5 Reasons Why Long Rides Are Sh*t…But Are They? | GCN Show Ep. 571

With the winter cycling season underway, you're likely to spend less time in the saddle. This week on the GCN Show, Dan and Si discuss whether long bicycle rides are actually fun. Is endurance cycling boring or is it the best part of riding a bike? We also explore the best past hack/bodges and there is a pro bike bidding war!
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00:00 Intro
01:50 GCN App
03:28 Long bike rides
10:14 Cycling shorts
14:58 Zwift games 👉 (Paid promotion with ‪@Zwift‬ )
15:45 Rouvy Challenge 👉 (Paid promotion with ‪@ROUVY‬ )
16:44 Hack/bodge
25:25 Caption competition
27:30 Comments of the week
31:22 Coming up on GCN
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[@gcn]

Are you a fan of endurance cycling? 🚴

[@petet8594]

Definitely

[@rangersmith4652]

At 62 (now I'm 63) I got back to road cycling after a dozen years of almost never riding. I didn't do it to go fast; I did it go go far. I find that if I do ten miles two or three days a week, my fitness level stays high enough to easily do a 30-40 mile ride without being overly sore. I'm faster than I was 18 months ago, no doubt, but building speed was never the goal. A long ride means I can leave my house on my bike and explore some area I've not yet experienced. A short ride means I must either ride where I've already been or load up the bike on the pickup and drive to a new place. I'll do that for a long ride, but loading the bike onto the truck and driving to a place from which I'll commence a short ride? That seems kind of pointless.

[@justittude1524]

Yes, especially endurance rides with minimum stops are the best.

[@bluepanda8992]

I am but dont have money for good bike cant afford it

[@rangersmith4652]

@@justittude1524 Sometimes, yes. For me, the right amount of stops is often driven by age-related biology. On group rides, though, agreed stops are almost always more frequent than I'd like.

[@seattlegrrlie]

Oh I love a long ride. The sense of pure exhaustion, pushing through it. Can't eat enough food, dead on the couch. It's a great feeling

[@gcn]

There is something very rewarding about pushing out the miles! Getting to eat all the food is a bit of a bonus too 😂

[@davidwaycie3247]

The high point of my cycling year was a 78 mile ride to celebrate my 78th birthday. Joined by my wife and a friend, we kept a "friendly" pace and had a truly enjoyable day. 78 miles may be long for some and short for others, but,as I said, it was the best of the year for me.

[@shred3005]

Club friend of mine did a 777km week on his bike for his 77th birthday. Said he’s loved riding since 17 yo

[@jasondunn5410]

Nice work.. I really hope I can still ride like that when I'm 78. Good on you, keep pedaling.

[@gcn]

That is incredible! It is all about enjoying the ride no matter what the distance! 🤩

[@gcn]

Such a cool idea 🙌 going for the 79 miles next year?

[@waynemccuen8213]

Great job sir. I too will aim to be doing that as the years roll on at well.

[@danielofthemoon541]

I showed up to watch this to stay connected to GCN after the corporate murder of our beloved GCN+. It helped.

[@davidwashbrook9885]

Let's hope all those documentaries find their way onto the channel. It'd be a tragedy to see them marooned in a server somewhere.

[@ragzard]

Completely agree with Si. A long ride makes me forget about my cellphone, my work stress, chores, and all mental instabilities. Those 3 hours rides are mentally healing for me.

[@gcn]

Its so much more than just physical exercise! It's great to go out and clear your head 🙌

[@emjaytripleo]

true, I was feeling down and worrying about things which have not even happened, but then a 6-hour 150k ride was all it took to get out of it. I was aching physically but recovering mentally

[@ericlundquisthere]

I love both long and short rides, but I'm particularly fond of the long ones (at least 2.5 hours). They really let me empty my troubles and decompress, and I always come back feeling mentally refreshed, even when I'm physically exhausted. I recently completed a bucket list 70-mile ride from my current apartment to my parents' house, and now whenever I drive the 1 hour 15 minutes to visit, I think about that ride and get a happy feeling of accomplishment, since I've moved that distance under my own power. It's hard to imagine a short ride (or collection of them) that could possibly have that sort of impact to me.

[@rangersmith4652]

I got my GCN+ refund today, but I'd rather have the channel.

[@tinwhiskerSC]

Ain't that the truth.

[@a_diverge]

Entire .17 cents. 😅 Racing next year would have been preferred for sure.

[@stephenauckly]

Mine went to a credit card I no longer have. 🤷‍♂️

[@neoneherefrom5836]

It went down like CNN+?

[@NancyBiker]

Me too 😢

[@mommamooney]

Thanks to GCN, my husband now has a wife that is a cyclist now 😊

[@jedisdad2265]

They don’t suck as bad as Warner / Discovery. The closing of the app was absolutely stupid. I would have zero issue firing anyone who worked for me and made such a decision. And to add insult injury…. No refund sent for my GCN+ subscription. Apple still show it as due to renew in February

[@ericcoxtcu8037]

I am with Si - while I enjoy short rides, there is something I love about long rides. Long group rides are fun, and long solo rides allow me to escape. Sometimes I work through deep questions, other times I couldn't tell you what I thought about. Long rides help me stay centered.

[@francon9586]

Long rides are the best. Especially when you’re riding a new trail. Exploring different places is what makes them enjoyable.

[@scottlawson9899]

Well, received my refund from GCN+ today. A sad day. It was a great app, and amazing content. A shame WB greed shut it down. Now they will want us to subscribe to some platform containing nothing I want to see (otherwise I would already be signed up) except the cycling content, at a higher cost. WB has in deed lost money on me, because I will not be signing up to whatever they attach the content to. No idea where they will put it in Canada, but not for me. RIP GCN+, you will be missed. Be proud of the great content.

[@ajfiest]

Long rides are awesome! For me the idea of a journey, of accomplishment, of a challenge overcome is very satisfying. I love looking at my bike computer after a long ride. I am proud of the numbers! A day on the bike is the best., especially when it’s somewhere I have never been.

[@Toastybear1]

Just working my way back through the last 5 years of gcn shows…. I had a break, but you guys have got me back into cycling again after riding seriously in my teens. It was such a shock to hear my name in comment of the week, but I thought you might enjoy hearing that I’ve just completed 50k up my local scary big hill for the first time in 6/7 years. The comment mentioned in this show, that was the first thing I watched that reignited the fire. So it really DID make me feel 10 years younger. It made me fall in love with cycling again. I know I’m going on at this stage but truly, from the bottom of my heart thank you for myself, and all the other people you have given this gift to. You inspired me back then, and have inspired me now.

[@urouroniwa]

I practiced karate as an adult for about 10 years. We would do these long training sessions where you would spend 10 hour or so just training. Everybody I trained with loved them. I hated them. I was never looking forward to them. I was always anxious. I started riding regularly fairly late in life and I remember thinking how different it was. I'm *always* looking forward to that long ride. I *never* want to go home. I remember riding with someone and they said, "I'm starting to get tired. We should probably head back." And I thought, "*Starting* to get tired? Why on earth would you head back before you are *completely* tired?" I think it's a good indication of how much you are actually enjoying the activity. There is nothing wrong with enjoying it less or enjoying it more. However, I think it's important to realise if you are enjoying it and to fit it into your life accordingly. I don't do karate any more because while I enjoyed it a little, I enjoy cycling a *lot*.

[@Pabbilabbi]

Dan must be suffering from Affogato deficiency? A 4-6 hour weekend ride with good company plus an espresso with ice cream is the best, no matter how trashed you feel afterwards ❤

[@xxxmtb]

Back to dark ages of bootleg KZbin videos of the races

[@kostiatries]

Got a podium in the "biggest bodge of all time". 🤔 Alright, I'll take that 😄

[@gcn]

Great work😂

[@liamoconnor279]

Dan, I'm glad somebody has said this! Seems to be a mindset in cycling, and I've been trying to race for 45+ years, that unless you do long rides week in, week out, year after year. you're not a real cyclist!!! But you're right, it's tedious, time consuming and exhausting. What's the point unless you're specifically training for a long event. Just riding aimlessly for hours....no thanks!!

[@ragzard]

Overlords: that app and site thing you like must be shut down Presenters: that decision is crap!

[@bostjankozuh]

Really sorry to see GCN+ gone. @gcn, what will happen to all documentaries? Will they still be available somewhere or are they gone too?

[@gcn]

We're working on a solution and new home for our existing films. We'll let the GCN community know as soon as we can 🙌

[@stevedouglas3975]

Definitely with Dan. A 2 hour ride is ample for whatever you are doing. For fitness you don't need even that much. And long rides ARE boring. Cycling 3 x 2 hour rides per week is more than enough.

[@craighoover1495]

"...never waxed a chain, too busy recovering from long rides.." Brilliant!

[@alinapopescu872]

I miss the GCN App, and it only closed yesterday. But those psychopaths who run your show don't care about that.

[@238949]

My best day this year was a Sunday in July, I did my longest ride ever, 67 miles, not a marathon to some but was out all day with 2 really good friends, we had 3 cafe stops and when I got home I was so proud of myself, felt I'd really achieved something 🥰🥰

[@russellseaton2014]

I've ridden from 1 to 1200 kilometer rides. Short rides, 30 to 100 kilometers are the right length. When it gets above 100 km, the ride becomes more about how much suffering you can endure as opposed to how much joy you are having. Much better to spend a half day having joy than a whole day and night being uncomfortable.

[@dannystaten5701]

The sense of accomplishment from a long, epic stays with me for days or even weeks, and nothing else matches that imo.

[@gcn]

It really helps keep you motivated for a while! What is your longest ride?

[@gcn]

What's the proudest you've been of a ride?

[@dannystaten5701]

Everest ride. 199 miles and 31,000' of climbing. That was in 2020, butt it still feels awesome to think about.

[@velodjk2975]

Dan is advocating the shorter rides, while sitting next to a photo of himself on a longer race ride.

[@aarongabriel6837]

I like a variety of rides, but I do agree with Si about switching off. I find a 3 hour ride is long enough to still ride a good tempo but feel like I've been out long enough to decompress and enjoy the scenery.

[@stephenmacklin4556]

Any ride is a good ride.

[@gcn]

Words to live by 🫡

[@Bender207]

long rides in summer are fantastic and memorable, you work towards that goal and the feeling upon achieving it is amazing!

[@gcn]

This is so true! When you put in all the training it's super great when it all clicks into place!

[@johnmccarthy115]

Great to have the show on KZbin 👍👍

[@karlj711]

I'm with Dan. Long rides bore the hell out of me if I'm riding solo.

[@chrisridesbicycles]

Now let‘s all stand up and have a minute of silence for GCN+. 😢

[@gmivisualsjason3729]

Variety is the spice of life........ Long rides/Short rides etc

[@gcn]

Exactly, It is always nice to change up your rides so you don't get bored of the same rides. Which do you prefer?🤔

[@gmivisualsjason3729]

I honestly don't have a favourite......... always a joy on the bike ​@@gcn

[@magicknight8412]

caption competition "The look on Tom's face when he spotted Dan Lloyd (everyone's favourite GCN presenter) homing in on his huge beer"

[@woolfel]

this summer, I headed out on summer soltice at 5:30AM. It was a great time and one of the best rides I've had in years. I managed to log 158 miles solo around Massachusetts. didn't have to chase anyone or worry about anything. I just enjoyed riding. It was a meditation ride and being in the moment. Sounds like Dan needs to go out and just enjoy being on a bike and experience the moment.

[@paulb8587]

#captioncomp: The moment Tom realised that he had just swallowed the goldfish.

[@drews4466]

RIP GCN+. Let me know when the powers that be let you offer hard copy media versions of heartlands and slow cycling and I'll be right there.

[@kevinhoffmann3713]

One of two things is going on with the long ride discussion. Either Dan has gotten so old, he can no longer handle the long rides...or he drew the short straw and had to debate the wrong side of this argument.

[@ashokcaptain4088]

Methinks short straw...

[@danielstorey2027]

Let’s bloody hope it’s the second one, otherwise only Manon or Hank should be along side Si on the weekly show

[@StoccTube]

I did 165km yesterday with some mates… usually do 120-150km with 2-3k climbing once a week in the Aussie hills in Victoria. It’s the best part of my week. Starts at 5am, usually home by midday. I smile from ear to ear the whole time.

[@user-ox4lg3gd7c]

Sad day goes without saying, but I just did. Also I would like to say, thanks for the help on my workout sprints. For that extra effort: I pretend I am Si running from a herd of cows bearing down on me! Thanks again for this and all other inspirations I have received since crossing paths with the GCN crew. Best of life to all. I will look forward to seeing any and all around the curve someday...

[@184cWayne]

I love riding, short, long, dry, wet, indoor, outdoor. If I miss more than a day, I start to get really grumpy at myself and the rest of the world.

[@billmccaffrey1977]

Don't cry Dan, we know that you are well past your prime and walking to the bath for a wee can be a challenge. I'm 67 and still enjoy long rides as a start to the day and hope that I'm many years from your low. (Just poking a bit of fun).

[@danielstorey2027]

Love this 😂😂🙌🏼👏

[@aliandcathyhunt3950]

Caption: "Anyone seen Dan Lloyd?"

[@felixamrhein-jf4im]

#captioncompetition: Tom Pidcock wins first place by recreating the route profile with his lip angles.

[@andrewmcalister3462]

I feel another Hank and Mark Beaumont epic video coming on - “Cycling to Scotland’s (re)Wildest place”

[@foxy1706]

long rides for summer when you can enjoy the sights take mind off pain. in winter so dark and damp short the way to go

[@doggylover1958]

Very sad that GCN+ is no more, it was by far the best value for money that I spent on ANY cycling related products.

[@kestralrider313]

I'm a sprinter, but definitely down for long rides in the routine, but I need to be fit for them to be fun. Some long rides are just done because I'm missing my previous fitness and want to add to that aerobic base, making even my shorter future rides better. The only ones I don't enjoy are those that I go further than my body was ready for, something goes wrong, saddle sore, etc..

[@patrickjoseph3618]

My longest ride was 168 miles with a friend that finished 200 miles. I purposely ran over something to blow out my tire. I was tired and sore.

[@joekawasaki]

When you wax your chain, the first 10 minutes thechain is really stiff & needs working in. If you're going straight to an event, the break in already being done is ideal!

[@bowrepublik]

Lol... As a Canadian! Bringing the bike inside when it's -30 outside. Your chain etc will freeze up due to the bike being warm. Just a tiny bit of snow will cause a skipping chain / poor shifting. Keep it outside and WD40 it down when the Chinook comes.

[@lesliereissner4711]

So Christmas Week begins with the death of GCN+ and coal in all our stockings. Binge-watched the last of the wonderful documentaries yesterday but maybe there is hope yet as the Alpe d'Huez comes up on GCN next week!

[@jheidemann68]

As a Dad with a pretty full schedule, 2-2.5 hr rides 2-3 days per week are a sweet spot for me. I do love the occasional 4-5 hr ride..... likely 1 per month but that ride is more about the adventure rather than the goal of time.

[@grantwelch9255]

#Captioncontest LAGER than life cyclist, Tom Pidcock, unHOPPY and BARLEY functional after being asked to drink celebratory beer. It was the YEAST he could do.

[@gcn]

👏

[@minushphoto]

I do short rides for exercise and long ones for the joy of exploring and seeing the countryside

[@bleckb]

All the accolades for Puck downing her beer, butr Lucind Brand finishes at the same time. She too is power!

[@lgarcia67]

I agree with Simon. I normally go ride by myself because of schedule conflicts with the local club. However, I have found it very enjoyable to be myself and not listen to anything or anyone; only the noise of my bike’s hub. It’s like being in deep meditation; it completely clears my mind. So yeah, I enjoy it a lot to be out for 3 hours or so. No question though, the rest of the day goes to the toilet because I’m super tired at the end.

[@mattjordan9521]

I do a lot of long tours. Each day I’ll do 4-5hrs of riding. It isn’t fast but it isn’t exhausting. New sights, things to see. Rarely miserable (unless bad weather and bad traffic). I’ll do this day after day for 2-9 months!

[@davids307]

I believe both Si and Dan are correct. Long rides suck but ... one of the best ways to deal with my high stress and high pressure job is to get on a bike for four or five hours and have nothing to think about but my cadence, etc.

[@glebnoujin2922]

Long rides are the best for all the reasons mentioned!!! In the first 30-40 minutes I always have a feeling of dread and fear of whats ahead of me but then a sense of calm takes over and you just ride, I get a little sad when i know that i've hit the half way mark because it feels like you are on your way back (or to the destination) from that point on. I miss you GCN+ !!!!!

[@Katcycle]

You're both right! And both wrong. If you love long rides, then they're the best. If you prefer shorter rides, then they're the best. No point doing anything that you don't enjoy. (Race training excepted of course!)

[@bryanthomas3687]

The end of GCN+ is such an incredible shame. It’s hard to get excited for the 2024 season knowing it’s going to be so inconvenient to watch without GCN+ and less fun without the connected GCN+ community.

[@michaelfretz814]

Dan should watch the PBP documentary on GCN+ . . . Ooops!

[@karlburningham3604]

100 miles on a sunny summer's Day are my faves.

[@danielstorey2027]

Hear hear! ❤

[@SymonSaysTV]

Since the GCN app as closed I keep on going back to it, hopping it was a joke and it would come back.

[@danielstorey2027]

Me too! 😢

[@CelticThomas]

I love long rides. Frees my mind of all stress.

[@WerdnaLiten]

A long ride, ridden steadily, (aka Slow rides)can be enjoyable.....take the time to view the scenery, cafe/pub stop.....Beats trying to beat KOMs, and going flat out.....

[@kge420]

68 and retired. My week consists of 2 rides, one each of 30 and 40 miles. I’m not very fast so I’m looking at 3 and 4 hours including stops for coffee and nature. It’s just enough for me.

[@karenatkinson7964]

#captioncompetition: "where's Puck Pieterse when you need her?"

[@Rebelscum985]

Nothing but long rides! I’m not living to ride, I’m riding to live.

[@stephendarcy-evans1827]

Thoroughly enjoyed the last ever GCN+ Alpe d'Huez film with Connor and Frank. Kudos for the rollcall of GCN+ staff at the end- hope they all still have a role within the GxN channels. Happy Holidays everyone!

[@danm5021]

Caption comp: This wasn't exactly what Tom had in mind when he said he wanted to be first to finish the kwaremont...

[@marvmininger1835]

Lucinda Brand nearly matched Puck's beer chugging, though.

[@michaelvelasquez6910]

I believe a long rides are only as good as the the road and the scenery.

[@matthewsheeley9449]

The most riding I ever did was training for an ironman (Please don't delete my comment because of that), but I still look back very fondly on looking forward to long ride Saturdays where my whole morning was taken up by doing 70-100 mile rides. I absolutely loved the challenge, the time in nature, and the thinking time, but I also loved the feeling of accomplishment I could take into the rest of the day knowing I had done my work or the day on the bike. I also have no kids an extremely supportive wife who encourages me to take long rides so that also helps.

[@fredericaudet25]

I looooove long rides. Nothing makes me happier on a bike then being the fartest I have ever been from home. :-)

[@cb6866]

Thanks Si,, Dan and crew....love longer rides . I used to run marathons , and loved to train . Cycling is the nearest thing , to me .

[@nicoflinta]

As an endurance rider, I think the discussion about long vs short rides was way too long 😊

[@homersadiarin9299]

Long rides with steep climbs is the best. It's a great achievement when you reach the top. Doing it faster is the challenge for the next time you go there.

[@toddrossauthor]

On Wednesday, I timed a 38 mile ride to finish up at the time and place that our club was starting it's 24-mile ride, which was rather quick. Surprisingly, I was able to stay in the front group until about (total) mile 58, when I started to flag . . . So, I dropped off the wheel of the lead group and finished my 100K about 300 yards off the front . . . Feeling pretty good. Tired but good. I think the long rides build considerable strength. Combining those with intervals has made me a much stronger rider.

[@peterleffler2062]

There's long rides and long rides. Some are a great adventures and a big achievement that gives you a real sense of satisfaction. The others are hell on 2 wheels - cold, wet, windy, mechanical issues, fatigue, bonking, pain, suffering 😱 - aka type 2 fun.

[@anthonybaxendale887]

I've now realised why cows chase Si, they're asking if he has any udder cream they can have 🤣🤣🤣

[@christophercortes1524]

2.5 hr rides! Perfect 🤙🏾

[@ryancraig2795]

I probably need to work on my endurance. After a morning ride of about 1.5 hrs / 40 km, I'm pretty much done for the rest of the day for physical activity. I don't know how people do tours with back to back to back days of 80+ km with 100s of metres of climbing.

[@philipwooldridge9606]

Puck doesn't look old enough to get served, maybe she can only get beer on the podium?

[@jeremysteinmeier1701]

Long rides are a fun mental challenge. Never quite sure what the curve of when the energy is going to hit and fade. True zen.

[@kevind4383]

I'm fine with two hour rides, they have a better balance between pre-ride fueling, in-ride drink breaks/stops, and saddle comfort. I've done four hour rides and the increasing level of saddle discomfort gets in the way of enjoying the late ride scenery.

[@greggsenne1268]

I'm gradually increasing the length of my rides toward a total of 100+ miles per week. My goal is to enter a few century rides in 2024. I think at least one long ride per week is necessary.

[@user-np5dh8cu9p]

My greatest rides this year were my century ride and longest fast ride. Sorry Dan, I agree with the bike rider.

[@adoj105]

Dan: Long rides of 4 hours .... Me: 4 hours, I thought we were discussing long rides?? 4 hours is a nice medium ride 😃. The group I ride with are more endurance based I believe. We like both but honestly we do consider a 2 hour ride a short ride.

[@lianejackson7170]

I love long rides, especially somewhere new to make it an adventure and an experience. Longest solo ride in a day so far is 230km. Listened to audio books, music, cleared my head. Fuelled well throughout and after so recovery was fine. Worst part was cleaning the bike afterwards! 😂

[@thomasmcardle1317]

My wife and I train for Ironman races together so a date day of a 5 hour ride followed with a stop by the local brewery and then a takeout pizza to come home and polish off while we watch a movie. That’s a great way to spend a day together.

[@gcn]

That sounds like the perfect day to us🫶

[@cameronramsay8054]

Nothing better than a 200km+ ride with nowhere to be for the rest of the day. Lots of stops and steadily ticking off the km’s.

[@mattlloyd6651]

For the Hack using the jockey wheels, rather than putting it back on the bike that can come in very handy for those that wax multiple chains to keep on hand.

[@mathewrose2951]

Good thing that the UCI has no jurisdiction over my rides! I’m on 42 cm bars and I was planning on turning each lever in by a cm when doing the bar tape to help decide whether or not to go onto 40 or even 38 cm bars instead

[@Neil.C57510]

Blimey, my gravel bike has 74cm risers with shortest 35mm stem. How do you control your bike 😬

[@howieshaw8422]

I do what Dan mentioned. Lots of short rides under 2 hours with a few long rides slotted in over the year.

[@psychojock]

A new GCN challenge should be to train Si to do as many pullups as possible in 1 min.