How to pace Ride100?

Good luck Cannon

Good luck Cannon

You will be faster than you think. It’s a really quick course 🙂 

The first 5hr century I have ever done – and will ever do no doubt!

On the elevation – If you have a Garmin then it will show the profile and your point on it as you ride. Even my really old Garmin Edge 800 has it and it’s one of the most useful features to pace yourself, know when to press on and when to back off.

Ah – I’ll stop my worrying

Ah – I’ll stop my worrying then: you’ll be fine 

Enjoy the ride.

There’s a fairly hefty

There’s a fairly hefty assumption of decent base fitness, there, arfa.

If the OP’s longest ride to date is 3x Richmond Park, riding at or just below threshold on the flat on Ride London could see him ruined at halfway.

Not saying you’re wrong: more pointing out that we need more info, and Cannon fired and buggered off.

Another saying take it easy

Another saying take it easy to begin with.  Really easy.  All the way out through London just enjoy being on the closed roads, in the tunnels with no noise other than tyres and clicking gears, on the wrong side of the road if you feel like it – though beware of club pacelines coming past like steam trains.  Even taking it really easy you’ll be going faster than you think simply because you don’t need to stop for traffic or lights.  Last year I did 28 kph in the first hour and got to Pyrford (~60km) in two hours, without really trying – normally I’d only do 27-28kph if I was on open roads.

Newlands is a relatively easy hill but it is quite long; don’t be surprised to see lots of people stopping and walking.  If this is you, don’t do it in the middle of the road, get over to the left first.  Leith is the hardest hill.  There are sections over 10% and it’s narrow: again, lots of people walk.  The downhill can be sketchy in the shadows under the trees; take care.  Box Hill is longer than Newlands but it’s very scenic and the road surface is beautiful; take your time and enjoy it.  From there it’s all straightforward: I averaged over 30kph for the last 60km.  Wimbledon Hill is worth paying attention to – but by the time you’ve ridden 90 miles, you should just be clicking into the right gear, rolling up it, and from the top you really can just empty the tank if you’re feeling good because from there it’s all flat.

Remember that for you, it’s not a race except against the clock and your own ability.  You won’t ‘win’, and you won’t be last – seriously, people complete it plodding along at 12mph on shopper bikes and walking up every hill.  Finishing is in itself a prize, remember you can always come back and do it faster next year.  

If you haven’t done long practice rides (up to 80-100 km at least) then don’t underestimate how stiffness and soreness builds up.  Consider stopping and stretching your back and legs (properly, not just waving arms around) maybe every hour.  Don’t grip the bars too tightly or your fingers will go numb.  You might think these things are obvious, but remember when you start to get tired you think slower; your assessment of risks is also impaired, so be careful on downhills and fast corners.  Don’t forget to eat!  

And don’t forget to enjoy it.  I’m a miserable git and even I was grinning the whole way round at the lunatics cheering and clapping for hours, the sadists having a big barbecue at the bottom  of Box Hill, and the sheer joy of having the whole road to ride in.

“Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.”

Especially if you’ve an early

Especially if you’ve an early start, don’t go out too hard. You might be tempted to try and join a fast train, but if you’re dangling on the back and struggling to keep up as you fly down Picadilly you’re doing damage to yourself that will bite you when you reach Leith Hill.

Try and settle into a group that’s comfortable for you- speak  to people, and see if you can manage to do turns on the front. If you can’t do a turn on the front for more than a minute or so, the group is too fast for you, especially with your base endurance.

I know many say to avoid the stop at Newlands Corner, but I’ve never had an issue there- it is busy but there’s loads of loos and huge drink and food tables. If it’s a nice day, stop, refuel there, and take in the views-  one of the few places where it sensible to stop that there are views, as Leith Hill is tree lined, as is the false flat on top of Box Hill.

Other basic “don’t be a dick” advice:

As I said, talk to people- don’t just wheel suck, say hi and work together.

Keep left if slower than riders around you, when passing go well right- remember that you do have the full width of the road, so if you’re approaching a traffic island head on propbably best to go right.

HAVE FUN. Time targets are all very well, but don’t get upset if there is a hold up. And with your fitness but lack of endurance, then 5:30 is v.ambitious.

Wimbledon Hill is evil, but there’s a few other stinging smaller climbs in the west london suburbs as well. Just to rub salt in the wound the top of Wimbledon hill is a Sprint prime on the Classic- not a KOM prime! At least once you’re over Wimbledon though the hills are over barring the slightest drag up Whitehall- last year my friends and I wound up in a fast group after a stop for pedestrians at Putney with a load of RAF and I think Bradford CC, among others, absolutely flew along Chelsea Embankment and did a bunch sprint along the Mall. Key to this was that as it formed there was plenty of communication- don’t ruin someone elses day!

Again, Have Fun. This weekend will be the first time that’s it’s been run when I won’t be there.

@Cannon: bear in mind that
@Cannon: bear in mind that everyone posting on these comments (I’m fairly sure) will be able to cover 100 miles/4,000 feet pretty easily. We can’t possibly relate our experiences to your situation unless we know more.

In the absence of any other info, assuming all you’ve done is the Richmond Park stuff you’re telling us about, you won’t want to hear this, but it’s all about surviving long enough to get round. Eat, drink, and take everything easy. Don’t even check your average speed.

I did it just outside 5h30

I did it just outside 5h30 last year in good weather:

mins      kms        kph
45.15      27.36     36.36
73.65      41.84     34.09
144.27   75.64     31.46
172.38   88.51     30.81
257.18   120.70   28.16
288.80   136.79   28.42
331.78   160.93   29.10            times including stops

You can draft and go quite fast across london and the west way to Richmond park. Don’t use the park as any kind of reference as it is quite a small part of the route.

I also did it in 2013 in 6 hours. The main difference I found was how much more used to being on the bike for long periods of time I was last year. I didn’t stop from the top of boxhill until the mall were as before I had to stop several times to stretch my back and arms. If you don’t regularly cover these kind of distances, there really isn’t time to train. You could get one more longish ride in the next 48 hours, but there is no point riding 50miles before the event, you will just wear yourself out.
 

random tips:

Stock up and skip the very first hub, it is always choas, go for the next smaller waterstop. 

Cut out the route profile and sellotape it down your top tube, mark on planned stops or your speed targets. (Get a bike computer)

Speed up quickly at the top of a descent, but don’t push to get max speed downhill, just get aero and save your legs. Spinning madly for a few extra kph isn’t worth it, save your legs for the flat and climbs.

Don’t underestimate the climbs, especially Leith Hill.

Don’t be mad if you don’t hit your target, it is just more reason to come back stronger 

And watch out for Wimbledon Hill; it is a short steep climb, a bit of a sting in the tail for tired legs, but after that it is all downhill through Putney and along the Embankment with cheering all the way.

Sadly I am not in it this year, ballot for 2018 opens soon.

Good Luck (Ray Winstone voice)

Take it easy at the start and

Take it easy at the start and don’t try and chase the folks who sprint away.  Better to get first few hours in at 15-17mph and have a reserve in hand. Plan your eating and drinking based on time and stick to that.  As you get towards the end (say after 80 miles) if you’ve got anything left in the tank then you can up the pace and empty it.  Keep at it and I hope you have a great ride.