First 400k advice

[cyclotou...@yahoo.com]

Hi everyone,

I have my first ever 400k coming up on June 19th in Vermont. I'm very excited about it. I rode strong 200k and 200k brevets this spring plus a solo 100 miles ride this past Sunday,  and I'm wondering how I should approach the next week and a half before the big day. I'm thinking lots of stretching and easy rides so I am refreshed for the big day. Any pearls of wisdom from you more experienced randonneurs.

Best,

David

[Stoychev Ultracycling]

All the best on the 400km. In my opinion tougher than a 600 since most do it without sleep and can take up to a day to do it. Yes, dont do any crazy miles now. You will only make it worse. Just easy spinning. As usual, good pacing, hydration and nutrition will be a key. Dont start fast, we are all guilty of that. Reduce stoppage time and maybe ensure you are comfortable with night time riding. Test your lights and have good taillights , reflective tape all over. Have fun

Georgi Stoychev

RUSA#6872

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Georgi Stoychev

[fint...@gmail.com]

Best of Luck on the 400km. As Georgi said, good pacing, hydration, etc. and don't start fast, it's an Audax not a race. You already have the miles put in and you won't gain anything by training hard between now and the event.

For the long brevets, the best advice I got was a question, "How do you eat an elephant?" The answer, "One bite at a time" 

This is how I approach all long brevets, whether a 300 or 1200km. Thinking of it as 400km can be over-whelming, so just break it down into a series of rides. It is never 400km, it is only a 60km cycle to the next control or food stop. In your head, you know you can easily do 60km, think of it as a loop that you regularly do at home.

For me, 60km is a loop that I do beside me, so I know from each junction how long I have left to get home. i.e. From this intersection to home is 28km, I've done it countless times and always got there. Eat & drink at the control/stop, and again, it is just a 60km cycle to the next stop, one that you have done countless times before and can do again.

Hope this helps,

Fintan Brewster

Audax Ireland

[Sandra Myers]

Agree with all of the advise already given.  I emphasize minimizing stop time. Keep moving. Even if rolling slow, it is better than stopping. If you feel discouraged at anytime, stick with it. On long rides many riders feel poorly or discouraged at a point in time, but break the ride down into piece parts and you will get through it. Enjoy the moonlight, nature sounds at night, incredible experience and accomplishment. 

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[Jeff]

Several folks have suggested minimizing stopped time, which is always good, esp if you're on the slower side (like me). However if Jan offers to take you to a swimming spot at lunch, take him up on the offer... bring your lunch and go check it out. Its a really nice spot and esp if its a hot day, its nice to soak in the river for a few minutes. 

(in case Jan's not there, here's a map)

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[Robert Sexton]

Here's another view:   Don't worry about minimizing stop time.

Instead,  focus on making -good use- of your time off the bike and your stopped time.

- Before you go into a store, take a moment to collect your wits and decide what you need.  

- Try to make only one trip into a store - Take your bottles and avoid long lines,  If you're waiting a long time to pay, go ahead and start eating/drinking your purchases.  

- When you eat, sit down and get a little recovery when you do so.  Loosen your shoes.

- If you're waiting for a friend to fix a tire, lie down and rest. ( Spencering ) 

- Later in a ride when you're tired, it can be faster to walk a steep hill rather than riding it.   Pick a landmark on the side of the road and walk to it.   It's hard to eat and drink while climbing, so stretch your legs and have some water. I find that I ride a bit faster after a walk break. 

I once asked Deb Banks if she had advice for a new rider - she said 'Take off your shoes whenever possible"

Bonne Route! 

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Robert Sexton

[Jacques Bilinski]

Also, eat before you're hungry. Bring backup front and rear lighting. 

[cyclotou...@yahoo.com]

Great advice everyone! Thinking I should study the route and figure out stores/gas stations that might be open at night in case I need provisions. Can anyone who has ridden the route think of any good overnight stops?

David

[Andy G]

When I rode my first long brevets, I generally just had occasional shorter rides in the 2 weeks leading up to the long brevets. I focused on getting as much sleep as possible in the couple days before, and packing up every thing well in advance. 400kms often start very early in the morning, and coupled with a potential drive to the start, checking in and getting gear ready, potential loss of sleep the night prior from nerves, etc. it can make for little sleep on the longest day of riding most randonneurs encounter. 400km for a strong rider and with a spirited group can be done mostly in daylight, but for some people it goes well into the night, so just know what to prepare for.

I will also say that I dislike the advice to minimize stopped time. I say rather take "appropriate" breaks. If the goal is just finishing, and you aren't at risk of going over the time limit, then it's nice to take reasonable breaks a few times. I find about 45 minutes was perfect a couple of times during the day to actually let food digest a little bit or recover from hot climbs in the sun. Longer than that and I risk having achy muscles. But if I only ever stopped for 10 minutes, I'd be at risk of draining energy a lot faster if it was hot or hilly. 

Bonne route!

Andy in NH

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[Eric Nichols]

Good advice all.  

Two tidbits that haven't been specifically mentioned yet:

1. Riding efficiency.  The longer the brevet, the more it pays to practice little energy-saving measures wherever you can.  If you can follow a friendly wheel that's moving at about your pace, by all means do it, as long as you can do it comfortably and safely.  When you're facing a headwind, ride a little lower if you can.  If you need pull off the road to stop, pick a spot where you're already moving slowly.  These little savings add up over time.   

2. Solve little problems before they become bigger problems.  Feeling a chafing situation developing?  Do something to mitigate it before it gets worse. Body parts getting numb or stiff? Move and stretch.  Hear a new rattle?  Figure out what it is before something breaks or falls off.    

Those little habits are good for shorter brevets too, but in my experience it's 400k and longer where they can pay bigger dividends. 

This is a hilly route (14,000' vertical) and hills tend to make it harder to follow wheels over longer distances. If you're burning matches to stay with someone, let them go unless you're trying to climb out of a time hole.   Ride your own ride and savor the experience. The big days on the bike are often the very best days.  

re: Services at night, the final 50 miles of the route pass through Barre and Royalton.  Barre has a Jiffy Mart that is open until 10pm , and Royalton has one that's open 24-hrs, according to the Google. 

Eric in NH

[Bill Gobie]

Do not try to drive after you finish. Get a room. Nap in your car. 

Bill

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[cyclotou...@yahoo.com]

Yes--I have a room booked at the start/finish for the night before and to crash in at the end.

David

[Robert Sexton]

A friend and I once tried to drive home after finishing a N Cal  400k at 1am.   It took us 5 hours to do what is usually at most 90 minutes.  There were a comically large number of nap breaks.

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Robert Sexton

[jinu...@gmail.com]

I had the same experience Robert!  Tried to drive home (should have just napped in the car), and I had to stop at the Millbrae In-n-out parking lot for a good hour just to gather my wits.

[Lee Legrand]

Why not take a taxi to get home or some for of transportation that involves no one driving? Did you have any close one driving with tired legs? 

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