Training for a century?!

[Bike Goddess]

Food looks pretty good, although for longer rides I wouldn't bring any sausages or eggs as they are hard for your system to digest under the stress of riding. Remember, when you are riding longer distances you need to make it easy for your body to assimilate food.

Interesting that your DH is using Cytomax. I live in the town where it is made so I go over to the factory and pick up mine. They are a great group and I am happy to support them. It's fun to see them work- all of them seem to enjoy their jobs which tells me something about the company. Right now they are celebrating their 10th anniversary.

A word to DH from the Cytomax folks - if you take small sips every 15 min (as much as you can time this) it will keep your energy level up without upsetting your intestinal tract, etc. I have used this program pretty regularly now and it has made a big difference! Are you able to use Cytomax as well? If not, you might look for Hammer products as they have a lot of good stuff too.

Good to hear you can ride clipless. Now try using your hamstring muscles. When you reach the downstroke pretend you are scraping mud from the bottom of your shoe. Play around with this on a flat surface and you should notice an immediate gain in speed and power. Then try it on a hill. It's hard to do it all the time, but the more you can, the less tired you will feel!! Also I'd recommend that you work on some exercises to strengthen your abs. This will make your back happy especially since it sounds like a pretty flat ride.

Be sure to check the weather a few days before your ride so you can get an idea of wind speed, direction, temperature changes and precipation.
I use the Weather Channel as they are pretty accurate with hourly forecasts.
Also, I'd rather start out a little cool as I know I'll warm up later. Arm warmers and leg warmers are great for cool mornings and fit nicely into a back pocket.

One last thing- I always take a small bag of pills- ibuprofren, electrolytes, & tums. Doesn't weigh much but is nice to have when you need something!

[TrekTheKaty]

Thank you, Bike Goddess!

I've used the Cytomax and it seems fine--doesn't upset my stomach. I used to use Hammer gels, so I'll look at them again. I'll work on getting away from the eggs and sausage.

I'll remember to work on my pedal stroke--I'll need the all the help I can get when my mileage picks up!

I usually carry ibuprofen, but hadn't thought about electrolytes or tums. I'm the "Mom" of the group--I have the first aid kit, sunblock and insect spray--so I'll add those in!

[TrekTheKaty]

Can you elaborate on the car traffic on a century? It looks like it is mostly on country roads and a paved bike path, but there is a portion through downtown and a busy residential area. Do you they usually close a lane of the road, or no?

[melissam]

Hi cunninghamair,

I don't think they've ever closed a road to car traffic on any organized century I've ridden in. The ride organizers stress the fact that even though we're on an organized ride, we MUST obey all local traffic laws and ride safely.

On a lot of the organized rides I've been on, the ride organizers also put up big signs on the road notifying drivers that there are bicycles on the road. There's also big signs reminding riders to ride singlefile!

Of course, your century may be different -- they may close the road.

There! How's that for the most waffling answer to a simple question? Maybe I should consider a career change to politics.

- Melissa '08!

PS How in the world do you pronounce your screen name?!

[wildhawk]

I have a hybrid and I am training for the MS150 next spring. I am curious why I see so many of you switching to road bikes and not riding centuries on hybrids. Is there something I should know about?

[tygab]

I have a hybrid and I am training for the MS150 next spring. I am curious why I see so many of you switching to road bikes and not riding centuries on hybrids. Is there something I should know about?

Because it's a lot more work? Hybrids are by and large quite a bit heavier materials than road bikes, and are geared to pretty flat terrain. Road bikes are lighter and usually able to handle much more varied terrain. And for a short ride, this may not be a big deal (short, let's say is 20 miles or less). But to get through a long ride, you want to maintain efficiency for as long as possible and not burn out all your muscles early on. A road bike will help you do this. That said, a lot of people are comfortable on hybrids because they have flat handle bars and much more upright positions, however, you can find road bikes that mimic this geometry and there are also a variety of handle bars that one could use if the standard drop bars don't do it. I think road bars actually offer more positions than a flat bar could, which makes it a lot easier to stay fresh by rotating through them.

anyway, my .02. You can do a century on a hybrid. Maybe you could do one on a fixie or BMX for that matter. But it could be a lot more taxing and less enjoyable than you bargained for...

[wildhawk]

Thank you for your .02 cents worth. Unfortunately not all of us can afford a new bike and I have seen some expensive road bikes. Plus, I have carpal tunnel and cannot use drop handlebars. I guess now I am feeling discouraged about doing longer rides because it seems that everyone thinks they can only be done on road bikes. I have ridden 20+ miles on my hybrid in an afternoon ride and the only discomfort I have had has been my seat, which I changed out. And yes I live in Florida, so I guess our bridges do not count as “hills”. But they are still a challenge. I guess I will keep training for the MS150 because it is a major goal I have set for myself, but some encouragement would be nice.

[PscyclePath]

I have a hybrid and I am training for the MS150 next spring. I am curious why I see so many of you switching to road bikes and not riding centuries on hybrids. Is there something I should know about?

Riding the Hotter 'n Hell Hundred last weekend, I saw Folks riding just about every kind of bike... triathlon/TT bikes, road bikes of almost every flavor, hybrids, recumbents, tricycles, fixed-gears, mountain bikes, you name it. And they all made it through Hell's Gate, and on to the finish.

The best bike to ride is probably the bike you have, provided that you're comfortable and confident on that bike. I tend to use my road bike for these sorts of events, mostly to hang with the group I'm riding with, who are on road bikes... it's lighter and faster, takes less energy to motor along, and it's very comfortable. But I do my day to day riding and training on my steel tourer/commuters, and so when I move to the road bike, I feel like I can nearly fly ;-)

tom

[Thorn]

Wildhawk, you want to be riding the bike that makes you happy. If it makes you happy, you'll ride it more; if you ride it more...well, that's what the doctor ordered.

If at some point you want to travel a little easier, you might want to look at this other thread ( http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...ghlight=slicks ). Tires make a difference, particularly if your hybrid was configured for trail. Consider it a face lift for your bike--it will still be your trusted steed, just with a new pair of "dancin' shoes".