Originally Posted by
no1mad
After reading the entire thread, I haven't really seen too much covering that topic that I highlighted above. It would be nice to see more on that topic.
There's not too much to say about clothing and equipment, except that one shouldn't use new stuff. Don't tinker with the set-up you are used to, and shorts, shoes, saddle should all have been used enough times for you to know they won't cause you any problems after several hours on the bike. If you're in any doubt about your contact points lasting the course, chamois cream might be a good idea. I don't use it much myself, but some people seem to find it essential.
Originally Posted by
EdgewaterDude
Well, I just completed my first supported century (thank God for SAG wagons) and am feeling beat as hell. Total mileage was 115. Surprisingly my legs feel good, but the rest of my body is wrecked. back, arms and legs are DRAINED. I had to pretty much dog it in the last 25 miles or so - my arm muscles could't even support the weight of my upper body, so I had to pretty much hunch into the drops for extended periods of time.
As for tips on clothing..I think I may need invest in some cycling shorts with a chamois if I'm going to do this again. I was wearing moisture wicking C-9 compression shorts from Target and my riding knickers over those. My ummm...taint...was chafed pretty raw by the end of the ride.
I felt like my nutrition was OK, but maybe needed to be tweaked more. We had a rest stops every 15-30 miles, at which I filled up on water and grabbed a banana. My only concern was that my pee was far from being clear, which leads me to believe my water intake was STILL not up to par. Also, I;m not sure a banana every 30 miles was sufficient food intake. Like I said, I was TIRING badly for the last 30 miles. I'm not sure if I can attribute that too nutrition or lack of training (I ride 20 miles daily for work commuting, supplement with a 40 mile ride on weekends.) I probably need to throw more 70 mile rides into the mix before the century.
Any more tips on nutrition?
Good quality cycling shorts are a good investment.
Your comments about your back and arms being tired, together with your reported mileage, suggest to me that your fatigue is as much a question of fitness as nutrition. You probably simply aren't used to being on the bike for such extended periods and therefore lack endurance. You might find it beneficial to do some core exercises, too, it helps you to avoid slumping into a poor posture.
Having said that, one banana every thirty miles is not sufficient, you should be eating more than twice that number of calories. Bananas are great, but you should be thinking about maybe 250kcal per hour. A banana is about 100-120.