americanrecluse

I decided to sign up for the LA River ride in June because I'm about to leave Los Angeles. I let my roommate choose - 36 miles or 50? He chose 50. I have never ridden 50 miles. In fact, I have never ridden 36! (My longest was 32.5 miles with a breakfast/post office break at the 6 mile mark.)

I should be able to carve out at least 30 minutes/day plus several hours on weekends to get ready for this ride, but I don't know how to train! Can you recommend good ways to spend my time between now and June 4?

Thanks!

jsigone

I'd suggest getting your body, saddle, hands used to riding for 2 hours moving time ASAP. than start increasing from there. Use the short daily 30-60min rides as maintenance, which keeps your body used to riding and saddle time. 3-4 of those shorter ride through the week, change up effort or hills/flats

Sometimes you just have to jump into those long rides and try!. Eat, drink, have someone on stand by if you REALLY REALLY need it. Cramps, flat tires, body hurts don't count be self sufficient on the bike

2 hours this saturday 5/13
2.5 hours next saturday 5/20
3 hours following 5/27

event weekend June 4

After all this, you MAY even like longer rides

CliffordK

Is this the ride?
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/14188765

It looks like a fun ride. A little climbing, but nothing too bad. I consider 1000 feet in 50 miles to be fairly flat.

How do you commute? For many, that can be good for an hour or more a day of riding. Perhaps even a few hours.

As mentioned, just go out and have fun. Perhaps try to do some 25 mile rides on weekends. And if your friend signed you up, drag him along too.

americanrecluse

@jsigone (I always want to type your name like "J is gone") - thank you! I will follow your Saturday suggestions for sure. My roommate is going to teach me how to change a tube this weekend when we put on my fancy new puncture resistant tubes, so I'll be closer to self-sufficiency!
@CliffordK - yes that is it! And a comfort to know there's a subway stop around mile 40 should I get too too flagged to continue.

Unfortunately my commute is part of the problem. It's long (so it takes a big chunk of day) but it's not bike friendly. I work 17 miles away and it's pretty much all city, and not safe for a rider of my ... lack of experience. But what I can do is take my bike to the subway station almost every day between now and then, since I have a bike locker at the station. I need to do that anyway, so this will help me conquer my early morning laziness.

jimincalif

Yes to the above, if you can ride 3 hrs/35-40 miles you should be good for 50 on a relatively flat route. Ride your pace, don't get sucked into hanging with a faster group of riders than you are comfortable with early on. Are you comfortable standing up and pedaling off the saddle? You might want to practice this a bit. 30-60 seconds of this every half hour or so gives the butt a nice break.

Don't overthink eating. Eat whatever you normally eat before a ride. Looks like it is a supported ride so eat lightly at the rest stops. For a 50 mile ride you should not need a ton of food along the way. Have fun.

CliffordK

17 miles each way is long, but not impossible for an avid cyclist.

Look for alternative roads/routes through residential neighborhoods, or bike paths.

Is it possible to take your bike on the bus or subway? Perhaps bike/public transport for one direction, and biking home in the evening?

Biking to the subway stop may also help if it is a few hours. At least it can help getting in a bit of seat time.

rgconner

I'd say you have the fitness, you just think you can't do it. =)

Jisgone suggestion is probably the best one, although look at your bike fit as you extend your ride.

My last saddle was just fine for 2 hrs in the saddle, but after that it got more and more uncomfortable until at 3 hrs it was excruciating!

Replacing the saddle got me over the 50 mile hump.

Zurichman2

I always have the thought if I can do 3/4's of a ride it's in the bag. Some suggested hr riding what I might suggest is doing a 40 mile training ride 2 weeks before the ride. This will help get your butt ready for the 50 mile ride. Since this is your first long ride have fun take pics(post them here) and no problem getting off the bike and stretching some. Enjoy the rest stops but don't stay in there so long that your body starts cramping up.

Yes do drag that guy along that signed you up.

Good Luck
Zman

jsigone

great tip! Saddle that fits your bones (LBS shops have gel pad you sit on to find the width of which you should be focus on trying and buying) and get the best set of bib shorts you can afford. I'd rather have 1 really nice set ($100) vs a few cheap ones. Save the good ones for the weekends and cheaper ones for the 30-60min rides. I wish someone told be about the better bib shorts thing sooner when I was diving into the longer rides

remember to have fun while you train

Bmach

If you have done 32 you will be good for 50. Just don't go all out at the start.

Beachgrad05

Great to see you still riding. You still enjoying the FX?

Since you aren't on a road bike you might just need to make sure the fit still works for you i.e. Saddle height, fire/aft position and reach to bars.

Do you wear padded shorts? You might want to for 50 miles. If you have not used you do want to start breaking them in before the big day.

DrIsotope

It's 50 miles, and it's really flat. Think less. Ride more-- saddle time is more important than anything else right now. Don't worry about pace, don't be intimidated by the distance. You're likely to be surprised by what you can do.

dr_lha

Ride between 25-40 miles as many times as you can.

NoGears

Organized and group rides tend to push me to be able to ride further than I thought I could. Or maybe motivate is a better word. Go out...have fun. Ride at your own pace. Take breaks as needed even if it's not at a rest stop. Keep up with hydration. Super important. Nutrition as well. Try for 75-100 calories per hour. Small snacks, gels, candy, drink mix...whatever you prefer. Just avoid anything heavy or stomach filling. Nothing worse than getting about 3/4 through a long ride and hitting the wall.

TrojanHorse

Do you like riding in crowds? That's another wrinkle that ride introduces - I'm not sure how many people sign up but you're going to get the usual racer-boy idiots along side less confident riders on a fairly narrow bike path. Hopefully they do a staggered start to minimize the crowding.

I share the opinions expressed above - if you can do 30, you can do 50! Just get some time in the saddle between now and then and don't sweat the details.

Yendor72

I agree, it's mental at this point. If you can do 30 you can do 60. And since this is only 50 you got it in the bag.

sdmc530

I agree. I will just echo what has already been posted. Ride your pace, hydrate and eat and enjoy the ride. Lots of fun.

bgraham111

What ever you can do in a week you can do in a day. Ride and ride and ride some more, but you'll be fine (maybe a little tired and sore, but fine).

RECfromPA

I had such a good time on my first long ride with a group (I've only done that one, but am signed up for another).


Let's say there's a rest area every 15 miles. Think of it not as a 50 mile ride, but as three 15 mile rides. You can rest at each rest stop enough to feel that you can go another 15 miles. Before you know it, you're at the end. At least that's how I felt.


Have fun with your challenge.


Roberta

americanrecluse

Yes! I still love my bike. Took a good long break from riding right after I bought it - had knee replacement surgery and man, if anyone offers you a new knee, take it!

Thanks all for the recommendations and encouragement! Unfortunately I learned that I have to have a couple small surgeries this summer and the first is five days before this ride! I don't think I'm going to make it, alas.

Next time, though!

Snuts

Do the 50 miles before the surgery.





You didn't want to hear that option.
Now a more serious note. Enjoy your cycling. Do what you can, when you can every mile is good for you.

-Snuts-

ericy

The only things I worry about when riding that kind of distance is how is my butt going to feel at the end of it all. The other thing is to eat/drink enough at your rest stops to make sure you don't bonk - these are the kind of distances where that can happen if you aren't careful. You don't eat a lot - just small snacks of easily digestible stuff. Different people have different preferences, but my own suggestion is to stay away from dairy while on the ride - it can block your stomach from easily absorbing fluids.

americanrecluse

Thanks so much for all the good suggestions! I'm recovered from my surgery enough to start riding my bike. I signed up for another 50-mile ride (Bike the Coast), so all your tips will be put into use!

dagray

Remember on those organized rides to use the rest stops provided. Maybe not as relief stations, but as a place to stretch, refill supplies (water, and food), get a light snack (enough to hold you to the next station).

Don't eat or drink too much before you start, but make sure you eat/drink enough.

Make sure your cycling clothing fits well (shoes, shorts, jersey, helmet, gloves) as there is nothing worse than having loose fitting shorts cause a saddle sore.

Have fun (this is most important).