^
Now then, the first piece of advice is "
don't come over ill during the ride"
(However, I did finish that ride.)
Irregular Velo Adventures: May-11: Mud Pit + Possum 400-km Brevet
Second piece of advice is "don't hit a fox in the middle of the road"
(However, when we encountered the fox, we did finish.)
Irregular Velo Adventures: Jun-01/02: Heat, Headwinds + Gray Fox 600-km Brevet
1. slow down,
2. keep pedaling,
3. don't waste time at controls or other stops,
4. eat before you are hungry, but not too much,
5. drink before you are thirsty, but not too much,
6. and this should be first, be "in shape"
7. decide to do it, not this "I'm going to try to do it"
8. re-apply lubrication to self before needed, and too much is better than not enough,
9. do NOT cross rail-road tracks at the wrong angle.
I've only started five 600's.
Three finishes; two DNF's.
Reasons for the DNF's?
- See #8 above, which occurred on my first 600 in 2010.
- See also #9 above, which occurred in 2015. (Without checking, I recall it was last year.)
Things to do to help finish:
1. Agree to ride with someone (who has "no legs" from a previous failed brevet), and drag, push, cajole them through the ride. (
My friend wanted to get to Paris in 2011, so ...)
2. When someone else is faltering badly,
ride to get them to the finish / to keep them safe.
Maybe next year I'll do a 600 for me -- my three finishes have each turned into rides for someone else. I think it does take less energy to ride for someone else -- in each of the above two cases (2011 & 2012), I felt I could have done another 600. I admit that I don't really know as I have NOT ridden a 1200.