Safe to say that if you are someone that rides with people, 100k is a LOT easisr than if you do it alone. Sitting on someone's wheel is 30% easier so if you can comfortably ride 50k solo, I'm certain you can do 100k in a group.
I watched this yesterday while getting ready for a hilly 100 miler, really got me in the mood. I love the positivity in your vids, it's infectious. Thanks and keep up the good work.
New subscriber here Katie, only been riding for around 6 or 7 weeks here and already just completed my first 100km and I've never felt so happy since I never touched a bike for 10 years pretty much prior and before I rode I was starting to drink and smoke cigarettes more than ever but overcame all that in 7 weeks. Love the channel from what I have watched so far! Thank you.
All good advice KK. I do a couple of 100 mile+ rides per year, and for me having a fun ride is all about the belly and the bum. Eat carefully leading up to the big ride with a nice carb based meal the night before and a good hearty but not too big pre-ride meal (porridge, banana walnuts and maple syrup is my personal go to) and then be sure to only eat/drink things that you are familiar with during the ride (i try to only eat the gels and bars that I bring, and avoid unfamiliar rest stop fare). For the bum, wear your favorite shorts/bibs (broken in but not too), add a dab of chamois cream in just the right spot (experiment with this before the ride) and change hand and seat position often. My training rides are almost always 30-60 miles leading up, I do reccy the course but at most will do a last big training ride of about 75% the target distance no less than 1 week prior to the event. Easy spin rides only during the week before the event. Add some friends and good weather and enjoy the ride!
Great advise, the hardest part is remembering and forcing oneself to drink and eat, even if its just a mouthful of food every 20mins. As you said, 100km on a flat is very very different from hilly 100km. It can be a difference of 30kph vs 8kph.
I’m not a cyclist; but in the last lockdown without training I picked up my sisters old mountain bike and smashed out 100k with a borrowed helmet and a rucksack full of bananas, it was a hilly route and took me about 6.5hrs of riding time. Realistically what I’m saying is anyone can do it no matter what. Don’t overthink it and just get out there, I had a great time and really felt I proved something to myself.
I rode my first 100km on my own yesterday. Took 2 bottles of water/iso/carb mix. 2 gels and 1 thick protein bar. Only my 10th ride started at 20 miles. Was more mentality over fitness the last 10 miles. Took me 3:58 mins. With 2000ft climbing. Buzzing!
Hi Katie, OK I know I have talked about it elsewhere, but I will go into a bit more detail about the first 100k. Bike set up is similar to yours. I ride a Giant Defy 1 and use all the kit that I am used to. So nothing new. Kit for the ride was bike pump, multi tool, spare tube, scabs, small wire lock, in case I needed to leave the bike. Fuel. I carried two 950 mil water bottles, selecting SIS Go. This is a good endurance drink, as it is about 98% carbs, with a salt addition. It was a hot day, so the salt is necessary, otherwise I would choose PS22 for winter. But about 2 litrs of Go. This means I can top up the carbs and keep hydrated as I go. I also had some flapjack, 2 go jells and bag of Bassets Jelly Babies (It has to be Bassets as the sugars disolve quickly giving you a quick energy hit. Munched a couple before each hill). I chose to enter a local sportive. This was Welland Valleys CCs 100k in aid of McMillan. Also, critically it started and finished in a local brewery. Yeah. Because it was local, it was on hills and roads that would not be a big shock to the system. Although I had not ridden on many of the roads, the terrain was not a massive shock. However, if I had suddenly hit the lake district or North Wales, the hills would have been so different that it might have scuppered me. Anyway, moderately hilly, in fact they sold the hills as being a bit of a bugger. They were, but it was stuff that I had handled before. The other thing about doing a sportive is that it sets a date and a time for when you need to be ready. This focuses the training as you have something to ride towards. I also told people that I was doing it, so no chickening out.
I did my first 100k a couple of weeks ago, the Manchester to Blackpool charity ride. 60 miles plus 3 miles riding home. I'd only ever done 25 miles before but I was determined I could do it. I ended up doing it in 4h 18mins with one 10 minute break in Preston. Very chuffed with myself. I've watched a lot of your videos since I got back on the saddle and you've been an inspiration so thank you for that.
Great video as usual. I had some time off recently and worked up to a 75k cake run. Yeah me. So creeping up on the 100k. It is a good tip about the tool kit. I started riding again on a mountain bike. This means going over bridleways and odd places in the middle of nowhere. This means that if you have a mechanical, you are not going to be near a road,or help. So, essential tool kit: two tubes and a set of scabs. tyre levers and multi tool. Chain breaker and a couple of power links (I have had a few chains go on me and having the ability to patch it up out on the trail is very usefull (SRAM PG980 are made of tissue paper). A bike pump and CO2 inflator (Yeah, I have tubeless) and a small bottle of Stans. Gaff tape and a couple of cable ties. Another thing worth packing is an empty toothpaste tube (Just cut the top off so that you have the flat plastic (This is good for repairing a tyre wall on the trail)). Tools aside, a mobile phone, a ten pound note, jells and snacks and a whistle (No signal you can still attract attention). I also have a rain jacket. Now I am not on the mountain bike so much, I do not pack so much. Also, I do not ride with a Camelback, so dont have as much room. However, the toolkit, tubes, chain breaker, pump, phone and money stay the same. Luck
Hiya Katie,hope you're well. Did one today accidently. Take loads of sweets and tunes and tick along at a comfortable speed without using too much effort.Don't think about distance and give yourself plenty of time so you can stop and explore/have a little rest. Take a pump,an inner tube,levers,and a multitool.A chain coupling is handy also. And now back to this wine :^D
I came out from Starbucks and picked a location out of nowhere. I wish I had it planned. It was nice to ride at day time. U fortunately, I had to ride at dark while coming back home. It was all about 120 miles ( 193 km). My next challenge will be probably 290 miles from Tampa to Miami Beach. I do not know yet but I can take a break for 290 miles according to my status. I am 43 and just bought my first road bike last month in my life. I really love when the wind is splashing to my face.
A very well timed video indeed Katie, I've just completed my first 100k this weekend just gone, the Cheshire 100k, I really enjoyed it and I've definitely found your videos and tips both inspiring and helpful. I'll definitely be signing up for more sportives in the future, as well as still competing in MTB Marathons. Cheers and keep on keeping on.
I've just signed up to the Christies 100k bike ride from Manchester to Blackpool. I'm a new cyclist and at the moment this is looking daunting. the furthest I've ridden so far is 30 miles, will be increasing the miles shortly.
I’ve been doing 50k rides that have 2,000 ft of elevation each weekend. I’ve got those down to 1 hour 47 minutes. I watched your video and will be going for my 100k tomorrow for my Strava February badge. Like my first 50k I won’t be going for a time. Ditchling Beacon is at the 40 mile mark which will be interesting. I’ve ridden up there but not with 40 miles on my legs. I bought my first road bike back in September and have just fallen in love with cycling. Wish me luck 🤞
I recently did a jump from 50 km to 110 km..... it was a mistake, km's 70-90 were miserable. The last 20 were good, since I saw the end coming. Even with 2000 people entering, I didn't have a group that was at my speed, so going solo was tough.. Listen to Katie, build up to it!
Well done for giving it a go and completing it. Some people can just go and do a lot extra but I personally thinking building to 100km then to 150km are the most important to take steadily. But you know for next time. It might have been fuelling too, did you eat and drink enough? :)
Thanks! I think I ate a lot, stopped 3 times for bread, and munched a lot. I think it was a lack of training. PS: I'm obsessed with your navy jersey with the flowers, so cute, what brand is it??
Was a blast. Much easier than I thought, only needed a few breaks for sports drink. What made it so easy was like what you said, ride where you know. I made many "small" rides over a few months to connect them so I wasn't riding any unfamiliar. www.strava.com/activities/1681291166
Hello Katie. Good tips for the first 100K ride. In my personal experience, regardless if the person will be riding a flat or hill course, I feel training on hills will benefit the person because 1) the rider will strengthen their leg and back muscles quicker since he/she need to pedal out of the saddle, leading to a full body workout 2) the rider will increase their pain threshold, thus able to ride longer 3) the rider will improve his/her conditioning faster with the resistance of inclines and increase his/her endurance.
Yes I loved training on hills and it definitely helped me. I would suggest aiming for a flat 100km first though and then trying a hillier 100km course. It gets you used to knowing you can ride that distance first.
Very timely vid. Did my first group ride of 50ish K (34 miles) this Sunday. Gonna be signing up for my first 100K metric century that is at the end of Sept. One thing that would have helped me was learning to ride in a group. Always ride solo so having dozens of people around for the first few miles was a little bit unnerving. Great vid as always!
That's amazing Preston, well done for doing the 50km! You're half way there! I'm sure you do it easily, just take your time and yes get used to riding in a group if your first 100km is a sportive.
Katie Kookaburra I've seen all (well almost) your videos ;-) We never stop learning, no matter how long we've been cycling. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us 👍
Just rode my first 100K ( 120K to be exact) in hilly terrain ( 3K+ elevation gain). Rode with a buddy which really helped coz my bib shorts were really not up to the mark.. so rode most of the way with a sore butt. To add to the misery I pulled something behind my right knee about halfway into the ride. The rest of the ride was torture. But was pretty stoked when I made it home. Want to do it solo someday and build up slowly to my first 100miles. I live in a hilly place so riding on the flats is not an option. Though, just like you I much enjoy riding the hills. Thanks for the vids! :)
I’d add pace yourself. Don’t go out quick. Go out and do the first part of the race well below a speed that is stressful, so you have the gas for the end. If you feel good in the last bit of the ride, then give it a push.
+Erik Tabor, Ah, I was about to say the same thing! Keep well within your comfort zone. It's always more satisfactory when you feel you still have some more to give at the end of the ride. When I used to run marathons I always aimed for negative splits.
I just did 81km today in 3:38hr, albeit very hilly route (Macclesfield & Bosley area, then back via Alderley edge). Not bad for a Trek flat handle bar hybrid bike, plus we went offroad on a muddy canal path for a few miles
On your bike fit vid, Phil suggested changing from mountain bike pedals to road pedals. I notice you still have your old ones attached to your bike. Are you saving up your pennies or plucking up the courage? When you do swap could you do a vid about it please. Oh and thanks for the 100K tips 😊
Hey Katie just done a hilly 100k ride in Northamptonshire. to make sure you did the 100k on Strava and not have Strava round your ride too 99k the organiser made the distance 101k or 62 miles in old money. So my tip would be if your goal is to do 100 make sure you 101 remember if it’s not on Strava then you didn’t do the ride 😊
I've entered my first audax event - the Tan Hill 200K - which I think you did yourself last year? I absolutely love the Dales, and spent many summers there in my teens. Just hope I've not bitten off too much, although I've done a few 100 mile sportive in the past. Not as hilly though. Hopefully the fab scenery will inspire me and dull the pain! Keep up the great work!
Jon it's incredible!!! It's the second audax I did after a flat 230km. It's amazing, here's the vid: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-k19kkTLpvvs.html It is hilly but wow, what a route. Andy Corless (the organiser) really knows his hills. I was going to do that one again but opted for the 300km Ventoux ride the day after (or is it the day before...).
It was BRILLIANT! Weather couldn't have been better - everywhere looked stunning. Slightly different route from the one you did - from Tan Hill we went back to Hawes over Buttertubs (killer!) and then up Fleet Moss (brutal!) before a long descent to Kettlewell. Got back, tired and sore but elated. Could get hooked on this Audax thing! :)
I have found something that has helped with my riding immensely. And that's listening to music during my rides. As someone who was fervently opposed to such a thing for obvious safety reasons I have since changed my standing on the subject and have seen a 10-15% increase in my personal output when riding with earbuds in. Would be hard for me to go back. Unless I get run over of course. 😕
I wouldn’t recommend someone riding their first 100km to listen to music, I think it takes some concentration away from the road. Totally a personal choice but I wouldn’t suggest it. And the extra output it great but still I don’t think that justifies not having full attention IMO.
On the day I did not take a jacket, but did not realize how hot it would get, so epic fail on the suntan lotion. Pink lobster time. I had already ridden 50 miles, so the extra would not be that hard. I set off at a moderate pace, concentrating on easy sustainable cadence as opposed to speed. The thing is, there was a lot of bike money that I could see, as well as club colours. My competition included lots of race whippets. Even in the veterans category I would probably get my butt handed to me by some wrinkly, smiling race ninja with more experience and endurance that I could dream of. So I just set off to enjoy the day. I sort of got adopted by a local Leicester club. They are, apparently, a drinking club with a cycling problem. Anyway, we set off at about the same time. I overtook them and then they overtook me u.s.w. Anyway, but the feed station at 37 miles we were riding together. I managed to hold my own until about the 50 mile mark, when the hills started to tell. But I got back in good form, despite having to push it up a couple of slopes. Knees hurt rather than fuel failure. It took me six and a half hours, including the fuel stop. So pretty good. The countryside and people were great. The thing was well organised and sign posted. There was even a support car if we needed it. So yeah. A good ride and great fun. I am looking to do another one in the midlands and will see how that goes. Anyway, thanks for the advice. I think I did everything that I could to prepare. But yeah, big cheesy grin (Plus free beer and a not so free burger at the end). Good fun. Alex
You know Katie the most important thing in order to enjoy a 100k is...the scenery ! …Yes...if what i'm looking ahead is nice it makes the ride so much enjoyable. Second is...the Wind ! no Wind (witch is rare !) is even more fun ! and last, for me its not easy to ride with someone else because my friends want to compete with me, in lenght and speed, and i hate that.so i ride alone...lol thanks for the video...cheers !
I did my first 100k last year and have done a few since. This weekend I’m doing Ride London though, 100 miles, my biggest ever ride! I bought some Slipstream on your recommendation, hopefully that will help :)
I did my first ever 100 km last week (the Devon Delight audax) and it was so amazing, especially back in October I couldn’t even figure out how to ride a road bike! 😂honestly I found road bikes so scary
Building up they mileage gradually not only improves fitness but just as important the mental strength of what one can achieve. Once you've smashed your first 50k it's mentally in the bank. 60k, 70k.....
Hi Katie, I've been following your ups and some downs in cycling for a while now and really enjoy the content. I am 51 and bought my road bike in April as I had lost 3 stone in weight, spinning helped with this but wanted to get out for some fresh air and find places i did not know was there. So living near Tibshelf gave good access to the Peak District so I started at the low 20 miles with a few hills then increased to doing the Tramway 100 and the Lead Miners Trail 100km Audax I found them challenging but enjoyable with the people you meet on the ride. I did mt first 58mile sportive in Melton Mowbray with a group from spinning the other week and finished in 3hrs 20min. Most of my rides are done alone as my friends are unable to get when I go out. I do the hills going out to Matlock and back through Bolsover about 35- 40miles miles in 2hrs 45mins Do you think joining Alfreton Cycle Club would be of benefit to my progress as I am not a racer, I want to be faster but just want to enjoy the ride and scenery, any advice is much appreciated?
Alan that's amazing, well done you! You know I grew up in the town next to Bolsover. Do you know of Clowne? So we are neighbours ha, although I don't live there any more but do go back to visit lots. I do a lot of audax rides from Alfreton and they are a great bunch. Go along and try a few rides with them and see what you think. There are generally different paced groups in all clubs so you will find one that suits you. Let me know how you get on and will maybe see you at an audax from there at some point! :)
Katie thanks for the reply, i knew you used to live in this area but did not know where. On my shorter evening rides, I sometimes go up to Clowne as there are some hills to climb. I will contact Alfreton CTC and try a couple of rides, I'll let you know how I get on, and maybe see you at an Audax, I'm working my way to 200km Audax probably the Roses to Wrags fron Alfreton which is a flatish ride next month, Happy Cycling :-)
great tips, if you ride with a friend it should be someone who rides the same pace as you, it can be a real killer if your friend is slightly faster than you and you try to stay with him/her another tip I use is doing shorter rides (like 60km) at a higher pace than I would do on a 100km, just pace yourself, start off easy and finish strong ;)
23RodCall I agree. That’s why I like riding alone. I once went on a 85km ride with someone who was in better shape than I was, and didn’t take enough breaks or slowed down once in a while. I ended up hurting my shoulder and couldn’t ride for 2+ weeks.
All good advice but the other option is to go out and ride 100k and you'll realise it's not that big of a deal. Pace yourself and it's not hard at all. Did a 100k the other week with our club, it was to get people, especially the young members to do their first 100k. Everyone made it from 12 year olds to pensioners. I jumped from 100k to 200k last month with no prep at all. I got given a entry to a 125 mile sportive on the Friday with the ride being on the Sunday. It was pretty tough but I managed it. So maybe don't over think it and just do it would be another way :)
This 100k isnt a nonstop ride, right? Of course you'll be stopping to eat rest drink. I've done 100k solo. 60 grams carbs per hour in the form of glucose cookies with protein and sodium and some bananas. 250 ml water every 15 mins. Just need to improve my pacing as my average is just 25.5 kph. Took me 3.59 hours. Looking to shorten that to 3.30 hours
Do overweight people need to feed on rides? I have always wondered that. I am overweight and it doesn't seem to make since to eat while exercising to lose weight. Does anyone have an answer?
James B You don’t need to be taking on 100km rides if you’re cycling to lose weight. Fat reserves (shall we say) are no substitute, if your energy and sugar levels hit the floor, by not feeding during longer rides. Please do not do that. Structure your rides for the fat burn, if that’s your goal, and the good news is you don’t need to be sat on a bike for 4 hours racking up 60 miles to do it! Check out GCN if you want more info on using cycling for weight loss. Good luck with it.
@@KatieKookaburra Just waiting on the temp to drop. Arizona nights are still over 90F. So I train. Going to do 100km here in a week once the night hit 82F. Easy round trip. Unlike the 100 mile is Phoenix to Prescott sleep for 1-2 days (1 in a rented room, and other Camping) and return 100 miles. Thinking September here would make it so 4x28 oz of water will work. Also my bike is an E-MTB. I will have 3 batteries with a range in mode 2 of 120 miles. That why I need the room the first night. For power and shower. Mode 2 make my $700 + cost of E-bike crap like a $7000 road bike. I still have to work a lot in that mode. Mode 5 however is fast but eat to much power for a range ride. Crap I wrote a small book!
@@KatieKookaburra Ya should have listened, but still went quite well, bit of construction and the last 20 miles we had a head wind. All in all, great fun and adventure. 2 Days later did about 64Km/42Miles and it felt amazing. Thanks for all the help.
I have friends, but none of them care about riding bicycles. If I asked them to ride a 100k with me, they would look askance at me... like I have lobsters crawling out of my ears.
Get out and enjoy riding your bike :) Also don't give it up like so many of us do around 16 years old. I wish I had carried on but didn't ride for around 12 years! Enjoy
Katie Kookaburra I have done a few Perms locally (started last year) and just the one calandar event Wiggy 300. Ride with the Harrogate VC167 'chapter'
Katie Kookaburra So I guess I’ve done it. Ok my old hybrid crappy bike. LOL. Last summer. I need to feel more comfortable on my drop handlebars before I can attempt it again. LOL www.strava.com/activities/1124392204
How would you train for a 100 mile ride on the road with a mtb,did 40 mile on Sunday and I still can’t sit down properly😫by hook or crook I will do it nxt year,love all ya vids👍👍
Why would you train for a road ride on a MTB? 😬😬 You need to train for the event you are doing. Build up the distances and get used to eating and drinking on the bike :)
Katie Kookaburra it’s not an event or anything it’s just something I’ve wanted to do in a while,I only have a hardtail mtb but it’s got road tyres on it,so watch out all you carbon fibre warriors who might read this😂😂thanks for the reply 🚴🏻🍷👍
Katie Kookaburra.ok I’ll go and have a look on flea bay,I appreciate you answering my questions by the way,just one more if you don’t mind.?my muddy fox cycling shorts are doing my backside no favours,any recommendations on mid priced replacements?been looking at dhb classics
Whatever you prefer, I personally like a loop as it saves cash, and then you're not having to wait an hour or so until you get back. Only time I would say do that is if you want to go to a specific location, like a friend's house, family member, beach. But whatever motivates you more.
Loop is better, just don't do laps, especially ones that pass your house, you will end up thinking of TV, sofa, shower, food etc etc....and stopping early
Hi Katie, OK I know I have talked about it elsewhere, but I will go into a bit more detail about the first 100k. Bike set up is similar to yours. I ride a Giant Defy 1 and use all the kit that I am used to. So nothing new. Kit for the ride was bike pump, multi tool, spare tube, scabs, small wire lock, in case I needed to leave the bike. Fuel. I carried two 950 mil water bottles, selecting SIS Go. This is a good endurance drink, as it is about 98% carbs, with a salt addition. It was a hot day, so the salt is necessary, otherwise I would choose PS22 for winter. But about 2 litrs of Go. This means I can top up the carbs and keep hydrated as I go. I also had some flapjack, 2 go jells and bag of Bassets Jelly Babies (It has to be Bassets as the sugars disolve quickly giving you a quick energy hit. Munched a couple before each hill). I chose to enter a local sportive. This was Welland Valleys CCs 100k in aid of McMillan. Also, critically it started and finished in a local brewery. Yeah. Because it was local, it was on hills and roads that would not be a big shock to the system. Although I had not ridden on many of the roads, the terrain was not a massive shock. However, if I had suddenly hit the lake district or North Wales, the hills would have been so different that it might have scuppered me. Anyway, moderately hilly, in fact they sold the hills as being a bit of a bugger. They were, but it was stuff that I had handled before. The other thing about doing a sportive is that it sets a date and a time for when you need to be ready. This focuses the training as you have something to ride towards. I also told people that I was doing it, so no chickening out.
