First 600K

[Ted]

I completed my first 600K (and SR series) last weekend.  I thought I would share some of my thoughts on the ride.  I'm approaching my mid-50s and am by no means some super-fit athlete.  While I've ridden bikes for many years, my longest rides prior to this year were the 200K brevets I did in 2010/11.  I found the longer brevets this year to be tough, but surprisingly doable.  I would encourage anyone who is doubting whether they can go the longer distances to give it a try!

This was the Alaskan Gakona-Delta-Tok-Gakona 600K, a beautiful triangle route in interior Alaska.  We had beautiful sunny weather for much of the ride with a fair amount of headwinds and an afternoon thundershower.

I did experience a number of issues, some that I've had on the shorter rides, but others that I have read about but never encountered personally.  I've been thinking how I might mitigate these in the future.

I haven't been completely comfortable on my Berthoud saddle.  This saddle is new this year and perhaps just isn't fully broken in.  My butt was pretty sore by the end of the ride.

Late the first day with about 30 miles to the sleep stop I was quickly loosing energy, but I couldn't eat anything in my bag.  I nearly gagged just getting a Gu down.  Clearly I need to get the food thing dialed in a little better.  I've experienced this to a milder degree on the shorter rides but had options available for some real food where none existed this ride.

New to me for this ride:

Numbness in my toes and right hand (ring and little finger) that lasted for several days after the ride.

Right thumb refused to work the paddle on my Campy shifter by the middle of the second day.  It's still weak when trying to grip something.

Tendinitis in my right Achilles tendon.  It's still sore.

All in all it was a great ride and I can even dream of attempting a 1000-1200K sometime.

A few pictures from the ride here.

Ted

[DistanceBiker.com]

Ted,
Congratulations on finishing your first 600K!
I also use and sell Gilles Berthoud Saddles. I found the "wide" model very comfortable, but ONLY after it is broken in as per the Lon Haldeman method which I have recounted on my blog page.
I find that half way through most 600Ks (or near the end of day 1 of a 1200k) I need to start taking Ibuprofen to fend off various aches and pains (this is addition to taking SportLegs). As long as I stay hydrated this is a safe thing to do.
I have always maintained there are basically two big show stoppers in randonneuring. If one can overcome these, the sport is much more enjoyable. They are:
1. GI Issues
2. Saddle Sores
Cheers,
Rando Richard
RandoRichard.com (blog)
Distance Biker (roadie gear)
eoGEAR (rando & SUP bags)
RUSA member # 4638 & UMCA member # 5305

Ted

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[thirty-six]

Seems to me like the effects of too little fat consumption possibly
heightened by dehydration. Eat good fats, butter, lard, dripping,
coconut oil, almond oil and walnut oil. This is not ride specific, it
is a life recommendation. Rich fruit cake serves on the bike. It's
'rich' because of the butter and ground almonds.

Looking at your on the hoods riding position, it seems to me you are
too stretched. By reducing the saddle to handlebar reach you should
be able to ride comfortably with bent elbows which will benefit your
hands. The spokes on the front wheel look a bit chunky and I also
wonder whether they have been made too tight.

The saddle problem is probably just the wrong saddle for you
(typically not wide enough) but make sure that the nose is level with
the top of the rear frame. Reducing the handlebar reach might help as
it will keep you in the rear of the saddle. Just go for a casual ride
and see if moving the saddle forward assists in reducing pain when it
first makes itself known.

> A few pictures from the ride here<http://www.flickr.com/photos/akted/sets/72157630350137600/>
> .
>
> Ted

[Chris Heg]

On Jun 29, 11:44 pm, Ted <fit2r...@gmail.com> wrote:

>
> Numbness in my toes and right hand (ring and little finger) that lasted for
> several days after the ride.
>

I had toe numbness that lasted for several months after my first ride
over 600k. I went to a sports medicine clinic in Seattle and had
custom orthodic inserts made for my shoes with metatarsal pads to
spread the toe bones. No problems since. I also use wider shoes for
cycling than I normally use.

For the hands, I think you should consider reducing your reach to the
bars. Also, I use gel pads under the handlebar tape available from
Specialized, Fizik, and others, to reduce the road shock. Try to move
you hands frequently to distribute the pressure.

[Larry Parker]

I got this link, and though I don't care for the lamp as it is, I thought
the idea of repurposing an old bike light might come in handy for several
horders, err, upgraders on this list.
Pamela comes to mind . . .
http://www.etsy.com/listing/101953540/bicycle-handcrafted-vintage-industrial?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_ex=etsy_finds&ga_ref=etsy_finds&ga_filters=housewares+vintage+retro&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

Larry Parker
Cincinnati
heading for 100+ today (farenheits, not miles, sadly)

[Gerry Elam]

Congratulations Ted. My buddy David Blake and I also finished our
first 600k and SR series also.

Richard just posted his write-up and pictures from his fantastic 600
Triple Loop on the front page at http://www.saltlakerandos.org/

Neither of us had any significant issues. We both ride recumbents and
are a bit slow uphill. I lost my seat pad on the way from Phoenix to
Nephi but a quick stop in Page at WalMart for a camping pad and a
utility knife. It wasn't the most comfortable solution and a heck of
a change for a 600 but I didn't have any other option.

This is rural Utah and in these small towns, I imagine most of these
are LDS - we were treated extremely well. As we progressed towards
evening, we found ourselves closing in on Big Rock Candy Mountain
which, if you know the song, was named after the song came out. US 89
runs here and the route put us on a 12-mile bicycle path. Riding
beside the Sevier River in a late daylight was pretty cool -
literally.

The worst part of the ride put us back on US 50 outside of Aurora for
another longish climb towards I-15 and Scipio. That road had a bit of
truck traffic headed to the interstate and not much of a shoulder to
ride on either. Luckily, it was dark and I was comfortable riding the
lane and could see well enough behind me to move over for traffic. As
typical in Utah, most of the uphills were two lanes up. I only recall
a few instances were we were short of traffic lanes - mostly, it was
good shoulders and wide lanes plus the scenery was beyond spectacular
on Friday.

Once we cleared the Scipio control, we headed up the access road
beside the interstate and then took a slight turn to the east where we
cycled by Yuba State Park. It was getting fairly late so the park was
quiet – everyone else was asleep. We headed a bit to the north were we
enjoyed a fast ride on I-15 for about 5 miles or so. I was worried
about this part but due to the hour, traffic was low and very
respectful. I don't recall a single vehicle that failed to move over
to the other lane!

The rest of the night was kind of cold – probably in the mid-50's
which felt good after the heat of the day. We had picked up another
rider who was slowly but surely getting sick. We spent that last 20
miles with her throwing up every few miles. That slowed us down a
little but there was no way I was leaving her out there by herself in
that condition. We arrived back to the hotel around 2:45 AM which gave
us enough time to sleep until 5:45. I fell asleep at 3:30 and got just
over two hours of sleep. I had sent my wife an email and told her we'd
be up at 5:45 and of course, she called at 5:48 to give us some
encouragement! We managed a good breakfast and hit the road by 7 AM.
That gave us an hour in the bank for the remaining 200-km which was
reported to be flat. The plan was simple - enjoy the last 200 k and be
safe.

As we headed out of Nehpi towards Mona, we turned a little west and
enjoyed a little canyon riding towards Goshen. As I made the turn into
Elberta, my front wheel washed out in gravel and I went down hard.
There were some Jeepers waiting on their friends and they asked if I
was ok. I laid there for a few seconds to do a quick inventory of my
feelings and pain. Nothing felt broken and as I got up, I didn't seem
any worse for wear. Nothing on the bike was broken – I adjusted the
handlebars a bit and got ready to go.

Then, I noticed something was wrong with my left shoe – the
quick-release buckle was broken. OK – not a big deal. I fished out
some duct tape and did three wraps around my shoe. Not quite “Breaking
Away” but it enabled me to continue the ride!

Our goal today was essentially to cycle around Utah Lake. The west
side isn't really developed until you get up to the northwest corner
of the lake. David and I rode together a lot but for the most part, I
ended up well in front of him and would wait at major turns until he
caught up. Our route took us through a housing development so I waited
at this turn for him. In fact, I found a nice, shaded sidewalk, parked
my bike so he could see it and laid down to rest.

An older lady walked by and asked if I was ok – I confirmed that I was
and she went on her way. 15 minutes later, she was back and asked me
again. I guess I looked more “homeless” than “cyclist” and she was
truly concerned. David rode up literally seconds later and the lady
relaxed knowing that we were on a event together. I was touched and
grateful for her concern though!

One thing that struck me about Utah was the economy – it really seems
to be booming. Every other vehicle was a huge 4X4 puling a ski boat.
Unbelievable. For the most part, we didn't have any issues – it was
just a typical summer Saturday near a major lake!

Richard Stum was all over the place. We couldn't ride 50 miles without
seeing him on the route. And seeing Richard meant access to a cooler
full of drinks, fruit and snacks. Man – you couldn't have asked for
more from an RBA.

When we were cycling in Provo, someone stopped us for directions – I
didn't stop but David went to school there and clearly knows his way
around. When he caught up with me, I asked him about the stop. “She
wanted to know how to get to BYU.” His response? “Study hard and get a
good SAT score.” And then, he laughed and gave her directions.

We were stopped by Richard again a bit north of Payson and had yet
another drink and snack. Richard gave a heads-up about the next climb
and of course, we missed our turn, went up the hill for about a mile
before I realized we were off the course. We talked about it and
decided to go back to the wrong turn per the rules and to insure we
didn't mess up completely. Now, I hate getting off course but I'd
rather ride downhill to get back on track than have to go uphill!
Unfortunately, we went down the hill just to discover we had to go
back uphill only a block over! Oh well, we were within the rules and
this second hill wasn't quite as steep.

By this time, we were both ready to finish - I did my typical
ride-ahead of David and flew back through Mona at close to 20 mph.
When I reached the final turn 5 miles from Nephi, I waited on David.
He came along shortly and we rolled into Nephi at 7:15 pm. That put us
at 38:15 total – not a fast time but that wasn't our objective – we
only wanted to finish and we accomplished that.

I drove back to Phoenix on Sunday- fairly sore but nothing major. My
wife scheduled a massage for me the next day so I went to a local spa
and used their jacuzzi and pool before the massage. I'm a little sore
but nothing major.

Next up is the CO Last Chance. I have a lot of work to do between now
and then and I'll likely stay on South Mt every Sunday until then.
It'll do me good and this kind of training help me on this 600 also. I
never rode more than 50 miles since the last 600 attempt and I was
fine – not the fastest but plenty of strength. Right now, I can't
quite wrap my head around a 1200 – but, I'll figure it out with the
advice here and on other sites!

Cheers,
Gerry

[Mike]

Hey Ted, congrats on completing your first SR. That's great! Thanks
for posting the pictures. I'd love to make it up there someday for a
brevet.

Sorry for the issues. Spending that much time on the bike seems like
it can be an invitation for maginifying what doesn't work with
position or diet. I think as you ride more you'll figure it out.
There's so many variables with what works from person to person. I
just finished my first 1200k and outside of some rather raw spots on
my bum and a numb right toe, no issues. I'm amazed that I don't have
any neck, back or shoulder issues. I don't know that my position is
optimum. I tend to ride with the bars just a tad below the saddle.
Also, I use cloth tape and never wore padded gloves. I also use DT
shifters which force you to move your hands more.

Please post more pictures from future brevets and congrats again on
earning your SR.

--mike

[NickBull]

"Thirty-Six"

Please post a link that demonstrates your recorded experience with events of 600km or longer.

Your advice to move the saddle forward to help with hand numbness is likely to result in worse hand numbness plus add knee problems.  Moving the saddle forward shifts your center of balance forward and puts more weight on your hands.  It flies in the face of everything I have ever seen posted about bicycle fitting.  See for example Peter White's excellent article about bicycle fitting at
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm

In particular, "That fore-aft position determines how your body is balanced on the bicycle. Your balance determines how comfortable you are, and how efficiently you can pedal the bike."  You don't adjust the saddle position to optimize reach, you adjust the stem length.  And as to setting the saddle so the nose is parallel with the top of the rear frame, that's possibly correct for a sloping top tube as on many modern bikes, but almost certainly wrong when the top tube is horizontal.  As Peter White says: "Get yourself a saddle you can sit on so that your pelvis is resting on a level surface. For most saddles that would put the nose of the saddle a bit higher than the rear. "

Your advice to eat more fat flies in the face of everything that I have seen posted about optimal foods for long distance riding.  Most people have plenty of fat stores that they carry around with them all the time.  What they need is carbohydrates for long distance.  See among the many examples:
http://www.coach-hughes.com/resources/endurance_nutrition.html

"Eat primarily carbs on the bike—You’re burning both glycogen (from carbs) and fat for energy while cycling. We all have enough fat to fuel a long ride, but we can run out of glycogen within a few of hours. Your brain can only burn glycogen. Avoid the bonk by eating mostly carbs."

And your comment that the spokes look too "chunky" and maybe too "tight" -- seems to harken back to all your arguments over on rec.bicycles.tech to ride on wheels with slack spoke tension so that they can absorb more road shock.  As has been pointed out numerous times on that newgroup by people with a little expertise in wheelbuilding--like Jobst Brandt--slack spokes just means broken spokes.  There's a wonderful new invention called pneumatic tires that is designed to absorb road shock!

Such a plethora of advice that contradicts all of the published advice by people who I regard as experts makes me wonder about the source of your expertise.

So that's why I ask for documented evidence of your expertise on long distance bicycle riding, as shown by the rides that you have done of 600km or longer.  Please include your real name.

I don't think anyone in this newsgroup needs further citations regarding the expertise of John Hughes, Peter White, or Jobst Brandt, all have deep knowledge of the subjects about which they claim expertise.

I have a fair amount of long distance experience, which you can easily find by looking me up on the RUSA website, RUSA #2931.  But I don't claim any particular expertise in nutrition, bicycle fitting or wheelbuilding that goes beyond what I've cited above.

Nick Bull

[NickBull]

Good job, and thanks for the beautiful photos.

Sounds like you have some work to do on bicycle fit and position.  The best article I've found about that is Peter White's, http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm  You could try going for a bike fit.  I've never had a bike fit because I always figure I'll get a 20-something racer-wannabe who just can't get their mind around what position you need to ride your bike for 90 hours.  But I know that there are bike fitters out there who know what we need.

On this year's 600km, I tried Allen Lim's rice cakes and they were great as a savory carbohydrate-intensive alternative to the sweet carbohydrates that usually form most of my on-bike diet.  As to the swallowing gu problem, I find it helps to take a mouthful of water with the gu and swish it around so that the gu is diluted. 

Keep on cracking.  One of the fun things about randonneuring is that there's always more to learn.

Nick

[NickBull]

One of our club members who is an MD posted a few years ago about possible adverse effects from taking ibuprofen during hard exercise.  Unfortunately, I can't find the post anymore.  Basically, hard exercise is taxing to the liver, ibuprofen is taxing to the liver, so the combo is a double whammy.  So I try to avoid taking Ibuprofen and just put up with a little pain.

Another club member recently posted the following link, which calls into question taking Ibuprofen after a ride, since it seems that there's some evidence it impedes muscle healing: http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/fitness-coach/Does-Advil-Hurt-Healing-20120629.html

Nick

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[Susan Otcenas]

Nick:  >>I tried Allen Lim's rice cakes and they were great as a savory carbohydrate-intensive alternative to the sweet carbohydrates that usually form most of my on-bike diet. 

 

Ted:  >>Late the first day with about 30 miles to the sleep stop I was quickly loosing energy, but I couldn't eat anything in my bag.  I nearly gagged just getting a Gu down.  Clearly I need to get the food thing dialed in a little better.

 

I've had similar experiences to both of you.  Late in a ride, I tend to find sweeter things unappealing.   Switching to a more savory strategy later in the day has worked well for me.  In particular, I've found tortillas with something savory rolled up inside (like a slice or two of salty smoked turkey breast or some hummus) to be a great alternative.  In colder weather, I wrap them up in a little Saran so that I can transport them easily and eat them while moving.  I also think that for me, the extra protein that late in a ride also helps out quite a bit.  It's satisfying.  When it's too warm to pack something savory (for fear of spoilage) I try to find a Subway or a grocery store deli where I can get a turkey sandwich around dinner time.  Seems to be just what I need to carry me into the night time hours!  

 

I need to try those rice cakes...

 

Late in a ride, the BEST food is food that you will actually eat.  It might not be scientifically "ideal" but all the ideal food in the world won't help if you can't stomach it at that moment.   For some reason, many Oregon randos seem to have settled on corn dogs...  I won't touch one with a ten foot poll, but hey, if it works for them, more power to 'em!

 

Susan

 

 

[thirty-six]

In order of importance;

Good dietry fat, essential fat, is not the same as stored fat. There
is a common misconception which leads to minimal intakes of dietry fat
in western society. The absence of quality dietry fat leads to many
problems including poor muscle function and cognition. The human body
will not continue to operate at its peak without regular intake of
quality fat.

The saddle movement suggestion was a temporary measure after pain had
established to clarify whether a shorter reach would help diminish the
pain, which would permanently be effected by a shorter stem. I did
not mention the bike frame, only the saddle and to be specific, a line
connecting the peak of the nose of the saddle with the peak of the
rear frame of the saddle should be parallel to the ground or very
slightly pointing up.

Slack spokes do not break, it's actively bending spokes that break
(and those involved in a collision). Overly tensioned spokes do break
rims and hub flanges and do stiffen the wheel.

My knowledge is gained by doing. I've read the contradictory advice
and it didn't work for me. I resarched historical documents and kept
my ears open to more recent findings. The depth of physiological
beliefs into why essential fats are essential is beyond my knowledge.
With them I gain muscle speed, strength and power, without them I curl
up with little function. This is sufficient for me.
It has been the custom for western governments to push American
wheat onto the public to the general detriment of health.
Carbohydates are good for high power activities. Distance cycling is
not necessarily such an activity. There is no essential carbohydrate
and it is likely that an athlete is deficient in essential fats if he
has been listening to US government advice on eating. At low effort
levels it is entirely possible to fuel on fats and it will be easier
than attempting to fuel on carbohydrates and fat stores. Use carbs in
addition to fats only when you are riding hard (say above 22mph). If
you are not making this speed, it is not thyough lack of carbs but
some other problem you need to address, a low dietry fat intake is
likely for many people on western (advised) diets.

On Jul 6, 1:19 am, NickBull <nick.bike.b...@gmail.com> wrote:
> "Thirty-Six"
>
> Please post a link that demonstrates your recorded experience with events
> of 600km or longer.
>
> Your advice to move the saddle forward to help with hand numbness is likely
> to result in worse hand numbness plus add knee problems.  Moving the saddle
> forward shifts your center of balance forward and puts more weight on your
> hands.  It flies in the face of everything I have ever seen posted about
> bicycle fitting.  See for example Peter White's excellent article about

> bicycle fitting athttp://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm

>
> In particular, "That fore-aft position determines how your body is balanced
> on the bicycle. Your balance determines how comfortable you are, and how
> efficiently you can pedal the bike."  You don't adjust the saddle position
> to optimize reach, you adjust the stem length.  And as to setting the
> saddle so the nose is parallel with the top of the rear frame, that's
> possibly correct for a sloping top tube as on many modern bikes, but almost
> certainly wrong when the top tube is horizontal.  As Peter White says: "Get
> yourself a saddle you can sit on so that your pelvis is resting on a level
> surface. For most saddles that would put the nose of the saddle a bit
> higher than the rear. "
>
> Your advice to eat more fat flies in the face of everything that I have
> seen posted about optimal foods for long distance riding.  Most people have
> plenty of fat stores that they carry around with them all the time.  What
> they need is carbohydrates for long distance.  See among the many examples:http://www.coach-hughes.com/resources/endurance_nutrition.html
>

> "*Eat primarily carbs on the bike*—You’re burning both glycogen (from

[William D. Volk]

As a former wheel-builder (in my youth) and a cyclist in the 'Clydesdale' class (and with a masters in Physics) I can say this without reservation:

Properly tensioned spokes make stronger wheels by the simple virtue of distributing forces amongst a larger number of spokes.

I can go thousands of miles without one spoke failure on a 32H setup, with the spokes properly tensioned.

Note: Factory wheels are rarely tensioned correctly. Also if you have one spoke failure, there's a good chance the others are on their way to failing as well.

William D. Volk

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[Bill Gobie]

On Jun 30, 2012, at 10:58 PM, thirty-six wrote:

> Seems to me like the effects of too little fat consumption possibly
> heightened by dehydration. Eat good fats, butter, lard, dripping,
> coconut oil, almond oil and walnut oil.

I concur. On a 600k in Alaska it is a simple matter for the
enterprising rider to butcher and roast a caribou or moose. Uneaten
morsels may be left as treats for weaker riders. If the route does not
reliably assure a supply of fresh road kill, a .3006 or heavier
caliber weapon must be added to the kit. The weight of said firearm,
in addition to the axe required for cutting firewood, may make this
strategy untenable for some. Modern sports foods are available for the
less self-reliant randonneur.

With respect to sports nutritionists and their cast-iron-stomached
research subjects, some of us cannot subsist on sugar all day and
night. Some amount of proteins and fats is required. There is a
variety of products: Ensure, soy-based Hammer endurance products, whey-
based Spiz are the more prominent. We have all heard each is the best
and each is the worst; fortunately there is variety so each person has
a fair chance of finding something that works for him or her. The key
point is to experiment and find some mix of foods that you can consume
for several days at a time.

Bill

[Bill Gobie]

I agree with Chris. For the shoes and orthotics, try to find someone
open-minded enough to understand endurance cycling is different from a
two-hour sprint around town. The same consideration applies to your
bars. They look fine for sports riding, but your symptoms say a
shorter reach will be more suitable for you for randonneuring. Gel
pads or two wraps of cork tape will make the bars larger, which will
help distribute pressure over a larger portion of your hands.

Bill

[Jim House]

Ted,

 

Way to go.

Thanks for the photos – I now want to go do it!

 

I looked at your last picture

http://www.flickr.com/photos/akted/7470133600/in/set-72157630350137600

 

Is it me or is the distance and number stops out of order or am I missing something?

 

Did the KM and Miles flip at some point – or are the stops out of order – again this could just be me…

 

Jim House

Maumee, OH

[Mr Peter Leiss]

Wow even the card got tired and confused at some point.

Peter

[Lynne Fitz]

Congratulations Ted! Beautiful place to ride your first 600!

The nutrition thing - I couldn't ride past 300k without a spectacular bonk. I finally caved and went to food in the bottle. Mine is all carbs and electrolytes; I still eat "real" food, but this way I am always getting something when eating is just too much trouble. Bill G offered up some of his Spiz on our 600. I tried it on a subsequent ride. Not bad, but goes bad after awhile.

[Ted]

Jim:

Did the KM and Miles flip at some point – or are the stops out of order – again this could just be me…

 
Yes, upon looking at the brevet card there are several typos in there.   The miles and km are sometimes mislabeled, and are not consistent (ie sometimes km/m, and sometimes m/km).  I think the numbers are right if you sort them out.  Also I arrived at the Dot Lake control at 9:44 pm, so technically that should have been entered as 2144.

[Ted]

Thanks Richard.

I also use and sell Gilles Berthoud Saddles. I found the "wide" model very comfortable, but ONLY after it is broken in as per the Lon Haldeman method which I have recounted on my blog page.

I'm using the wide model as well, and I bit the bullet and am in Day 3 or 4 of the Lon Haldeman method of breaking in leather saddles.  It has some nice dimples at my sit bones.  I did a 50 mile ride with my wife today and it feels much better.

Ted
RUSA 6233

[Ted]

Thanks Gerry, glad you had a successful 600K as well.  I enjoyed your report.

Ted
RUSA 6233

[Ted]

Thanks Nick.  I have read and been inspired by some of your exploits over at the Daily Randonneur (or somewhere out there).

I have spent hours trying to work out the proper fit.  I've read Peter's article and tried to apply it to my Gunnar.  I think you are spot on in your comments to thirty-six, in that I think I may need to get my saddle back a bit.  I'm experimenting with that right now with a different seat post.  But, I'm already using a 80mm stem and I hate to go shorter, and I do feel a bit stretched out.  Perhaps I need a new 650b rando bike!

So I have been seriously considering a bike fit, but like you I have reservations that they will know much more than I know.  But I think I'll try.

Ted

[Ted]

Susan, I like your idea of tortillas and some sort of meat and cheese inside.  Spoilage usually isn't and issue here (although it was in the 80s for part of my ride).  And believe me if there had been a Subway anywhere nearby I would have gone for it.  When I did arrive in Tok I quickly grabbed the leftover pizza the RBA and crew offered me and started devouring it.  I don't think I even thanked them for it. 

Ted

[Ted]

Thank you Lynne.  I love your blog and have read many of your ride reports.  On my 400K I was able to have some "real" food at the halfway point (Subway soup/sandwich) and again at about 280K (grilled chicken sandwich, fries, coffee, lots of water) and then even a quick snack at a convenience store with 30 miles to go.  I felt much better after getting the "real" food.  But alas, on the 600K, there were no such places to stop on the Delta-Tok segment.  So I need to figure out something to carry on the bike that will keep me going.  Just the name Spiz, doesn't sound too appetizing, but I'll look into it.

Pack up Sweet Pea and come ride with us!

Ted

On Friday, July 6, 2012 8:11:46 PM UTC-8, Lynne Fitz wrote:

Congratulations Ted!  Beautiful place to ride your first 600!

The nutrition thing - I couldn't ride past 300k without a spectacular bonk. I finally caved and went to food in the bottle.  Mine is all carbs and electrolytes; I still eat "real" food, but this way I am always getting something when eating is just too much trouble.  Bill G offered up some of his Spiz on our 600.  I tried it on a subsequent ride. Not bad, but goes bad after awhile.

[Ted]

Bill, I was riding some distance behind the others (well, two of them at this point), and they apparently left me no morsels. 

On a 600k in Alaska it is a simple matter for the  
enterprising rider to butcher and roast a caribou or moose. Uneaten  
morsels may be left as treats for weaker riders. If the route does not  
reliably assure a supply of fresh road kill, a .3006 or heavier  
caliber weapon must be added to the kit. The weight of said firearm,  
in addition to the axe required for cutting firewood, may make this  
strategy untenable for some. Modern sports foods are available for the  
less self-reliant randonneur.

 
Until I find a way to strap a .3006 (I think they sell them at Walmart) on my bike I guess I'll be the less self-reliant randonneur.
 

Some amount of proteins and fats is required. There is a  
variety of products: Ensure, soy-based Hammer endurance products, whey-
based Spiz are the more prominent. We have all heard each is the best  
and each is the worst; fortunately there is variety so each person has  
a fair chance of finding something that works for him or her. The key  
point is to experiment and find some mix of foods that you can consume  
for several days at a time.

I have used Ensure on some of my 200K rides, although I've learned to be careful if consuming while riding as I admitted in this ride report.  I probably would have benefited from some on this one.

Ted

[Bill Gobie]

On Jul 6, 2012, at 9:11 PM, Lynne Fitz wrote:

> Bill G offered up some of his Spiz on our 600. I tried it on a
> subsequent ride. Not bad, but goes bad after awhile.

Nothing unique about Spiz there. Sports drinks have everything an
organism, large or small, needs to thrive. If you don't consume it,
the bugs in the backwash from your mouth will finish the job. I aim to
down a bottle within an hour of mixing it. That package I gave you was
400 Calories, which is about the right hourly amount for me. If you
need fewer calories you should mix a lesser quantity rather than
consume the bottle over a longer period. I carry enough water to mix
more if necessary. At controls and convenience stores I rinse the
bottle and cap until clean.

Bill

[Bill Gobie]

On Jul 7, 2012, at 10:31 PM, Ted wrote:

Bill, I was riding some distance behind the others (well, two of them at this point), and they apparently left me no morsels. 

How inconsiderate!

 
Until I find a way to strap a .3006 (I think they sell them at Walmart) on my bike I guess I'll be the less self-reliant randonneur.

If you can buy rifles as necessary then you should only have to carry each a short distance.

I have used Ensure on some of my 200K rides, although I've learned to be careful if consuming while riding as I admitted in this ride report.  I probably would have benefited from some on this one.

I thought you were going to use the banana peel to clean up the Ensure. Bravo if you are able to drink Ensure. That's a cheaper alternative to the sports foods. Powders are lighter to carry, however.

Bill

[NickBull]

Hi, Ted,

I found Peter's "balance test" to be very useful for eliminating hand numbness on rides up to 600km (though I've still had trouble on 1000's and 1200's).  Basically, as I understand the physics of it, for any amount by which you want the handlebar height below the saddle height (within a broad range set by the rider's strength and flexibility), there is an appropriate combination of saddle fore-aft position and reach to the handlebars that makes it so that as you are riding, the upward forces from pedaling and your back muscles will leave you balanced so that if you lift your hands off the bars then there's no tendency to fall forward.  There is negligible weight on the handlebars.  So the key decision is really how much of a drop you want from your saddle to your handlebars.  That's a tradeoff between aerodynamic efficiency and comfort.  For me, I have the bars at the same height at the saddle, and I find that on some of my bikes (with more vertical seat tubes) I cannot get a Brooks saddle set back far enough even on saddle posts that have generous setback like the VO post.  So I use a Selle Anatomica saddle because it has longer rails. 

For you, it seems like you need to go with whatever stem length works, and ignore the numbers.  If your top tube is too long even with a 50mm stem, then you're in a bit of a pickle. 

By the way, I converted my Gunnar Sport to a 650B and had Waterford build me an "A Homer Hilsen" fork with 64mm of rake so that it has about 37mm of trail with 650Bx38.  For the front brake I'm using a Mafac Raid.  For the rear, a Tektro 556 does the job.  With Pacenti Pari-Moto tires and a Berthoud handlebar bag, the ride is just great. 

With my balance set ala Peter White and with the plush ride of the Pari-Motos, I think I could have ridden PBP without hand numbness, except that I made a "rookie mistake" on day 3.  When I left Tinteniac after a 3-hour snooze, it felt like my saddle was tilted way up and I thought maybe the rails had bent a bit.  So I tilted it a little forward.  I could feel that this was making me roll forward on the saddle, but it felt better.  A few hours later ... numb left hand.  Tilting the saddle back to where it had been made everything fine again but it was too late for my hand.  I think the reason my right hand didn't go numb is that I use downtube shifters and I usually shift both back and front with my right hand.  Anyway, my hand was still partially numb until Xmas but then became fully recovered.

Nick

[NickBull]

Bill and Ted,

You may already have come across this, but "Two Wheels North" is a book about the journey of two boys riding from Santa Rosa, CA to the 1909 Exposition in Seattle.  It's an inspiring story.  They carried rifles, both as part of being self-sufficient and for protection.  The road conditions make our brevets look like a walk in the park.

Nick

[Gerry]

An even earlier expedition:  http://www.nrhc.org/history/25thInfantry.html

The 25th Infantry U.S. Army Bicycle Corps stationed at Fort Missoula, Montana set out across the country on their bicycles in 1896-7. Lt. James A. Moss led the company of black soldiers on several obstacle intensive test runs of the iron two-wheeled alternative to horses for transportation. Their greatest trip covered 1900 miles to St. Louis, Missouri, returning to Missoula by train. The 25th Infantry gained fame and was nicknamed the Buffalo Soldiers.

Cheers,

Gerry

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[Roger Peskett]

Hi Ted, Thanks for sharing the photos from your first 600k - they're
wonderful. I was one of the other two riders who completed this 600k
in Alaska, close to the date of the summer solstice. The scenery was
magnificent, and the support for the ride was excellent. The neat
triangular shape of the route is pleasing. I recommend this ride to
anyone who can visit Alaska in the summer. I built my visit around
this ride, and had a great time.

During this visit to Alaska with my wife, I also rode a 200km
Permanent from Anchorage to Seward - another great ride.

Roger.
Now back in .... Tucson, AZ

[Ted]

Roger, it was a pleasure riding with you, at least for the first few miles.  I did catch a glimpse of you leaving Tok as I was having breakfast with Kevin, Tom and Joy.  Like you said they provided great support.

The blustery winds were a challenge for me, particularly from Tok to Chistochina, but even some on the last 30 miles.  But really it was a beautiful ride.  I'm glad you enjoyed the Anchorage-Seward ride as well.  I really enjoyed my 400K ride on that route.

Ted