Finally - My sub-4 hour Century - totally fuel-less!

[LarryOz]

I did not think it was possible, as I have tried several times this year with no success.
But I thought I would experiment with fuel-less riding again a little more since it was the end of the season.
So this is my personal Best Fuel-less Century: 3:56:25, so I did it!
I carried 64 ounces of water and drank about 50. I also carried 20 ounces of chocolate milk for an emergency but never used it. There's 5 extra pounds of ballast!

I averaged 25.7 for first 70 miles, but I really faded after 80 miles, and the last 10 miles I only averaged 23.5
Around mile 50 I hit something hard on the track with my rear wheel. There was a huge "bang" and I expected the wheel to go flat and was cautious for the next couple miles. My ProOne tubeless tire saved the day as it stayed inflated enough to ride. (Mental note to check and top off the sealant before important rides) It only had 40 psi in it when I finished the Century, so that might have accounted for some of the slowness near the end (the wind had also picked up a little). I pumped the tire up to 85 psi when I was done and the air just kept leaking out of it. I guess all the sealant leaked out as I rode and kept it from going flat really fast. There is sealant all over the bottom of my quiver and bike frame. The bike shop put Stans in it. I guess I'll try and pump in some OrangeSeal and see if it seals it up better.

Also no power data, which make it a little harder to stay consistent, but good to know I can ride with the power meter data and do this well.
A little bummer that the Garmin Vector Pedals were not working though as I was hoping this would be a great benchmark for the fall. (Now I'll have to do it over again with the pedals are repaired!)

Here is the data from each of my 10 mile laps:
1- 25.2mph - HR=140 (a little slow because starting from dead stop)
2- 25.5mph - HR=141
3 - 25.6mph - HR = 141
4- 25.6mph - HR=139
5 - 26.0mph - HR = 142
6 - 25.7mph - Hr = 145
7- 25.6mph = HR = 148
8- 25.2mph - HR = 149
9- 24.8mph - HR = 149
10- 23.5mph - HR = 144 (I was dying here obviously)

Heart rate:
As you can see,my HR was pretty constant through the first 50 miles, even with me increasing speed slightly. If I had had my power readings to look at, I might not have went as fast early and maybe had more for the end. Hard to say. I really did run out of steam for the last 20 miles though. For lap #8 you can see my heart rate still averaged 149bpm but could only push 24.8mph, when in lap #5 I was able to ride at 26.0mph and HR only 142. Too bad I don't have the power data - that would be interesting and nice to have!

Really felt like I had almost nothing left in the tank when done - , but now I can say I have ridden a sub-4 hour Century fuel-less.

Here is my Strava data: https://www.strava.com/activities/723356424/laps

Larry

 

[trplay]

ProOne tubeless. It only had 40 psi in it when I finished the Century, so that might have accounted for some of the slowness near the end. I pumped the tire up to 85 psi when I was done and the air just kept leaking out of it. I guess all the sealant leaked out as I rode and kept it from going flat really fast. There is sealant all over the bottom of my quiver and bike frame. The bike shop put Stans in it. I guess I'll try and pump in some OrangeSeal and see if it seals it up better.

Congratulations on a great ride! Hey, give that Stans some love. What you are describing sounds like a large cut not a girly pin hole. It sounds like you used up the liquid and it did its job. Take out your valve stem, pour in some more Stans. Then find the leak and roll the tire where the cut is at the ground contact point and hold it there 10 seconds or more then spin to ones delight. I have fixed cuts 1/4 inch this way. If its a Donald trump cut (Huge) patch the inside and you can save the tire (maybe). For what its worth independent tests have shown orange and stans about the same.

 

[LarryOz]

The thing is, it just isn't that big of a cut. Maybe 1/4" end to end and no hunk of rubber missing.
Thanks for the tip, I'll try what you described.

 

[ratz]

Nice job for riding without power.

"Orange Endurance" will seal better than Stans or Regular Orange. It's harder to clean off the rim when you replace the tire but well worth it. It has stuff in it that looks like glitter that helps dramatically seal a cut.

 

[trplay]

OK , Guess I'm gonna try some of this Orange magic juice. Ratz sounds pretty confident so thats good enough for me.

 

[ratz]

OK , Guess I'm gonna try some of this Orange magic juice. Ratz sounds pretty confident so thats good enough for me.

I ran Bontrager and Stans both last year. Only rode through 1 punch; the rest were stop; wait; pump; ride. I was content. This year based on Gary's recommendation I went Orange Endurance. This year on orange-E, I only had to stop 1 time, all other punctures I just kept riding. Hawkeye-downs I had a Orange Sealant booger blister on my front wheel. Once I assured myself it was firm and not squishy, I raced on it without hesitation. I might change it this weekend, maybe. The irony of that will be obvious when I get the race part of the report posted.

The 1 problem with Orange endurance is it's dam dam hard to get the tire to pop back off the rim. When I had tendonitis in June; it took me 45 minutes to pop a tire bead down into the rim to change it. I finally stopped being stubborn and had to resort to a Pedro tire iron to do it. Frankly I like that for my front wheel. Under normal health it's probably a 2-3 minute effort reefing on the tire carcuss.

 

[JOSEPHWEISSERT]

I did not think it was possible, as I have tried several times this year with no success.
But I thought I would experiment with fuel-less riding again a little more since it was the end of the season.
So this is my personal Best Fuel-less Century: 3:56:25, so I did it!
I carried 64 ounces of water and drank about 50. I also carried 20 ounces of chocolate milk for an emergency but never used it. There's 5 extra pounds of ballast!

I averaged 25.7 for first 70 miles, but I really faded after 80 miles, and the last 10 miles I only averaged 23.5
Around mile 50 I hit something hard on the track with my rear wheel. There was a huge "bang" and I expected the wheel to go flat and was cautious for the next couple miles. My ProOne tubeless tire saved the day as it stayed inflated enough to ride. (Mental note to check and top off the sealant before important rides) It only had 40 psi in it when I finished the Century, so that might have accounted for some of the slowness near the end (the wind had also picked up a little). I pumped the tire up to 85 psi when I was done and the air just kept leaking out of it. I guess all the sealant leaked out as I rode and kept it from going flat really fast. There is sealant all over the bottom of my quiver and bike frame. The bike shop put Stans in it. I guess I'll try and pump in some OrangeSeal and see if it seals it up better.

Also no power data, which make it a little harder to stay consistent, but good to know I can ride with the power meter data and do this well.
A little bummer that the Garmin Vector Pedals were not working though as I was hoping this would be a great benchmark for the fall. (Now I'll have to do it over again with the pedals are repaired!)

Here is the data from each of my 10 mile laps:
1- 25.2mph - HR=140 (a little slow because starting from dead stop)
2- 25.5mph - HR=141
3 - 25.6mph - HR = 141
4- 25.6mph - HR=139
5 - 26.0mph - HR = 142
6 - 25.7mph - Hr = 145
7- 25.6mph = HR = 148
8- 25.2mph - HR = 149
9- 24.8mph - HR = 149
10- 23.5mph - HR = 144 (I was dying here obviously)

Heart rate:
As you can see,my HR was pretty constant through the first 50 miles, even with me increasing speed slightly. If I had had my power readings to look at, I might not have went as fast early and maybe had more for the end. Hard to say. I really did run out of steam for the last 20 miles though. For lap #8 you can see my heart rate still averaged 149bpm but could only push 24.8mph, when in lap #5 I was able to ride at 26.0mph and HR only 142. Too bad I don't have the power data - that would be interesting and nice to have!

Really felt like I had almost nothing left in the tank when done - , but now I can say I have ridden a sub-4 hour Century fuel-less.

Here is my Strava data: https://www.strava.com/activities/723356424/laps

Larry

View attachment 3415

Nice work Larry! Three weeks ago, I went over 97 miles (on a century ride) with no food or drink. I felt fine until then, when I got a little thirsty, so I drank some Infinit and was back to normal.

 

[DavidCH]

I did not think it was possible, as I have tried several times this year with no success.
But I thought I would experiment with fuel-less riding again a little more since it was the end of the season.
So this is my personal Best Fuel-less Century: 3:56:25, so I did it!
I carried 64 ounces of water and drank about 50. I also carried 20 ounces of chocolate milk for an emergency but never used it. There's 5 extra pounds of ballast!

I averaged 25.7 for first 70 miles, but I really faded after 80 miles, and the last 10 miles I only averaged 23.5
Around mile 50 I hit something hard on the track with my rear wheel. There was a huge "bang" and I expected the wheel to go flat and was cautious for the next couple miles. My ProOne tubeless tire saved the day as it stayed inflated enough to ride. (Mental note to check and top off the sealant before important rides) It only had 40 psi in it when I finished the Century, so that might have accounted for some of the slowness near the end (the wind had also picked up a little). I pumped the tire up to 85 psi when I was done and the air just kept leaking out of it. I guess all the sealant leaked out as I rode and kept it from going flat really fast. There is sealant all over the bottom of my quiver and bike frame. The bike shop put Stans in it. I guess I'll try and pump in some OrangeSeal and see if it seals it up better.

Also no power data, which make it a little harder to stay consistent, but good to know I can ride with the power meter data and do this well.
A little bummer that the Garmin Vector Pedals were not working though as I was hoping this would be a great benchmark for the fall. (Now I'll have to do it over again with the pedals are repaired!)

Here is the data from each of my 10 mile laps:
1- 25.2mph - HR=140 (a little slow because starting from dead stop)
2- 25.5mph - HR=141
3 - 25.6mph - HR = 141
4- 25.6mph - HR=139
5 - 26.0mph - HR = 142
6 - 25.7mph - Hr = 145
7- 25.6mph = HR = 148
8- 25.2mph - HR = 149
9- 24.8mph - HR = 149
10- 23.5mph - HR = 144 (I was dying here obviously)

Heart rate:
As you can see,my HR was pretty constant through the first 50 miles, even with me increasing speed slightly. If I had had my power readings to look at, I might not have went as fast early and maybe had more for the end. Hard to say. I really did run out of steam for the last 20 miles though. For lap #8 you can see my heart rate still averaged 149bpm but could only push 24.8mph, when in lap #5 I was able to ride at 26.0mph and HR only 142. Too bad I don't have the power data - that would be interesting and nice to have!

Really felt like I had almost nothing left in the tank when done - , but now I can say I have ridden a sub-4 hour Century fuel-less.

Here is my Strava data: https://www.strava.com/activities/723356424/laps

Larry

View attachment 3415

I think you only faded the last 10 miles because of the issues with the rear tyre. Impressive for sure.

I had a surprise today, one lovely ice bottle of extra cold water went missing. I know where it popped but I wasn't going to stop. The route I was taking touches on a highway where one lane away cars are doing 120kph. On the slip road there are cat eyes; best to avoid these unless you want to get rid of a bottle (or two). The vendetta always make drivers rubber neck and slow down so I didn't stop to pick the bottle up. The plastic bottle was getting kind of smelly too. I decided to finish the journey without a drop of water and not stop for eats. I overheated a little but didn't bonk. I only did half the distance you did. To do that for twice the distance for 25mph average or there abouts is beyond me. Guess it must be faster conditions on the track , no wind, no obstacles, smooth surface and of course a better motor weight ratio and compression socks. Nearly bought some socks yesterday but €20 were a little too dear.

Congrats... Remember don't compare yourself to anyone.

P.S. I could not have done this without the ketogenic diet and the bullet proof coffee in the morning surely helps.

 

[LarryOz]

I think you only faded the last 10 miles because of the issues with the rear tyre. Impressive for sure.

I had a surprise today, one lovely ice bottle of extra cold water went missing. I know where it popped but I wasn't going to stop. The route I was taking touches on a highway where one lane away cars are doing 120kph. On the slip road there are cat eyes; best to avoid these unless you want to get rid of a bottle (or two). The vendetta always make drivers rubber neck and slow down so I didn't stop to pick the bottle up. The plastic bottle was getting kind of smelly too. I decided to finish the journey without a drop of water and not stop for eats. I overheated a little but didn't bonk. I only did half the distance you did. To do that for twice the distance for 25mph average or there abouts is beyond me. Guess it must be faster conditions on the track , no wind, no obstacles, smooth surface and of course a better motor weight ratio and compression socks. Nearly bought some socks yesterday but €20 were a little too dear.

Congrats... Remember don't compare yourself to anyone.

Thanks David,
Water - going without that is harder -
Track - It's is nice to be on a closed loop with no obstacles so you never have to hit your brakes. If I start at 7am then there is no one there for at least 2 hours, then lost of people crossing the track to get to the volleyball, basket ball, playgruond, hockey rink, and the worst - roller bladders on the track. Luckily not to much of that today! Wind does pick up later in the morning so first 50 miles is always easier. Track surface is really horrible as it used to be a NASCAR race track. Huge cracks with and without grass and weeds growing up in them. Compared to the Nortbrook Velodrome (up in Indiana) I think it is more than 1kph slower. Road surface is paramount to fast speeds. They have been talking about trying to resurface it, but it's going to cost about $1.5 million and they are having trouble raising the money. When they do - oh boy - that will be sweet!!!!
Compression socks - I have to wear them on my left leg as I had really bad varicose veins that I have had surgery on twice. If I don't wear them my leg hurts. I started wearing them on the right leg too because I discovered that it is better than wearing socks that can fall down in your shoes while you are riding. You used to have to get a prescription for them - my first pair cost me $65. I have been able to buy them online fairly inexpensively if I buy in sets of 3 or so (about $15 a pair or so).

 

[DavidCH]

From what I have been reading... I think anyone doing endurance rides are better off with long compression socks. The biggest ache I had today is my left foot. The local foot expert seems to think it's caused by flat footedness. I have special arched inserts in my shoes but still my left foot is in a lot of pain at 100km. I get mild comfort by crunching my toes and stretching, but I think I might have to go and see a specialist. I could try making a hole in the inner sole so the painful callus has less pressure on it and see how that goes. I would say this is the only thing really stopping me from doing longer distances.

On a DF I use to do more stretching than I do with the V. Is this laziness with the horizontal position? I have got into a rut of spinning the pedals at 90rpm or more and of course... If a roadie comes into view... Game on.

 

[bladderhead]

It was that "Bang - Ssss" that wasted your energy in the last few miles. The only way to slow down the Hendersonville Hurricane is to throw nails on the track. Those DF riders will stop at nothing.

 

[super slim]

Larry, is this the second time you have had your power tap pedals back for repair?

Excellent ride at 40 kph for just under 4 hrs, with no fuel!!!!

 

[SteveJW]

I'm going to show my ignorance - again.

Is the fuel-less riding to further develop your body's ability to process fat for it's principle source of energy? Or something else?

 

[LarryOz]

Is the fuel-less riding to further develop your body's ability to process fat for it's principle source of energy? Or something else?

I would say that it is more proof of where you are in the process.
But having said that, I do think riding (and doing other aerobic laden activities) in combination with a low carb diet will train (even force) your body to use your fat as fuel.
Much more on the thread: http://cruzbike.com/forum/threads/diet-low-carb-and-ultra-cycling.11000/ that doesn't need to be duplicated here.

 

[ratz]

I would say that it is more proof of where you are in the process.
But having said that, I do think riding (and doing other aerobic laden activities) in combination with a low carb diet will train (even force) your body to use your fat as fuel.
Much more on the thread: http://cruzbike.com/forum/threads/diet-low-carb-and-ultra-cycling.11000/ that doesn't need to be duplicated here.

The theory is; that when you race you stack your Threshold and Anaerobic (Glycogen based) effort on top your aerobic base. If your aerobic base is "wide" meaning it goes a long time at a decent level then you can ultra cycle further and faster, allowing you to spread your limited Glycogen based effort over a longer period. Fueling on bike is something like 80% for the future; and 20% for the now. If your Glycogen last longer you need to potentially fuel less which simplifies the effort. If your aerobic base is "tall" meaning you've trained your slow twitch muscle to be stronger by going slow for a lot of training hours you can then go faster on top of it; and sprint stronger. Larry's attacking it from that front; where as Maria is pushing the limits of what she can do pure Keto and fast due to issues trying to eat anything on the bike.

Most of us have at some point in our lives tried to "run" and if you've run with someone whose is much better shape then you have experienced sucking wind while they just want to talk like they are sitting on the couch. Larry's effort would be to measure how fast he can go at the "I can talk to you pace" while the rest of us want to punch him in the face while we are sucking wind and trying to keep our heart inside the ribs.

But as he said much more of that over in the low carb thread....which should probably be called something like avoid the bad-carbs, and the 4f trhread, because on race day most people are going to fuel on top of aerobic. We just strive not to be "Gel" heads. it's easier on the wallet and the body to eat healthy real foods (by what ever philosophy you define healthy).

 

[bladderhead]

I want to ride at the "I can talk to you" pace. I think in my case it is 19mph. That is the "I can talk to Larry on a mobile phone" pace.