Prepping a Q for Bike Sebring

Eric Winn

Eric Winn

Zen MBB Master
Prepping a Q for Bike Sebring

I've registered for the Bike Sebring Century and will be riding the Quest. I had originally wanted to try the 12 Hour but since I'm new to ultracycling, my longest ride to date has been 52+ miles, and my winter training has not been as robust as I had wanted it to be so I'm playing it safe and am just going to do the Century. That and I'm still waiting on my Vendetta dang it....

I have been riding on the rollers in 2 hour sessions which works out to be around 25 miles as I am slow on the rollers. I seem to be much faster on the road so we'll see how it goes.

I purchased one of the new Bachetta Brain Box (aka BBB) bags and managed to fit it to the Q by removing the existing rack and playing with the seat post stays to orient them to allow the BBB to sort of fit on the back. I experimented with dropping the seat way back to about 25 degrees - it feels fun but in this position I can't use the rack, the BBB, or the water bottle cages I put on the seat backs so I've left it at about 40 degrees so I can carry two bottles of gatorade or similar behind the seat and plain water in the Hydrapack. Other notes about the fully reclined seat - I end up having the handlebar riser blocking my centerline view forward, I can still reach the handles but my arms are fully extended so I would probably need to flip the bars around, and my big melon head gets really hard to hold up at that angle (no headrest!) - especially with a bike helmet on it.

I also picked up a 50oz (1.5L) Hydrapack water reservoir that fits perfectly in the insulated sleeve at the forward end of the BBB and have been practicing riding my rollers with all the gear I intend to carry during the Century race. BTW - two side-by-side 24oz water bottles fit in that BBB pouch but to stick up a bit into the top zipper cover but not enough to prevent zipping the cover closed.

  • spare tube

  • mini presta pump

  • SKS Air checker gauge - I tested my calibrated does it feel like enough pressure with my hand squeezing the tire and found when I checked it with a gauge ended up being just under 65psi rather than the 100psi it should have been so I'm using a gauge if I flat and have to repair and re-air the tube.

  • tube patch kit

  • tire irons (tire plastics? grin)

  • 15mm wrench - gotta have one to get the Q front drive wheel off - no front QR skewer - ugh!

  • Small SKS toolkit with misc tools

  • Chocolate chip Clif bars

  • presta to schraeder adapter (backup)

  • left and right zefal spy mirrors

  • inexpensive battery headlight and tail light for the start - looks to still be dark at 6:30am from past event photos

  • external battery for my iPhone which will be capturing my ride data using Cyclemeter including speed, cadence, and heart rate monitor sensors.

  • I'm taking cold and warm weather riding gear including one of those bright windbreaker jackets. I'll probably just wear riding shorts, cycling sandals, jersey, walz cap and helmet based on the current weather trends. If it is cool I'll wear the jacket and toss it back in the bag as it warms.
Am I forgetting anything? I have the route loaded into my iPhone but I figure I'll be at the back following everyone else and trying to keep enough within site to see where they go as well as watching for the route markings.

:)

-Eric
 
John Dorlon

John Dorlon

Guru
2 things

two things come to mind:

1) I'm not sure what time of year this event is, but if you will be wearing suncreen, bring a small bottle so you can reapply. Twice on centuries I've wished I had some to reapply. It doesn't take much to rub it off when you are all sweaty. Maybe also a small towel to dry your face before reapplying.

2) Work your way up to 80 miles at least once on a training ride before you attempt a century. I did this before my first century and I'm glad I did. My legs cramped up and I discovered that I needed to be taking more electrolytes than I was for rides of that length. Do it at least 2 or 3 weeks before the event so you can make adjustments and do it again if needed.
 
Eric Winn

Eric Winn

Zen MBB Master
Sun screen and distance training - check

Hi John, Sun screen - check. Yes I had thought of this but neglected to include it in my list. Thanks for the reminder.

I agree with the distance recommendations but winter, work schedule, and training equipment challenges have made this a bit difficult to do and Bike Sebring is 16 February, 2013 so I'm trying an alternative strategy with more frequency but less distance.

It has been a messy and really cold winter of late here in Michigan and my distance riding has been outdoors up until the roads got too messy for me to feel comfortable riding. I have been doing 2 hour indoor sessions on the rollers but dislike going much more than 2 hours because I start getting a bit bored at that point and tend to start coming off the rollers because I let my attention wander.

Last year I was riding 25 miles daily for a while on my DF and felt really, really good doing this.

I started riding the Quest on 22 Nov 2012 and have put 451+ miles on it since then. I use Cyclemeter and have it set to say ride status announcements every 10 minutes. I use the announcements as reminders to sip a little water and on the hour marks eat a granola bar and drink some Gatorade or other electrolyte drink. Using this technique on a 46+ mile ride on Jan 12 (also first time riding clipless!) and a 52+ mile ride on Jan 19 when the weather temps popped up and the roads cleared temporarily. I experienced no physical or intestinal discomfort during or after the ride. Just mildly tired from the exercise and followed my normal daily routine post-ride without feeling any other effects.

My outdoor riding is on rolling hills with a little bit of relatively flat riding. I generally pedal all the time and hardly ever coast. I try to be methodical to aggressive uphill and, as Dan Fallon has observed, have benefitted from quicker overall ride times by being faster on the uphills although I enjoy the fast downhills too.

Bike Sebring this year is mostly to get out of snow and winter for a break and to experience an ultra race and meet Jim, Maria, Dan and others in person. I figure I can probably hold an average 15+mph pace without trying very hard which would put me near a 6.5 to 7 hour Bike Sebring Century completion time. If I feel comfortable holding a higher pace I may kick it up and see what happens.

I've reserved a Wahoo Fitness KICKR trainer from their first shipment batch that is expected to arrive stateside in mid-February with delivery in early March. Hopefully my Vendetta won't be much longer and I can finish up the remaining winter and early summer training in earnest for the National 24 Hour Challenge in mid-June, here in Middleville, MI - 131 days from now (2/4).

-Eric
 
John Dorlon

John Dorlon

Guru
Yeah I can see how it would

Yeah I can see how it would be tough to get ready for a century in Michigan in the winter. Feb 16th - that ride is coming up quick!

My usual saturday rides are in the neighborhood of 50-60 miles. For me, the first 60 miles of a century are easy enough, miles 60-80 are tough, and miles 80-100 are very tough. You might want to take some electrolyte pills along too. If you start to get some 'cramp twinges', you need electrolytes fast, but you don't want to start chugging sports drink because your stomach will get too sloshy. I discovered Salt Stick (http://www.saltstick.com) last year. Before that, I took Endurolytes (http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/endurolytes.elt.html) but would still sometimes get cramps. Haven't had a single cramp since I started with Salt Stick.

Have fun and good luck! Let us know how it went. It sounds like it will be a fun event.
 
psychling

psychling

Well-Known Member
Speed and sunscreen

I support your decision to enjoy the 100 miler, and to move at the pace you've identified. The only way I was able to train in the winter while living in Chicago was to do so in the basement on the CompuTrainer. And that was insane.

I've found a sunscreen that is very effective and does not sting your eyes at all. Kinyses. (kinyses.com) Comes in small squirt bottle. Put it on your hands and apply it. Clear.

Good luck and look forward to meeting you.
 
Romagjack

Romagjack

Well-Known Member
Great advice here -

Great advice here - especially doing the 80 mile test run before the event. I trained on my Quest for several months before doing my first century and was glad I did. I kept the pace at 15 - 17 mph and worked up from 25 miles to 80 miles before the attempt. Once I got to 80 miles, I knew I could do the 100 without issue. You really need to know how your body feels at distance and not try to overdue it for one event. But, anything less than 80 ( and I did it a couple of times before the century ) would have been negligent for anyone over 40 years of age. There is a huge difference between a 50 mile ride and 100, but the last 20 after doing 80 miles is "all down hill." After my century, I felt I could have done another 25 miles but I ran out of daylight and I don't like riding at night. I also rigged up an hydration pack on the Quest rack and brought the drink hose up over my shoulder - worked great. Good luck to you.
 
Charles.Plager

Charles.Plager

Recumbent Quant
The NYC century has a nice

The NYC century has a nice page about how to train for a century. My friend and I took this and modified it to train for a metric century last year. All-in-all, that worked out well for us.

training.png width: 419px;


They recommend a long training ride of 70% of the final ride; 80% isn't crazy. The only other advice I have here is that make sure your training rides are on terrain that is at least as difficult as the actual ride.

Cheers,
Charles
 
Eric Winn

Eric Winn

Zen MBB Master
Thanks all, I appreciate the

Thanks all, I appreciate the input.

@Dan I found a local Kinesys retailer near me: http://kinesys.com/find-a-retailer.php?qsearch=MI%20USA&map= so I'll pick up a bottle and give it a try - thanks!

As Dan mentioned, winter training for Michigan, like Chicago, pretty much means indoors which for me means on the rollers although I've been outside several times in Oct, Nov, Dec and twice in Jan.

I'm currently doing 100+ cumulative miles per week with prior weeks unfortunately bouncing around a bit with weekly totals ranging (back and forth) from 0 to 40+, 60+, 70+ 80+ and now 100+.

@Charles - the Sebring route is relatively flat which shouldn't be too different from my rollers and my rollers slow me down a lot more than the road does so that should help too. When I ride outdoors here it is on rollers too but the hilly kind.

Otherwise, I've been training all year outdoors as much as possible. Here is a picture looking down a 2 mile long hill climb where I rise from somewhere between 235 t0 270 feet in those 2 miles. The last quarter mile has a short stretch at an 11+ percent grade at which point I'm usually getting close to 5mph and it stays above 8 percent up to the crest of the hill.

Kensington-2-mile-hill-climb.JPG


The top of this hill is 3.5 miles into a 33 mile training ride with several similar but shorter hills for a total elevation gain of 1900+ feet according to Ride With GPS.

When weather has permitted I try to ride a 22 mile route almost daily with an elevation gain of 1200+ feet that includes about 15 smallish hills with a couple of them around an 8 percent grade.

Nothing at all like Dan rides in Prescott, AZ but a lot more hills than Florida. I just need to be as consistent in training as Dan is...

-Eric


 
Eric Winn

Eric Winn

Zen MBB Master
I should also say that my

I should also say that my rollers are 80mm in diameter which provide some resistance and no flywheel to coast - basically like constantly pedalling on a flat road into a headwind. And based on the way the bike feels on the rollers vs the actual road a fairly decent headwind at that.

tounge_smile.gif


-Eric
 
Eric Winn

Eric Winn

Zen MBB Master
Quest is packed for the trip

Quest is packed for the trip to Sebring.

Pretty convenient, pop the rear wheel QR and wheel, shock QR, seat post, and two seat thumbnails then practice a little origami with some bits of padding material and presto:

image(21).jpg



image(20).jpg


 
Eric Winn

Eric Winn

Zen MBB Master
Finished the Century, not

Finished the Century, not sure of my time yet.

Straight into 20+ mph winds on the closing leg which felt really, really long. Especially since my wheel configuration for my speed and distance sensor is wrong AND I forgot to start Cyclemeter until a good way into the first lap on the racetrack so I was expecting my data to be low but according to Cyclemeter I rode around 108 miles :)

At least I can say Sebring is a friendly place, the metal street sign posts and street signs were waving at me all along the final leg. Told you it was windy.

Oh, and I also forgot to raise my kickstand at the start so besides the stutter scrape of the kickstand on the ground I got several calls of your kickstand is down....

Finally, I slid to a stop at the raceway entrance and then promptly fell over because I slammed on the brakes because I thought I was going into the wrong gate for the finish timer. Turns out there wasn't a sensor pad in either gate at the entrance - this was where everyone tested their sensor at the start so I was expecting it to be the finish but the finish gate was a lot further down the causeway to the race track.

And the coolest thing? That was when I walked down the hall to registration right after getting here and there was Maria Parker coming stright toward me from the other direction. Maria is a pleasure and a very gracious lady. I then met Jim who was already in the registration room and he is just as nice as Maria. Fun people.

I didn't see Dan Fallon until heading out the hotel door where I spotted him right a front of me and spent a brief moment saying hello before heading to the starting line.

All-in-all a great experience. Everyone is very welcoming and friendly. I highly recommend you come down and give it a try.

BTW, Jim was flying down the road on his Vendetta racing in the 12 hour. I saw Maria a couple of times including after I finished and she asked me how it went for me as she went zooming by. She is racing in the 24 hour but is treating it more of a training ride to prep for RAAM in June.

Vendettas look even better in person than they do in photos!

John Tolhurst - your Quest was a pleasure to race (I need to train a lot more to actually feel comfortable calling my EFFORTS racing) - very comfortable and pretty fast but I strongly suspect I worked much harder than I would have on a Vendetta. There were a couple of spots where even the Quest with it's suspension had my eyeballs rattling but it was a muted rattling. ;-)


Saw some bald eagles and what I swear was a ferret runnning across the road in front of me.

-Eric

 
John Dorlon

John Dorlon

Guru
That's great (except for the

That's great (except for the wind and falling over)! I wish I could have been there. Will you post a link with your cyclemeter data?
 
John Dorlon

John Dorlon

Guru
Thanks for sharing.  Great

Thanks for sharing. Great ride! How many riders were out there? Most of the rides (not races) I do around here (N. Texas) range from several hundred riders to a few thousand, and then there is the "Hotter than Hell Hundred" www.hh100.org that is in a class of it's own with around 15,000 riders! That one is also pretty flat but it does have race events.
 
Eric Winn

Eric Winn

Zen MBB Master
I haven't heard an official

I haven't heard an official count but some folks were saying there are around 160 or 170 or so.

I also rode next to a guy in a blue velomible until he pulled away from me. I saw about 4 trikes, a lot of Bachettas, lot of uprights and several brands of recumbents.

-Eric
 
John Dorlon

John Dorlon

Guru
Oh, wow, I would have guessed

Oh, wow, I would have guessed more.

Yeah I enjoy seeing all the different kinds of bikes at events. At the HHH I saw a guy on fancy roller blades who was skating in form like you see the olympic racers do. Also a large wheeled unicycle and a thing that looked like an elliptical machine on wheels! Ellipti-go, I think it was called. I think those folks were doing some of the shorter distances though. I can't imagine doing 100 miles on any of those.
 
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