Cycling trips or competitions of more than 100 kilometers are often the mid-term goals in the minds of people who are new to cycling. The sense of pleasure and accomplishment of accomplishing the goals allows riders to plan new and exhausting itineraries time and time again.
But it is better to know some precautions first.
Cycling is really easy and enjoyable if you are proficient. Therefore, regardless of age, men, women, and children can take the iron horse for a wonderful journey. But like many people playing golf or surfing the Internet, we have gradually become addicted, and not just satisfied with the easy journey of the “general people” of more than ten or twenty kilometers. We want to break a hundred, we want to climb high, we want to circle the island, and even we want to cross the continent and travel around the world.
And these rides take a long time! We have to sit on the bicycle cushions and step on the pedals to perform repetitive actions for hours or even days and months in a non-human natural posture. If there is no training, it would be strange if we are not injured.
Therefore, based on my experience in cycling as an orthopedic physician and the results of searching the literature, I will report to you a few things that should be noted for long-distance cycling.
I. Preparation beforehand:
The journey of riding more than a hundred must be different from ordinary riding. Only by preparing well beforehand can a pleasant journey be possible.
The first thing is to prepare good equipment. The first thing is that it’s best not to ride a brand new or borrowed bike. The colleagues who rode with me didn’t adjust the seat height because they were riding a new bike, so they didn’t ride it properly. At the end of the race, the long-distance bike must be a bike that is usually ridden and has been fully adjusted. In addition, things like bike hats, bike pants, gloves, bike shoes, water bottles, raincoats, sunglasses, etc. do not need to be detailed here, they are all important equipment for long-distance cycling.
II. In addition to equipment, pre-training is also very important:
According to the advice of some experts, two to three months of training is necessary to break a hundred years ago, but if you have the habit of riding more than seven hours a week, this training period can be greatly shortened.
The pre-riding training must reach 65% of the maximum heartbeat, and there will be a part of the time (a few minutes each time) to reach 85% of the maximum heartbeat. The pedal speed must be maintained at 70-90 revolutions per minute so that you can ride for 1 to 1.5 hours a day and rest one day a week. Each time you need to increase your mileage, you should not increase the mileage by more than 10% at a time to avoid excessive fatigue. Two weeks before you want to ride a hundred kilometers, you must arrange at least one trip of 50 or 60 kilometers, and you must reduce the mileage a week before you want to ride so that you can easily complete the scheduled activities of more than 100 kilometers.
III. In addition, diet is also a matter of precautions:
Drink plenty of water a few days before the event, increase the body’s water ratio (called hydration in medicine), and prepare for a lot of dehydration on the day of the event.
The usual diet should increase the proportion of carbohydrates, and stop alcoholic and caffeinated beverages to reduce the interference to the body. The breakfast on the day of the event must also be adequate carbohydrates, but don’t eat too much, and drink plenty of water. During long-distance riding, do not wait to drink water until you are thirsty. Drink a small amount of water in advance.
Food supplements during riding should be based on well-digested carbohydrates (such as biscuits, nutrition bars, fruit juices, bananas, etc.), but do not eat anything that has not been eaten before to avoid gastrointestinal problems.
IV. Many books emphasize the importance of bicycle adjustment and posture. There are special books on how to adjust the height of the handles and cushions and choose the appropriate frame and crank. Let’s not talk about it here. Here are some precautions about posture.
There is no standard posture for long-term cycling. Everyone can have the method he is used to. But the important point is that riding for a long time, it is best to change the posture frequently, including changing the position of the hand, lifting the buttocks off the seat cushion, and arching the back. , Stretch the shoulders and neck to reduce the problem of joint muscle system damage and nerve paralysis caused by stiffness. In addition to posture, it is also important to get off the car for a short rest. In addition to stretching exercises, add water and calories by the way, but do not exceed ten minutes to prevent your body from becoming more rigid.
V. Finally, six reminders for this kind of riding over a hundred kilometers or more than six hours:
1. Start early: In the mountainous area in the morning, the weather is usually better, not too hot, and there are fewer cars. In the afternoon, there is more room to deal with the problem of poor physical strength or bad weather to change the goal.
2. Grasp your own pace: everyone’s physical strength is different, don’t be too reluctant, take a break if you think you should take a break, to avoid accidents.
3. Eat more: If you can, eat small amounts of carbohydrates along the way and eat more digestible carbohydrates. If you feel tired and annoyed and can’t continue, it may be hypoglycemia.
4. Drink more: Drinking plenty of water is probably the most important thing for long-distance cycling. Many athletes emphasize this point and force themselves to drink water before they feel the need. If you do not urinate once in one to two hours or your urine is not golden yellow but dark brown, it means you drink too little water.
5. Eat lunch: usually more than six hours of riding, there must be lunchtime, if it is not a race, it is best to get off the car and have a rest, because the afternoon trip may not be downhill but your physical strength It’s usually downhill, and it’s best to get some real rest.
6. Find a companion: For long-distance riding, there must be people who ride together. In addition to safety issues, studies have also shown that just having a companion next to you can endure more pain and improve your performance. In addition, experienced riders can also enjoy the fun of riding in groups to break the wind and reduce resistance.