Training for long rides

[maillotpois]

Would you do this all in one shot, riding straight through, or do it as a tour with camping or hotels set up and the ride spread out over several days? That makes a huge difference in terms of your planning.

[Geonz]

I don't need to do a long ride *every* week (but when I can, it sure feels good). Thing is, a long ride... is a long ride. And I've never done one *that* long - 160 miles is my longest. So this is all hypothetical.
I think that if you are riding fairly long every day and get to the point where 60 km is just a pretty normal activity, then cycling isn't a big exertion, so long isn't long. You still have to deal with things like chafing at some point... but with all that daily riding there would be calluses!
I didn't find 160 miles to be all that much longer than 100 (tho' the tailwind the whole way helped).

[lph]

All in one shot...

[Veronica]

Everyone is different. In the 3 three months leading up to my first 200 miler, the longest ride I did was about 95 miles. It also had about 10,000 feet of climbing.

I find it hard to do much more than a century when I'm training, so I make those centuries hard. It's just hard to find the time. I also do a lot of interval work.

V.

[maillotpois]

And I generally like to have a longer ride before a LONG ride. So before my 600k last year, I had a 200 miler. And my long rides this year built up on one another in rando fashion 200k, 300k, 400k and then a couple of 200 milers.

I'd suggest you try to at least get in one 200 miler (or 300k) before your 267. Especially if the course is hilly. You'll also want some time testing lights, and riding with lights. With a hilly 430k, I imagine you'd have some time riding in the dark, and being comfortable with that by training in it is invaluable.

So how about starting your LONG training ride well before dawn, so you aren't spending too much more than half of a daylight day riding your bike, thereby alleviating the family missing you too much? That assumes you're in an area where it's safe to ride at night - even doing short loops of a dark-safe route, and then tacking on a different route when it gets lighter would work.

[lph]

Thanks all!

I'm thinking I might do something in between - increase my daily mileage as much as possible, and then get in maybe 3 or 4 really long rides in the weekends. Starting a ride before dawn was a good idea too - I commute all winter so I have a whole box full of various lighting configurations

So far this is all very hypothetical, my longest ride to date is 83 km (yesterday)... Nice ride! worked on riding "gently" and came back feeling very fresh and un-tired.

[jobob]

Just curious, how long is your daylight during mid-summer ?