Your Longest Ride



Originally posted by gntlmn
The more horsepower you generate, however, the more likely that the big gear approach is going to result in eventual knee problems.

I'm recovering from knee surgery right now from this exact thing, pushing too big of a gear up a steep incline training for a mountain bike race. Almost completely tore the meniscus in half. I'm back on a road bike now and whole heartedly agree with the higher cadence lower gear theory now, I wish I had before.
 
Originally posted by Nitromike
I'm recovering from knee surgery right now from this exact thing, pushing too big of a gear up a steep incline training for a mountain bike race. Almost completely tore the meniscus in half. I'm back on a road bike now and whole heartedly agree with the higher cadence lower gear theory now, I wish I had before.

I've got to say that I agree with you and thus that is why I don't have a problem with anyone having the triple chainring.
Attitudes like Memphmann's are prehistoric :
In fact I would go as far to say that anyone who has any knowledge of our sport welcomes the fact that a triple is available to those who wish to use it.
It's not all about pushing 53x9's for hours on end - the fine art of cycling is a little bit more advanced than that.
It's not often that I would endorse Lance Armstrongs riding : but I have to say that his pedalling/cadence is proof that you don't need to turn the big gear to win.
(similarly Stephen Roche's action as well).
Coaches use both examples to illustrate how to cycle properly.
 
I tried Saturday for the first time since the surgery to push a higher gear ... 52/12, I can do it, but its painful. Not sure I'll ever be able to again, or even want to considering the results. I set myself back a long ways because of the surgery.
 
I've no doubt that you're tempted to see if you can push the bigger gears : but I think you'd better doing a lot of work at a lower gear (Higher cadence) in order to re-develope the old strength that you had.
As frustrating as it might be know, what would it be like if you tried to force it and you find yourself back at stage 1 !!!!!!!
I'm also prone to going for the bigger gears but I've trained my self to stay with the lower gears.
It's difficult but I think it works.
 
I have a few damn good riding partners that get on me if they see me shifting to the bigger gears and kick me back into a good cadence. My knee is getting stronger, I lost 3" of muscle mass in my left thigh while I was down .. I have a long way to go .. 20 lbs over all.
 
Not that I want to outscore others, but last August around 3500 cyclists managed to finish a 1200 km ride between Paris and Brest in France (so I did).
They all did it within 90 hours.

So that means they all did for several days in a row a 300 plus ride a day. Hardly time left for a sleep and many did it with less than two hours sleep for the ride.

Fastest participants did it in a good 40 hours.

I did this ride for the second time, as it is held every 4 years. Longest distance on one day was for me around 440 km.

Beside this I did about 5 times a 600-plus ride in two days, including once Bordeaux-Paris (640km in 28 hours).
 
Longest ride I've ever done was the '03 El Tour de Tucson. 109 miles round the perimeter of our town. I've only been riding road since April '03 and didn't train for anything like those kinds of distances. Though I still managed to finish in 8 hrs 4 mins with breaks. Boy, what a looong day. Went home, ate food, passed out....
 
"You are correct. Most Canadians do not think like me. If they did Canada would be a better, stronger country..."

Memph [/B][/QUOTE]

What makes a Country stronger is not your kind of thinking. No group can be stronger if it's members spend their time antagonizing one another.
 
Originally posted by gerinri
Not that I want to outscore others, but last August around 3500 cyclists managed to finish a 1200 km ride between Paris and Brest in France (so I did).
They all did it within 90 hours.

So that means they all did for several days in a row a 300 plus ride a day. Hardly time left for a sleep and many did it with less than two hours sleep for the ride.

Fastest participants did it in a good 40 hours.

I did this ride for the second time, as it is held every 4 years. Longest distance on one day was for me around 440 km.

Beside this I did about 5 times a 600-plus ride in two days, including once Bordeaux-Paris (640km in 28 hours).

Are you the same Guerini that almost lost the stage at Alpe D-Huez ??
 
Originally posted by limerickman
Are you the same Guerini that almost lost the stage at Alpe D-Huez ??

hmm ;-) no.

I remember Guerini, but I never did any road racing. Just randonneuring as we call it. Steady, easy and long cycling.
 
Just got back from a 104 mile ride (previous longest was 70 set last week). Did it over the mendip hills.
 
My longest has been so far only an itty bitty 54 miles though tomorrow I forsee 70+ miles coming.

I would like to mention to limerickman nitromike that in climbing situations you definitely need to be careful but try pulling instead of pushing when climbing use your hamstrings that is what their there for. When the hams get tired then start to push and pull at the same time better on the knees.

I have bad knees haven't been able to run in over 12 years, I picked up a bike which my doctor recommended to me and never looked back.
 
My longest ride was the Vatterundan in Sweden this year. 300km in 12hours & 2 minutes. Very pleased with the time as it was my first attempt. Have booked to go back in 2010 to try and do it in less than 11 hours.

The event that is really getting my pulse jumping the the Styrkeproven, just over the border in Norway at the end of June. 540km in around 20 hours.Would love to hear from anyone who has done it before.
 
BigUgly said:
210km from Oshawa to Bancroft Ontario. 26.9km/h average.


i like how your last post count was 112. oh, the timing of it all...and what kind of bike were you on, tt or road?

mine is only 100 miles but i'm gonna work my way back up (haven't ridden in months so the first time out may only be 75 -100 miles) and then double that, road bike and i'm guessing i'll be at around 6:00:00 centuries for starters.

almost wanting to ride again...almost.
 
longest ride ever over one day was Vancouver to Whistler and back. 260km of rolling hills, and sadly it poured rain for the entire second half.

Would do it again in a heartbeat (once the weather smartens up). Especially now that I have a road bike with more than 6 functioning gears, that doesn't creak and groan and isn't older than I am.
 
roadhouse said:
i like how your last post count was 112. oh, the timing of it all...and what kind of bike were you on, tt or road?

mine is only 100 miles but i'm gonna work my way back up (haven't ridden in months so the first time out may only be 75 -100 miles) and then double that, road bike and i'm guessing i'll be at around 6:00:00 centuries for starters.

almost wanting to ride again...almost.

I was on a roadbike.
 
I'm doing my first Vatternrunden this June 2011, what's the course terrain like? Is there anything like an "average" finishing time? More importantly to me, just how does any rider consume 12,000 calories to sustain the energy over that period of time!! Well done on going back 4 more times, must be a good event!