I didn’t make it up Galibier when I went to the Alps a few years ago. I was injured not long before the trip and managed Alpe D’Huez 1 day, then Croix der Fer the next. The boys went off to Galibier and I consoled myself with another ride up to Huez, then headed down.
It is a truly special place, but Galibier is unfinished business. There is a ride, the Marmotte, which has some sadistic appeal, but I’m not a climber.
Of course it was…
I’ve had a case the other way, where I put 30psi in my wife’s MTB tyres. I ride 25psi normally, with tubeless. Within a mile from the car park, she’d had a crash on some rock trail when she slipped off the rock. She checked her tyre pressures. “You idiot, what pressure is this?, I’ve been riding 25 on the back and 20 on the front”. I was secretly proud that she’d finally become a trail cyclist.
You see, damned if you do and damned if you don’t That’s a good story. I’d be proud of her as well.
I’m wondering if I should try a tubeless setup with the Gatorskins. Looking through the forums, there seems to be a lot of love and hate for these tires. I think at least some of the hate comes from the difficulty that people have mounting them. I find them a little stiffer than the average tire, but if you put the opposite side of the tire that you are working on in the deepest part of the rim, you can put them on pretty easily. As far as the rims, Trek/Bontrager only publish the max size tire, 45c, and not a minimum that I could find. They come with 38c Bontragers, which I’ve swapped for 38c Panaracers. Looking forward to giving the 32s a go.
You need a tubeless specific tyre because the bead is much stiffer/tighter on tubeless tyres. I use Schwalbe Pro One’s for my road tubeless setup and they are very difficult to get over the rim.
The risk being non-tubeless specific tyres can roll off the rim if they drop a bit of pressure. With the speeds being higher on a road bike, this could be very serious/fatal.
Took a stroll on the R2 northbound from Graz today. Different topography than to the south, less densely populated and, to my delight, far less trafic.
Started cycling on a regular basis this summer… I’m hooked! Did a 3-hour ride today and covered almost 60 km. Of course, those are rookie numbers… but it’s been a tremendous help for both my physical and mental health.
You shut your… :-). I did 63km yesterday and it really lays me out. I am pretty sure i am drinking enough water but by the time I get home, I am done. I drink an electrolyte/water thing, and then a litre over the next two hours. Distance/time seem to do me in better than short and hard workouts.
Nice job though @Chuck_Owl! I got a little more serious about biking last summer and this summer I am keeping up with it.
Doing the Navy Bike Ride 2022 at the moment and it’s has been a great inspiration. It isn’t about distance as much as keeping up with the ‘schedule’ - 28 rides over almost 2 months means a ride every two days (roughly).
Cycling long distance is all about a) staying in your base endurance profile (rule of thumb is below 80% of your lactate threshold) and b) eating constantly. Staying hydrated isn’t enough, you will still hit the wall when your glycogen storage is depleted. Following these rules, even an untrained person can cycle an entire day, but once you’re hypoglycemic, it is game over.
I have a bit of a harder time keeping my effort lower. I have new pedals for my bike, with the power meters and stuff, and that has helped. Didn’t know about the eating though. I take some energy bars with me, and my bike computer prompts me to eat a bunch of calories every now and then but I always thought that was a suggestion (I’d also like to lose a little more weight). I will pick that up next time.
Thanks for the info!
Also, getting an older bloke into clipless pedals has been entertaining. I’ve only fallen over twice, once with an audience at a trail/road crossing. I expect I have a few more times in me before it becomes more natural
The problem is, you’re a bit at cross purposes there. Unless you are a seasoned long distance athlete, your body won’t be able to provide energy via ketosis at a rate you’re burning it when cycling. That means that the majority of energy has to be provided from your digestive system, or you’re gonna have a miserable time. Training days really aren’t the right time to go easy on the eating.
The upside is that when you’re in good shape, your body burns more calories even when resting. I’d say worry about your caloric intake on rest days or at least on days where you’re not pushing for a lot of distance.
FInally did my 1000th km for the month of August. Nothing impressive, but as someone who used to struggle to do more than 100 km on a good week, I’d say it’s a good improvement.
I am interested in this as well. I wasn’t doing a pre-cycling meal (outside whatever I had to eat during the day already) but I have been reading more about people specifically having a pre-cycling meal. This may be something I have been missing out on, that is affecting my performance?
