160k race - no feedzone, doable on 2.5 bottles?

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iscarrr
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2011 12:40 am

by iscarrr

So im doing a 160km race in a few days, its sort of been labelled as a sportif but sort of not. To date its always been a 110k race, which was definitely a sportif, so there were 'feed stations' (stop, off bike, get food and drink) but never 'feed zones' (helpers holding musettes and bottles to hand out as you fly past).

So the new 'extreme' 160km edition says 'no feeding via support' - and clearly at the pointy end of the race, 35-40kph+ riders, no one is going to stop for more food/drink at a 'feed station'. I've just found out that at the 90k mark there is a feed zone but only for the elite team riders?! And this hasn't been announced at all, all very hush hush.

My question is: having not raced 160km before, with 2x800ml bottles on the bike and a half bottle in my middle jersey pocket + loads of gels/bars in my pockets, should I be able to get it done without bonking heavily? Or is that utter madness, and I should try get someone to sneakily hold a musette for me?

I realise some of that depends on if i sit in the bunch for most of it vs. getting in a break etc. Also I should add the course is fairly flat, one climb thats about 5k at 5%.

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geraldatwork
Posts: 796
Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2005 7:21 pm

by geraldatwork

iscarrr wrote:So im doing a 160km race in a few days, its sort of been labelled as a sportif but sort of not. To date its always been a 110k race, which was definitely a sportif, so there were 'feed stations' (stop, off bike, get food and drink) but never 'feed zones' (helpers holding musettes and bottles to hand out as you fly past).

So the new 'extreme' 160km edition says 'no feeding via support' - and clearly at the pointy end of the race, 35-40kph+ riders, no one is going to stop for more food/drink at a 'feed station'. I've just found out that at the 90k mark there is a feed zone but only for the elite team riders?! And this hasn't been announced at all, all very hush hush.

My question is: having not raced 160km before, with 2x800ml bottles on the bike and a half bottle in my middle jersey pocket + loads of gels/bars in my pockets, should I be able to get it done without bonking heavily? Or is that utter madness, and I should try get someone to sneakily hold a musette for me?

I realise some of that depends on if i sit in the bunch for most of it vs. getting in a break etc. Also I should add the course is fairly flat, one climb thats about 5k at 5%.

The biggest factor is temperature. However it doesn't seem like enough liquid.
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iscarrr
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2011 12:40 am

by iscarrr

Sorry I should have mentioned temperature, looks like its going to be between 14-20c degrees for the race.

And yeah I'm worried about the water situation.

ozdavo
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Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 7:00 am
Location: Gold Coast, AUS

by ozdavo

Ridiculous for a race situation IMHO.


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denzity
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Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2011 10:01 pm

by denzity

Will be very hard imo. I recently did 110km at 30 kph (not racing) on 2x bottles and I ended up getting very thirsty for the last 40km.
Might be doable if you sip on the water big time beforehand (2l/hr for two hours before the race), but then you'll have to pee while you're in the group...

Ghost234
Posts: 397
Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2011 2:21 am

by Ghost234

Bring 3 large bottles with you. Also try to use gels that are very viscous so they contain some water.


But seriously, 160km Sportif with no feeding is a little crazy. Maybe bring a Camelbak. Let the haters hate, you've got water.

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Tapeworm
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by Tapeworm

I've done a 160km TT on a pretty flat course in temps up to 25 degrees celcius. I used a 2 litre Camelbak filled with Gatorade (under the jersey, more aero!) and two 600ml bidons with water. Still ended up dehydrated. Doing a similar distance albeit cooler on 2-3 bottles is highly unadvisable. 600-800mls per hour (depending on heat and individual losses) would be closer to needs.
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Fisherfreerider
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Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2011 1:19 am

by Fisherfreerider

Considering that you should be drinking ~12-16oz per hour then there is no way.

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theremery
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Location: New Zealand

by theremery

??? Hydrate thoroughly before you leave and have it all consumed at about the 120km mark.....you'll be a bit dry but at that temp, you'll survive on 2X800 and a 500 in your pockets. Consume the 500 first, obviously, and throw the bottle to a spectator....game on! I had a G.I. issue and did 130km on 2 mouthfuls last weekend. ABSOLUTELY NOT RECOMMENDED but you'll get by just fine....temp range was similar to yours.
Updated: Racing again! Thought this was unlikely! Eventually, I may even have a decent race!
Edit: 2015: darn near won the best South Island series (got second in age
-group)..woo hoo Racy Theremery is back!!

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theremery
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Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2005 10:56 am
Location: New Zealand

by theremery

oh...btw re viscous gels....nope....put about 2 scoops Horleys replace or similar in each 800ml bottle and use moist whole food that contains a little bit of fat is potentially best*. Thick Gels actually dehydrate you and are often advised to be washed down with up to 300 (?)mL of water on the ones I've used in the past.
(* though I personally just use weight watchers bars as that's what I train on....apple, or apple and custard....YUM!)
Updated: Racing again! Thought this was unlikely! Eventually, I may even have a decent race!
Edit: 2015: darn near won the best South Island series (got second in age
-group)..woo hoo Racy Theremery is back!!

iscarrr
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2011 12:40 am

by iscarrr

Thanks for all the feedback guys. And yeah pretty much everyone confirmed, this is a crazy idea.

If i can't get anyone to hold musette for me (if its even allowed, dont get me started on this races organisation), I'll either quickly stop to fill up, or embarrassingly, put on a friends double biddon cage thingy that goes on the seatpost, Tri style :oops: Don't know whats worse, that or a camelbak under the jersey! :shock:

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Tapeworm
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Joined: Thu May 03, 2007 10:39 am

by Tapeworm

On gels - I found the SiS gels very "drinkable" being far more liquid than some gels which have the consistency of a ball of snot. IIRC SiS made them to be consumed without additional fluids (isotonic).
"Physiology is all just propaganda and lies... all waiting to be disproven by the next study."
"I'm not a real doctor; But I am a real worm; I am an actual worm." - TMBG

wojchiech
Posts: 405
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 6:33 pm
Location: bay area, california

by wojchiech

maybe a camelbak? strap one in front and in back :lol:

yongkun
Posts: 397
Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2010 10:19 pm

by yongkun

Try reaching out for bottles from your "domestique" bottle cages. I mean riders beside you.

ultyguy
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Location: Geneva

by ultyguy

I was in a similar situation last year (elites had mussettes but nada for me, I had 2x750ml). It was about 135km but with 2x2nd cat and 1x2st cat + a just lumpy all day, winning time around 4 hours. It was August, but overcast and a muggy 25 degrees. I was having one of my best days of the season out on the bike and stayed with the front group over the last big climb of the day only to die on the 10km false flat run-in to the finish. I still did better than I ever could've hoped, but you always wonder 'what if'.

I used 100% gels all day and I have to say that I would take that approach again. Solid food requires even more liquid for me than gels. Also, fat etc takes even more water to break down so I wouldn't go that route personally. Hydrate like heck beforehand and something with plenty of salts in it so that your body retains more water.

I really should've gone for the extra bottle in the jersey though, would've died for it!

p.s. I'm normally a very heavy drinker so even I was surprised I made it that far w/out extra water, so yeah it can be done.

by Weenie


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