1st century - longest ride ever

[battleaxe0]

Started off weird. Mrs. Axe caught me holding a banana and looking at the bike perplexed and laughed at me. I was trying to figure out how I was gonna carry it - ate it instead.

Took all day because it was beastly hot, but it was a dry heat.

Fell over in a parking lot - concrete to uneven brick pavement at really low speed. I knew better but I didn't clip out. No harm - just a skinned elbow. At least it was the other elbow this time.

Took breaks to eat lunch and dinner. Got finished right before it started pouring.
Lunch break was really long - let the hottest part of the day pass by while I rehydrated.

7 hours moving time - not great but not bad either from what I understand.

Interesting comments:
"OH MY GOD I LOVE YOUR WHEELS!"
"You relaxin' like a motherf##### isncha?"

 

[Suz]

Congrats! I went 68.5 today and I'm beat!!!

I got stopped by a guy in a parking lot after our first break. He yelled "Hey come back here with that bike". So I obliged and he drooled all over it lol. Ha, maybe have a new cruzbiker because of the stop. Ha.

Great job today!!!!!

 

[Abbott Smith]

Started off weird. Mrs. Axe caught me holding a banana and looking at the bike perplexed and laughed at me. I was trying to figure out how I was gonna carry it - ate it instead.

Took all day because it was beastly hot, but it was a dry heat.

Fell over in a parking lot - concrete to uneven brick pavement at really low speed. I knew better but I didn't clip out. No harm - just a skinned elbow. At least it was the other elbow this time.

Took breaks to eat lunch and dinner. Got finished right before it started pouring.
Lunch break was really long - let the hottest part of the day pass by while I rehydrated.

7 hours moving time - not great but not bad either from what I understand.

Interesting comments:
"OH MY GOD I LOVE YOUR WHEELS!"
"You relaxin' like a motherf##### isncha?"

I just say Sigr-D is a carbon fiber hammock and grin like the Chesire Cat.

Great job Axe. I only got in a half century today. Still haven't done my first century yet. 155 miles on the week with ~6k' of climbing.

I don't even want to think about a 'dry' heat in Baton Rouge. I spent 5 years in Augusta, GA and a dry heat would have been 80% humidity. It was in the 80's today and I'm sure I melted.

 

[battleaxe0]

So - lessons learned:
I need to drink more. Bottles are great on other bikes, but difficult to remove and replace on the move on the Silvio without feeling off balance. Need to look into a Camelback or the Ratz liquid delivery system.

Need to eat more. There's no place to put food that's easily accessible in a bite size format. I'm thinking a small triangular "bag" attached with velcro and/or zip ties in the triangle between the boom and the handle bars. Maybe a couple of inches deep with a neoprene cover to keep the food from bouncing out. With one on each side that should allow a couple of handfuls of trail mix, fig newtons, or energy bars in easy reach for constant munching but little to no aero or weight penalty.

I need more storage space. When I can't even carry a banana, how would I carry a rain jacket or spare tire?

Always clip out when low speed, turning, and changing pavement types no matter how much momentum you think you have.

Start early in summer!

Metric centuries seem to be right at the limit where I start to get a headache. Might just be the timing with the heat starting to get to its worst or maybe lack of hydration. Need to explore that further.

 

[hurri47]

Pockets...

 

[ratz]

into a Camelback or the Ratz liquid delivery system

The bottle system works great; I never liked the bladders, to much unstable weight; road a 70mile today never had to add fluid.

Need to eat more

Every 10 minutes I'm taking a swig of
http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/perpetuem-reg-.pp.html
Works great; I carry 3 bottle premixed of this 75 miles; double strength for 150 miles.
Two Bottles of water with electrolytes on the hose system behind my head.

There's no place to put food that's easily accessible in a bite size format.

Bar Food; get an energy bar that is the consistency of a brownie without a chocolate coating; cut into 1 inch square; press to the top of bike frame between front of seat and steam grab and eat as needed. Cover with plastic wrap if needed to prevent bugs. This is an old classic roadie trick.

I'm thinking a small triangular "bag"

I like this one because it works on the boom or in the triangle under the seat. It would hold a cut banana, I carry a sandwich or energy bars or nuts.
http://t-cycle.com/fastback-hydrati...ks-c-6_36/fastback-flash-frame-pack-p-83.html

 

[hamishbarker]

the simplest way i found to carry stuff on my vendetta is to run a 25cm loop of bungee through a hole in the top of the headrest cover, around the tubing. the other end hooks to a rear light bracket screwed through the centre edge of the seat. cargo eg rolled up jacket, bag of stuff, even some boxes of indian takeaway on one occasion is then strapped to the back of the headrest by the bungee.

 

[battleaxe0]

Pockets...

I can hear Mrs. Axe now: "is that a banana in your pocket or are you happy to see me?"

 

[Cruzbike Chris]

Congrats on your ride. Contrary to most I love the bladder system and it works great for me on every ride. I use this dual bladder http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ECVIKTG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
folded in my aero bag for most rides under 40 or so miles I only fill one side with a Cytomax solution. I open it up on longer rides and only do liquids and occasional gels. I carry any gels, pepper spray, lip balm and gum in my jersey pockets. The second tube is removed and the bladder is opened up for anything really long and I carry ziploc bags of pre measured Cytomax and stop at a convince store or rest area for water to refill. This gives me plenty of liquid energy for a full days ride and that way I never get stomach problems either. I have used this setup on metric century and up to a full century, works great for me.

The bag has 2 mall zippered bags inside velcroed to the side with tools and CO. Under the bladder it has a slit where I carry a tube pre filled with flat attack or two depending on the ride length and nothing sloshes around or moves at all.

 

[battleaxe0]

Congrats on your ride. Contrary to most I love the bladder system and it works great for me on every ride. I use this dual bladder http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ECVIKTG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
folded in my aero bag for most rides under 40 or so miles I only fill one side with a Cytomax solution. I open it up on longer rides and only do liquids and occasional gels. I carry any gels, pepper spray, lip balm and gum in my jersey pockets. The second tube is removed and the bladder is opened up for anything really long and I carry ziploc bags of pre measured Cytomax and stop at a convince store or rest area for water to refill. This gives me plenty of liquid energy for a full days ride and that way I never get stomach problems either. I have used this setup on metric century and up to a full century, works great for me.

The bag has 2 mall zippered bags inside velcroed to the side with tools and CO. Under the bladder it has a slit where I carry a tube pre filled with flat attack or two depending on the ride length and nothing sloshes around or moves at all.

It's awesome how everyone has different ways of attacking this.
I'm curious - how did you hook up your aero bag?

 

[Cruzbike Chris]

I'm curious - how did you hook up your aero bag?

I used a modified version of the plastic one Rick Youngblood used. I cut and trimmed a 3/8" thick piece of Home Depot plexiglass, secured it with Velcro and then later added the small screw to be on the safe side. Yes, I know, I drilled a hole in the back seat pan but it is perfectly centered between the headrest so I don't see a problem. Works like a charm for me.

Edit: Ricks is here: http://cruzbike.com/forum/threads/spring-is-here-lets-see-your-ride.7306/#post-26650

 

[Suz]

I need to drink more. Bottles are great on other bikes, but difficult to remove and replace on the move on the Silvio without feeling off balance.

I think you'll be surprised at how fast this will come along. I can finally remove, drink and replace my water bottle without wobbling.
I use a camelback on my S30, backwards behind the headrest, jerry rigged to make it secure. The last ride I just used it as a reservoir to fill my water bottle. I can usually tuck the tube into my girl clothes, but I think your wife may have an issue with you wearing a sports bra. I had problems when getting up quickly, losing the tube, getting it caught in my tire etc.. but the reservoir plan worked well this weekend.

Check this out for snacks, I use it on my front boom for random things like phone, ipod and snacks. But you may be able to mount it in the middle of your handlebars so it's easier to reach into.
https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm/store.catalog/Cockpit/Mountain-Feedbag

I use this for under the seat. I can fit my raingear and all my tire changing tools in it. It's not perfect, have you looked at the under seat bag on the cruzbike website? That may be better.
https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm/store.catalog/Handle-Bar/Pockets

 

[Suz]

Works great; I carry 3 bottle premixed of this 75 miles; double strength for 150 miles.

Ratz, where do you put all the bottles? Are you carrying 5 bottles? 3 bottles premixed and two behind your head?

 

[Charles.Plager]

I can usually tuck the tube into my girl clothes, but I think your wife may have an issue with you wearing a sports bra.

I won't pass judgment on anybody's clothing choice, but in case some of you out there don't want to wear a sports bra, I use a retractable ID clip to attach the hose to my shirt. Has the advantage that I can stand up before I need to remember to take it off.

 

[ratz]

Ratz, where do you put all the bottles? Are you carrying 5 bottles? 3 bottles premixed and two behind your head?

1 on the boom, two under the seat; two behind the head.

You can see more of them here: http://cruzbike.com/forum/threads/how-i-spent-my-summer-vacation.7599/#post-30103

 

[DavidCH]

1 on the boom, two under the seat; two behind the head.

You can see more of them here: http://cruzbike.com/forum/threads/how-i-spent-my-summer-vacation.7599/#post-30103

The two under the seat... which size was this (Adem are offering two different sizes S & M? I had a look on the V and the carbon seat is edged somewhat... perhaps half an inch either side. Did you have to get rid of the edges of the seat to fit the carbon seat bottle cage mount assembly ?

 

[Jeremy S]

Congrats! I did my first century on my Silvio last fall, in much cooler weather than yours. About 7 hours moving time, 7.5 hours total. I was tired and happy at the end.

FYI, I just have two large water bottles mounted on my seat back. I cannot reach them while riding and stop to take water breaks periodically. I imagine lots of people aren't willing to do that. Someday I should figure out how to drink while riding, in hot weather I have to stop often and even then I tend to get a headache eventually. On cool days I don't need to drink as much.

I also have a bag meant to go under the seat of a DF hanging off the back of my headrest/seat. It's just big enough to hold my phone, wallet, basic tools, and a few food bars. For my century ride I brought four bars and took two food breaks to eat them. I don't get hungry while riding, but I understand that food is fuel and perhaps I would perform better if I ate more.

 

[battleaxe0]

Check this out for snacks, I use it on my front boom for random things like phone, ipod and snacks. But you may be able to mount it in the middle of your handlebars so it's easier to reach into.
https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm/store.catalog/Cockpit/Mountain-Feedbag

I've had one of these on my bikes in easy reach for phone, small items, and food since I started back riding a few years ago:

Even on the trike I can lean forward and grab something from it. You can see it hanging upside down from the Silvio boom in some of my pics and sometimes on top - still carry my phone, edibles, sunscreen, etc. in it.

 

[Cruzbike Chris]

I use a retractable ID clip to attach the hose to my shirt. Has the advantage that I can stand up before I need to remember to take it off.

Charles,
I solved that by connecting mine with a retractable clip to the cables under the stem. Makes it easier getting on and off and sitting up during stops, checking traffic etc..

 

[ratz]

The two under the seat... which size was this

500ml perfect for fuel mixes; also super easy to pull while riding. Fit the stock seat perfectly.
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/gear/product/airway.aero.water.bottle.cage.kit/562/56236/

I drink 1 per hour; and with three it's easy to mix up a new bottle or 2 at a stop

The price is so high because the cage is carbon fiber. That's a waste but frankly it was the best I could find and they defiantly don't mess with the aero of the bike.