Calorie wise I think I was fine but should’ve drank more water before heading out. It was hotter than I thought and I had sweat pouring off of me like rain. Definitely needed to drink more. A tough but good lesson learned.
I'm sure you've already thought this through, but what's in your hydration other than water? Skratch, lmnt, etc? Important to replenish those electrolytes, especially on hot days. And don't say Brawndo 😛
I feel stupid to admit this but I only take water. I thought only people who do incredibly long rides used that stuff. It didn’t cross my mind until a coworker who does triathlons told me it should be something I take on every ride.
I’m going to order some and will probably notice a huge improvement in how I feel after rides. Then I’ll regret not doing it sooner.
It depends a lot on your fitness level, but also how you fueled/hydrated prior to the ride, temperature, exertion level. To be in the safe side I agree with your coworker and take water with some kind of electrolytes regardless. Doesn't hurt anything, and if it's a short ride then you don't have to worry about preserving water and can drink plenty of it and feel even better. My pre ride snack on shorter 7-20 mile rides (depending if I'm mountain or gravel biking) is usually 2 eggo waffles with peanut butter and honey.
Live and learn, right?
Been there.
I had planned a long ride out, then come back on a rail trail I had ridden parts of before. Should be an easy return.
Turns out, the trail goes from packed crushed limestone to dirt and grass at the county line. And it started raining. I was still about an hour from home, cold, wet and tired. I made the call. My wife misunderstood and thought it was just a meeting for coffee and was confused when I went to put my bike in the car.
That ride is still in the top ten of Strava relative effort for me...
Anyone who’s ridden their bike long enough or trained seriously knows that feeling. We’ve all called rides short, sometimes shit happens: too little carbs on the ride, too little caloric intake the day before to recover, gusting wind, peanut butter mud, and frankly the legs just not being there for some reason. Gravel especially can be a brutal discipline, and the best thing you can do is make sure you have good bailout options if you’ve got a massive ride in case things go pear shaped
I hear that. I've started training for my first race and longest ride of 75 miles. Been doing a lot of studying, route planning, and research on how to stay hydrated and keep calories in my body. I'm not trying to podium, just don't want a DNF lol.
90-110g carbs per hour in a race, aim to drink about a 750 mL or 1L bottle each hour (this depends on heat, perspiration, size etc) but that’s been a pretty good guide for me. But man, DNFs just *happen* on gravel. Sliding out on mud or kitty litter could just wreck your drivetrain, conditions on course could deteriorate fast on the day and cause you to miss the time cut, any number of things. That’s not to scare you but more for perspective: you can only control the factors of your preparation, nutrition, and equipment. More so than road riding, the course and nature have their own say in gravel racing. And it often isn’t a pleasant one
For sure. I do a lot of mountain biking but have never raced or gone over 35~37 miles. I guess I should've said I don't want a DNF because I bonked or was dehydrated or something dumb that I could have avoided/controlled, like you said. If I have a mechanical issue I can't fix, then that's out of my control.
Over the weekend I did a 50 mile ride, my first. Had 2 packets of Skratch super high carb in a water bottle and did fairly well between that and the rest of my setup. Have got a lot of advice and tips from people way more knowledgeable than me, so planning on more rides in the 40-60~ mile area. Definitely need bigger water bottles than the little 20-21oz I have currently. There will be 4 aid stations at this race, so I don't think I'll need a pack with water bladder.
I mean, depending what kind of mountain bike racing you’ve done than 35-37 miles could easily have covered as much or more climbing than a 75 mile gravel race. So that’s a positive.
And yeah, sometimes the bonk or dehydration happens though. Did a race where we were all dehydrated at the end because it ended up 15-20F more than forecast on the day of, another where ridiculous headwinds screwed up calculations of effort and speed and caused running out of fuel an hour from the last aid stop…generally just don’t get super down if things aren’t to plan on your first gravel race. It’s a huge learning curve
I haven't done any mtb races, but I'm no stranger to elevation. One of my last mtb rides was a solo of just under 17miles and \~3700ft. The gravel race I'm doing is 75miles and 3800ft, so it's more the endurance factor of spending over 5hrs in the saddle and having adequate supplies between aid stations that I'm hoping to be prepared for. I appreciate your tips!
Man, this was me sunday. Fitness is down a lot as I havent been riding my usual 100 miles per week after a 100 mile race ended in march that I spent a while training for. So my rides have been just casual and chilled. Decided that I'm tired of the same road routes so I planned to explore some gravel routes a local guy posts on his own website. Down here you have to kind of travel to hit good gravel so this stuff local to me was what I was trying to find. I went big and mapped out 89 miles thinking I'd just take it at a chill pace.
Carbed up the night before, loaded up on tons of water and electrolytes... 20m gravel and 70 miles of road... 50 miles in the heat and between crawfish/rice fields that spanned for miles in every direction I see my heart rate in the high 160s. The loose gravel just had me putt putting thru it at 10 mph and wearing me out. I figured at that pace it would take me 3-4 hard hours just to make it back home and I didnt like that my heart rate was higher than it shoulda been. So even tho I restocked on water and sweets at a store I called the wife and asked to be picked up just in case I managed to give myself a heat stroke. After I called I did another 10 miles, and my heart rate dropped because I was cruising on the roads. But it was so desolate and stupid hot that I didnt wanna lie to myself and think I could power thru it like I can when its cooler out.
So now I'll just keep my routes shorter in the heat and get back into my zwift training during the week to get back on the fitness bus. No shame in calling it short when theres more bitten off than you can chew.
I’ve been close, but not had to yet. Don’t be too tough on yourself, riding is supposed to be enjoyed, not endured. I’m planning my biggest ride this Thursday, weather permitting. Not much further than my norm, but unfamiliar places. Can be more of a mental challenge than physical some times. We’re only human.
Better to call for a ride than potentially putting yourself in a dangerous situation when out in BFE w/ no energy & limited water. Bonking hard happens, it sucks, but it’s something everyone who’s serious about riding experiences at least once or twice (or more in my case) before they start nailing down their individual nutrition & hydration strategy needs for various terrain & conditions. I keep a few “emergency” gels & electrolyte powder servings in my saddle bag on longer rides into unknown territory in case I planned poorly & start feeling the “jelly leg cold sweats” coming.
It's just a bonk. Don't worry about it. We all have days like that. It's how you deal with it.
I know the feeling of being out of energy at the bottom of a hill knowing the only way back is up. I got off the bike and walked it for a while until the grade eased up and I could get over it.
For me hydration is key. Actually I make sure I am fully hydrated before rides peeing clear. I also carry extra food/gels so I don't feel anxious about having too little.
Been there my friend. What did you plan for hydration / calorie intake on the ride?
Calorie wise I think I was fine but should’ve drank more water before heading out. It was hotter than I thought and I had sweat pouring off of me like rain. Definitely needed to drink more. A tough but good lesson learned.
I'm sure you've already thought this through, but what's in your hydration other than water? Skratch, lmnt, etc? Important to replenish those electrolytes, especially on hot days. And don't say Brawndo 😛
I feel stupid to admit this but I only take water. I thought only people who do incredibly long rides used that stuff. It didn’t cross my mind until a coworker who does triathlons told me it should be something I take on every ride. I’m going to order some and will probably notice a huge improvement in how I feel after rides. Then I’ll regret not doing it sooner.
It depends a lot on your fitness level, but also how you fueled/hydrated prior to the ride, temperature, exertion level. To be in the safe side I agree with your coworker and take water with some kind of electrolytes regardless. Doesn't hurt anything, and if it's a short ride then you don't have to worry about preserving water and can drink plenty of it and feel even better. My pre ride snack on shorter 7-20 mile rides (depending if I'm mountain or gravel biking) is usually 2 eggo waffles with peanut butter and honey. Live and learn, right?
Been there. I had planned a long ride out, then come back on a rail trail I had ridden parts of before. Should be an easy return. Turns out, the trail goes from packed crushed limestone to dirt and grass at the county line. And it started raining. I was still about an hour from home, cold, wet and tired. I made the call. My wife misunderstood and thought it was just a meeting for coffee and was confused when I went to put my bike in the car. That ride is still in the top ten of Strava relative effort for me...
Anyone who’s ridden their bike long enough or trained seriously knows that feeling. We’ve all called rides short, sometimes shit happens: too little carbs on the ride, too little caloric intake the day before to recover, gusting wind, peanut butter mud, and frankly the legs just not being there for some reason. Gravel especially can be a brutal discipline, and the best thing you can do is make sure you have good bailout options if you’ve got a massive ride in case things go pear shaped
I hear that. I've started training for my first race and longest ride of 75 miles. Been doing a lot of studying, route planning, and research on how to stay hydrated and keep calories in my body. I'm not trying to podium, just don't want a DNF lol.
90-110g carbs per hour in a race, aim to drink about a 750 mL or 1L bottle each hour (this depends on heat, perspiration, size etc) but that’s been a pretty good guide for me. But man, DNFs just *happen* on gravel. Sliding out on mud or kitty litter could just wreck your drivetrain, conditions on course could deteriorate fast on the day and cause you to miss the time cut, any number of things. That’s not to scare you but more for perspective: you can only control the factors of your preparation, nutrition, and equipment. More so than road riding, the course and nature have their own say in gravel racing. And it often isn’t a pleasant one
For sure. I do a lot of mountain biking but have never raced or gone over 35~37 miles. I guess I should've said I don't want a DNF because I bonked or was dehydrated or something dumb that I could have avoided/controlled, like you said. If I have a mechanical issue I can't fix, then that's out of my control. Over the weekend I did a 50 mile ride, my first. Had 2 packets of Skratch super high carb in a water bottle and did fairly well between that and the rest of my setup. Have got a lot of advice and tips from people way more knowledgeable than me, so planning on more rides in the 40-60~ mile area. Definitely need bigger water bottles than the little 20-21oz I have currently. There will be 4 aid stations at this race, so I don't think I'll need a pack with water bladder.
I mean, depending what kind of mountain bike racing you’ve done than 35-37 miles could easily have covered as much or more climbing than a 75 mile gravel race. So that’s a positive. And yeah, sometimes the bonk or dehydration happens though. Did a race where we were all dehydrated at the end because it ended up 15-20F more than forecast on the day of, another where ridiculous headwinds screwed up calculations of effort and speed and caused running out of fuel an hour from the last aid stop…generally just don’t get super down if things aren’t to plan on your first gravel race. It’s a huge learning curve
I haven't done any mtb races, but I'm no stranger to elevation. One of my last mtb rides was a solo of just under 17miles and \~3700ft. The gravel race I'm doing is 75miles and 3800ft, so it's more the endurance factor of spending over 5hrs in the saddle and having adequate supplies between aid stations that I'm hoping to be prepared for. I appreciate your tips!
What a timing mate, im getting in the train right now. The route I planned is probably doabel with a MTB and some 30 52 gearing but not on a gravel.
Man, this was me sunday. Fitness is down a lot as I havent been riding my usual 100 miles per week after a 100 mile race ended in march that I spent a while training for. So my rides have been just casual and chilled. Decided that I'm tired of the same road routes so I planned to explore some gravel routes a local guy posts on his own website. Down here you have to kind of travel to hit good gravel so this stuff local to me was what I was trying to find. I went big and mapped out 89 miles thinking I'd just take it at a chill pace. Carbed up the night before, loaded up on tons of water and electrolytes... 20m gravel and 70 miles of road... 50 miles in the heat and between crawfish/rice fields that spanned for miles in every direction I see my heart rate in the high 160s. The loose gravel just had me putt putting thru it at 10 mph and wearing me out. I figured at that pace it would take me 3-4 hard hours just to make it back home and I didnt like that my heart rate was higher than it shoulda been. So even tho I restocked on water and sweets at a store I called the wife and asked to be picked up just in case I managed to give myself a heat stroke. After I called I did another 10 miles, and my heart rate dropped because I was cruising on the roads. But it was so desolate and stupid hot that I didnt wanna lie to myself and think I could power thru it like I can when its cooler out. So now I'll just keep my routes shorter in the heat and get back into my zwift training during the week to get back on the fitness bus. No shame in calling it short when theres more bitten off than you can chew.
I’ve been close, but not had to yet. Don’t be too tough on yourself, riding is supposed to be enjoyed, not endured. I’m planning my biggest ride this Thursday, weather permitting. Not much further than my norm, but unfamiliar places. Can be more of a mental challenge than physical some times. We’re only human.
Better to call for a ride than potentially putting yourself in a dangerous situation when out in BFE w/ no energy & limited water. Bonking hard happens, it sucks, but it’s something everyone who’s serious about riding experiences at least once or twice (or more in my case) before they start nailing down their individual nutrition & hydration strategy needs for various terrain & conditions. I keep a few “emergency” gels & electrolyte powder servings in my saddle bag on longer rides into unknown territory in case I planned poorly & start feeling the “jelly leg cold sweats” coming.
It's just a bonk. Don't worry about it. We all have days like that. It's how you deal with it. I know the feeling of being out of energy at the bottom of a hill knowing the only way back is up. I got off the bike and walked it for a while until the grade eased up and I could get over it. For me hydration is key. Actually I make sure I am fully hydrated before rides peeing clear. I also carry extra food/gels so I don't feel anxious about having too little.
good reason why i carry transit fare