Jshort’s bike thread
- Thread starter Jeremy
- Start date
John the Plumber
Well-Known Member
Where is that North Jersey?
I’m in Glen Gardner. 3 miles north of 78. Not really that north jersey.
I haven’t been micromanaging that much. Most rides are under 2.5 hours so I’m usually 70g in a bottle and then 1 gel/chews hour. I guess that puts me at 90 but I often skip the gel/chews.
I think I’m going to do more endurance races (4 hour H2H type of race). this season so I’m sure that’ll be something I spend time with.
I experimented with carb loading the day before the Marty’s Dickerson Mine race and felt like that helped a lot more than I thought it would. That consisted of rice cooked with sugar water and lots of krusteaz pancakes and syrup the day before. A tiny bit of protein and minimal fat/fiber. I’ll do something similar again before races this year.
In the running world lately they push the carb loading as more of a 4-5 day before the race than the night before. Mostly because the body isn't fully absorbing the carbs into the muscles in just a day.
In my forever JRA life i zero in around 30 and maybe 60 if going over 2.5-3 but in the winter it is harder to keep up with actually drinking it. Also, my GD bottle freezes half the time anyways.
Maybe if i trained consistent or with some purpose i would up the amount but i have noticed less fatigue the longer the rode goes.
John the Plumber
Well-Known Member
I didn't know carb loading was still a thing, when our kids rowed crew every week a pasta dinner the night before a race and also team spirit.
I keep a bottle in my back jersey pocket. It’s not comfortable but it doesn’t freeze. I’ll keep swapping from cage to back pocket if it’s super cold.
I also use this time to check the psi on my tires. lol
I know the tricks and i do them if over 2 hours. None of my winter jerseys have outside pockets so i put it in my bibs and it ends up being a one time switch out.
How long (time wise) are those races?
The guy I was listening to said he saw best results when carb intake was increased as you got closer to the event. He was also pretty strict about limiting the other sources (fat, fiber, protein) as you got closer.
I think he was doing a 7 or 8 hour gravel race so about double of what I’d be doing. But like I said, I did feel like I had decent energy for the 3.5ish hours of that Marty’s race from just focusing on getting a lot in the day before.
Marathon generally but that kind of carb load will start with a Half-Marathon. So let's say 2:30 to 3:30 depending on how fast, male/female, etc. But it's hard to compare that to bikes as you can't get the same carb nutrition in during the race as you can with biking. Running upsets the stomach much more with higher carbs than biking. Also it's kind of hard to compare a Marathon to a bike race in effort. Normal person won't be able to walk or function post-race but you can probably play with your kids later in the day after a bike race.
Generally during that lead-up to the race the general logic is to limit fiber and fat as much as possible. Mostly the fiber actually especially as you get closer.
Basically, don't just eat a ton of pasta the night before and consider it a carb load. Start a few days earlier and try to minimize fiber.
Btw, unrelated but it's kind of crazy how different younger people are with this or at least the fast ones. The college bike team goes to the same gym as me and they're often in the sauna. Their lives clearly revolve around biking and if you think you overthink this stuff, holy shit they seem to have all this dialed in and they figure this stuff out to the nth degree. They will go back and forth on "Pro rider X does this with his oatmeal before races, but Pro rider Y does this other thing". Kind of funny.
Yes they definitely have more access to that info than we did. They also have the time, the lack of other responsibilities, the hopes of becoming a pro, and the dream of having some sponsor pay for them to live in Girona for 2 months over the winter! Being a 25 year old pro cyclist may not make you much $, but it would be fun as hell for the small window it would likely last.
I’d obsess too in that situation. 🙂
pkovo
Well-Known Member
My daughter ran XC in HS this season for her first year. They did the same. Team Pasta dinner every Friday before a meet.
Pearl
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
you ever run mix in your pack? I've had some issues with my stomach at the 3-4 hour mark, but through process of elimination, I'm starting to think it's the F369 mix not dissolving in the pack, settling at the bottom and me taking in a higher concentrate in a short amount of time... turning my gut into a fart blaster 3 hours later.
now that i typed all that out and saw you dont ride over 2.5h, i doubt this is an issue. but im not going to delete it
now that i typed all that out and saw you dont ride over 2.5h, i doubt this is an issue. but im not going to delete it
No mix in my pack. I’d do a sugar flask before I did mix in the pack. To much a pita to clean.
iman29
Well-Known Member
I started doing this a few years back before a big ride event or weekend hammer fest and I’d agree it helps and then I don’t feel so bloated with carbs the night before. I also start taking in a bit extra water 2-3 days before as well.
rlb
Well-Known Member
That bobcat pic is pretty cool, I’d love to see one in the wild.
Since someone brought up tire pressure again…
Last Friday I set tire pressure in my warm basement then put the bike in the garage. Did a sub-freezing ride the next day and checked pressure after and both tires were down 3 psi.
I should do a “control” tonight to see if anything is lost sitting in my warm basement in the same time period (16 hours or so).
Since someone brought up tire pressure again…
Last Friday I set tire pressure in my warm basement then put the bike in the garage. Did a sub-freezing ride the next day and checked pressure after and both tires were down 3 psi.
I should do a “control” tonight to see if anything is lost sitting in my warm basement in the same time period (16 hours or so).
Another one from Short Track. These were a blast. 4 weekends (usually 3 for since I could never make it out the morning after St Paddys). Early season, 45ish minutes of redlined HR in sub freezing temperatures.
This is the my new favorite couple.