Another vote for checking out your hydration, nutrition, general "fueling." here is why I do for my forty mile rides (I seem to have plateaued at fifty miles ... But I have only been riding since April - yes, I have been a member here much longer):

Two hours out from ride I start drinking as much water as I can stand. I also fix myself a cheese and egg sandwich on toast. I stop drinking heavily an hour before the ride. Go potty before your ride.

During the ride I have one bottle half Gatorade and half water OR an endurance specific shake. Other bottle is only water. I drink from both every ten to 15 minutes.

Post ride I drink a recovery shake and make sure I eat some sort of protein within two hours of completing the ride. Beer and homemade tacos are a favorite of mine.


If I were you I would keep your mileage at this level and start figuring out what works for you. I can tell you now that I fuel/drink/eat less now for my standard twenty mile rides than what I used to need when twenty miles was my long rides. Once I am able to get past my fifty mile hump I wonder if it will change my needs for the forty miles rides but at the moment I just haven't had time to put the mileage down that I need (if I don't I have knee issues when I try to jump my mileage too much).