Long bike ride: are short breaks OK? (Page 2)

I have to go with train how you race.  If during a long race HIM/IM you plan to stop and pee then doing it on your training ride works. 

BINGO...

If you have to stop in order to go longer...then stop.  Better to stop at mile 25, then ride another 25 for a total of 50, then to go 30 non stop and you bonk.  Just don't be surprised if during your race you can't go 50 straight.

I do group rides where we have to stop to let slower riders catch up...so yeah...that's not as good as going non stop...which I could.  But if I did not stop for slower riders with the group...then I would be going solo pretty much the whole ride...and that's not as fun for me.  I look forward to riding with others in the group...and that's what makes training fun for me.  So if I have to sacrifice part of my training to have fun...so be it.  

There may come a day where I'm so fast and strong that I will have to ride solo to take myself to the next level...but that day is far from the present. 

Stopping to fill bottles and stopping to chat or for a riding buddy to take a leak is still the same thing.

I do agree that for anything about 50 or less a rider should be carrying all they need with them and just stop as necessary for lights and traffic laws.  Other than that, keep on riding.

For 60 and over you get into the limit of not being able to carry enough to support your ride.  So unless one is doing loops for their long ride (yuck) with an "aid" station set up somewhere then there will absolutely be a need to stop and fill up the fluids/food.

Does that short stop "change the nature of the workout?"  No, not really.  Long rides are about time in the saddle at a moderate pace.  Just like long runs.  Two or three 3 - 5 minute breaks during a 4 - 6 hour ride to refill bottles will NOT impact the overall workout to any degree of signifigance and may in fact reinvigorate the rider for the last push toward the end.  On a 100+ ride I will plan my stops for 35 and 70 to refill things.  On the main routes I do I already know where those stops are (public, populated areas, convenience store) and I get in, buy my fluids, fill the bottles back up - I carry 4 - get back on the road.

Edited by Road Phoenix 2010-04-10 7:24 AM

No, I was responding more to the 10+min. mentioned earlier...or stopping to have lunch idea.

Well, it wasn't planned, but when the GI issues decided to, uninvitingly, make its presence during IM Moo, then the long break was needed.

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I may or may not have a different twist to this thread. For the last two months I have been doing recovery workouts mainly,  but typically I do a long ride of 35-65 miles each week. No matter what distance of the long bike,  I ride 5-8 miles and stop 2 minutes to drink and rest. This is done throughout my workout. I NEVER stop on my other bikes each week. I usually ride alone and my thought is this: If I am riding a group ride we stop at each turn to wait up for people. Also, if we are doing atleast a 40 mile bike we are stopping to rest and fill bottles, etc. which usually will be atleast 10-15 minutes or so. I use the same theory for doing long runs as I typically run 6 minutes and walk one minute, but dont stop on other runs. For me, the long bike and run is about building Endurance, not mixing in other physiological aspects during my long workouts. Am I wrong in that if you do a 50 mile bike with stops you are building the same endurance as someone who does a 50 mile bike nonstop? The distance is the same! Just for the record, the last two long bikes and runs I do for an "A" race I do without stopping. These are typically a bike of 65 miles and run of 11 miles. The thought never goes through my mind to stop during a race. So, I have to disagree with the individual who thinks you will want to stop during a race if you train like that.

OK.  I was shamed into skipping my lunch break on my ride today.  But really, if one is riding 100 miles, surely a 20 minute break to have lunch (think of all the nutrition that you don't have to carry when you stop for lunch) can't be a huge deal.  I understand that one does not stop for lunch in a race, but still. 

I just did a 90 mile ride. At mile 46 I stopped, found a tree, refilled my bottle and finished the ride. About 3-4 minutes total. That was my one stop other than traffic lights. It works for me, in any case.

I had the same sort of question, but I know the answer ....

if you are training for the "big one" (whichever that is in your stage of tri's)...then its important to put in a honest training distance, building your mileage, and simulating the race distance. also depends on your goals for the race, are you training to finish ? or to PR or to win ?

however, there are other factors involved...such as,

- you don't have the roads closed off since you are just training, you are subject to normal rules and  regs of the road (which cause you to stop)

- you need to keep it fun, if there is a reason to stop for a short bit to enjoy your ride more, do it.

- weather might be bad and cause you to stop, better to be safe than get into an accident

- you might develop an symptom that could lead to a more serious injury, thus shutting down any future training. better to bow out and try again later.

sure there are other reasons to stop...but use common sense !

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Do you feel like you need to stop? If so then probably you should, or at least slow down. If you are building fitness and 30 miles still seems like a long way to ride a bike then by all means take it easy for now. This is one of those areas, where stopping for 3 minutes might make you five minutes faster, a net gain of 2 minutes.

It is also one of those areas where Type A or super macho mentalities can be detrimental. It is like people who push it every day and ignore rest days. Some strategic breaks can make you faster and fitter.

So if you feel like you need to stop, go right ahead, realizing you either went too fast, or are still new at longish rides, and enjoy/learn from every ride.

It is absolutely impossible for me to carry enough fluids on my person (or bike) to get through a long ride anytime from April to November in So. Florida. I can go through 45-50oz of fluids an hour during July, August & September. For me, stopping is a necessity and I stopped all summer long last year (sometimes every 15 miles to refill bottles/camelbak); however, I was still able to ride my first HIM (Augusta 70.3) without stopping. So, I guess for me... stopping to refill bottles doesn't really seem to have any impact on the overall quality of my long rides.

I'm also one for not stopping save for nutrition or bathroom break.

In fact, during my last long ride, after about 4 hours, my riding partner wanted to stop for a sit down lunch.  I was "nope" there is time for rest and lunch AFTER we knock out the last couple hours...

HOWEVER, if I'm doing a 3+  hour trainer ride, I will take 5 minutes every 45-60 to reload my water bottles and just stretch my legs.  I figure the rest breaks there are equal to the times you get to coast when riding outdoors.

Edited by Kido 2010-04-11 6:19 PM

It seems to me there are two types of people on this thread....those who have the fitness to ride 40/50/60+ miles and don't NEED to stop for a rest break except possibly 2-3 minutes to pee or whatever. And those who NEED to stop for 10 minutes, 20 minutes or more in order to complete the distance, otherwise they won't be able to finish, or will have to seriously limp to the finish line.

I think the basis for this thread has the cart before the horse. Ride as you wish, but if you can ride 50 miles with no breaks, or ride 50 miles with a 30 minute break in training...you will be able to ride a 50 mile TT. However, If you want to maximize your time for that 50 mile TT, there are a lot of additional factors to consider than whether or not you stop for 2min/5min/10min on your long ride.

Edited for spelling.

Edited by AdventureBear 2010-04-11 10:40 PM

Based on this ^^^ I would say that if someone NEEDs to stop to make that distance, then they are not ready to be taking on that distance and need to work more on building consistency, duration and volume to be able to handle that distance comfortably.

Just my thoughts.

x2. Exactly right. There should ne no need to take a 10-20min break during a ride for recovery purposes. If so, you are riding well beyond your fitness.

Edited by bryancd 2010-04-12 7:52 AM

Your two minute stops aren't going to make a significant difference in your endurance rides.  I would suggest that you can likely carry enough water and nutrition to last well over 30 miles and assuming you aren't over hydrated, probably won't need a potty stop either.

However, what you accomplish on your ride (in terms of training load) has everything to do with what you are doing while riding and very little to do with whether or not you stop to refill water, for bathroom breaks or even for lunch.

Shane

Personally, I think the primary key here is "total training load". While I agree that it is probably best to do SOME of your longer distance biking without stops (to more accurately simulate race conditions, etc.), I don't think it is necessary to do ALL longer bike efforts without stops. Just get out and ride.... if you need to stop now and then to refill (or... um... discharge...) fluids I don't think it's the end of the world. Should you do some of your training without stops? Absolutely.... but if stopping on occasion means you can put in more time in the saddle overall, then go ahead and stop. The total time in the saddle in the long run will pay off.

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