Ultra Long Distance Cycling Tips | Beyond Physical Suffering: Mark Beaumont's Secrets

Cycling an ultra long distance is a feat of endurance, but there are a few changes and tips you can make to your bike and your mental preparation. Mark Beaumont, round the world record holder shares his insights into how you can ride ultra distances.
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Leave us a comment below!

[@gcn]

Have you ever ridden an ultra endurance event or distance?

[@TheWaxChainFanClub]

No.

[@laurentfiack2320]

I'm doing a 400km ride this week-end.

[@christianaristizabal7396]

200kms

[@brianmcgill8446]

I’m doing a 1440 mile self-supported race in July so the timing of this video is great. Good work 👍

[@KingpinRonin]

Tour Divide, Route 66 3x, regularly do 250 mile rides several times a year. Trying to get to Alaska for the Iditarod Trail Invitational at some point, only thing holding me back is money! 😁👍🏾

[@dombower]

when you are all proud of yourself for doing a massive 2 hour cycle at the weekend. and then hear that Mark calls that a short run/ warm up.

[@julen2380]

Yes, apparently, up to 150 miles per day you have all the time in the world to faff around. Amazing!

[@SuperOCHomes]

@@julen2380 yeah, as you said, per day!

[@LeDore38]

Well I did 2 weeks at 220km/day average and I could stop for decently long coffee or lunch breaks, while discussing with the locals. And it was mixed road/gravel/light trails racing. I was riding at around 23kph average according to strava -> so less than 10h actually riding. With 7h of sleep, it still gave me more than 6h of pause. The worse thing is that after a few days, I had lost quite a bit of weight and my chamies were becoming too big and now folding, thus creating horrible red patches. Had to make a detour to buy smaller ones ...

[@vayermenoviko0linixD]

Don't worry, today was basically my first day back on my bike after like idk 5 years? 6 maybe? And I did 13km, barely any elevation. For me, that was good enough, I wasn't feeling any pain or excessive fatigue. Now I'm feeling a lil dead tbh, I can definitely feel those 13km in my legs lol

[@djangodimorisso6036]

My normal week looks like the following. After a free Sunday on Mondays evening I do my standard warm-up for 3 hours I cycle a 112 km round course. On Tuesday I do the round course twice and after a pause on Wednesday I travel Friday/Suterday altogether 550 km on two different courses. And this is in my 40 hours working week. During vacation my mileage is even much higher of course 😘

[@renegadetenor]

In 40 years of competitive running, I learned that the first indicator of success in endurance sports like ours, is you learn to stop asking "are we there yet". The answer is "no"...you get there exactly when you get there.

[@ruf9534]

A wizard arrives precisely when he means to

[@petef15]

Simon is such a natural presenter. Him, dan and matt were honestly akin to the top gear trio in terms of presenting ability and rapport.

[@PrivatePogo]

petef15 agreed

[@ooldmka]

I'd put Ollie in that sort of conversation.

[@rileyvonbevern4652]

100% Ollie has been very good as well though the chemestry is different

[@paraglide01]

Yes Matt is on his 1 year absance now, he is truly missed.

[@DrJRMCFC]

Matt is doing some awesome videos for Sigma but a lot are a bit more marketing oriented. He’s still very watchable. I hope he’s the key commentator for the Giro on Eurosport

[@willian.direction6740]

"If it's bad it will get better if its good it will get worse". Inspiration right there. Thanks Mark and Si great chat as you suffer along.

[@cdllucas]

Stoic philosophy centuries old. I wonder if Mark is a stoic, I wouldn't be surprised.

[@bobfoster687]

Will never be harder than it is right now!!!

[@PoliticusRex632]

I don't ride my bike to "suffer", I ride my bike to smile. I smile a lot.

[@paulogoulart6839]

I smile a lot when I'm suffering. In fact the more I suffer (e.g. in a HalfIronman) the more I smile (if not, in the end)... ;)

[@kinthelt]

To each their own. Type 1 vs type 2 fun.

[@KandiKlover]

Paulo Goulart good ole masochism.

[@rafsossa]

Then youre not riding right

[@PoliticusRex632]

@@rafsossa so now you're going to try and tell me how to ride my bike? Really?

[@KingpinRonin]

If you do a few thousand miles, you'll inevitably burn WAY more calories than you can possibly eat during your ride. It's hard finding good food that can sustain your caloric output in remote places. For example, many Tour Divide riders lose 20 lbs or more in 15-30 days. In losing weight that fast, using all your muscles constantly, you can get inflammation all over your body (you might swell up for a few days), then it goes away, and then fat burns away. Your emotions are all over the place as your hormones are flooding into your bloodstream from wherever they were stored. You're basically a crucible burning through everything stored anywhere in your body. By the end your body adjusts and you're used to it. But, as soon as you stop, you have a 'comedown' phase, which for some people can be like PTSD. You come home and have a few days with that 'thousand yard stare' on your face. And yet, you want to get back out there and do it all again!!! Because what you see while you're out there is SO beautiful, it more than makes up for the pain.

[@DRMatt-zd4rh]

^this dude rides

[@slot_3476]

During Race around the Netherlands I had the problem of swelling up for a few days. I am now searching for the reasons of this behavior. Can you tell me your sources or where you got this information from?

[@KingpinRonin]

@@slot_3476 sorry, can't site a source. But, there is plenty of reputable information out there on high intensity workouts, and long distance racing causing inflammation. There is only so much you can do to prepare for it on extremely long races (I mean, how often a year can your average person do hundreds/thousands of miles *in training runs*), some people are just more prone than others to swelling. But it occurs less the more frequent you ride extremely long distances.

[@KingpinRonin]

@@slot_3476 it's the combination of the distance, the frequent altitude changes, diet, and muscle health at the start of the race. It takes about two weeks to acclimate to high altitudes, for example. Probably takes about that long for your body to acclimate to consecutive 150+ mile days for weeks on end. Maybe less time for someone with more experience, therefore less swelling (and duration of swelling).

[@cdllucas]

Good reason to try and be fat adapted before your ride. Morning fasts before a ride, workout, low sugar intake etc can all be very beneficial. Pushing that ceiling to when your body burns sugar over fat is very useful for Ultra Cycling. Your response to sugar is stronger too when you do eat it.

[@luismedeiros7139]

Love how you guys gave constantly adding videos about ultra cycling and backpacking. It's turning so popular around the world and is, in my opinion, the best way to travel and actually learn about other cultures.

[@abbreviateTome]

when I rode from London to Leeds, it was very strange how I was able to hear the accent slightly change every 50miles or so. the same for when I attempted Leeds - Glasgow. Best thing in ultra rides if you ask me.

[@dethak]

It's the goldilocks speed: fast enough to cover significant distance and see changing scenery; slow enough to take in all the details and be able to stop wherever you want. I can ride a route I've driven a hundred times and pick up all these details I've never seen before.

[@morosis82]

Much shorter but years ago we did Florence to Siena on hire bikes and it was awesome because you could just stop wherever you like almost which made actually spending time in the region so much better.

[@kevin._.farren]

I think suffering is something we cyclist all desire...to some degree. I enjoy a gentle spin once in a while but truly love when I am suffering and enter that mental state where you are acutely aware of your breathing, your heart rate, and your legs. You totally compartmentalize all things and everything not cycling fades into the background as you tackle the task at hand. Best meditation I’ve experienced!!

[@z3fooor1]

K- Fed my god that’s exactly the same feeling and experience i cycle to get. Couldn’t put it better. Happy riding mate 👍🏻

[@TheGarethpage]

I thought I was having a panic attack/heart attack/heart palpitations when this happened Cycling to Paris,, perhaps it’s just plain old suffering.

[@Fasneocroth]

I rarely get out of breath cycling but when I do in a steep incline I know it’s business and aim to conquer it.

[@harryv6752]

🤟🤟🤟

[@rambopsychohn]

Hi. Im currently cycling in central America, my goal is to climb the 7 summits of the region and so far I've done 4 out of 7 summits, with my old, heavy bike. 160km every day

[@Toretto16]

What kind of a bike you have ?

[@KandiKlover]

Nikola Lukac an old heavy one

[@tombowman5281]

I know your lying you just want GCN to reply “oo well done and do you want a free bike??”

[@mileshall9235]

@@tombowman5281 - didn't even google a random "heavy bike!" lol But who knows?

[@jn01996]

Who cares

[@ZenEndurance]

Best tip if you just want to finish something really long and scary - Pedal the uphills and coast the downhills, all of them, always. You won't go much faster downhill anyway and the recovery you get while coasting is massive. What slows you down is going up, so imagine being rested before each uphill because you coasted down the last one.

[@shattiiee]

Especially because if you go too fast on descends, then any breaking means lost power that you worked so hard for while climbing.

[@eighteenfiftynine]

What if you ride fixed? 😅

[@stevemsmith1]

I did a 4 day event 425 miles around the welsh mountains. On the final day I watched the Garmin click over 100 miles half way up Dinas Mawddy and reached what I thought was the end of my tether, 25 miles outside Aberdovey. I stopped at a feed station and was going to jump on the broom wagon. Had 2 energy bars and managed to Time Trial into the finish with a 27mph sprint through the town. Amazing experience...

[@morosis82]

I did a 250km ride around the bay in Melbourne Australia a few years back, we had a hell of a headwind for the 110km back to the city (40km/h gusting to 60), but the minute we hit that shelter of the tall buildings my mate and I sprinted it in the last few km around 40km/h. There's something about that last bit being not as hard as the bit before just giving you a second wind.

[@mrnosy1]

First of all, incredible wisdom from mark as usual. But really, hats off to Si. No unneeded interruptions, knew when to stay silent, asked insightful questions... Top lad

[@Mavisto2]

Mark Beaumont's mental approach is something else.

[@CitySwimmah]

"physically it is amazing what the body can suffer, if the head can just stop freaking out about it". That is very true! When serving in the military I truly saw how capable the body can be at grinding unbelievable amounts of effort if the head has no option to give up. Many people could pass the 130+ km bike ride with literally no training in the first weeks of the service using unbelievably crappy and rusty bikes.

[@rafibernardo]

I did 100mile bike ride with 30 miles a week of biking for a few months and then just went ahead and did 200 in 29 hours. People including myself expected me to be tired after that, but after some good sleep I wasn’t. Kept thinking I should have been, definitely was in my mind.

[@theakh4238]

Did a 36 mile single speed mountain bike event. I was one of two on a full ridge bike. It took me 5 hours and my legs were cramping constantly by the half way point in the race. It was brutal for me, because I didn't really train for it. But I finished.

[@ronbyers9912]

For me the big takeaways are 1) if it's bad it will get better, if it's good it will get worse, 2) no anti-inflammatory drugs, 3) break the ride into short segments and focus on the segment, 4) there is a difference between soreness and injury, and 5)watch your time always.

[@ugastronomie1237]

I don't understand number 2 and 5, can you explain a bit more?

[@johnthrasher5613]

What did Mark Beaumont say to take instead of ibuprofen??

[@ronbyers9912]

@@johnthrasher5613 He didn't. He just said "pain killers."

[@giuseppeventuri5275]

@@johnthrasher5613 Plain old paracetamol

[@steelcitytbirds]

"Now if you are going to win any battle, you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired." - Gen. George S. Patton, 1912 Olympic Athlete

[@zeragus707]

I don't know about that. I think in most people the mind is what gives up first. It wants to quit early on. Its when you don't let your body stop that your mind will give in.

[@alexnaturalis1179]

Having witnessed myself and others succeed and fail through ultra distances, it is my experience that often the mind breaks before the body. He mentioned it quite briefly but I would highlight the need to establish short term goals. It keeps you focused in the moment, motivated through the long haul and helps establish a positive attitude that will keep you going. This is knowledge that I've also found useful to apply in long term personal projects.

[@dannyhanny1191]

My word, that was excellent. First thing I noticed was how well GCN mitigated the wind noise with the microphones - excellent sound from Mark and Si. The not-using anti-inflammatory painkillers was a priceless piece of information for those of us considering pushing the distances eventually. Mark's choice of tire size, compared to Si's, for that shock- and vibration-absorption is duly noted; I'm sort of surprised that mark didn't segue into that from his noting of riders stiffening up and locking elbows (~ 3:02 ) vs. letting the body continue to be the shock-absorber. The end piece, with the train rolling past in the background, was a killer piece of video. Thank you Mark, thank you GCN.

[@dannyhanny1191]

I wonder if GCN could ask Mark what size tires (tyres?) he is using.

[@robmountain3095]

David Hanny I think it’s mentioned in Si’s bike check video

[@dannyhanny1191]

@@robmountain3095 Rob - thank you. I totally forgot to watch even the other video to see how the ride went. doh! I'm going to watch both his bike-check and the tour video next. Busy last week or so, I'm watching everything out of order, lol.

[@Ey_up]

Just on the topic of ibuprofen, if you watch her fabulous film, Lee Craigie's Great Divide race was dashed by NSAIDs- granted after a recurring knee injury but it was the Ibuprofen "what did 'er in!"

[@dannyhanny1191]

@@Ey_up Interesting. I have never heard of her. Thank you.

[@markwatson8783]

The quality is getting better and better. I now watch these on a big screen to get the maximum benefit. Thanks for another inspiring film.

[@SuperDeinVadda]

With half day planning i did a spontanous 300km ride at easter Sunday. Woke up at 5 am to a day of suffering. The first hours i froze my ass of. Once the temperature got comfortable, another problem arose: i had eaten to little to late resulting in a massive powerdrop and beeing close to fainting. But i managed to get through and recover a bit, alltough shortly after that i found out that my food supply was wholly inadequate. At that point it was around noon and i had been riding for 6 hours already and the distance ahead and the lack of food really got to my mind. But i didn't want to quit and after a coffe break my morale was restored. Doped like that i could even enjoy the ride alittle... until my muscles began to hurt and the food issue was back, resulting in another coffestop around 120 km way to the destination. Thats were in noticed a sunburns all over my body, most severe on my neck. Luckly i packed a Buff tubular cloth so i could save my neck. lol The part after that was pretty dull cycling allthough i got a puncture from beeing carless hitting a pothole. In whole i got more and more careless the further the day advanced. I all i wanted was to finally arrive and all i could think of was food. Slowly the sun began to set and every kilometer felt like 2 but at that point there was no going back, no matter how long it would take. Eventually the roadsigns showed the name of the destination which gave me a huge boost on the last painful kilometers. At the End there was a descent trough a dark forest, only lit by my bike lamp which i took without braking. Pretty reckless now that i think about it, if there had been any potholes on the way, i would have crashed. But i was so low on energy that i didn't want to lose any of the precious momentum i had. But god was kind to me and i arrived super exhausted after 16 hours in the saddle and took the last train back home, which left around 10 minutes after i got to my destination. All in all it was the extreme experience that i badly wanted and i learned alot about myself. And yes, I will do it again.

[@lewismillar-nelson4953]

After years commuting with a cycle, I have bought my first carbon road bike today, wishing to take it to the next level. Your comment was thrilling to read; I look forward to these experiences!

[@zigmasj6572]

@@lewismillar-nelson4953 Hey, any experiences you could share yet?

[@Bartooc]

I call them survival rides. You plan a 2-3 hour ride and before long you are 150km from home already exhausted, bathing in river to cool yourself because drinking water is the most precious commodity. At least it's impossible to get lost nowadays with a GPS computer. But in the end those are the kind of rides you will remember well probably for ever.

[@MichaelJohnson-sw1ip]

Perfect timing for me also, I'm in the planning stages of a Trans Canada ride June 2020, (7,800km) Hoping to raise some funds and awareness for FSHD, a type of muscular dystrophy that can show up at various ages and effects mainly upper body and lower leg. I was diagnosed with this at 55 and have been riding my bike to keep the muscles I have strong ever since, taking up this sport and "accelerating through the wreckage" has sparked a new passion and I am fitter and stronger now than I have ever been thanks to cycling and inspirational shows like GCN. 7 day Tour Trans Alp this June should certainly test my mental fitness and help prep for 2020! Thank you for another great episode GCN!

[@ChrisBruckner1980]

Michael Johnson I will be cheering you on during your epic voyage! Good luck sir :)

[@MichaelJohnson-sw1ip]

Chris Bruckner Thank You!

[@jayg9283]

I’m planning a partial trans Canada for August 2020! From Alberta to Ontario, so only 1600km, but I’m planning on 80-100km days. Contact me at [e-mail], I’d love to be part of your fundraising efforts!

[@beeble2003]

Looks like you picked the wrong year to ride across Canada. Or were you still able to do it through the pandemic?

[@stevek8829]

@@beeble2003 I guess covid claimed another.

[@shellypalumbo5297]

I’m 70 and have ridden multiple centuries and over 2500 miles in the first half of 2023. I would guess that’s endurance for me. 😊 Live in the moment and the miles simply fly by. ❤

[@cathschofield674]

Brilliant ! I road LEJOG last September avg 105miles per day. It is amazing how the legs will keep turning the pedals, it’s the other parts of the body that suffer most. Mental stamina is easily as hard as the physical, the last 5miles ‘did my head in’ every day for some reason. The medics on our ride (Deloittes RAB) said exactly the same as Mark about Ibuprofen. These GCN videos about bike packing/long rides are fantastic, sorry Simon you’ve got to keep on doing them !

[@christopherhood9241]

i did too - changed my perspective on ‘pain’ and how i dealt with it.

I once did 225 km at 31 km/h average, the suffering was neverending.

[@maxs6775]

Impressive !

[@inlovewithgoats1092]

I'm sorry for replying so late, but 31 is very impressive. Might I ask, how did you get so fast?

[@Ardass486]

18mph wow

[@edmundbarton4676]

No Ibuprofen for ultras ... I learned something today, thanks

[@ltu42]

Funny that he goes on recommending paracetamol -- it's hepatotoxic.

[@ChrisP978]

@@ltu42 Right? So you either take a drug that punishes the kidneys or take one that damages the liver, tough choice. I'd probably go with neither and back off a bit, listen to your body.

[@jeffroetzel9239]

I live in Denver where cannabinoids are legal. I am wondering how effective using a CBD product might be in managing pain and inflammation.

[@sethfrankel3542]

Practical and level headed, as Mark always is! I do have to chuckle when he stated that if you’re just doing 100 mile days to go ahead and faff all you want...but if you’re after 150, 200 or 250 you then need to watch your time. Goodness, his frame of reference for miles per day is just beyond my thinking. At a hundred miles, planning and time management is very present in my riding.

[@cdllucas]

It depends on lots of factors I feel. Preparedness to ride into the dark being the big one. I just Bikepacked up the NI of NZ and had some 160km days in there. With the Autumn days being a bit shorter and not being well prepared to ride into the night I set myself the goals of being at my chosen camp spots before dark. Which meant watching time. High summer with longer days and it would be completely different.

[@philipkerpen4634]

Yes but do you start riding at 6 or 7 in the mornings? At a 15 mph pace, 100 miles is done in 8 hours. Split it up into 3,5 hours before lunch, 4,5 hours after lunch. Faffing around in the morning before the ride is probably the best way to lose time.

[@cdllucas]

@@philipkerpen4634 I am a terrible morning person, but yes, an early start is the key! Some of the more experienced Bikepackers I know are up and on there bikes as I am trying to get out my sleeping bag! They can also ride bigger days than me for aforementioned reason : )

[@omarsaletovicprins9632]

Well to be honest I did a century this weekend - I left relaxed at 11:30 and finished at 19:00 with multiple breaks!

[@beemrdon52]

I toured across the US from Portland Oregon to Boston, Ma in 1982. Mileage was 70 miles to just short of 150 per day a couple times. Camped most nights. Heavy bike with front and rear panniers and a handlebar bag. Stove pots fuel tools and some spare parts 35mm photo gear food water tent sleeping bag pad etc.

[@HikingFeral]

I used to really struggle, I've learnt a huge amount in a Short time and after overhauling my hubs and all the bearings and running higher psi I find even my budget bike so much easier and a pleasure to ride

[@JamesWhite1]

Inspiring stuff gets me itchy for another long distance effort. Really like the bit about just being present and involved in that moment we don't do that enough in the modern world always thinking about future things or what others are thinking, this is one major reason I enjoy cycling.

[@gcn]

Thanks James - what's in the pipeline?

[@JamesWhite1]

@@gcn I fancy a tour around Ireland's coast starting in Bristol through south Wales and over on the ferry. Route is planned out and waiting :)

[@shansingha]

Thank you guys, completed 300 kms with your advice.

[@williammcfarland7627]

Fantastic video GCN team... one of the best I have seen lately. Thank you.

[@johnshort4725]

3500kms(07)3900kms(09)2900kms(2011)3500kms (2012)- Life changers, 20 days plus non stop totally changes the way you look at life.it took me ten days to eat correctly, endless beautiful distances make you believe you become part of your bikes. I could not think of anything else but ditching jobs to do the next ride. Life became 'waiting' in between the next big ride. The total abscence of negative and routine wrapped with the endorphins after multiple daily 90- 100 mile days is total immersion, BIKE suffers with you, but the last day is achievement & self worth central mixed with dissapointment that you aint gonna be riding the morning. I burst into tears on my last day on the last one. Mark, mate your194 days world ride is amazing.

[@michaelb1761]

I enjoy backpacking, and everything he said reminded me so much of long distance hiking. Interesting to hear it from a cyclist too.

[@dennisuerling899]

Si asks a really good question in this. He asks about how to tell whether you may be injuring or about to injure something. I have had to explain this to people before, it typically comes up during weight training that is well known for the phrase, "No pain, no gain!" This is quite true. For people who aren't familiar with this, I typically explains as follows. The good pain is a low level dull pain and a bit of stiffness in the muscles that you are unlikely to notice much over the course of the following day except when you are idle and first wake up. Even if it soreness persists over the course of the day, it should be gone completely on the second day. Often a massage of the muscle and/or a hot shower can get rid of this as well. If the dull soreness persists more than a day or two, you may have injured something. This is for weight training. For a multi-day bike that you are pushing it, you will have to just put up with that dull pain or slow down so you don't get the pain at all. If the pain is sharp and piercing (like being constantly poked with a needle or knife), then you have likely pushed something too hard and may have injured something or be about to injure something. Also, if the soreness is in the joints and not the muscle, you may have injured or strained something.

[@sethfrankel3542]

Dennis Uerling There are good reasons to pay close attention to early low pain for repetitive type injuries. That point dull pain below your kneecap can be the harbinger of bad things to come if left unattended and position isn’t sorted. Joint/connective tissue pain and muscle pain are not the same.

[@dennisuerling899]

@@sethfrankel3542, 100% agree. This is why the last sentence was add, "Also, if the soreness is in the joints and not the muscle, you may have injured or strained something." Given that a comment was made, it is clear the sentence should have emphasized more. Thanks for highlighting it!

[@ramilramos7571]

I love this! Thanks for this!

[@HughDWallace]

Pure gold. Cheers Mark & Si.

[@johnsnook3498]

Thanks GCN for making this fantastic video and special thanks to Mark for sharing his insight and tips!

[@rpx1979]

Fabulous video. Thank you Mr Beaumont.

[@mihaylo_kovin]

It was a great conversation! Thanks!

[@kamucho]

Such wise words. Great insight. Seriously so inspiring ❤️ thank you Mark and Si and GCN

[@tombukowski3839]

An absolutely ace video thank you both Is and Mark

[@MrSmoothasf]

This has been one of my favourite videos yet

[@jacakopl]

Such a modest and down to earth man. Great tips - thanks.

[@TheFinav]

A veritable goldmine of tips from an obvious master of the art. Quality!

[@brycereynolds88]

First video I've commented on and just have to say this one was just super informative and had a great tempo. Great work!

[@conanfa18]

Very good discussion! Thanks for the insights.

[@electroookris6768]

For me this is the most interesting of all gcn videos. What a bloke. I like him. Great advices.

[@williammoomaw5027]

What a fascinating philosophy; some powerful insights right there!

[@hnyremo]

This is the best video about tips and preparation for a long ride.

[@Teo-S]

For experience and those new to the sport (any sports) this video contains very useful advice. Take care of the main component (the human components), you will not find a replacement in any bike shop. Prevention is a lot easier than the cure. Thanks Mark & Si. Safe riding.

[@stevenvroom6969]

Super great video thanks for the tips! This sunday I start my first bikepacking experience, 1600 km from Amsterdam to Toulon France, including Alpe d'heuz and the mont ventoux

[@l.bethanypereboom]

Great tips from Beaumont - I’m training for my first double century later this year and appreciated the insight on physical and mental fitness!

[@johnsfulton]

Great video guy’s, loved the commentary and advice.

[@fbaqueda]

Great video and solid advice

[@stuartmcgill5065]

Great follow-up to an already excellent video. Thanks to you both :-))

[@TheAsbnat]

Not long completed a 1500km ride over 6 days. So much of this resonates with what helped me through. That last bit about anti-inflammatories, wow! I've always taken some for my knees but this has made me think again so thank you GCN!

[@johnyoung8844]

Such an inspiring video. Wow. Thank you!

[@paulyflyer8154]

Wow look at that scenery 😍

[@PBPkitty]

Hi I’ve done the Paris Brest Paris 3 times. Going back this year. Love your great tips!!!

[@lucasspencer477]

Good information! I am on my third year in the Race Across the West, 925 mile event in under 92 hours. It's a great race and a qualifier for the RAAM. It's definitely a mental when in comes to ultra cycling. If it's a supported race, than your crew is what gets you where you need to be. A good crew will get you far.

[@0Stella]

This is fabulous! Much needed advice for doing my first cross continental next spring!

[@revolutronic]

8:00 "we wanna suffer" nope - completely missing that gene.

[@d.gwebster1109]

Me too, I think it evolved into a coffee and cake gene.

[@ltu42]

It took a grim turn towards the end. If the suffering is so bad you want to reach for painkillers, is the goal really worth it?

[@julen2380]

@@ltu42 My thoughts exactly. And actually, I would have liked them to mention a trip to a doctor once in a while. It's fine for Marc Beaumont to say you get a feel for when it's just soreness and when it's an injury but I doubt that everyone of us mere mortals is born with that kind of self awareness.

[@cdllucas]

You would be surprised. That self-awareness grows with experience. Ultra riding is not a get off the couch and do it type of cycling for most. For most including myself its a progression from club and road riding, the search to push yourself and see what you are actually capable of. Hourly stretch on big rides can be very beneficial. @@julen2380​

[@philipkerpen4634]

@@julen2380 You can't take a shortcut in learning about your own body. Everyone has different things they need to watch out for. Just learn to listen to your body and try to distinguish between discomfort, fatigue, soreness, extreme soreness, and pain. Acute pain is always a bad sign.

[@MrCenttaurus]

Great video ! Thanks team !

[@benclay76]

Great video! Very insightful!

[@ericclaire-helenerfletcher9433]

enjoyed the advice given by mark and was spot on , alot of common sense ,especially on long rides , kudo s to sy for riding with mark,

[@robtaylor1444]

Best thing GCN have done for a while!

[@ericpmoss]

IMO, the best thing for minimizing body fatigue is to not think "racy" bike components. Ultra-stiff everything is great for sprints at the end of a pack race on new pavement, but they transmit shock and vibration like crazy. Mark's 47mm 650b tires make a huge difference (wide, supple), and notice around 3:00 that he's coasting and not falling behind. More flex in the bars, more 'spring' in the frame, rims that flex a bit, cranks that aren't race-stiff, and a springy steel fork all make a huge difference -- maybe slower in the first 30 miles, but much better at 230.

[@Ey_up]

There's lots of evidence/bike chat that the good old quill stem should make a comeback in terms of "suppleness" up front, rather than a tapered, super stiff head tube and aheadset stem. Looking into this myself...of course, that will mean a steel bike too...

[@bernovanderwal]

Great tips thanks 🙏🏼

[@vascoamaralgrilo]

Great tips, I´ll have them in mind this summer in my attempt to summit a 7000er.

[@Koby19841]

Haven't done a lot of endurance events where you get up day after day and do long Ks back to back, but 1 day long distance events have had me in the area of what Mark was just talking about. It's about pushing yourself, proving to yourself what you are capable of and coming out the other side knowing that you did it. Top words from a really knowledgeable bloke.

[@darthvulcanis4002]

I literally just watched this for my first 250 and had to throw out anti-inflammatory meds from my kit because of your advice 👍👍

[@mcs5271]

Awesome advice!!! Thanks.

[@jackdonovan3610]

One of the most helpful bike videos i have ever seen. So many good points!

[@gcn]

Glad you think so!

[@flurblewibble7735]

Wow, really fascinating listening to this guy.

[@volksquadman]

I met Mark after his world ride, id just done a 3500kms/24days ride, felt like a ride to the shops after looking at what he achieved in 194 days. Big rides are life changing- literally.

[@peterelliston]

Graat content, keep it up GCN!

[@DMVMTB]

Thanks for this video, getting ready for a 200 mile ride with 30k elevation and this game hood tips. Hello from Maryland USA 🇺🇸

[@gcn]

Have fun!

[@mikenewberry4064]

Wow! Beautiful, visually; interesting content with great information. Loved this video! Nicely done.

[@gcn]

Thanks Mike, glad you liked it!

[@matthewpodmore1823]

so so helpful

[@steveallen273]

See how to fuel for cycling for my comment on this vid. Brilliant info and experience. Thanks

[@madeiraislander]

Great video, great editing and filming! Congrats, i loved it!

[@JohnL9013]

Awesome video and tips. Definitely going to work on making my bike more comfortable. Have a long cycling tour planned late this summer.

[@justinklink1588]

I did my first century solo last week. I cannot imagine doing ultra distances. Much respect.

[@paulmoran8685]

This is brilliant...we are three retired rugby players definately not built for road cycling. Saying that, we did a huge 500 miles in 6 days back in 2001 for charity. This year on the 4th August we then cycle 500 miles within 48 hours. A very different challenge from the last one, and hopeflly one where we can raise a good amount of money for charity.....any advice you could give for a more veluptous rider would be greatly appreciated.

[@minushphoto]

He just laughed at my 100 miles. I was very proud until I saw this video

[@beeble2003]

No he didn't. He said that, if you're going to ride 100 miles, you can faff about all you want because there are plenty enough hours in the day to do that; if you want to ride 150-200+ miles in a day, you need to be careful about how long you stop for because 200 miles is going to be 12+ hours of cycling. He's not saying that 100 miles isn't something to be proud of; just that it doesn't require any time management.

[@stuarthenderson7354]

Another fantastic video. Lee Craigie got caught out with the Anti-inflammatories on her Tour Divide trip interesting tip. I leave for my first bike tour tomorrow 10 days across and down Scotland.

[@cs-kd9tp]

You have to be motivated by what you are doing, 8:15 . Advice I give my kids all the time, motivation has to be internal and you have to enjoy what you are doing to succeed in the long run. Great video with a lot of insights.

[@bstrong7138]

Great set of vids. I'm setting off around Britain at the end of June so this has been great timing. Talking of timing, I can't believe you asked that question Si, your time management is crap lol. I've been planning this for a long time and now having seen these 3 I can't wait to get going.

[@joffbrown]

really interesting i've learnt alot from this one, thank you

[@EvidenceofaFabulousLife]

Glued to this one, info from the horse's mouth. I have a 915km non-stop MTB race in June (100hrs max to complete). Ultra endurance assistance from Mark is gold! Ride On! Tim

[@gcn]

Crikey, where's that Tim?

[@DuffmanOhNo]

Good luck Tim, that sounds like a monster ride! Are you doing it for a charity, or just personal goals?

[@EvidenceofaFabulousLife]

@@DuffmanOhNo Good afternoon Paul, I entered the event just to race, along with my friend David, who is from Gran Canaria and who I have raced with before in the "Pilgrim Race" from Madrid to Santiago de Compostela. I got to thinking that it was an opportunity for fundraising for a charity, so now I am fundraising for "Diabetes Cero" a charity working to eradicate diabetes in young children. All the best, ride on! Tim

[@DuffmanOhNo]

@@EvidenceofaFabulousLife Awesome Tim, hope it's a good one! If you have a GoFundMe or a link I can add to make a little donation, I'd love to! I hope you have a comfy saddle!!

[@EvidenceofaFabulousLife]

@@DuffmanOhNo Good morning Paul, that's a very kind offer. A few people have already jumped in and pledged. I have to sort out the best way for foreign (non-Spanish) donations, as it seems the Diabetes Cero and others are only set up for Spanish residents (post codes etc). I want to be sure that everyone has the confidence that all the money is going to the charity, I am covering my own expenses, I was racing anyway. I will update you here. In the meantime, thanks very much for the offer! Ride On! Tim

[@ljd8520]

Top advice sir 👌

[@SuperScotty1974]

Great video and great advice

[@KiwiBigfoot]

Mark is on another level!

[@marksmithWLC]

Fascinating. Insightful. Entertaining.

[@samuelkmaina]

Awesome tips on long endurance rides.

[@steveiannazzo5451]

Great video. Thanks Mark, for your insights. I think it's a given that you have to be properly fit to do an ultra and you did touch on some interesting tips on training for it. "Long ride" connotes different things to different people. Whether it's a century or an around-the-world ride, each of our "long rides" have the psychological component in common. That (and maximizing comfort) seemed to be the focus of this video and you nailed it for me. "Loose elbows and shoulders." "Injury brings pain; pain does not always presage injury. Know the difference." Good take home messages.

[@ImranShaikh-gh2wd]

Si, these bike packing videos are so good you just need to keep doing them.......where to look forward to next!?

[@mariconor242]

Excellent advice there 👍