[amol4184]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Eminently doable. What's the plan? Where are you going? Are you riding solo? It works out to 75 km a day. Which on its own is really not that much more than the 55 odd km rides you do regularly. But doing it day after day over a week and more is the tricky bit. So you need to 0ace yourself when you are fresh and always keep reminding yourself that what you burn today (while you can) you will not have tomorrow, and have even less the day and days after. So go conservative early and also remember after the furst 2-3 days you will get a second wind and start adapting and feeling stronger. Looking forward to gearing the experiences 9f other long distance riders here too. Especially multi day tourers like Papr.

Cheers, Doc

Mandavi to Goa in a group, one way. Then come back in a car with cycle in the boot or something similar. Group ride. If you guys are up, we can all join.

It is arranged by pedalthirstadventures (Pune based I think). Those are the only details I have. Did not enquire much since I am going back and forth on decision to join. They will have a support vehicle though.
I know nothing about that company but the idea of traversing Konkan region is immensely attractive to me. It is my favorite area. If not thru some organizer, I would like to do that route on my own any way.

Like you said, doing that distance regularly could be challenging - that was exactly my thought too and hence asked here. Tips welcome, what can be done in next 2 months, good practices while riding etc.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by amol4184

Like you said, doing that distance regularly could be challenging - that was exactly my thought too and hence asked here. Tips welcome, what can be done in next 2 months, good practices while riding etc.

1) Practice climbing. It's full rolling. Very beautiful but very tough.

2) Practice riding in the afternoon heat. It's going to be hot and humid. Regardless of the time of the year.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by amol4184

Planning to train for a 600km odd ride spread over 8 days. My current rides are 55km around. So the plan is to complete handful of 100km rides before November end.

Little scared and apprehensive. The ride won't be for Strava record books so the social pressure will be less but still some doubts in my mind.
Thoughts? Doable?

Practice, practice and practice is the name of the game. 600 kms in 8 days is tough but quite doable. I would suggest if you are serious about completing this ride, then you will have to start right away. You will have to do 100+ km rides at least on alternative weekends, if not consecutive ones. Also do 40-50km rides on weekdays (as your work permits). Practise during different times of the day, especially around noon (as Doc has suggested) to test your hydration levels and getting used to the afternoon heat and humidity. One of my close friends did a Riding tour of Himachal. He practised very hard for that. Every weekend he would do 100+ kms rides. This weekend I am going to meet him. Will definitely ask him for some tips and tricks. All the best for your preparations.

[amol4184]

Originally Posted by ebonho

1) Practice climbing. It's full rolling. Very beautiful but very tough.

2) Practice riding in the afternoon heat. It's going to be hot and humid. Regardless of the time of the year.

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Practice, practice and practice is the name of the game. 600 kms in 8 days is tough but quite doable. I would suggest if you are serious about completing this ride, then you will have to start right away. You will have to do 100+ km rides at least on alternative weekends, if not consecutive ones. Also do 40-50km rides on weekdays (as your work permits). Practise during different times of the day, especially around noon (as Doc has suggested) to test your hydration levels and getting used to the afternoon heat and humidity. One of my close friends did a Riding tour of Himachal. He practised very hard for that. Every weekend he would do 100+ kms rides. This weekend I am going to meet him. Will definitely ask him for some tips and tricks. All the best for your preparations.

Thank you! So looks straight forward to me: try to bag a few 100km rides especially when sun is up and regular comparatively short rides. Will keep you folks posted how it goes. If not full 600, will definitely do short but multi day ride.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

I believe you meant, "Because your body was sore after a 21k run (not ride), you did a 34k ride?"

I didn't realize that the 21k was a run and not a ride. Now my respect has further increased

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by amol4184

Thank you! So looks straight forward to me: try to bag a few 100km rides especially when sun is up and regular comparatively short rides. Will keep you folks posted how it goes. If not full 600, will definitely do short but multi day ride.

75 km a day is worst case no more than 4 hours of riding. Of course you are going in a big group of unknown riders, which comes both with its advantages as well as challenges. But on your own 75 km should not worst case scenario take more than 4 hours riding time. Which means if you start at 7 am (usual starting time for groups versus 5-6 for solo or 2-man rides) then even with a halfway point food break plus a couple of more water/stretching/photography breaks (again normal for organised "mela" riding ) then you should be done for the day by noon. Which is a great time, because then you have the rest of the day free in front of you, plus you avoid riding in the killer patch of 1-4 pm. But humidity you will have to face the whole day. Nothing you can do about that. The heat gets multiplied because of that.

In addition to training for climbing and heat and distance (centuries), also try and string together 4 then 5 then 6 then 7 days at a stretch of 50+ km rides daily. And see how you feel and what helps and what does not in terms of recovery.

[Mi10]

Originally Posted by amol4184

Planning to train for a 600km odd ride spread over 8 days. My current rides are 55km around. So the plan is to complete handful of 100km rides before November end.

Little scared and apprehensive. The ride won't be for Strava record books so the social pressure will be less but still some doubts in my mind.
Thoughts? Doable?

I am no long distance rider and no means wanting to become one at least in near future, as i am literally scared of riding long hours. But then i train with few SRs and one of them a multiple 1200 finisher. my points below based on my experience in interacting / training with them

• First things first - work on your strength regime - i mean focus on your strength part for 30-35% of the time remaining till the event.
• When you are totally fatigued even moving an eyeball can get you injured -( yeah might seem to be over exaggerating, but it is better to look stupid talking caution than ending up in a clinic without finishing the ride)
  
• Always plan everyday distance based on external situation (Climate / Terrain / Bike issues etc..) - and be ready to be flexible at mind level. There will be days where you want to hit 100-120 kms and there will be days where you're contend for covering 50-60 kms. Idea is make hay while the sun shines.
  
• Riding in elevation can be physically taxing and it is important to understand elevation profiles upfront so that you know whats coming ahead.
  
• Hydration and right Nutrition at regular intervals is key - never compromise on this.
  
• In case you end up breaking away from the group, please ensure, you have a backup plan in mind (this can be either a well planned solo ride or calling it a day - safety is most important and absolutely no shame in accepting that)

All the best buddy, looking forward for your nice bike'logue

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Mi10

I am no long distance rider and no means wanting to become one at least in near future, as i am literally scared of riding long hours. But then i train with few SRs and one of them a multiple 1200 finisher. my points below based on my experience in interacting / training with them
[list][*]First things first - work on your strength regime - i mean focus on your strength part for 30-35% of the time remaining till the event. [*]When you are totally fatigued even moving an eyeball can get you injured -( yeah might seem to be over exaggerating, but it is better to look stupid talking caution than ending up in a clinic without finishing the ride)

I am so lazy and hate the strength training part but I know the big gains are going to come from there. Maybe one of these days I am going to pull me head out of my posterior and actually do something in this regard ... (hope remains strong)

Fatigue on motorcycle or cycle is a killer. I have seen riders on both going to sleep and crashing. Such crashes are really nasty because the body is limp and there is zero pre crash bracing for impact. I am terrified of sleep and that is probably the primary reason I quit longer BRMs on public highways at night. I've made peace with the fact that I am no longer a young man and can no longer pull off all nighters like I easily used to do in medical college 30 years ago.

You can fight pain on the bike. You cannot fight sleep. Period.

I therefore shifted my focus to riding long and hard (as possible) in the daytime and then get a proper night's sleep. I think 200 to 300 km a day is the safe limit. More or less, depending on your pace (slower guys really suffer). After that you are really pushing it.

Originally Posted by amol4184

Mandavi to Goa

Here is a first-timer doing it by the Bombay Poona Bangalore highway ... (P.S. I cringe every time I see him descending one-handed at speed, holding the long selfie stick with the other hand, other times riding no handed on the highway ... both huge no-no's man)

https://youtu.be/niVEWtDxst4

[papr23]

Originally Posted by amol4184

Planning to train for a 600km odd ride spread over 8 days. My current rides are 55km around. So the plan is to complete handful of 100km rides before November end.

Little scared and apprehensive. The ride won't be for Strava record books so the social pressure will be less but still some doubts in my mind.
Thoughts? Doable?

You have a month in hand to train?
If your regular 55km ride is closer to the terrain that you are planning to take then you are almost good to go. Try to increase your daily ride time to ensure you don't get saddle sores.
Point is, ride everyday, however small distance it is. Vary the distance based on how you feel. And do a long and moderately long distances on back to back days and see how you feel riding on the third morning.

When on tour, forget that there is a support vehicle and think of it only if there is an emergency.
The terrain is going to be rolling with steep ups and downs. So momentum plays a big part in taking you forward. If you take lot of breaks, you might feel a bit tired at the end of the day.
I went with my wife few years back on a jolly ride and did less than half of what you are planning to do: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/bicyc...kan-coast.html (A 250 km bicycle ride along the Konkan Coast)

[amol4184]

Originally Posted by Mi10

I am no long distance rider and no means wanting to become one at least in near future, as i am literally scared of riding long hours. But then i train with few SRs and one of them a multiple 1200 finisher. my points below based on my experience in interacting / training with them

• First things first - work on your strength regime - i mean focus on your strength part for 30-35% of the time remaining till the event.
• When you are totally fatigued even moving an eyeball can get you injured -( yeah might seem to be over exaggerating, but it is better to look stupid talking caution than ending up in a clinic without finishing the ride)
  
• Always plan everyday distance based on external situation (Climate / Terrain / Bike issues etc..) - and be ready to be flexible at mind level. There will be days where you want to hit 100-120 kms and there will be days where you're contend for covering 50-60 kms. Idea is make hay while the sun shines.
  
• Riding in elevation can be physically taxing and it is important to understand elevation profiles upfront so that you know whats coming ahead.
  
• Hydration and right Nutrition at regular intervals is key - never compromise on this.
  
• In case you end up breaking away from the group, please ensure, you have a backup plan in mind (this can be either a well planned solo ride or calling it a day - safety is most important and absolutely no shame in accepting that)

All the best buddy, looking forward for your nice bike'logue

Damn these are some good points. Thanks a lot!
I have also started working on core strength. Right now I feel confident doing longer distances (for me) on flats -that was not the case two months ago, so there is some improvement. The inclines are definitely an issue though. Planning to regularly ride a hill here which almost made me get off the saddle and push.
Other thing I have on my mind is to complete some rides in the afternoon heat as Doc suggested. I wake up late so sun up rides will happen naturally anyway . Again, thanks for these tips!

Originally Posted by ebonho

I am so lazy and hate the strength training part but I know the big gains are going to come from there. Maybe one of these days I am going to pull me head out of my posterior and actually do something in this regard ... (hope remains strong)

Fatigue on motorcycle or cycle is a killer. I have seen riders on both going to sleep and crashing. Such crashes are really nasty because the body is limp and there is zero pre crash bracing for impact. I am terrified of sleep and that is probably the primary reason I quit longer BRMs on public highways at night. I've made peace with the fact that I am no longer a young man and can no longer pull off all nighters like I easily used to do in medical college 30 years ago.

You can fight pain on the bike. You cannot fight sleep. Period.

I therefore shifted my focus to riding long and hard (as possible) in the daytime and then get a proper night's sleep. I think 200 to 300 km a day is the safe limit. More or less, depending on your pace (slower guys really suffer). After that you are really pushing it.



Here is a first-timer doing it by the Bombay Poona Bangalore highway ... (P.S. I cringe every time I see him descending one-handed at speed, holding the long selfie stick with the other hand, other times riding no handed on the highway ... both huge no-no's man)

https://Youtu.be/niVEWtDxst4

Doc you do 100k rides regularly. In my eyes you have great strength and overall fitness. I have also seen you ride in adverse weather and also at night - both of which are no-no for me.
Will keep this thing in my mind about sleep. In my rides I am yet to battle sleep purely because I was never tired to that extent, so I have hard time imagining it.
That sounds like a nightmare honestly. Thanks for pointing it out. I am generally a light sleeper. Ever since I started cycling, my sleep is getting better as per my fitness watch. It will probably help in a long ride spread over a week, hopefully.

Originally Posted by papr23

You have a month in hand to train?
If your regular 55km ride is closer to the terrain that you are planning to take then you are almost good to go. Try to increase your daily ride time to ensure you don't get saddle sores.
Point is, ride everyday, however small distance it is. Vary the distance based on how you feel. And do a long and moderately long distances on back to back days and see how you feel riding on the third morning.

When on tour, forget that there is a support vehicle and think of it only if there is an emergency.
The terrain is going to be rolling with steep ups and downs. So momentum plays a big part in taking you forward. If you take lot of breaks, you might feel a bit tired at the end of the day.
I went with my wife few years back on a jolly ride and did less than half of what you are planning to do: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/bicyc...kan-coast.html (A 250 km bicycle ride along the Konkan Coast)

(Big fan of your threads man)

I have two months in hand if this trip happens. If it doesn't then I have more. But I am definitely going to do a ride in that region with or without the group I mentioned. The terrain I am riding currently is sedate compared to Konkan.
Only respite is I won't be caring about avg speeds on Strava

I had not read your Konkan thread. Read it this morning and is fabulous (as always). Co-incidentally, I did some of that route in my Jeep early this year and have photos from exact same spots which you have posted. Brought back pleasant memories. Only similarity? The Jeep has same bone jarring ride like my cycle .

--------

Boy, the big guns have spoken.
Thanks guys, I will keep you guys apprised how it goes. Lot of things need to be planned right from leaves/work commitment, homely duties. Middle class perils.

[ebonho]

Weather is just too gorgeous in Poona right now man. Give me more!

Early morning century to Kamshet.



Cheers, Doc

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Weather is just too gorgeous in Poona right now man. Give me more!

Early morning century to Kamshet.

Could not agree more, well done Doc

You are lucky that you can venture on Century rides on weekdays. Poor souls like me, can only dream of this over the week ends. A small ride of 35-40 kms is planned for tomorrow though.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Could not agree more, well done Doc

You are lucky that you can venture on Century rides on weekdays. Poor souls like me, can only dream of this over the week ends. A small ride of 35-40 kms is planned for tomorrow though.

Last 2 days of the month bro. Lazed around on my fat posterior for the early part. Now scrambling to make my quota. I do weekday centuries quite often actually. This loop takes me 4 hours and I start early in the dark, using my lights for the first hour or even more.

[kat]

Barely a couple of weeks after I completed a 200 BRM on my MTB, I completed one of the toughest BRMs in the south - a 300 BRM including 3500 m of elevation gain, last weekend. And rightly, the BRM is called Herculean 300

Route with elevation in braces - Madurai (125m) -> Pandrimalai (1360m) -> Batlagundu (250m) -> Kodaikanal silver cascade falls (1750m) -> Madurai (125m)

Ride was flagged off at 4 AM on Saturday (25-Sep-21) and my regular ride buddies joined together to cover the initial 60+ kms over highways in a little over 2 hours. Had a mini breakfast at the foothills and started the climb up to Pandrimalai (translates to Pig hill). It is a small village up the Palani hills on the eastern end. It is a constant 5-6% climb for around 20 kms after which it is a rolling terrain for about 20 kms. Another 20 kms downhill, we reached the foothills from another ghat road and reached Batlagundu for a brunch.

After brunch, the sun was red hot and we started towards the next climb towards Silver Cascade which is on the way to Kodaikanal. To add some drama, my cycle rear tyre got puctured just when my riding group started the second climb. I was last of the group and didn't want to waste time of others, so changed tube by myself and started off the second climb after 20 minutes. The second climb isn't a continuous climb like Pandrimalai but is a combination of climbs and rolling terrain averaging about 4% in all over 40kms. I started off strong but the sun was too hot to handle. Took a short break, recovered strength and started off again after some peanut bars and an energy drink. And to my luck, the sun too waded off as I moved deep into the hills and it started becoming comfortable. Within 3.5 hours, I reached the falls and I could join my riding group before they took the U-turn. Had some good snacks at the road side shops near the falls and started the long ride downhill. Our plan was to complete the descent before 6.30 PM since we didn't want to risk riding downhill after dark and we did it right on time.

Had a short break and continued the return to Madurai which was uneventful and quite easy. Overall time was 17 hours 40 minutes and riding time was around 14 hours. I ensured that I stayed in the zone 2-zone 3 power (about 2.2 W/kg average) and zone 3-zone 4 HR (150-160 bpm) throughout the climbs to conserve energy. Overall, it was a satisfying ride, especially since I completed a similar 3000 BRM before the Covid situation in about 19 hours, all fatigued and drained out.

Hydration stats - 8 liters of water and 4 liters of hydration powder + water
Nutrition stats - 2 energy drink cans, 2 snicker bars, 2 peanut energy bars, 4 Fast-n-up gels while riding. And a whole lot of snacks, food, coffee etc. during breaks.

Some pics:

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by kat

Barely a couple of weeks after I completed a 200 BRM on my MTB, I completed one of the toughest BRMs in the south - a 300 BRM including 3500 m of elevation gain, last weekend. And rightly, the BRM is called Herculean 300

Super awesome ride Kat. Damn impressive both in terms of the elevation as well as your elapsed time.

We have a somewhat similar brutal 300 here called Strawberry Fields. I did that in 2017. On my ACT. You keep climbing on the rolling route, with Katraj, Khambatki, Pasarni as the big climbs, and then the painful Satara climbs and the climbing back from Shirwal. 3200 odd meters. Did that in under or just around 17 hours. Not a nice ride for sure! LOL

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/iLJzFZyEWjb

We guys from Maharashtra initially tend to struggle on the longer southern climbs, because we rarely have climbs longer than 15 km here. Steep yes. But not relentless. The big 40+ km giants like the legendary Varandha which we do regularly on motorcycles, are very bad in terms of road tarmac most of the year for cycles, and not just roadies.

Cheers, Doc