AlfaW

Just finished successfully my first 400 km brevet (independent solo ride). I did it on old MTB bike with 26' wheels and cross country tyres.
Total time: 24:40
33 hours without sleep.
All food/water with me
Bike total weight: 27 kg
Location: Estonia

Now I'm looking for 600 km ride

Can't share photos and links for Strava

Tourist in MSN

Congrats on your ride. Weight of 27 kg is pretty heavy.

rumrunn6

wow, can't even imagine doing that. astonishing human endurance! what were the temperatures during the ride?

AlfaW

Average temp. was + 15 C according to Garmin. Min. temp. + 6C

GhostRider62

Congratulations. Almost 60 pounds is a lot, my recumbent was almost 50 pounds total on PBP with food, water, lights, and all the extra clothing and I really noticed it on the hills. GL on your 600K

rumrunn6

almost prefect temps, maybe chilly at night? well done!

ThermionicScott 

Hard core! Well-done, @AlfaW.

You should be able to share photos pretty soon. Alternately, if you start posting them to your album on BikeForums, someone might be able to post them for you in this thread.

unterhausen

Or just put some spaces in the url and we will rescue them from there. Sorry about the inconvenience, it's an anti-spam measure.

I have 300k and 400k routes plotted out, but I have never been able to convince myself to ride them. I always thought I might ride the 300k in summer, when there is more daylight. But when I'm riding by myself, 200k seems like it's enough.

GhostRider62

I agree or at least now as an old fart. I really can't motivate myself anymore to do a 200k in training solo.


Also, this pretty well known endurance coach told me that "all you randonneurs are chronically overtrained" or something like that and said there is no need to ride much more than 6 hours. I am not sure about that but he could be right. I started from zero in February and watch my training load (TSB) and morning heart rate variability. No question that a 400k takes a lot out of me these days but I wonder what the smartest progression timeline would be towards a 1200k.


Would OP be better doing another 400K or jumping right into a 600K? Something I have been thinking about and do not know the answer.


In 2015, I had a good rando year. I did 200, 300, 400 in winter and 3-4 200k brevets about every 2-3 weeks thru April. In May, I did back to back 400k separated by two weeks and then went easy with rest before doing 600K three weeks later. I did not do the PA 600 because the extreme challenge would have taken too much out of me. Kind of a long slow build up (I think I did R12 in 2014/15). Then in mid or late June did an unofficial 200k, 250K and a real 400K on three consecutive days. Maybe I was indeed overtrained but at least I was skinny. My thinking is there needs to be a plateau or rest at each level unless someone is very young or very fit.


In any case, OP is badass doing a 400K on a Mtb bike.

unterhausen

Agree about the OP

I was overtrained for 2019 PBP, I blame peer pressure. 2011 was perfect, I rode a 200k every month because of medals, but my training was short and snappy. I do best with a couple of 100km rides a week and the rest shorter rides. If I ride 200k, I may not be able to motivate myself to go out because the 10 miles it takes me to warm up is too unpleasant

AlfaW

🙂 Thank you. I will post later, when I will be able to do that. I also have video of my brevet

AlfaW

AlfaW

girona

Impressive! Looks like you carried a lot of gear with you for a 400K. Did you have food available along the route?

AlfaW

Yes, I carried all food/water with me. Total weight of bike was around 27 kg. I only stoped once at tank station to buy extra bottle of water on way back

GhostRider62

Where else would one stop when riding a "tank" of a bike.......LOL....60 pounds. You are strong. (I know....one fills the tank of a motor vehicle at a tank station, it just seemed funny to me)

AlfaW