(Not so) long rides

[meandmybike]

There's a feature in this week's Cycling Weekly about how long your longest ride needs to be. Roger Hammond says he prefers to do 5 - 5.5 hours at a higher pace than 7+ hour rides like most pros.

With this in mind and having a chaotic schedule (young family and business to run) I'm curious what people think of this method. I'm doing a very hilly century in June but will struggle to fit more than a couple of 6-7 hour rides in. By doing 4 -4.5 hour rides at a higher pace (using Powertap as pacing tool) will I still be prepared for such a long ride?

The rest of my rides are SST and L4 during the week. I'm making good progress with raising FTP (330 watts/70.5 kg up from 300 watts/76kg in December) but am concerned about 'lasting the distance'.

All advice appreciated.

 

[NomadVW]

Lemond is quoted somewhere as saying you never need to do more than 4 1/2 hr rides.

I'm not sure what you define as "very hilly" so, that makes it hard to say how long you'll be on the bike for. Usually the only time I'm on the bike for longer than 5 hrs is because I chose to go a certain route that just happens to be that distance for fun and at endurance pace.

For instance, there's a route I really like because of a bombing descent and hellacious climb that is 188 km total. Takes me about 8 hours to do the whole thing at and endurance pace with a partner. I work really hard on the major climb for the sake of the workout there, but the rest of it is pretty much endurance pace for the fun of the distance.

End of this month I'll do a group ride century because, well... it's a group ride. It'll probably take around 6 hrs total, I'd guess.

Also, if you can manage your on the bike nutrition past 3-4 hrs, you should be able to continue to manage it beyond there.

 

[meandmybike]

Lemond is quoted somewhere as saying you never need to do more than 4 1/2 hr rides.

I'm not sure what you define as "very hilly" so, that makes it hard to say how long you'll be on the bike for.

c. 10,000ft of climbing. I reckon 6.5 hours on the bike.

 

[1963]

for that i say get a life

 

[Uhl]

I'm making good progress with raising FTP (330 watts/70.5 kg up from 300 watts/76kg in December) but am concerned about 'lasting the distance'.

All advice appreciated.

At 4.68 W/kg, you should be racing, not just doing centuries (other than for training and fun).

Hey, you said "All advice appreciated."

 

[JTE83]

Your long rides and power output put me to shame! My long distance rides are 36 to 56 miles long, and my legs get wasted and I don't ride the next day. Mostly 3:15 hr rides. Never did a century. I'm happy with the distance I do because I can lose up to 2.2 lbs from such rides, so I don't have to bike any farther. I bike around 80 to 87% MHR only.

 

[meandmybike]

At 4.68 W/kg, you should be racing, not just doing centuries (other than for training and fun).

Hey, you said "All advice appreciated."

Thanks. Actually I would be racing if I could commit to the time but I'm taking the view that my kids will only be this young once, whilst I can (hopefully) get back into racing in a year or two when they'll be old enough to come and chear the old man on. Centuries and the odd local mountain bike challenge are a good way to keep/develop my fitness without missing out on too much family time.