other thing: don't ignore numbness. I got a little careless about it, I started considering it normal to be somewhat numb a couple of days after a big ride. Now I have damaged something, I have somewhat reduced sensation. Not much, but still annoying. It's ok if you go numb briefly during the ride, but if it remains even a little afterwards, do something. Get a new saddle, new shorts, change position. Don't gamble, damage can be permanent.

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mikeymustard | 43 posts | 5 years ago
2 likes

And what's wrong with rolling round on the living room floor squealing like a pig? What I do in the comfort of my own home is my own business!

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mingmong | 331 posts | 5 years ago
0 likes

Or a couple of pints if your head is dropping.  Energy and pain relief  angel

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Darren Franks | 30 posts | 5 years ago
5 likes

I do none of these things and then ride dumb distances. I suffer the whole time but it makes for entertaining blog entries and ultra-distance race write-ups.

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Stratman replied to Darren Franks | 203 posts | 5 years ago
2 likes

Darren Franks wrote:

I do none of these things and then ride dumb distances. I suffer the whole time but it makes for entertaining blog entries and ultra-distance race write-ups.

I agree that Darren does indeed write both.  I stumbled across them while researching the gf ti disc, and I’ve thoroughly  enjoyed them

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alotronic replied to Stratman | 678 posts | 5 years ago
0 likes

Stratman wrote:

Darren Franks wrote:

I do none of these things and then ride dumb distances. I suffer the whole time but it makes for entertaining blog entries and ultra-distance race write-ups.

I agree that Darren does indeed write both.  I stumbled across them while researching the gf ti disc, and I’ve thoroughly  enjoyed them

 

Agreed, very witty writing, LEL article had me wincing everytime I swallowed - recommended!

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IanW1968 | 367 posts | 6 years ago
0 likes

Good article. 

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Yorky-M | 676 posts | 7 years ago
5 likes

can of coke will get any tired body the last 20k home

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Supers79 replied to Yorky-M | 81 posts | 5 years ago
3 likes

mylesrants wrote:

can of coke will get any tired body the last 20k home

Or a Garmin onto the last battery bar!

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jumbo469 | 14 posts | 7 years ago
1 like

Great posts, building up to your goal is the key, but riding different distances at different speeds helps me(mixing it up), some short sprint routines,  riding in a high (hard) gear on flat straights helps my climbing capabilities. I do these exercises on my 5 mile morning and evening commutes, and my times over 25 and 40 miles are rapidly improving....

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cycling_woman | 4 posts | 7 years ago
6 likes

It's always the thought of the coffee and cake that keeps me going, here's to hoping there are a lot of coffee shops along the route across Canada this summer, 6700km/4200 miles is a long ride! http://cyclingacrosscanada.com

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arfa | 856 posts | 7 years ago
3 likes

All sensible stuff but the one thing i'd add in is a bit of regular pilates as a strengthened core can make all the difference between a long ride being hellish to being a pleasure, especially if you are a "more mature rider"

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dmack replied to arfa | 52 posts | 6 years ago
0 likes

arfa wrote:

All sensible stuff but the one thing i'd add in is a bit of regular pilates as a strengthened core can make all the difference between a long ride being hellish to being a pleasure, especially if you are a "more mature rider"

Yoga or pilates are pretty important.  Cycling is an unbalanced sport posture wise, so something to stretch you in the opposite direction is pretty important for your life off the bike!  I mix ashtaga yoga with my cycling to keep my, somewhat, older body in balance.

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Yorkshire wallet replied to dmack | 2405 posts | 6 years ago
0 likes

dmack wrote:

arfa wrote:

All sensible stuff but the one thing i'd add in is a bit of regular pilates as a strengthened core can make all the difference between a long ride being hellish to being a pleasure, especially if you are a "more mature rider"

Yoga or pilates are pretty important.  Cycling is an unbalanced sport posture wise, so something to stretch you in the opposite direction is pretty important for your life off the bike!  I mix ashtaga yoga with my cycling to keep my, somewhat, older body in balance.

I had a knee problem for about 2 years but tried to cycle around it to no avail. I had an enforced timeout due to about 3 months of constant illness when all I could really manage was walking. It actually did me the world of good, the main problem I reckon, was that I was constantly on the bike and never really countered being sat down either on bike or at work.

Now I've swapped riding at dinner time and tea breaks for walking and I haven't had a knee problem for months now (fingers crossed).

Got a 160 mile round-trip into Scotland planned next weekend so I guess we'll see how things hold up then.

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BPArchibald | 1 post | 7 years ago
1 like

Hi Chaps,

Really good article! We moved back to Hungary from London with my partner last August on road bikes across Europe. It was an epic trip, 120-130 kilometres-a-day on average, all in all 2250 km in 24 days, every third day a resting day. It is a bit off the topic, as you've spoken about one day trips, but still important. Even if we pushed it relatively hard (or lets say sporty) on the bikes, we've got to the next city in time, we had enough time to have a rest, recover and start the next day with the same mojo. I think, apart from the above mentioned points (I spent a fortune on bibs, bags and planned all our days on Strava before the trip, etc.) it wouldn't have been such a great experience without enough time off the bike. So I'd definitely mention the resting before THE day! Anyway it's great to read these sort of articles, thanks very much!

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rix | 260 posts | 5 years ago
2 likes

I use timer app (Repeat Timer Free) on smartphone to sound alarm every 20min to get out of saddle, change position, have a small snack and drink on my long rides. It is easy to forget to do this when you need it the most... that is when you are tired.

P.S. Garmin has "Eat! Drink! Reminder!" app on Connect IQ. Very useful.

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fustuarium | 247 posts | 7 years ago
4 likes

Something someone on here said once: don't train to the distance but ride the elevation gain for the route you are planning. If you train to that, the longer time/distance in the saddle is more mental than physical. Worked for me so far  1

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DaveE128 replied to fustuarium | 992 posts | 7 years ago
0 likes

fustuarium wrote:

Something someone on here said once: don't train to the distance but ride the elevation gain for the route you are planning. If you train to that, the longer time/distance in the saddle is more mental than physical. Worked for me so far  1

Hmmm, that's bad news... I'm training for the SDW-in-a-day (dare I mention that on this website?!) in July with limited time for training. Don't think I can squeeze that kind of elevation into a shorter ride!

Timely article for me too though.

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Daveyraveygravey replied to DaveE128 | 1036 posts | 5 years ago
0 likes

DaveE128 wrote:

fustuarium wrote:

Something someone on here said once: don't train to the distance but ride the elevation gain for the route you are planning. If you train to that, the longer time/distance in the saddle is more mental than physical. Worked for me so far  1

Hmmm, that's bad news... I'm training for the SDW-in-a-day (dare I mention that on this website?!) in July with limited time for training. Don't think I can squeeze that kind of elevation into a shorter ride!

Timely article for me too though.

 

I did that ride in 2010, be warned it is tough, 13.5 hours of it in my case!!  The 9th hill if you're starting in Winchester, is up from Alfriston, that struck me as being particularly hard.  I live in Steyning so knew what to expect 30 miles each way, but outside of that was new to me.  I would suggest hill repeats if you can stand the boredom, or maybe find a short-ish loop with one tough hill in it, and do that as many times as you can.

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Dr Concrete replied to Daveyraveygravey | 20 posts | 5 years ago
0 likes

Daveyraveygravey wrote:

DaveE128 wrote:

fustuarium wrote:

Something someone on here said once: don't train to the distance but ride the elevation gain for the route you are planning. If you train to that, the longer time/distance in the saddle is more mental than physical. Worked for me so far  1

Hmmm, that's bad news... I'm training for the SDW-in-a-day (dare I mention that on this website?!) in July with limited time for training. Don't think I can squeeze that kind of elevation into a shorter ride!

Timely article for me too though.

 

I did that ride in 2010, be warned it is tough, 13.5 hours of it in my case!!  The 9th hill if you're starting in Winchester, is up from Alfriston, that struck me as being particularly hard.  I live in Steyning so knew what to expect 30 miles each way, but outside of that was new to me.  I would suggest hill repeats if you can stand the boredom, or maybe find a short-ish loop with one tough hill in it, and do that as many times as you can.

I eventually completed the SDW in a day ride last summer. Not really enough training but repeats on Barhatch Lane proved worthwhile.  Pacing was key for me, not going too hard from Winchester to Butser makes the rest of the route more enjoyable.

Avatar
Bikermel76 replied to fustuarium | 3 posts | 6 years ago
1 like
fustuarium wrote:

Something someone on here said once: don't train to the distance but ride the elevation gain for the route you are planning. If you train to that, the longer time/distance in the saddle is more mental than physical. Worked for me so far  1

Interesting, this has been in my mind as I've trained for RideLondon - I seem OK with whatever mileage I've chucked at my body but once the feet rack up I'm tired and achy and tense shoulders. Now we've been focusing on getting the feet in rather than miles!

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Richard D | 341 posts | 7 years ago
3 likes

A timely article!  I broke my femur on a hundred-mile audax last June, and I've set myself the challenge of riding - and completing - the same audax this year.

Last year it was no real challenge; I was commuting by bike and with club rides/other audaxes, I was averaging 150 miles a week.

This year, it might be a bit of a battle.  8 months post-break, and I'm still not allowed back on my bike for another five weeks yet.  I'll have four months to go from zero to a hundred; I like the idea of increasing my distances by 10% per week, but 10% of nothing is still nothing!

I love a challenge.  A colleague persuaded me to enter another 100-mile event two days before the planned audax, but that one's already full.  I don't know whether to be disappointed or relieved.

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dafyddp | 470 posts | 7 years ago
4 likes

Good stuff. One point maybe worth mentioning, is that regular long rides (at a slowing pace) help condition the  body to burn fat rather than relying on glycogen stores. So it's a bit of a win-win really - you burn fat, get lighter, which lets you go further and faster...

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dougie_c | 38 posts | 7 years ago
6 likes

Good article. Sensible advice. One thing I've found over the years is that it's well worth concentrating on not going too fast in the first hour, especially if you're trying to improve a time. Setting out on a nice morning, maybe with a slight tailwind, it's easy to feel fresh early on, ride a bit too fast, and get over-knackered later. "Hurry slowly" is the watchword.

In the first hour of any long ride, I consciously force myself to spin easily, changing down to a slightly smaller gear should I have the slightest inkling of morning friskiness. Only then, if I'm in a hurry, do I press on a bit, gently at first, putting in increasing intervals with a little aerobic effort. And it's only in the last 10-20% of the ride that it's advisable to attempt riding at maximum effort—your body will then tell you if that's not possible.

As I said to that gendarme who kindly wondered what I was doing stumbling round a village stadium in the dark (trying to find a tap to refill my bidon) : "Le secret de la longue distance ce n'est jamais faire effort." He then directed me to the gents at the back of the church.

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Stealth78 replied to dougie_c | 11 posts | 5 years ago
0 likes

dougie_c wrote:

One thing I've found over the years is that it's well worth concentrating on not going too fast in the first hour, especially if you're trying to improve a time. Setting out on a nice morning, maybe with a slight tailwind, it's easy to feel fresh early on, ride a bit too fast, and get over-knackered later. "Hurry slowly" is the watchword.

Agreed that's how i paced my first 200km solo ride, the first 40km i barely rotated the cranks, just let the terrain do its thing and spun up the hills very casually. The last 40km however was an all out effort, i managed to go one extra km before totally exploding,

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antonio | 1163 posts | 7 years ago
3 likes

Plus one for the Audax UK, best value event rides ever.

Avatar
alotronic | 678 posts | 7 years ago
12 likes

Or join Audax UK... lots of very ordinary cyclists riding a very long way and would love to share their addiction thoughts with you...

http://www.aukweb.net/

 

Avatar
PpPete replied to alotronic | 103 posts | 3 years ago
0 likes

alotronic wrote:

Or join Audax UK... lots of very ordinary cyclists riding a very long way and would love to share their addiction thoughts with you...

http://www.aukweb.net/

 

 

Now http://www.audax.uk

 

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