Long Distance Rides

Riding a long distance on a bike can be euphoric and problem solving a the same time. Rule of thumb is you should be able to ride three times the distance of your average training ride. This should be taken with a grain of salt as there are many variables but is a general guideline if you need a basic idea of what you should do to be prepared.

Nutrition may be the most important area you need to master after getting into condition for the ride. Making sure you are always hydrated and fueled is what you have to focus on during your ride. Find a sports drink to add to your water that both works for you and you like the taste of, Cyctomax or Gatorade are two examples. About one water bottle per hour or twenty miles is a rough estimate of what you need, finding your own requirements comes from experience. Smaller riders require less, hot days make you need more, just common sense. Getting yourself well hydrated before the ride is really important, start drinking water two days before to make sure you are well hydrated.

Constantly eating is crucial. From the start of the ride you are slowly losing endurance and strength. You need to constantly eat small portions of food to replace what you are using. You can absorb about 300 calories and hour and taking in small incraments makes digesting easier and keep your strength level higher. Gu, Cliff bars, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Payday bars, chocolate, are some examples of foods to eat. There are also great additives to your water such as Perpetuam by Hammer that will give you almost all the nutrients you need.

Keeping well hydrated is crucial, if you become dehydrated your strength is way down, your ride is over and it takes two days to rehydrate, so always drink. If you don't eat enough and become tired you can recover by taking in calories, but don't wait for this to happen. Practice eating while you ride and you will have no problems when your long ride comes.

Always check your bike, make sure the tires are good, that you have spare tubes, patch kit, tire levers, pump and chap stick. you can use the chap stick on your nose to protect from sun burn, it won't sweat off. If your not bike savvy have your local bike shop check it out before a long ride.

At the start of a ride its tempting to start fast, its much better to start slow and let your body get into a rythem. You can go fast at the end of the ride, its more fun then anyway. Two nights before the ride is the critical night for getting a good nights rest, studies have shown poor sleep the night before has little effect, but rest two nights before is crucial.

The above steps to rding distance are simple and is best when it is done from habit. Now go have some fun...

Dry Roads,

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