# My first double



## tapeng (May 25, 2004)

This year my son joined biking. After Tierra Bella he is asking more challenge ride.
He said he target Davis Double next year but I said why not this year.
Now I am a little nervous cause I was/am thinking how can people made 200 miles in a day.
Please share your ride strategy and bud management.
What kind of road condition ? rough or smooth etc..
We have a week left. What should I do ? I know I couldn't do much on hard training at this point.


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## Tort (Nov 4, 2008)

I haven't done one myself, but my regular bike friends do them and have done and will do Davis again this year. They will really tone it down the week before the ride. The main thing I get from them is set a pace and stick to it. Don't over do the early parts as you can expect to be out there for a very long time. Be patient and expect mental and physical ups and downs. Also don't spend too much time at rest stops, it's a long day.

It can get pretty hot on that one as well so be prepared for it. Get a really early start and make sure you have lights front and rear. Also be sure to carry extra tubes, multi tool, and make sure your ride is in tip top shape.

Good luck, hydrate and look out for the crazy ******** on the road.


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## robwh9 (Sep 2, 2004)

*My strategy...*

Start slow and taper off.

Really, you need to find a pace you can "ride forever" at. Then it's just a matter of correctly fueling, hydrating, electrolyte intake, and staying comfortable. Keep your eye on the ball -- stick to your plan. Don't try to keep up with a too fast paceline at the start. Expect some mental low points, and ride through them.

It's too late to train for the ride, just try to be fresh.

I'm doing it too. Hopefully it won't be an inferno like the last two years. 

It's a great event. Have fun!


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## CoLiKe20 (Jan 30, 2006)

find a group you can draft at a comfortable pace.


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## Fogdweller (Mar 26, 2004)

Like others said, look for wheels to sit on, if a line feels like it's too fast, jump out and find another. It might seem like a good idea to chew up miles and push yourself but it wont pay dividends in the end when you have to punch through the afternoon's headwind (and it will blow). Best of luck to you, stay hydrated and topped up with calories. Buy some Endurolite capsules and take them all day, you'll need your salts if it's hot. For me, it's all about misery management. When I hit 120 miles, I tell myself that that's as bad as I'm going to feel the rest of the day, I wont get any worse or any more tired so I just deal with it, manage and keep my head in the game. Best of luck and post a ride report regardless of your outcome.


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## Crampandgoslow (Dec 27, 2005)

If it's projected to be HOT, bring a sock with you; at the rest stops on the climbs and second half they're likely to have ice socks to help regulate your temps. The socks *should* stay at the rest stop, but if you bring your own, I think they're happy to load it up for you and you can ride off on your merry way to the next stop with ice.

I think this ride has so many ppl riding it that you should be able to find at least a couple other folks riding more or less the same speed after the initial filtering process. Shared misery is more fun than lonely misery, I say.


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## RedRex (Oct 24, 2004)

I've finished DD six times...

Some tips...

Forget your "normal" pace and "estimated finishing time prediction". You just don't know. Lots can happen on your first. You just can't used normal MPH estimates early in your long distance cycling experience. Stuff happens, and it will. 

Leave as soon as the course opens, carry your lights all day. DO THIS.

Don't worry about your average pace, tone it down until lunch. Instead, start your stopwatch at each aid station. Try and limit your stops to under 10 minutes. Pee out on the road to save time. Carry two route sheets in case you lose one. Consider using a trunk rack or fanny pack to carry warm clothes if the start is cool.

Drink a V8 and a Coke at each aid station, and eat a banana.

Try to make lunch a quick(ish) stop.

And remember; "It sucks for EVERYONE after 130 miles."

And DON'T FORGET the "secret" aid station after the last aid station, at the fire house. On your left. Secret grilled cheese about 10 miles from the finish.

We personally don't draft outside of our small group because we don't trust people. Davis is the one double in CA where inexperienced riders show up, so we don't take any chances. Drafting is more important late in the day, IMHO. Once you descent hwy 20 and make the right turn on 16, you might want to start linking up with riders, because the latter portions of DD tend to bring headwinds.


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## ratpick (Jul 31, 2008)

Jealous - I really wanted to do DD as my first double but couldn't schedule it for this year.


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## fishtaco (Mar 28, 2007)

It is projected to be ~80 for the Davis Double. For 08 and 09 it was over 100.

There are 50 miles of flats to start. Find a paceline that is going speed you are very comfortable with. It should feel like you are riding easy. Biggest mistake you see folks making is going to hard early and paying for it later.

Eat before you get hungry and drink before you get thirsty.

Good luck and see you out there!


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*guidelines*

Done lots of doubles, in fact, just did the Central Coast Double on a fixed gear (see Commuter forum).

Pacing: A good rule is never ride so fast that you can't breathe with your mouth closed, that is, only through your nose. Think about this primarily on climbs and pacelines. Don't get caught up in a 30 mph paceline thinking about how much faster you are going, but on the edge of blowing up.

Eating/drinking: I like to wear a Timex Ironman watch with a countdown timer/alarm, and set it to go off every 10 minutes to remind me to drink. Be most careful about eating and drinking in pacelines and climbing, as that is when you tend to be going hard and forget. You have to find out what works for you, but look at about 300 carbohydrate calories per hour, along with 24-32 ounces of water per hour. I also consume about 1/4 teaspoon of salt per hour, supplemented with other electrolytes occasionally. After trying just about every product available, I have used for the past two years only dextrose and fructose powder in my bottles, about 80-100 grams of dextrose and 20 grams of fructose powder in a large bottle every 60-90 minutes. I get no stomach upset and plenty of calories.

Take some kind of food with you, like gel or real food, in case you start bonking in between rest stops. I'd suggest about 200 calories worth. That way, if you start fading, you won't get too deep into a bonk.

To save time, get in and out of rest stops quickly, grab some food, and eat while riding. 

Use plenty of Chamois Butt'r. 

Aerobars really help to take the load off your hands in the latter miles on the flats, and there is plenty of that the last 50 miles of this double. 

Be careful in pacelines. For many people, they ride alone all the time and have zero paceline skills. Don't overlap wheels and crash. When it's your turn on the front, keep the pace the same and keep your pull short, like 1-2 minutes. There are no prizes for long pulls, especially if you start slowing down, or blow up and don't finish.

Use a mirror and watch for cars and other riders passing you. You'll especially want the mirror on that stretch of road by the casino on the way back. Very scary there.

There will be a point at which you will not be having fun, will be hurting, and want to quit. Everyone goes through this. Just keep riding, and it will get better. At the end, you will be glad you kept riding and finished. If it were easy, anyone could do it. "We do these things *not* because they are easy, but *because* they are hard." JFK

PS: Forget about hard training in the last week. It is far, far better to be well rested than to try to squeeze in more hard training. By the day before the event, you want to feel anxious to get back to riding hard, and should feel like you can bound up stairs easily. For endurance events, you'll accomplish nothing in the last week before. About one week before, though, I find it useful to get in a long endurance ride.


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## Fogdweller (Mar 26, 2004)

Fixed said:


> Done lots of doubles....


So say'eth the Fixed. Many good nuggets in this thread so read and re-read. Good luck on Saturday.


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## robwh9 (Sep 2, 2004)

Looks like pleasant weather.


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## robwh9 (Sep 2, 2004)

*It was a fine day for a double century.*

It was sunny, but not hot, and with little wind. The landscape was still pretty green for May, with wildflowers. All the creeks, streams and rivers had water. The sound of water in the creeks as I rode past was a recurrent theme. I saw the sunrise and sunset on my bike, and I got absorbed by the ride. I love that feeling.

Hats off to the Davis Bike Club, the support was excellent. By far the most volunteers I've ever seen for a ride. All of the riders were friendly and supportive.

And hats off to the young boy who rode it solo, not on a tandem. Faster than me!


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## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

This was my first organized ride I ever did in 1984. I think it was 17 hours or some rediculously painful time. I did it ill prepared, but survived. I did it the next three years since I was in Davis Bike Club at the time. My training/racing progressed with time as well. My Sr year of highschool was 1987 and I completed it in just over twelve hours. Great ride and lots of great memroies.


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## tapeng (May 25, 2004)

*First double ride report*

First thanks to all the replies. I found them to be very valuable and I compile it into my riding plan. 
It took us 14 hours of ride time and 18 hours total to finished the ride. 
4:20 am ~10:20 pm. It was way longer than I expected but considered the situation 
I am very happy.

When I arrived Daniel's apartment at UC Davis Friday afternoon. 
I was shocked to see the nasty bruise on his arm he got from 
Thursday due to his mtb front derailleur failure. He couldn't sleep
at night. Busy school week make no easy for him for this ride as well. 
The worst is the apartment manager call him at 1:00 am Saturday cause 
his roommate speaker was too louder. Go figure. :mad2: 
So we didn't get sleep much and I had bad diarrhea after pre-ride 
meal. For me it's doesn't affect much since I already prepared for this ride for 
some time. For Daniel I think he is in deep trouble. I just don't know how bad he is. 

The first 50 mile is not too bad. I only worried if it get too cold. 
The lowest I got is 46 degree after sun rise. 
Once we get to the roller section Daniel start to show how those negatives affect him. 
I stayed with him most of the time. Occasionally I rode to the top and came back 
down to ride with him.

The weather is perfect that help a lot. It is first time I bring Clif Shot BLOKs for the ride.
We had the orange flavor with caffeine and it was very effective.

We took a long break at 94 miles rest top before climbing mt. Cobb.
I asked Daniel if he want to continue and he said he is fine. 
Here we start heading for the Cobb. The climb is not too bad but did kill some legs. 
I rode back and forth to keep check with Daniel see if he is Ok. At one point we stopped 
at the side of the road to join few others to catch the breath. When we start get going 
again. I told Daniel I will be waiting for him up front. Then I took off. With previous very 
limited speed I felt very strong and passing others fast. I soon see the rest stop is not 
too far at front.
Before I proceed I really worried about Daniel and think he might not be able to make all 
the steep climb. So I U turned to search for him. I went back about 2.5 mile and found 
he is slow but climbing. It's a good sign. 
I stayed with him to the rest stop at 104.5. At this point my computer milage is 
screwed up due to the extra miles.

We must spend more than 30 minutes in those chairs and the DB attendent came to 
us asked if we are OK. He said we looked "wiped". :Yawn: (You will think the same if you
saw how Daniel walk) We thanks for the attention and said
we just need a little longer rest. He told us the worst is past. That sure is a good news.

When we get to Resurrection we are welcomed with cold shower. At this point, 
I know I don't need to ask if he need a SAG service. The rest of the ride we sure 
not fast but we are not the slowest neither. Daniel can hardly keep up with my slow 
pace. I had to keep check on him make sure he is there. To my surprise he is still 
faster than the other two right behind him. He dragged them to the 160 rest top.
At this stop I saw a minivan SAG almost full with top full of carcass. 
I guess this is the point where you still have daylight and can make it back to have a 
"normal" dinner. I had no idea what is waiting for us and think we are almost there and
it shouldn't take too long. Wrong !!! 

When it started to get dark I stopped to setup the light and put on my wind blocker.
Once it dark and no other riders around I realized how pathetic our lighting equipment are.
I have a Cateye opticube 3 led light with "old" batteries. and Danial had a flash light zip 
tied to his handle bar that can only spot pointing to 10 O'clock direction. What a joke for 
night ride I figured. We can only ride around 10 to 12 miles I believe. Jesus cry!! And it 
was colder and colder. It must be the grilled cheese sandwich at the last rest stop 
make me going. We get bumped often and really can't do much. We are in deep sh*t. 
Finally we back into city. Daniel must started to loose grip. A nasty road crack bring 
him down and left him bad bruise on legs and is bleeding. A Paramedics is right there 
and stopped to ask if we need help. "No thanks we are fine" I replied while picking up 
water bottles. Hmmmm strange. how come they show up in no time ?
Who make that crack anyway ? Just joking.

We got back to parking lot at 10:20pm. Daniel had his legs sanitized by DB attendant.
They are really helpful at all time. Daniel is exhausted and broken but he was fine and
still in one piece. I was very proud of him for going through the whole ride with me
and never give up. :thumbsup: 

We are now looking for second double toward our California Tripple Crown jercey.: 
And yes we will have NiteRider next time.


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## robwh9 (Sep 2, 2004)

Good job tapeng and Daniel! Congratulations on finishing your first double century. They get easier with experience.


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## RedRex (Oct 24, 2004)

way to go man. 

Every...single....double, is an adventure. It never gets old.


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## gearbolt (Dec 6, 2004)

Way to go, Daniel. First century ride in April and then first double in May. 
Wow. Good job. :thumbsup: 
Now get full recovery for your injury and then get back on saddle soon.


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## Fogdweller (Mar 26, 2004)

Nice work guys. Even better that you both want to sign up for another. CONGRATS!!


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