Can I survive a 100 km cycling expedition in 2 days time?

Question

I just recently bought a good off-road bike and all the needed gear. I am in my 20's, female and regularly gym (circuit and treadmill). I'm not top fit, but I am trying hard to get fit. All the others are old-timers on a bike and don't want to do a shorter distance.I am eager to go along, but will I be okey with such a long distance (about 100 km) bike ride? I have 2 days left to exercise before we go!

Answer 1

On a "good off-road bike" it changes the the calculations?!  Dunno what that means in terms of bike's; weight, tires, comfort, ease of peddling???  Also is the ride off road??!

Your off road bike does have the advantage of low gearing.  As stressed in another answer you don't have to and shouldn't press, mash, peddle "too hard, too fast".  Stay within your limits.

Do not feel pressured to pace, keep up with "old-timers on a bike."  They may or may not feel your pain.  20 miles is challenging for most beginners.  If nothing else it's more time in the saddle than you're used to.  62 miles 100K !!!  Why are you doing this?  What mileage do you have to date?

In 2 days you can practice and learn the skills of endurance riding; breaks, pace, stretching on and off the bike, frequently and routinely changing the position of your hands and butt.  And eating and drinking like voting --- EARLY and OFTEN!!!

Stay ahead of thirst and hunger; eat and drink continuously in small increments, sips and bites every 10-15 mins!!! before during and after.

I believe in drugs for pain and inflammation.  But not when I was 20 something...

All the best and have FUN!!!  Don't be pushed, rushed; smell the flowers!  Give yourself lots and lots of time.

Answer 2

You'll be fine.

Pace yourself, drink lots of water as you ride.  don't wait until you are thirsty.  Take along some energy bars to keep the hunger away too, since the time it takes you will necessitate food.

The following day, take Advil... one every five minutes until the pain goes away.

KIDDING!!!!!

Well, I'm kidding about the Advil part... not the rest.

;)

Good luck, have fun!

Answer 3

Survive, yes. But unless you are comfortable NOW doing (at least) 70 km in one ride, I'd suggest you not try a 100 km.  There is a big difference between a 30-40 km ride and a 100 km one.  You can probably do the 100 km, but you won't enjoy it.  And 2 days is not enough time to do ANY useful training.

Answer 4

I believe you can.

Answer 5

Yes, I hope to do over 200km myself in one day and thats with the exercise you do

Answer 6

yea i think you can just make sure that you get good rest the night before and that you pace yourself, if you try to get in the lead in the beginning or speed to get it done faster then you will just lose all of your energy, and remember to keep hydrated

Answer 7

You won't die or anything. here's a few tips.

1- go ride nice and easy for the next 2 days to make sure you are comfortable on a bike (especially since you'll be riding with other people).

2- think about your nutrition.  100km (60 miles) will probably be a 6 hour trip.  Make sure to have a hydration pack on your back or at least 2 bottle cages on your bike.  You need to drink 1 bottle (24oz) of liquid per hour under normal conditions.  most riders I know (and myself) alternate water and sports drink.  You need enough sports drink to keep your electrolytes in balance-- too much water intake while sweating (and losing salt) can lead to hyponatremia, a fatal condition.

3- make sure your bike shorts have a good pad.  While pedaling you should stand and pedal (or stand up) every 3-5 minutes to give your body a chance to rest your rear and restore circulation.

4- pain killers work wonders.  take 2 or 3 advil/tylenol/whatever as you start riding so they kick in as you are going down the road.  I'll usually bring a few along and take more on really long rides (40miles or more)

5- Don't pedal hard!  the biggest mistake newbies make is thinking they need to push hard on the pedals.  Other than going uphill you shouldn't feel any burn in your legs-- you should pedal in the easiest gear you can without bouncing up and down in the saddle-- 80-100 RPM is a good target for how fast your legs should be spinning.  Keeping your RPM's high (and the pressure on the pedals lower) is more like jogging or walking, where mashing on the pedals at a lower RPM is like running/sprinting.  There's a lot of science to this, but watch everyone else-- all of the strong riders I know have a smooth, fast cadence, and they can pedal all day.

Out of curiosity, you're 100km ride isn't in South Dakota, is it?  My bike club sponsors a 100k ride 4th of July weekend every year.