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2013-08-17 9:01 AM

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Subject: Need Help in Century Ride Pacing

Guys

I need help in pacing for a century ride?

In my last 4 centuries this year i was only training for Half Iron distance therefore i just hammered the first 57 miles I was able to hold it for 19.43 mph then i started to regress to a poor pacing because of after the 60th mile i started stopping rest stop after rest stop and i ended up to a overall ave speed of 14.75 mph. I have 3 more centuries lined up this year. I just want to enjoy the whole century and have a decent mph. I need your blunt and frank advice how should i pace my century ride on a flat elevation.

Sincerely

Carl


2013-09-16 12:03 PM
in reply to: strykergt

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Subject: RE: Need Help in Century Ride Pacing
I would suggest joining a pace-line at about 20-21 mph and enjoy the ride.

2013-09-17 8:23 PM
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Subject: RE: Need Help in Century Ride Pacing
Originally posted by dan king

I would suggest joining a pace-line at about 20-21 mph and enjoy the ride.




i did it i dd not lat long i was able to hold 19.5 mph up to mile 60 and started going downhill and stopping every RS. At the end of the century ride i only averaged 14.5 mph reststops included. I will be happy to have an ave. speed of 17mph.



Edited by strykergt 2013-09-17 8:24 PM
2013-09-17 9:05 PM
in reply to: strykergt

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Subject: RE: Need Help in Century Ride Pacing

Start at 17 mph (or thereabout given the wind direction) and hold that for 100 miles.  Even pacing is usually the best plan.  Whether or not you can hold 17 mph...I have no idea.

Riding with a pack that is also targeting 17 mph would probably make the task 20-30% easier.

2013-09-19 3:51 PM
in reply to: strykergt

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Subject: RE: Need Help in Century Ride Pacing
Remember that unlike Tri, bike races (including non-competitive centuries) are a team sport and the guys who are riding in the peloton can do less work while riding much faster than the solo guy who is riding with his face in the wind. A couple suggestions... schedule longer training rides so you are accustomed to riding past that 60 mile barrier. Sounds like you also need to eat more on the bike so that you don't need to stop at aid stations. Then, the day of the event... line up early and get as far towards the front as you can. If you start with a fast group at the front and you get dropped, there should be other groups behind you that can pick you up. If you start the event way at the back, the fast groups will be up the road and you will never catch them and if you get dropped there won't be many people behind you to re-group with and you could get caught out alone. Another key point is that ave speed in a bike event is irrelevant. Tri trains us to be able to ride at a constant speed over long distances while maintaining a pretty constant heart rate. In bike events you need to be able to go hard into the red when the group surges so that you don't get dropped, and then rest and recover in the group. Training using intervals where you are over your LT threshold interspersed with rest periods will prepare you for this type of riding.
2013-09-20 8:23 PM
in reply to: bluebike

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Subject: RE: Need Help in Century Ride Pacing

Originally posted by bluebike Remember that unlike Tri, bike races (including non-competitive centuries) are a team sport and the guys who are riding in the peloton can do less work while riding much faster than the solo guy who is riding with his face in the wind. A couple suggestions... schedule longer training rides so you are accustomed to riding past that 60 mile barrier. Sounds like you also need to eat more on the bike so that you don't need to stop at aid stations. Then, the day of the event... line up early and get as far towards the front as you can. If you start with a fast group at the front and you get dropped, there should be other groups behind you that can pick you up. If you start the event way at the back, the fast groups will be up the road and you will never catch them and if you get dropped there won't be many people behind you to re-group with and you could get caught out alone. Another key point is that ave speed in a bike event is irrelevant. Tri trains us to be able to ride at a constant speed over long distances while maintaining a pretty constant heart rate. In bike events you need to be able to go hard into the red when the group surges so that you don't get dropped, and then rest and recover in the group. Training using intervals where you are over your LT threshold interspersed with rest periods will prepare you for this type of riding.

I hear what you're saying, but it should be clarified that the OP should start near the front of the group of riders that are at or slightly above his/her ability...not at the very front of the entire pack.  There is no point in trying to line up at the very front next to the guys who are going to average 23-25 mph over the entire 100 miles (probably averaging closer to 28+ when the road is flat and little headwind).  That will just create a dangerous situation when the other riders want to get around the OP.

So maybe look for the section of riders who may be averaging 18-20 mph and try to hang with them.  If you can't hang, drop back to the group that may be going 17-19...and so on and so forth.  I would agree that if you start too far back, and miss the 17-19 mph group entirely...it is very likely you will be riding solo for the entire ride and work a lot harder.



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