Your Longest Ride

[gntlmn]

Many years ago, I did my longest ride: 167 miles (270 km). I was riding home on what I hoped would be, and was, the last leg of a bicycle tour in the western states. This last day was through Utah and ending in Pocatello, Idaho. My goal was just to get home before the local pub closed so I could get some garlic bread and salad before they closed. Ahhh, simple pleasures.

I plan on doing much longer rides in the future. Give me some encouragement by telling me your longest ride. It can be in any form: race, tour, recreational ride or even an attempt at a distance record, personal or otherwise. Include the total even if you stopped to eat, but let's say that naps mean the ride ended.

 

[dejonica]

Hi,
Mine was last weekend around the bay ride in victoria australia. it's supposedly 210kms but i managed to reset my computer along the way and didn't get actual distance.
I did complete the ride so it'll be somewhere around that figure.
Previous to that, my longest ride was only around the 100km mark.

 

[Xsmoker]

I rode 118 mi. in Aug. 10.5hrs. with breaks. I think my sugar bottomed out @ 114 mi. , almost passed out in the road. Had a banana that saved me. If I learned anything from that ride it was that bars and gels aren't going to get the nutrition job done, some real food is needed.

 

[Sidi]

120 miles and i hit the wall with 20 left to go and it took a long time.
Take lots of food and water and dont forget the money in case you run out of food.

 

[Bikesoiler]

Re: Your Longest Ride

My longest ride has been the Audax Alpine Classic.
http://www.audax.org.au/alpine/index.html
200 km & 3600 metres of climbing, 13.5 hours time limit.
I completed the ride in 12 hours 45 mins, on a lightweight rigid MTB with narrow high pressure slicks. During the ride the temperature varied from a sunny 30 degrees C to raining & 8 C. On the final decent I stopped to warm my hands twice when I couldn’t feel the brake levers properly.
I'm planning to return for the 100 km Alpine next January.

 

[Triplecentury]

My longest ride was the Grand Tour (Los Angeles Wheelman's) Triple Century. They have a double century (the original US 200 Mile ride) for beginners and a Quadruple Century for the other worldly. All rides (Double/Triple/Quad) must be completed in under 24 hours to be considere a 'finish'. I completed the triple in 22 hours-not a stellar time but a finish at least.

I recently have begun to have daydreams about the Furnace Creek 508, but you have to have your own suppor crew for that one. Endurance riding is a fascinating endeavor and believe me, you don't have to be a super athlete to do it (just stubborn).

 

[Ratface]

I just signed up for my longest ride! I'm gonna be doing a 300km ride this summer around Sweden's 2nd largest lake - along with 15000+ other people! It's one of Sweden's biggest "motion" races.

There's some info in English here (though they haven't updated the booking statistics from last year yet). http://www.cyklavaettern.com/english/

My plan is to cycle a bunch of 100km rides when the weather allows during the winter and early spring and then get in some longer rides later during spring. My biggest problem at the moment is an uncomfortable saddle and that my feet keep going numb! Some fine-tuning needed for my riding position over the winter I think.

 

[monagg]

G'day,
My longest ride was 210km in 14 hours in June 2003. It was on the Birdsville Track (outback Australia) from Marree to Mungerannie. Did it on a Trek 950 mountain bike with rigid front forks. Ow!! my aching wrists.
It was my most surreal riding experience - riding in the desert at 3:00 am with no moon.

 

[gntlmn]

Originally posted by dejonica
Hi,
Mine was last weekend around the bay ride in victoria australia. it's supposedly 210kms but i managed to reset my computer along the way and didn't get actual distance.
I did complete the ride so it'll be somewhere around that figure.
Previous to that, my longest ride was only around the 100km mark.

I'm trying to get an idea of that ride on the internet. Is that along what they call the Great Ocean Road? That sure must be nice by the ocean.

 

[gntlmn]

Originally posted by Xsmoker
I rode 118 mi. in Aug. 10.5hrs. with breaks. I think my sugar bottomed out @ 114 mi. , almost passed out in the road. Had a banana that saved me. If I learned anything from that ride it was that bars and gels aren't going to get the nutrition job done, some real food is needed.

I had the bonk only once too. I have been fatigued many times, but the bonk is something else. I hear you. I wonder if the bonk can be delayed with training: if it takes longer to occur the more you train, without increasing food intake. I guess the way to tell is by doing a lot of very long rides, like more than 100 miles each. Even if I don't bonk, I sure have a lot more power on the later stages of the journey if I had a full belly to start with.

 

[gntlmn]

Originally posted by Sidi
120 miles and i hit the wall with 20 left to go and it took a long time.
Take lots of food and water and dont forget the money in case you run out of food.

That's guts. 20 miles more after hitting the wall. I remember one ride where all I could think of was food, no matter what I looked at. I would drool at the cows in the pastures, and food signs really got me going.

 

[gntlmn]

Originally posted by Bikesoiler
Re: Your Longest Ride

My longest ride has been the Audax Alpine Classic.
http://www.audax.org.au/alpine/index.html
200 km & 3600 metres of climbing, 13.5 hours time limit.
I completed the ride in 12 hours 45 mins, on a lightweight rigid MTB with narrow high pressure slicks. During the ride the temperature varied from a sunny 30 degrees C to raining & 8 C. On the final decent I stopped to warm my hands twice when I couldn’t feel the brake levers properly.
I'm planning to return for the 100 km Alpine next January.

I looked this one up on the internet. That's an incredible ride. The tough part for me would be the blistering heat at the bottom. I live in Alaska. The top would be nice. I guess the way to acclimatize to the heat would be to spend many hours in the sauna for at least a couple of weeks beforehand. I wonder if that would work.

 

[gntlmn]

Originally posted by Triplecentury
My longest ride was the Grand Tour (Los Angeles Wheelman's) Triple Century. They have a double century (the original US 200 Mile ride) for beginners and a Quadruple Century for the other worldly. All rides (Double/Triple/Quad) must be completed in under 24 hours to be considere a 'finish'. I completed the triple in 22 hours-not a stellar time but a finish at least.

I recently have begun to have daydreams about the Furnace Creek 508, but you have to have your own suppor crew for that one. Endurance riding is a fascinating endeavor and believe me, you don't have to be a super athlete to do it (just stubborn).

How do you avoid saddle sores? Do many people complete the quad in 24 hours? That is amazing. I don't know if I can even imagine doing the 508, but it looks like you hold the lead so far for longest ride at 300 mi.

 

[gntlmn]

Originally posted by Ratface
I just signed up for my longest ride! I'm gonna be doing a 300km ride this summer around Sweden's 2nd largest lake - along with 15000+ other people! It's one of Sweden's biggest "motion" races.

There's some info in English here (though they haven't updated the booking statistics from last year yet). http://www.cyklavaettern.com/english/

My plan is to cycle a bunch of 100km rides when the weather allows during the winter and early spring and then get in some longer rides later during spring. My biggest problem at the moment is an uncomfortable saddle and that my feet keep going numb! Some fine-tuning needed for my riding position over the winter I think.

I use yoga to stretch my hamstrings. This keeps my knees from hurting and my feet from going numb.

I wonder if all those thousands and thousands of riders ride in a peloton. The race organizers on that Swedish ride must be a class act.

 

[gntlmn]

Originally posted by monagg
G'day,
My longest ride was 210km in 14 hours in June 2003. It was on the Birdsville Track (outback Australia) from Marree to Mungerannie. Did it on a Trek 950 mountain bike with rigid front forks. Ow!! my aching wrists.
It was my most surreal riding experience - riding in the desert at 3:00 am with no moon.

I can imagine what that ride must have been like with a full endorphin buzz going on: surreal indeed. Did you carry a light? That seems like quite a trick to pull off without getting delayed in the dark desert. Wow!

 

[Brizza]

I've done 215km in 7 hours on the F1 Freeway a few years ago, I must do it again to compare my time. I'll take my camellback next time.

Brian

 

[Madone]

To celebrate the millenium (can never spell it right) and my 40th BD, I took part in an organised ride (17 riders) from Lands End to John O'Groats, most days were around 70-90miles but there where a few over the 100, the longest was 127, the day our ride leader/organiser crashed out with 4 days still to go, we made it to the finish, and after riding bikes for 20yrs on and off its only after that ride I realised that I was a "cyclist", 15 days in the saddle, ok its was no TdF, but it was the biggest and greatest achivement I've made, I want to do it again soon but from top to bottom this time.

 

[Ratface]

Originally posted by gntlmn
I use yoga to stretch my hamstrings. This keeps my knees from hurting and my feet from going numb.

I wonder if all those thousands and thousands of riders ride in a peloton. The race organizers on that Swedish ride must be a class act.

The race is a "motion" race - I can't think of an appropriate translation for it from the Swedish, but basically it's like a fun run - there are official timings, but no placings and no official winner. Riders start riding in groups of 60 or 70 with a group starting every minute from 20.00 in the evening until the early morning. People try and get into a group of like-paced riders once they're out on the course. There are fuel stations every 30km or so.

A lot of people take it very easy and just concentrate on getting round at any sort of speed. Most riders are out to break personal records, but as there's no official winner the atmosphere is friendly and cooperative.

Heh! I'm really looking forward to the summer now!

 

[Memphmann]

Originally posted by gntlmn
Many years ago, I did my longest ride: 167 miles (270 km). I was riding home on what I hoped would be, and was, the last leg of a bicycle tour in the western states. This last day was through Utah and ending in Pocatello, Idaho. My goal was just to get home before the local pub closed so I could get some garlic bread and salad before they closed. Ahhh, simple pleasures.

I plan on doing much longer rides in the future. Give me some encouragement by telling me your longest ride. It can be in any form: race, tour, recreational ride or even an attempt at a distance record, personal or otherwise. Include the total even if you stopped to eat, but let's say that naps mean the ride ended.

My longest ride was years ago when I use to race. It was with a few guys I would ride/train with. It was not a race, just wanted to see if we could ride this distance and how we would feel. Off we went for our double century, 322km. It as hell, yet we (except 1 guy) completed the ride.

My longest ride since I started riding again this summer. After six years off and five knee operations. Was a wimpy 233km compared to my double century......

Memph

 

[gntlmn]

Originally posted by Memphmann
My longest ride was years ago when I use to race. It was with a few guys I would ride/train with. It was not a race, just wanted to see if we could ride this distance and how we would feel. Off we went for our double century, 322km. It as hell, yet we (except 1 guy) completed the ride.

My longest ride since I started riding again this summer. After six years off and five knee operations. Was a wimpy 233km compared to my double century......

Memph

The ride I did was so long ago that I was actually kind of young to be riding that far. It's been 22 years now, and I feel pretty good after about 12 years off. I want to see if I can outdo it next summer. It would be quite a challenge to go from Fairbanks to Anchorage in one sitting, about 600 km. The prevailing wind I think is from north to south in the summer which would be the direction of the ride. My experience tells me the wind is the biggest factor. I rode up the Pacific Coast highway from Mexico to Oregon on the tour I referred to above, and that was very, very tough. The wind was blowing against me the whole way on the coast. It was later, after I was inland and feeling strong from so much touring that I did the 167 mile (269 km) ride. I figure if I have the wind at my back most of the way, I might be able to do it.

Do you think I'm setting myself up for knee surgery? I better get in good shape before I go. June would be a good month because it would be light all night long and the weather is usually good.

It's nice to hear from a Canadian. I have a lot of relatives in Canada, which is where my mother was from. Take care of your knee.