How To Complete Your First 50 Mile Bike Ride

[@TK-ov4hn]

I did my first century ride this spring. It took me 10 hours. I felt like that was slow until my wife reminded me I was 68 years old. 😂

[@gcn]

First century! congrats 🙌

[@jeremymcbride8729]

and here’s me, 43 and struggle getting to 50km. Watch this space though. Well done young fella.

[@Southerncyclist]

Awesome

[@duathlete827]

Outstanding effort! Been riding over 30 years and have never completed a ride longer than 60 ish lol. I just turned 70 and will not be doing a century.

[@bikecommuter24]

I'm 60 and I just did my first 20 miler, 10 miles -coffee - 10 miles home. 50 is another goal, I just got back into cycling and ride a 3 mile commute to work, so I really haven't got a lot of miles on my bicycle, I also ride 2 miles to the train station to take the train to go see my nieces and its 2 miles to their house from their local station , the bicycle has save me a lot of money not having to take a ride share and a lot faster than the bus😆

[@stanwatson2904]

I started riding rather late in life (53 years old) and rode 20-30 miles in some hilly regions, and found it both exhilarating and difficult. That exhilaration kept me going further and further and now ride I 200-300 miles a week such that my body feels "trained" to ride 50 miles each time out without too much difficulty. Off days are crucial! I find it helps to ride with a group who enjoy riding the same distance/difficulty to "share the pain." I'm 63 now and my body would revolt against me if I tried to do less than what it's accustomed to doing these days.

[@gcn]

Great millage Stan! Sure you've got some great tips! 🔍

[@Turion37]

I was like that. Wish I could put the time in. The shorter low gear pedaling is great.

[@aAnd67]

Done a fifty six miler last weekend. 1st one since getting back into cycling @55 years young. Hard, but loved it. Great work Missy Manon. 👍

[@gcn]

Well done Andy, welcome back 🙌

[@aAnd67]

@@gcn Thank you very much

[@forzaferrari8088]

I think the most important for progress is all about your mental ! Even if the weather is bad or/and you're feeling bad, if you motivated yourself, you can do something more huge than you can expected !

[@gcn]

Great point, so much of cycling is a mental challenge. We find a ride always clears the head.🙌

[@winstonsmith8236]

Any tips?

[@MrShteeeve10]

In 2 years I've gone from dying doing 57mi with 2900ft at 15.8mph and 165bpm avg and collapsing on the floor afterwards, to doing regular 80-100mi rides, most recently 85mi 4700ft at 17mph and 143bpm avg. Biggest thing in that period is acknowledging that there's always going to be people faster than me, as there's so many physiological differences between us all - and just having a consistent and structured approach to riding. Some days just having fun on the bike taking in the sights, but other days just finding my own rhythm and sticking with it, on both the flats and the climbs, take the descents as recovery, no medals to be won going hard down them too! I would never have thought I'd complete the Mallorca 312 and Dragon Devil earlier this year, let alone enjoy them, but it's amazing what you can do when you start to get the mental control over yourself and your body. I now have a top cap to always remind me 'Shut up Legs!' 😂

[@gcn]

Thanks for sharing your cycling journey! Keep it up, you're smashing it 🙌

[@duathlete827]

Excellent average speeds.

[@andras.89]

I just did 88 and 72 kms over the month for the first time ever in my life reached these distances in "one go". Felt great to achieve them :)

[@gcn]

Yes! Keep it up, What's the next goal?

[@andras.89]

@@gcn Thank you!:) Next summer: Lake Balaton round trip in Hungary, its a typical bucket list to do as for a hungarian :)! Its about 203km, and you "have to" make it in one day.

[@gcn]

@@andras.89 200km! that's a great challenge, let us know how it goes! 🙌

[@scotchandsalmonroll5337]

I’ve ridden 50 miles before, but I’m going for a 50 miles this weekend in Manon’s honour 🥂

[@Turion37]

Her honor must be defended!

[@chrisconnors7418]

Five hours before this video was released I did my first 50 miles. Sun had set, temps were 5 C, I had lights, reflective vest, two water bottles and no food. It wasn’t too bad at all, but I definitely should have stopped to eat something. By the time I got home frost was forming and I was starting to feel that deep down chill despite the exertion. And next time I’ll do it in the day. Almost hit a porcupine, and in two places deer casually crossed the dark country roads in front of me…then stopped and stared at my approaching bike light. And the 100 is next. I’ll be better prepared.

[@r.massattack4052]

I recently did 101.2 KMs on my smart trainer. I know it's not the same as outdoors but I'm counting it! I completed it in 2hours 36 minutes on the Zwift Uber Pretzel ( I want that Tron bike ) I was riding my usual hour and I usually find a group to ride with as my cool down. Then while chatting with the group there was a few that had the same or close too the KMs as me. 1 mentioned trying to hit 100KMs during this ride so I agreed to ride with him and help keep him motivated. It was very difficult but very fun, so many riders were driving us and encouraging us to keep pushing. What an awesome community but an even greater group. Great Video Manon, I'll definitely use your tips to help me going forward. I look forward to the next Video

[@gcn]

Wow! Impressive ride 🙌 100km indoors is very impressive, never easy miles and the mental battle can be massive.

[@richards.4116]

Great advice. Had a bike fitting a couple weeks before my first 67 mile ride. Hot day, 95° F heat index but 8 hydration and feed stations. Rode an extra mile after the event so I could hit my age 😊. 5 hours, and look to a 75 and 100 miles. Love the channel, have really learned a lot. Great job Manon and everyone at GCN !

[@gcn]

Nice riding Richard, keep it up 🙌

[@peterwhittemore2720]

I did a 47 mile last week and loved it. Just getting into cycling so learning how to prepare and fuel for the ride made it easier. Onwards and upwards from a newbie 53y/o 😀

[@gcn]

Great job! Enjoy building those miles Peter 🙌

[@recstoppauseplay]

My last ride was 71kms and I'm working up to my present age which is a bit more than that. I'm shooting for 80kms on my next ride and I've learned some tips on the way, especially from GCN and the things Manon covers in this video - thank you by the way. Some tips that work for me are: a) Have a goal, a destination that you're going to, like a park or a great coffee or lunch stop which is about halfway on your trip. b) Love your bike and love to be on it. Keep it clean, lubricated and quiet. c) Have a good fit, adjusting the bike to your body and find a great saddle that you'll be comfortable sitting on for 2 hours or more. Don't forget the padded shorts of some kind, (an essential part of the bike ensemble). d) Stop occasionally, have a sip of water and take in the views that make our bike trips so special, (take a photo). I love my coffee stops and finding unique places to see for the first time.

[@geoffreyhoney122]

Super video Manon! (&gcn!). Great ideas for the non-commercial options! Love the dyi food and planning if without a Wahoo! To the pacing/lack of heart rate monitor I would add that, similar to the zone 2 gcn videos, you should be easily able to carry on a conversation. If you can't, then your heart rate is too high for sure! Love the 1 mile circle joke! Had me in stitches! I have done plenty of metric centuries with my bike club and a few Imperial centuries on my touring bike. Planning is key! Especially those cafe stops;) Researching opening times/availability of food and water can be lifesaving on long rides. Please keep this content coming!

[@TheJamesvgnr]

Returned to cycling after a break of thirty years,aged 61,and found out that I'd almost forgotten how to ride! However,am slowly building back my skill,and plan to ride from Derby to York (90 miles) next summer,on a route I've already walked,and then probably catch the train back. Will slowly do progressively longer rides going over the coming Winter,and a 50 miler is definately on the Agenda! Thanks for all the great tips,and very entertaining Channel! Cheers!

[@gcn]

Good luck James, hope this video helps! 👍

[@nineunauk]

I love Manon’s hability to communicate! More female presenters would be a way of balancing the scales😅

[@nineunauk]

@@Turion37 What an egalitarian and proactive comment…

[@drp1036]

A bicycle computer is a must. Just knowing your speed and how far you've gone is a big big help. Amazon sells cheap bicycle computers for almost next to nothing.

[@dylanhunt5368]

Many good beginner tips! My recommendation for starting out is to find a nice distant spot you want to go to and just ride there and have some fun, go for a swim, have a lunch or hike up a mountain. After a few 30-40 mile runs 50 miles is no problem at all. I think it's important to go for a route you'll enjoy and then do what you will with it. Go hard, go slow, stop and eat a lot or don't eat - it all kind of depends on how your body works and how you want to enjoy your day. When it's fun then you will not suffer even though it might be fatiguing. We all have got the strength to go through with it after a couple rides so mentality is key.

[@gcn]

Well put Dylan! It's all about enjoying yourself, once you've ticked that of, everything else will follow. lunch rides and picnic spins are a great idea! Slowing down is no bad thing, check this out 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIa7hpaCaNuZbtk

[@Z-u-m-a]

Well said

[@piptanton]

It was my 53rd bday in September so I decided to aim for 53 miles. I rode with a friend who does lots of cycling and we had such a great day. We road a flat route from Hythe in Kent to Rye and back. It was along the coastal path amazing scenery and amazing weather. We got back to Hythe got the bikes in the car and it tipped it down with rain....fab timing! I felt so chuffed to have completed 53 miles. Now, as you say.....the big 100 to aim for.

[@danielbelmir0]

My technique i used to reach 125km in a matter of months in a hilly place was to ride slow, I usually ride at like 13km/h average. But since I live in a hilly place I also get to enjoy some nice descends at 50km/h with exciting turns. Latelly I've been trying to ride faster so I can reach 20km/h average, but I do this on short rides.

[@melaniamonicacraciun9900]

keep up guys, pushing pedals is making life worth living and cycling is the most exciting adventure of life, oh yezzzzzz you can bet on it

[@gcn]

Whoop Whoop! We love to hear it 👌

[@geraintjones6401]

Cracking advice, cheers Manon. Time to build on my 50km ride last week: me and the old Stumpy are going long haul. 🤘

[@syedkabeerahmed9211]

Hi Manon, It is always a pleasure watching GCN Videos. Your team is doing an amazing job and I love watching the videos and gather loads of information. My cycling journey started in 2015 when one of my colleague Owen Cotter suggested to bike to office since it was shorter distance from my home and took longer in public transport to reach office. From then on, I have fallen in love with cycling. Regular commute to work started with 8km, then 14 km and now I am doing 20k (not all 5 days :) Did my 40k ride last month to track my fitness (avg. heart rate 132 bpm, max heat rate 150 bpm, max speed 22.5 mph) on my Garmin app, it was quiet a pleasant journey, planned my route a head, had a coffee break in between to fuel myself and few tools in saddle bag to overcome surprises. I ride solo and like doing so, looking to join cycling club near my county in Ireland, hope I do so in coming months. Thank you and keep doing great videos

[@Sprocketboy1956]

This was a useful video for beginners as an 80 km ride takes some consideration. I do at least one 100 km ride each month (as Strava demands it for a virtual trophy!), outdoors when the weather is good or on the smart trainer otherwise as I have some very scenic courses on Rouvy to choose from. Pacing is important as I find with age (I am 66) it takes 50 kms now just to get warmed up properly! If you are doing a 50 mile ride in colder weather it is always good to bring extra food as the calorie burn is quite a bit higher.

[@micahvanderwiel617]

Just did a 104 mile ride up at 9,000ft elevation in the Rocky mountains and it was 10,675ft of climbing.. phew! Average HR of 145bpm (pretty happy!). Nutrition is absolutely the key! Rice cakes with dried cherries are the bomb!

[@renegadetenor]

Sounds like we did the same ride, perhaps. I did it twice, bonked but survived once, bonked and sagged the other. I think I've discovered my max climbing for a day..

[@Seppster58]

Last year I set out for a 50Km ride and had so much fun, pushed it to 85Km. Sun was out, not hot. Just a fine day. I was prepared!! Thanks Manon for. the tips. Have to try out those snacks you made awhile back.

[@Brookes79]

I just did a 50 mile ride mile on Sunday, planned on Komoot & stopped at the cafe at Jodrell bank half way through. Ride took me 3.5 hours, although I wasn't concentrating on speed & wanted to take in the views & scenery.

[@gcn]

Sounds like bliss 👌

[@ChrisinOSMS]

My wife wants to do this for her 50th birthday and wants me to join her. This is some good info, thanks!

[@TheHaitian]

Training for my first centurion I would do 60km on weekends with mixed hills and flats. The mental part of it is huge. You have to psych yourself into knowing what you are going to put your body through. Then, when you finally finish for the first time (50km / 60km) you'll be amazed what you are capable of. Route prep as they mentioned is key so you can focus on just riding. I always did them solo. Then, when I did my first 160km with a group, was literally a breeze. Oh and I was riding at the time an Apollo Shimano 600 groupset. Old school metal bike with bottom frame shifting, without clipless pedals.

[@Mikeweepercelona]

My 1st ride this mon 12am eve of boston marathon route finish line to hopkington back to finish 53-54 miles total roughly thank you for the tips !

[@Turion37]

I did a 50 miler this past weekend while fasting. It was surprisingly easy. Mind you I wasn’t pushing myself until around the 35 mile mark on relatively flat stretch. I drank both my water bottles and took short breaks at intervals. I had soreness in my shoulders and neck but that’s just because I’m not used to my new bike position yet. Back when I first started out I would have found this video helpful. I’m fairly experienced so my challenge is to do a century ride while fasting.

[@csn583]

50mi in the mountains where I live (5-6000ft vert) is brutal compared to the 70mi coastal ride which is my longest to date (

[@grumpy-dad3701]

Went from riding 10 - 15 miles to a bikepacking adventure. Then rode 58 miles on a fully loaded steel bike. Took me about 10 hours knackered but worthwhile

[@gcn]

Sounds like a real adventure 🙌

[@grumpy-dad3701]

@@gcn it was. Ups and downs but totally worth the hours in the saddle. Planning next year's

[@krehme]

What a beautiful bike! That Canyon is poppin’!

[@LegSpinna]

0:10 A picnic in a layby. A return of the good old days.

[@muhammadhasham9547]

Thank you for lovely advice Ma'am Been riding Peugeot 1985 retro road bike for the past 10 months and loving the experience

[@gcn]

Great 👍 Nice retro ride!

[@Lsu4878]

Great and useful tips..and presented in a fun way...I loved the set up tips...way to go!

[@juliuscaesar4802]

I learned a lot doing my first 50 miles little over 4 hrs this weekend #1 rule keep yourself fueled up water food and snacks

[@karenringer5995]

Thank you for the advice . Going to have a go . At the 50 some time this year .my first. One . On a road bike .

[@DimGenich]

I did my first 70 miles about a week ago in the Black Sea coastal area... It took me slightly less than 5 hours of pedalling to finish and about 9 hours in total. I'd love to try 100 next season.

[@DNA912]

I just changed the tilt on my handlebars, before they where pretty much leveled, and now I tilted it up very slightly, it's barely visible, but what a huge difference it made. Holding my hands on the hoods are so much more comfortable now. (gravel bike)

[@doxielain2231]

My first 80 km was on a fully loaded touring bike with about 800 meters of climb in high summer. The fun thing about bike touring is the mindstate...no real rush to things, just slog it along. Good times.

[@DipBuyer83]

I did a few 100mi rides in my younger years, but then life got crazy and I couldn't ride for a couple years, then I tried getting back on the bike and injured myself trying to ride like I used to, like in the past I did a 100mi ride in 5:23.55 and 5,418ft of ascent. Now I'm slowly getting back on the bike, and 50mi sounds like doable again!

[@lilbruin]

I've done a metric century - just sort of happened during a week of 70-80km days (we were on a cycling holiday in Germany in '17.) I live in a small Cdn prairie city where as soon as you leave the city you are on either gravel roads (for which my hybrid bike is perhaps not the thing) or full-speed-ahead highways with impatient trucks and often no shoulders (for which my 60+-year-old nerves are decidedly not the thing). The only exception is an approx 15km 'bike trail' loop (well intentioned but seems to have been implemented without consulting actual cyclists?!). I can drag out my usual route to about 35-40km round trip, but after that I am repeating myself. Love Manon's advice to plan a route. Maybe the trick for me will be to think about figure eight routes. Still, best advice is to just do it, ideally with bike/ saddle/ tires fit for the job. I never regret it when I get a longer ride in.

[@cb6866]

Thanks Manon and crew...it's also gotta be safe ? Traffic etc...

[@gcn]

Great point, It's always worth planing your route around busy areas and main roads. 👍

[@rickmoses5081]

Awesome job, thank you. That is GREAT SUFF! I’m PUMPED! 🎉😊

[@CaptainRon956]

I’ve been road cycling for 37 yrs and the best advice I can give is 1. Obtain a quality bike from a well known manufacturer. It doesn’t have to be high end, but stay away from the sub $400 large store no name bikes. 2. Make sure the bike fits you. 3. Have a storage bag under your seat packed with essentials such as spare inner tube (if you use tubes) tire levers, C02 cartridges or pump. Tire patches/boots. 4. A cycling Jersey with pockets on the back so you can stick on there your snackies, tire pump, cell phone, water bottle. 5. Don’t forget to carry some emergency cash and your photo ID. Let family member or close friend know your route and the times that your leaving & expected time frame when to return

[@Flix-f6q]

Good advice. suggest adding a multitool and spare chain link, perhaps zip ties. Perhaps a jacket. Stay hydrated.

[@richardharris8538]

Over 60 years ago, aged 17, I decided to go out on my bike one Sunday. I'd never done a long ride, and I made no plans, but I must've taken some lunch with me. I left Bournemouth and rode to Southampton, and then on to Portsmouth. It was Navy Day so I took that in, then headed back home. A round trip of about 100 miles, that didn't faze me. Not long after I joined a cycling club. Oh, would that I could be young again!

[@bjm2762]

Some spares would be a good idea as well. Like the video Manon. All I need now is my bottom bracket replaced and I may try one again.

[@GTiR23]

Wind is the killer weather wise for me. A seemingly permanent headwind isn't the one when you're aiming for a decent distance.

[@gcn]

Ooof... wind, never fun! 💨

[@GTiR23]

@@gcn wind….no laughing matter

[@bittiapina]

Excellent advice. I've build up the km gradually over the years. I used to do multiple 30-40km rides and I considered those long rides, but now I generally do (during summer months) 3-4 x 60km rides during the week and then on the weekend 80-100 km rides when I have more time. Now 80 km doesn't even feel all that long, and next summer I'm thinking of breaking that 200 km barrier like this summer I broke my first century (in kilometers).

[@gcn]

Thanks for sharing! Glad you found the video helpful, good luck on the 200km🙌

[@amranSK55]

Having a 10k$ bike helps a lot too !!! GCN staff in these type of vids always are way far from reality !! I LIKE IT

[@gcn]

Any well set up bike should be able to do 50miles, Manon is just very lucky to have a very nice bike 👀

[@rachelvasquez7826]

I did my first 55 mile ride today in just under 4 hours. Feeling proud. 😊

[@dave136]

Hi GCN,been following your advice/tips for a few years now and have built my mileage up to completing 80-100 miles over most weekends(and I’m an old git of 55..🤣🤣🤣)…keep up the good work 🚴🏻‍♂🚴🏻‍♂🚴🏻‍♂

[@gcn]

Great stuff Dave, Keep up the good work🙌

[@duathlete827]

Just discovered your route planner and it's excellent.

[@gcn]

Komoot is really great! Super important to have an idea of where your going, makes planning a lot easier 👍

[@davebarrett2355]

Good stuff! I'd add - if doing a loop, try and head into the wind on the way out as it makes the return journey so much easier. Also I found sticking to a route I knew other cyclists would be on gave me more confidence for my first 50 as I knew someone would help me out if I had an issue.

[@gcn]

Great tip! Use the wind in your advantage. Lots of cyclists are always willing to help out if you are ever in need, also pass on the favour if you can.

[@HT-rq5pi]

4:22 that was the most dramatic sip i've seen in my life.

[@croninnicholas9063]

Going for the medium portion of Cyclotour du Leman ( that would be 2/3 of Lake Geneva), 112 Km. Looking forward to it.

[@bubblesezblonde]

nice tips Manon!

[@donwinston]

I've found that water is much much more important than food/carbs. I can ride 6 hours without eating anything with little problem. (I eat a lot of carbs in my diet) After three hours with no water on a warm day I get sick and have to stop. (I typically ride considerably faster than your average grandpa)

[@williamhilliard7386]

Grandpas rule. H20 😜

[@gcn]

Thanks for sharing, water is a must 🙌

[@bikecommuter24]

Just a suggestion if you are a new rider have a backup plan to get home in case you physically can't make it back, relative/friend come get you ride share, bus, train etc. When I first bought my bicycle it was 15 miles from home, I thought I would just ride it home I got 5 miles from the shop and my legs were talking, well they were demanding me to stop, now I do 5k walk-runs, but I got a bit of arthritis and it came calling. also doing long rides in stages is more fun personally I would not worry about the time it takes to do the ride just enjoy being out on a bicycle.

[@andyhowie269]

Funnily enough, I did my first 50 mile in 26 years yesterday. Wife went with me. Was a complete blast!! Century next

[@gcn]

Nice work guys 💪 Let us know how the century goes!

[@aldoramonz]

I do this ever Christmas:) everyone is home and everything is closed. It’s so fun

[@ThomasNing]

The longest ride I've done thusfar is 65km, and I pretty much applied the same techniques. I'm looking to do a century (of km) soon, and that cafe stop is going to be mandatory, and going to need to start earlier in the day. Nervous excitement :D

[@gcn]

Ooo enjoy Thomas! You'll smash it ... the coffee shop and the ride 😄

[@willian.direction6740]

Maybe check wind direction to save a block head wind in the last half.

[@gcn]

We've all made that mistake 🥵

[@jimbojones8435]

It would be great if gcn could do beginner like Harriet to do 50 mile video for her first 50 mile ride. Thanks for the video and great tips Manon

[@Jari1973]

Very good idea!! 👍

[@gcn]

Nice idea Jimbo, wonder what Harriet will think 🤔

[@stephendid]

1st 50 miles was around purbeck during lockdown. Great with empty roads although no coffee stops.

[@hondasaurusrex6998]

Being of older age it seems like the 50 miles is my max abd perfect diatance for a spin with my daughter. Let the young ones do the century rides. Oh and don't have to worry about Manon not to pass the bidon, right Ollie? Great video young lady!

[@oneilwolfe407]

I started riding in 2020 lock down with a Hydration pack +2 750 ml bottles . Not the coolest look but it has lasted me a long way for the long rides. Coffee stops now are great for having a break replenish and refuel. Now I ride with 2x 500 ml bottle. Hydration pack won’t go a miss for a planned long ride though 😂

[@marcfinch481]

Did my first 50m today! Felt great, though I definitely need to invest in some of those cushion butt shorts.

[@tonks1968]

Great tips Manon, thank you

[@gcn]

Glad we could help Tony 🙌

[@djbayr9516]

I'm 20kms away from this ;) thank you Manon!

[@gcn]

Nice work! You got it 🙌

[@djbayr9516]

@@gcn I did my century last Sunday too! I'm now ready to race on 20 Nov 2022.

[@anseldejong]

I'm a junior and as of last year, my longest ride was 50k. I've been riding a ton this year though doing numerous solo 50 mile rides and even completed by first century (100 miles, not 100k) last month averaging just over 18!

[@winstonsmith8236]

I just did my first! (After about 50 GCN videos!$

[@robatkinson180]

Did my first 50 miler a month ago, was knackered on the last 10 but was so worth it!!

[@georadu85]

It's actually pretty simple. I was training for my first marathon so I was used to 3 hours plus of running so when L'Etape Romania by Tour de France appeared on my radar I joined the 85 km race. I have finished the race in 3h 03m 39s using a city bike (cannondale bad boy) and that's it, nothing fancy. That is how you do it 😁! Good fitness always helps!

[@gcn]

Great work, have a good baseline fitness does make these challenges easier 🙌

[@markbooth6745]

Good video Manon. 😎👍

[@djfelon4life]

Did my first 50 mile recently. Next goal 75 . Going to need a donut and coffee stop for that one.

[@rustisamust9079]

I'm pretty much a novice and haven't quite reached 25km yet (building gradually) so 80km is a long way off. Virtually no flat roads near me either!

[@gcn]

Oooo a 50 hilly miles! Hope you get around to it soon 🙌

[@danielbelmir0]

I once rode 20 km and I failed riding back. I had cramps and I walked my bycicle on multiple hills. In a matter of months i managed to do my first 100km. I also live in a hilly region, it's harder but it also makes things more exciting. You will eventually make it to 80km.

[@chrisstrider]

I’m inspired to do it before the clocks go back. I will wear cycling mits though

[@gcn]

Go get it Chris! ❄

[@eliodrallag4806]

Manoooon!!!

[@TinglingTaco]

The farthest I ever went is 25 miles on my "regular" 3-speed city bike. It took me 2h20m, which I am quite proud of! Can't wait to make bigger trips once I get a bike with more gears.

[@gcn]

Nice one Sebastiaan 🙌 Good luck on the next adventure!

[@TinglingTaco]

@@gcn Thanks a lot! Cheers from the Netherlands :)

[@rudycoaltrain]

I did my fist 50 miles 3 days ago!

[@zedddddful]

The eating thing is so true running your body out of energy is horrible I keep a couple of cereal bars in a top tube bag.

[@gcn]

Emergency bars are a must 🚨

[@2626stephen]

Motivation, fine day and say i will go to .......and back if it's 50 or 40 mile plenty of water and food and enjoy the ride if I need to cycle fast and quick ok just to enjoy the ride 🚲

[@kiefermr]

Taking on the Medio Gran Fondo Hincapie (50 miles, ~4,000’ of climb) in Greenville, South Carolina this weekend and I’m just about equal parts terrified and piss my pants excited.

[@gcn]

Sounds familiar Matt 😂

[@GCNTraining]

Looking to build your endurance? We can help with that 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mF6qqaKudr6Ep7s

[@TBATTIECYCLING]

Lovely video guys

[@gcn]

Thanks so much 🙌

[@mikewade777]

Haven't done 50 in a while my last two long trips this year was 45 and 48

[@gcn]

So close Mike! 🙌

[@neilmdon]

actually I routinely hop on a bike to ride 50 miles w/o even figuring out which direction I’m going before starting. However, that is after years and years of getting used to that so that grabbing the right amount of food and hydration is 2nd nature, and the bike setup is totally dialed.

[@woolfel]

for me the best way is to find a great bakery 30 miles away. Right to the bakery, get a nice pastry and coffee. Then ride back on pastry energy.

[@gcn]

Having a destination is always great, no better motivation than a pastry 🥐

[@matt_m126]

I have to get better with food. I know for a fact that I usually get pooped at 85km if I did not eat or take at least 1 gel at around the 75km mark, then I am ok to go 100km+. Last weekend, I did an 85km gravel ride and thought I'd be ok to just ride through with hydration and sports drinks since it's exactly at my limit. I forgot how much harder gravel is. Last 10km were horrible. Lessons learned for me.

[@gcn]

Oooo hope you got home safe! We've all made fuelling mistakes 👍

[@ginowilson5829]

The first time I rode this distance I considered rain and temp but not wind! 12 mph head wind all the way was a mistake I never made again!

[@gcn]

Oh no 😳

[@miporsche]

Go upwind first if, like me, you're in a place that normally has 15 mph plus wind. On the other hand, if you want a good workout, go down wind first. You will still have to get home.

[@Tobias611]

Take it slow and enjoy the view is my go to tip for long rides. Just staring at pavement for 5 hours or so can get boring, get off the bike at nice spots and enjoy the view. It's also a great excuse to take a 5 minute break lol. Also take some creatine the day before, gives you the extra bit of energy you'll need for the first half century.

[@gcn]

Take it slow is great advice Tobias. Taking some time to stop and soak things up is always nice 🙌

[@torspedia]

Due to current health issues it'll be a good while before I can take on such a challenge... might be a good target though, for when I am back and getting fit! 🙂

[@gcn]

Take it easy, rest up and work towards that 50 🙌

[@torspedia]

@@gcn ta! 👍

[@lukewalker1051]

I am in my late 60's now but 10 years ago, I was trying to optimize my fitness and was riding a 'fast' 50-60 miles every day. I should have taken a bit more time off to let my body rest but it was holding up pretty well in spite of pushing a lot of watts and riding in too high a HR zone. Not many of those miles was zone 2 and should have been a lot more zone 2 miles. Fast forward to present day and I sometimes ride with the fastest girl in my town. She routinely rides 50-60 miles a day and ridiculous wattage. I don't do her miles at her speed but sometimes hook up with her and do 20 miles out and back. She rides to HR and simply rides to a 150 bpm HR target. I asked her once about rest and riding more in Zone 2 and she just shrugged and said why? She could drop most men in my town and I had to ride my best to hold her wheel. I am quite sure if she trained properly, she would be untouchable in the amateur ranks. Point of writing the above is, if a dedicated cyclist, riding 50 miles isn't a big deal. Desire and training, body weight control, good diet and sleep. I lost a good cycling friend 3 years ago who was a bit of beast on a bike. Suffice to say he was an 'excellent' amateur cyclist. In his 60's he got run over by an old lady and died instantly on his Wilier which he had 90K miles on that frame. He had ridden all over the world and was a thoughtful, wonderful man. He had a very pure pedal stroke. A year prior to his death he rode 12K miles or about 1000 miles in a month. He would many times ride 18-20K miles in year. One rather epic thing he did was decide to ride a century every day for a month. So for one month straight, he rode 100 miles/day. Many of us have done back to back centuries. But riding 100 miles a day for an entire month? A crazy effort. Many years ago, I was out riding...and would ride 20 miles or so to hook up with some fast riders in the town nearby for a group ride. Along the way a rider caught my wheel who very friendly and we had a nice chat and he seemed very strong. We would ride very fast together and he talked liked he was sitting at a table for supper and not riding a bike. I asked him how far he had ridden that day and he shrugged and said he wasn't sure. Then he checked his speedometer and said he was at about mile 85 or so. He asked if he could join us for the group ride and I said of course. I asked him how far he would normally ride when heading out of the house? He said it varied. I noticed he carried extra water bottles on his old aluminum DeRosa and had bananas in his jersey pockets. He said he would often head out, try and get lost and ride 150 miles or so in a day. This guy seemed to have pro level fitness. On the group ride he was the fastest rider. He could ride us all off his wheel and that was after riding about 90 miles. What I have learned in my long life which has been so enriched by cycling is...there are levels upon levels of riders who participate in this sport. Eye opening and humbling.

[@gcn]

Wow Luke thanks for the comment! 50 miles a day is some amazing riding! Really great to see that cycling is such a big part of your life, it can bring so many people together. Keep up the good work and keep spinning😁 Thanks for watching GCN!

[@lukewalker1051]

@@gcn Love your show and as we watch, I would say most can deeply relate to your thoughtful content. I am in the US as many of your viewers are. Thank you for the great lessons and stories you share. I love Europe and the cycling culture. Cheers from across the pond.

[@michaelb9664]

I got some 50 mile gravel rides in during summer, but lately 30 miles on gravel seems enough with the change in weather. I don’t do roads.

[@ichor20]

Just completed my first 30mile ride! Maybe 50 is next!

[@gcn]

Do it! It's a slippery slope, you'll be banging out 100milers before you know it! 🙌

[@MrAnon-2024]

I use Komoot to plan routes but what Ive found is that it underestimates the amount of elevation along routes, so I always expect to climb more than Komoot suggests.

[@HFXDF]

Are you using a smartphone for recording the tour? When i do so, i often have - depending on the length of the tour - up to 20% more height as with my bicycle computer

[@MrAnon-2024]

@@HFXDF that’s strange! The opposite to what I experience. I more often than not plan the route using Komoot on my iPad, and then transfer to my Garmin cycling computer (I have a copy of the route on my iPhone/Komoot app as backup). If I transfer the unridden route to Strava, the predicted elevation gain is always higher on Strava than Komoot, and probably more accurate than what Komoot suggests. I don’t know why that would be the case because, and I may be wrong here, I believe they all use the same route data!

[@HFXDF]

​@@MrAnon-2024 Sorry, my fault, i expressed myself wrong. When i start a tour - out of the blue, not planed with komoot, and record this with komoot on my phone and also with my wahoo, than the smartphone tour has more altitude. But i have a friend who did it the same way as you describe it here: using strava to get the precise heigt. Like wheather-apps: some are mor acurate than others :)

[@MrAnon-2024]

@@HFXDF ah, sorry, I misunderstood. I get what you are saying now. Yeah, I suppose what we can gather from this is, not to rely too much on technology 😉👍

[@commanderoof4578]

Furthest ive ever gone is 27.8 miles or something but on a mountain bike Setting off the bike and every thing on it was some 24kg 21kg when i got back, most of that was water for obvious reasons