100 Mile Bike Ride Training - In 2 Months?

[overhellbaitre]

A few people at work and i have signed up to a 100 mile bike ride, however, it is in 2 months time.
Although it is 100 miles, it is possible to pull out at any time, and i do not think i will be able to do the whole 100! Although, i feel as though i want to do at least 30.
The last person to finish last year took 8 hours - This is an average of 15 miles an hour that he was cycling.

How could i train for this? I am a member at the gym, and i do attend a spin class once a week. should i do as much spin as i can?
Unfortunately, practicing outdoors is limited, unless i ride to the different parks in my area and go around them a few times and then work my way to the next park etc?
Also, how will i know how many miles i have done at the end of my training?

 

[ZXD22]

I'd say follow a routine. Maybe bike 20 the first day take a break and add a couple more miles the next day you ride. Getting your muscles to get used to biking more added miles will make it easier to bike longer. You'll waste less energy biking and go on longer. 2 months is a little short on my opinion but with alot of effort you'll do fine. 30 miles like you said is a great starting point.

 

[Totalarmordestine]

I would say that saddle time is the most important element in "training" for a 100 mile+ ride. During the next two months you should try to do 20 mile+ rides as often as possible and at least one 50 mile+ ride. These will really help your body and mind get accustomed to being in the saddle for long periods of time. Riding a century is pretty boring. Toward the end it becomes a mental game. I would plan for a 10 hour trip.

As for where to ride, I'm not sure a home trainer will cut it. Riding around to parks is a bit random. An easy approach is to just jump on your bike and head out. Use google maps and look for long major streets with clear bike lanes. You can build a grid to ride. If your in a
big city, ride out to the suburbs, grab lunch and head back home. I'm sure there are a ton of established routes in your area. In short, go explore your region.

As for the 100 mile ride itself. Remember to eat. bring a lot of snacks and have more than one water bottle on your bike. Nobody says you have to ride the whole distance at one. Break the ride into 10 or 20 mile lengths. Stop every segment, stretch, check the scene and have a snack. Next thing you know, the ride is over and you're a hero.

 

[tarverten]

Do an internet search for "century training plan" there are several websites with different plans and lots of them are free.
Spinning in a gym probably won't get you prepared, plus, it would be terribly boring. Best thing to do is to map a route on rural roads that aren't too busy or highways with wide shoulders (depending on your area and age, of course.)

You can tell how many miles you've gone by installing a cyclometer on your bicycle. They are handy little bike computers that tell you your speed, distance, and some other functions.

 

[blastguardgear]

Hard to tell without knowing your starting point. "member at the gym" and "spin class once a week" doesn't bode well.

You get the benefit of todays workout 2 weeks from today, so in reality, you've only got 6 weeks to work with. As any endurance athlete will tell you, anything you do in that last 2 weeks is as likely to hurt your performance as help it. You need as many miles and as much saddle time as you can get between now and then. Ideal would be working your way up to 200 miles/week. 100 miles per week would be a minimum. How do you track mileage? A simple bike computer. They're cheap and available anywhere. The one currently on my daily driver was 12 or 15 bucks at Wallyworld.

 

[thepieeatingjay]

Spin class once a week isn't nearly enough. Get a good road bike & bicycle computer - start training - NOW! If you can consistently do 20 miles 4 to 5 days per week - then try for 30. When you can consistently do 30 - try for 40 - 3 to 4 days per week, with short trips in-between. When you can consistently do 40 miles - try for 50 - 2 to 3 days per week with shorter trips in-between.

Keep doing that until you can do at least 75 to 80 miles a couple of times per week.

 

[superbobby]

I don't think 2 months is enough.You will overtrain yourself and it might cause injuries.

 

[ZXD22]

I don't think 2 months is enough.You will overtrain yourself and it might cause injuries.

This! If you overtrain and get an injury, you could forget about competing in your upcomming event...

 

[CAMPYBOB]

Quote by mordestine:
"I would say that saddle time is the most important element in "training" for a 100 mile+ ride."

This. TM gave the OP some other good advice also.

I am in the camp that believes that if the OP is not a complete slug (gym membership and spin class would suggest the OP is not), 2 months is sufficient time to be conditioned enough to not only complete a 100-mile ride over rolling terrain, but to enjoy it.

OP, you may not average more than 10 MPH on the road and take 10-11 hours to complete the full ride, if you choose to do the whole shebang, but that 'seat time' mordestine mentioned is what is going to be critical to your body's ability to keep riding through any aches and pain and perceived weakness.

Spin class will build some leg strength and endurance, but being able to stay focused and riding over hills, through strong headwinds and soak up miles of rough roads only comes from hours and hours of...doing just that. There's a mental aspect to road cycling that only building up to long hours on the bike, on the road, will toughen up.

So get on your bike and ride as many hours as you can fit into your schedule. Good luck and stay safe.

 

[An old Guy]

Some states have week long cross state rides. The organizers often have a series of training rides in preparation. Those training rides are something like:

On successive weekends Saturday or Sunday or both: 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 100 miles. (10 weeks)

I think riding a similar pattern might be successful. Ride both Saturday and Sunday. Use the first couple Wednesdays as "weekends" if you don't have 10 weeks.

The goal is not to work hard. The goal is to get used to being on the bike for 100 miles.

 

[Corzhens]

That 100 miles is 160 kilometers. My car's mileage for my one week of travel from home to office and back is 150 kilometer. I cannot imagine that I could bike that long in one ride. But yes, I understand that the 100 mile ride is scattered in 2 months. Breaking it up in 8 weeks, that's just 20 kilometers per week or roughly 10 kilometers a day if I ride during the weekend only. That's still a big number to me because I am not that active in cycling anymore - it's my way of evading the age issue here, hahahaaa.