ericmerg1

Well I woke from a dream today with a new local loop idea in my head and after mapping it out I realized it's a 40 mile loop instead of the 30 mile I had planned on, now the last 10 miles seems mostly flat so I decided in 2 weeks I want to try it. What should I expect on say a 3 hour trip. I know to bring a bunch of water and such but what else should I carry? that you don't always carry on any ride.

HtownTREK

Hydration yes. If I'm doing more than 25 will do two bottles water an hour before start. I carry two bottles but always stop at an ice house to refill if one is empty. Doom on me if I'm short on water because I didn't stop for a refill. Also will do 1 or 2 GU PACKS for a 40. That's about it. The rest is all about pace that's your call. Easier riding with a group but if their pace is too fast you may be spent befor you finish. Hope you have a good ride.

Elvo

Water, electrolytes, and a snack. And a credit card if you see something tasty

one4smoke

With me, it depends on what the temp is. If it's in the 70's I can get by with one water bottle on a 40 mile ride. In the 80's, I'm looking at two. In the 90's, we're talking three, and a thermos of cold Gatorade when I get back to the car. If it's 100+ ...forget it!

Also, don't forget the power bar. I like this one:

one4smoke

Oh yeah...

Don't forget your spare tube(s), bike pump, multi-tool and/or your favorite wrenches.

92Esquire

For my 40 mile loops (the meat and potatoes of how I ride), I'll carry 2 bottles of water (plus another two back at the car), a sleeve or two of Shot Bloks, and two Cliff Bars, Lara Bars, or other bar type nutrition. I'll only eat one sleeve of the Shot Bloks and one of the bars, but I carry two just in case. I've come across riders in distress before who needed something to get them through and a powerbar seemed to help.

2 tubes, some means to inflate them, a small folding bike tool, and tire levers. The other thing I'll carry is a copy of my driver's license, a copy of my health insurance card, and $11. Why $11? Because you can use a folded $1 bill inside a tire to deal with a cut tire, and the $10 is in case I need a ride or want to stop off at a gas station for something mid-ride.

bakes1

Shot Bloks, nutrition bars, health insurance card, riders in distress, etc...
How did bicyclists even survive back in the day on their 2-3 hour rides?

Garfield Cat

Going from 30 to 40 is a learning experience. You will figure out how your body reacts to it. Muscles might be the first thing that tell you to stop and rest (early onset of cramps).

Its how you face a challenge. Some riders take rest stops. The less stops the better. If you are good with 30 miles with zero stops (except for traffic lights), then going 40 might be ok with a stop at 20 for a few minutes. During that stop make sure you drink and take electrolytes.

Basically, you are training your body to do more endurance.

indyfabz

Cash and your house keys. Whether you will need nutrition depends on you, the route and your pace. For 40 miles I usually carry a Gu just in case but usually don't need it.

puddinlegs

House key, a spare tube or two, two plastic tire irons, two small hex wrenches, a dollar bill, crank bros. pocket pump,license, debit card, phone. Can manage without the phone pretty easily just like on the old days. Hot? One bottle of something with a light electrolyte mix and one with water. 70f or less? Just a water bottle. I can always stop for a refill if needed. Group rides often have a coffee stop. Yesterday's cafe had cartons of chocolate milk/coffee mix. Perfect!

Drew Eckhardt 

I add a second 25oz bottle of water for 40-60 mile rides (since getting rid of my insulating fat, I only sweat 8-12 ounces an hour in temperate weather). I wear shorts made in the 1990s with flat synthetic leather chamois which I don't sink into putting pressure on my soft tissues. I don't invite sunburn by wearing my shortest sleeved jersey.

I don't need to eat on rides under 4 hours, although I bring a Clif bar if I'll be finishing too close to lunch time.

practical

Pace yourself. Climb that hill a little slower and resist the temptation to do a leg and lung burn along the way (sprinting hard on a long flat until your legs or lungs give out). Make frequent short stops and don't worry about the time. The next 40-mile ride will feel easier, and then you'll do a half-century. Next summer you'll be amused that you thought 40 miles was such a big deal.

Juan Foote

Forty miles was a "biggy" and I felt very accomplished in doing it the first time. I probably haven't done one since last year, but I do what time permits. I found that my body hits a point around the 70-90 mile mark, and in spite of having ridden for a few years regularly now, I still haven't done an Imperial Century. Got seven miles from it one time and couldn't go another foot.

intransit1217

Temp can make a huge difference. Beware.

DrIsotope

^^^^^ This.

40 miles @ 75º is nothing. You probably won't even finish your second water bottle. 40 miles @ 90º, you'll probably stop twice to refill your water. My routine morning loops are 25-35 miles, and dependent on temperature, I will drink between 1/2 and 3 bottles. Today it's 86º by 8am, I think it's going to be more of a 3 bottle day.

bakes1

How do you measure the amount of sweat you lose per hour with any degree of accuracy?
I am curious.
Simply weighing in before and after rides of predetermined time lengths?

Drew Eckhardt 

Weigh yourself before and after on a precise scale, take the difference, add 4g/Calorie if you want, and multiply that sub-total by 16oz per pound. Add water bottle capacity and subtract what's left. Divide that total by ride time.

135 pounds before riding - 135.5 after = -0.5 pounds * 16 oz = -8 oz lost which is a gain.

Add your 24 oz water bottle for +16 lost. Subtract the 8oz remaining for 8oz lost to sweat.

Divide by an hour and you have 8oz/hour.
.

tclune

[Pedant hat ON]There's no 'r' in "wenches."[/Pedant hat OFF]

92Esquire

Thanks for the post. For what it's worth, 6 years ago I had a wreck that broke the orbital bones around my left eye socket in 6 places. Made it 12 miles to the truck with a severe nosebleed and road rash (which no one would stop to see if I was OK over), but I had no ID on me and no one would have known who I was if the steel guard rail had knocked me unconscious. I apologize if my attempting to be prepared offends you. Please feel free to call BS if I ever ask you to carry what can't fit in my jersey pocket or saddle bag.

Hokiedad4

Start out about 70% of full speed for the first ten miles.

I've done 11 rides of >40 miles this summer, including two metrics. Three years ago, a 34-mile ride was a huge struggle. It just takes time. So be patient with yourself.

Giant Fuji

I always carry 2 25oz water bottles, that tends to be enough for my 40 milers. Sometimes (if it's really hot out) I will add a 16 oz bottle with some sort of electrolyte in it. I tend to hit a wall at 30-ish miles if I don't get some calories, so I stop before 30 and eat a few dates and maybe a cliff bar (I always carry dates, btw) and that usually gets me to the end of our rides.

ericmerg1

I bought a saddle bag to hold my tube and tool and such so I could use my top rail frame bag for food,electrolyte drink mix It was 85 today and I hit a wall at 14 miles on a lack of food for the day and underestimating how much hills a new path had on it. funny how you can drive a road and forget about the climbs and they show up as a surprise when you bike them.

one4smoke

Not the distance. Not the steep hills. Not even a lack of proper nutrition or rest/sleep before going out.

Temp is by far ...my greatest nemesis.

bakes1

Are you kidding me?
A freaking nosebleed and some road rash?
What am I missing?
You would have gotten better or some type of more beneficial attention if you had I.D.?
Huhza?...
Now I am wondering if I should carry my health insurance card. Based upon your logic whoever stops to help me will only do so after they check for my paperwork. If I have none they will just leave I guess?
Scary stuff.
Even more important is to have the ID in case I fall and get amnesia I guess.
Who knew?

DrIsotope

When I left on my ride this morning, it was 86º at 8:30am. By the time I got home at 10:45am, it was 99º. I drank three full bottles and finished the fourth after getting home, then had two 32oz glasses of iced tea. And it wasn't a particularly strenuous ride-- ~33 miles w/ 1500ft^ at just under 16mph. But every time I would hit a light or otherwise have to come to a stop, the heat... my god, the heat. It just soaks in. Everybody becomes a stop sign runner when it gets near 100º.

During my century on Saturday, I headed out at 55º. I drank half a bottle in 45 miles. Between mile 75 and 110-- when it had gotten into the mid 90s (not helped by the fact I was riding away from the coast,) I drank about 3 quarts (4 bottles.) So yeah. Not the hills or the lack of sleep (hey, I got almost 6 hours last night!) or the fact that breakfast was just a bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats. Heat will drag me down faster than an anchor.