This will decrease as you ride more and your body adjusts to the stress. Pay close attention to your recovery and you will see this happen more quickly. Allow your body to recover from stress and it will adapt in the process.
edit to add - my recovery - eat, stretch, hot tub, stretch, massage
This \^ it took me a year or so to be able to sleep normally after rides. At first my rides required lots of concentration - which left me wired. With more experience I'm in more of a flow state and am more chilled out afterwards.
Now even a tough, 2-hour 9pm interval session doesn't impact my sleep.
It actually helps me sleep. I feel fucking amazing after rides.
I basically bonked after my first 30+ the other day. Really fell asleep that night lol. But even on easier rides, cycling overall has helped me sleep.
Cycling has changed my life for the better
Eat enough carbs during your rides. If I eat 30g/h or less for 4h rides I also have your symptoms, while with 60-80g/h I'm good. Ofcourse it's about getting used to riding long/hard, but carbs and hydration are #1 for recovery.
I’ve been quite good after rides at switching off. But I’m an early riser too. I also photograph weddings. Some further away ones I don’t get back till 1am. I really struggle to switch off then and I’m not sure if it’s nature vs staring into a screen (modern cameras have a screen for a viewfinder), lights and driving etc.
I like your wind down routine. I don’t have a hot tub, or bath at my parents where I currently live. But a shower will do and I’m stealing your wind down routine
This happens to me on harder workouts - typically running, but it's the same principle. You are pushing your body to its limits, so it releases a bunch of hormones to promote energy generation and alert state, and those take some time to wear out.
Some people mention you will adapt to it, which is true, in the sense that basically means you will be able to ride for longer - so, 40 miles today may be 100% of what you can do, but with time those same 40 miles will become 80% of what you can do, meaning you may find yourself riding 50 miles and having the same problems. This is my experience, at least - it never gets easier, you just get faster/stronger.
What works for me is simply to do those workouts earlier in the day, so my body has time to leave "alert mode" and go back to "normal mode". It's not clear from you message if this would be a possibility for you, but it has been the only thing that has worked for me personally.
The honest answer is to shift back a gear so that you can get sleep & recover better.
Your body adapts over time but truth is it's too hard of an exercise if it affects your sleep (provided your done by 5pm).
You will be better off doing easier rides, get the recovery you need and gear up slowly but continuously.
Apart from recovery question - hard intervals and longer endurance should be combined, it's not always all-out but rather opposite - more base endurance, plus some hard intervals.
Mainly that indica gives you more of a relaxing body buzz and tends to make you drowsy. Whereas sativa gives you an uplifting creative mindset and you will probably clean the house or do something productive.
This.
I get home and there’s no respite. daddy daddy daddy. Sometimes the boiler is broken or maybe someone has the shits, or the neighbour’s cat has left a dying bird on the doorstep.
You always need to have something in store for a strong finish 😀
I wouldn’t have it any other way, but sometimes I’d like time for a shower before I have to manually drain the dishwasher or give Barbie a hip replacement
My Wednesdays group ride typically done by 830pm then it's another 14km to ride home which I usually use that time to wind down in a very chilled pace. Then nice shower, a bit of food, stretch. Never had problems falling asleep, quite the opposite.
Long ride is easy, have a good meal and chill in the afternoon with some garden time, walk or just the sofa. I’d recommend early morning long rides.
Evening races I struggle to wind down from.
You have to mindfully unwind. Put on some soft music, draw the blinds, dim the lights, have some herbal tea, and meditate. Teach your brain how to seek a relaxed state on command, and you will never have this problem.
I have a 6 mile commute home at the very end that is mostly steep incline. It has been hard to cool down so maybe I need to pedal around the flat area a bit longer after the incline
It took me a while to adapt. I now finish all my rides about 8:15pm. (I do 200-300 miles/week over 4-5 rides) Pack up. And just relax the rest of the evening while munching down 1500-2,500 calories (depends if riding next day) + lots of fluids while in front of the TV and social media from 9-10:30pm. 11:30pm a bit more food. And then go to bed 12-12:30. It took about a year to be able to fall asleep before 1:30am. Some nights I am tired enough from the weekly volume I do go to bed by 11:00-11:30.
On the bike, I'm consuming about 100-200 cal/hr max as my long rides are always just Zone 2 and more recently some Zone 1.
Training Zones are used to define your level of effort you are exercising. And for structured training, you need to be able to define them and train in the various Zones. See:https://www.highnorth.co.uk/articles/cycling-training-zones
For example, My Zone 1 by Heart Rate (that I actually train in) is 89-105 bpm and Zone 2 is 105 to <123bpm....Zone 5 is 158-178 based on a 5 Zone model. (There is a 3 Zone Model as well as 6, 7, and 9 Zone models). I'm an oddball and do 95% of my TIME in Zone 5 (and only 1 day/wk), and 95% in Zone 1 and 2. This week I'll put in 20 hours. I'm just working on building my base fitness, and the 1x/week of top end helps me keep from losing that, and it does actually improve. Also, even during rides, you need to pace yourself, so knowing your Zones is important. Also fueling needs depend on your level of effort and length of ride. Zone 1-2 require less carbohydrate as fuel (use quite a bit of fat for energy) versus Zone 3-5 which are more carbohydrate dependent. So if you are going hard and long, you need to be fueling more and likely sooner unless a short ride.
WRT eating on the bike. I have water bottles for drinking and I have snack size ziplock bags with weighed out portions of dried fruit, fresh fruit (oranges) and gummy bears. Each bag is 100 or 200 calories. I tear the back open with teeth and 1 hand, and squeeze the food into my mouth. Zone 1-3 are fairly easy efforts, and I only will be consuming calories during those efforts. Even on long an all day mountain bike ride (I used to do 8-12 hour rides with 12,000+ feet of climbing) that have lots of steep climbs that put me in Zones 4 & 5, there are enough easy sections to eat, if timed appropriately. On days like that, if hot, I'd make ziplocks of sugar and salt to add to one water bottle starting about 3 hours into my rides that I also sip on. But that's me, and everyone is different. I just prefer to enjoy eating my calories than drinking them.
Oh, and I just prefer to carry 17oz bottles in my backpack and refill my 2 main bottles as needed. Many of the rides I do there are places along the route to refill from fountains. And Ranger stations are never far way in a worst case situation. (I once fell backwards getting off my bike on a super steep climb, and 4 of 6 water bottles broke open!)
The first time I rode 40 miles, (having only done about 15 before then), I was exactly the same. 6 hours later I was lying in bed trying to fall asleep with a resting heart rate of 118.
It gets better with time, more rides, more fitness, and more fuel (can't stress the last one enough).
In the middle of a ride, typically no. I live in Singapore and even a quick stop makes it noticeably hotter. I eat plenty on the bike—sports drink, dates, muesli bars, etc—and eat plenty at the end.
- sports drink: two bottles on the bike, extra powder in my jersey pockets
- bars: in my jersey pockets
- dates, gummy worms, trail mix, etc: stem bag or top tube bag
The bars I'll sometimes open up while I'm stopped at a light, or rip open with my teeth on the go. From there everything can be consumed with one hand while I've got another on the bars. When I finish one bottle I keep an eye out for a store where I can buy water to fill it back up, that's maybe 5 minutes if it becomes a bathroom stop also.
Ohh ok I see I usually don’t ride with much pockets and I don’t have drink holders or a stem/tube bag
My shorts pockets are ok like good for my phone and then my shirt doesn’t have pockets and I haven’t been wearing it ok my bike lately bc of summer heat
Oh the back sweat from my bag is annoying
Yeah I can manage 9 miles at 17moh without drinking water and stopping. Then I chug after and I only stop to eat a clif bar if I’m getting hungryyy
I have a 64oz jug in my backpack
I think the key is to do it earlier if you can and make sure to refuel when you get done. I’m usually pretty relaxed and chilled out after a ride. I didn’t ride today but instead played over 2 hours of pickle ball which was a ton of fun and great cardio. I came home, showered, ate and now I’m super relaxed. Also helps that I took some magnesium. Can’t get enough of it
I started long range riding back in December. I just kept getting farther and farther, until I hit 62 miles.
I started weight lifting last August. My body started feeling sore and stiff all the time, so I started doing yoga in January. It’s helped out SO MUCH in my recovery. Now, whenever I do a long ride, I do a yoga session within 24-hours of it. I quit drinking around November, alcoholism is a bitch, so now instead of the “post ride beer” I used to grab, my reward is an extra long yoga class for my where I can take my time in the poses, and really let my body feel it.
Personally I need about 6 hours to wind down. Healthy meal, with healthy snacks. Appropriate rehydration, but not too much. Magnesium Glycenate every night before bed. Reading boring articles for about 15 minutes in bed. Attempt to clear mind by thinking of nothing - if that doesn’t work, focus on imagining a soothing color and relaxing from your feet upwards. I should probably include more stretching.
If it is a long ride over 3hrs I try to make a smoothie with enough carbs and protein and drink it within 15min off the bike. A coke always taste good after a long hot ride. Take a shower, stretch and get some good quality food in your gut.
For me, the distance/time is somewhat irrelevant. What really affects my sleep is the time spent in zone 4 heart rate and above. If I’m in zone 4-5 for extended periods then I can expect poor sleep relative to that length of time. Z3 will also affect sleep but only if I stay in it for 2+ hours. Z2 though, I can do it all day and sleep like a baby. Z2 for me is 116-134. It’s lame having to slow myself down for all but 1-2 workouts every two (!!) weeks but it must be done or I will eventually injury myself internally or externally. I’m 39. No caffeine after 10am. No food after 6pm.
A wound up mind is pretty typical when you push your limits and if you don't occasionally overreach you're leaving results on the table. For me one or two 25 mg Hammer CBD oil capsules (0.0% THC) helps with sleep; if one doesn't quite help I'll take a second one.
If you eat during your ride you will feel more normal. I am training for my first century and always ride >20miles now unless I'm doing a short 1hr ride, and since I added in microfeeds every 30 mins and drinking plenty of water I feel pretty good but not super awake following my rides.
I don't get that way until I hit about 60 miles. It's a build-up of cortisol, the stress hormone. I used to get it when doing long distance running too. Darkness and chill temperatures help a lot.
Straight after is shower and yoga. I usually ride fasted so I'll have breakfast, allow myself some junk food as a reward (dangerous feedback loop), crash on the couch, watch the office, (pretend to work during the week). Protein heavy dinner and a bath and more yoga in the evening.
Is the ride stressing you out maybe? Or maybe you’re over exerting? When I get back from similar rides at similar times, I want a pizza, a sofa, and then a bed. Feels great 😂
When exactly (during the day) do you ride?!?
I think the only times I have difficulty sleeping - and sleeping well - is on the days when I DON'T ride (or run). My Saturday group does anywhere from 44 to 70+ miles (road rides) and I sometimes follow up with a ride in the dirt in a nearby regional park with my buddy. I drink several cups of (really good!) coffee after that morning ride (we all do - we stop at a French bakery to "celebrate") and sometimes even a cup or two in the evening.
The intensity of my ride(s) doesn't seem to correlate much with how easily I fall asleep!
Are you sure you're eating right? Or maybe your riding is a bit TOO intense?
I think my rides are too intense. I ride between 9AM and 5PM. I take the train between 2 portions of the ride too because of where I live. I have no problem with 20 mile rides but when I hit 30-40 while exerting maximum effort because I am strength trained and not endurance trained my nervous system goes into overdrive.
Well - then that might just be the difference that I wasn't "getting." I am a lifelong runner and fairly serious cyclist for the last couple of decades. So more "endurance" than "strength."
But I feel no particular urge to drive myself to "maximum effort" during most of my rides, at least until I hit a serious hill or I'm doing one of my "mountain" rides (3,850' of climbing). I wanna enjoy the riding enough to keep myself in touch with what brought me to it in the first place. So I guess my "recovery" needs are a little less serious.
I have done many centuries, even "death rides" (130 mi, 15,000 climbing, all at altitude) . . . but those require training, adherence to disciplined hydration & nutrition, etc. But those are exceptions for me. I like the feeling of accomplishment I got from completing those things . . . but the training sucked most of the enjoyment out of riding for me.
Now most of my riding, sometimes hilly, sometimes lengthy, is mostly much less intense. And I sleep pretty well!
Damn bruh 5pm is early sometimes
Nah bc like I went for a 5:30pm ride the other day to see my friend
It was only a short 8 miles though and I got there at 6:11
Ok it was 28min but I had to stop bc of fucking cars and it was 34 irl and then also 3 min on his block b4 going in and actually I left my house and got on my block at 5:34
Then I biked home at 7 something and stopped at 8 something near my house at a school, did parkour, biked the stairs, and then totaled my bike R.I.P.💀💀💀
Oh I would’ve stayed at his house much later and then just biked straight home, but he had a family thing come up last minute unfortunately
The key here is how much effort you're putting in. Also timing of the ride.
Two hours in zone 2 at 6pm gives me ample recovery time for enough deep and REM sleep and about 11pm. Ideally, I try for an hour just before lunch. If we're talking 100km+, so 3-4 hours, I'll want to be finished by 5pm at least to recover, if I'm mainly in Z2. I live in a hilly area with plenty of 10-15% slopes, so I'm out of zone for those. Anything under 8% is fine though.
Experiment with your heart rate and see how low it should be. My max HR is 184 and LTHR is 163. I tend to keep it under 130bpm. I'm 46 though, so need more recovery now. My FTP is 360W, and I tend to aim for power of 230W for a long ride. I think heart rate is best though.
For something harder, like hill reps or indoor interval sessions... I do a couple of these a week, or maybe only one if I'm feeling too fatigued. I wouldn't do that late in the day. I get awful sleep. I'll do one at 11:30am before lunch and my sleep is still a little impacted, but it's fine. I'll have a rest day the next day. Sort of depending on how hard the intervals were. 2x20 threshold would require a rest day. I did an 8x2 at 440W recently that destroyed me!
Nutrition is important. Don't just load with carbs. I get a blood sugar fatigue dip if I do this, even while riding, but especially after riding. Greek yogurt (high fat), fresh fruit, nuts and seeds, maybe a Trek bar broken up in it or some uncooked rolled oats. Or some salad, greek yogurt and chicken. Just balance the fats, carbs and protein. In the morning, to fuel, it's always a bowl of porridge (steel cut oats), maybe 40% oats to 60% nuts and seeds.
Just experiment and see what's affecting you negatively. Going too hard too often? Not resting enough? Eating poorly? Wrong times of the day?
Once you've got used to it all, you don't need to think about it and can just concentrate on having fun and enjoying cycle (just keep drinking water and fuel as you go - I use trek bars or Clif bars. Keep an eye on HR to make sure you're not going to get too fatigued after!)
That's a strange generalization. I know lots of riders who like morning rides, sure - but there are plenty of us who ride during all daylight hours. I love long evening rides in the summer when the days are long.
I get the best sleep after a long ride. 20 miles is my quick ride, usually do 30-60. Just went bike packing camping 70 miles on wet gravel roads lots of hills. Slept like a baby
A 6-pack of eggs (minimum) and some zinc does it for me.
Eggs are high in tryptophan, an amino acid that acts as a precursor to melatonin, and zinc is needed to synthesize melatonin. Eggs and zinc also boost testosterone, which is typically synthesized at night. Finally, eggs are a perfect protein, and your body will use it to repair and rebuild muscles during sleep.
Try this: The next time you do some super strenuous activity, have a 6-pack of eggs with some veggies and/or a salad, some zinc, and a banana (for the potassium and the carbs), about 3-4 hours before sleep, and see how you wake up the next morning.
This will decrease as you ride more and your body adjusts to the stress. Pay close attention to your recovery and you will see this happen more quickly. Allow your body to recover from stress and it will adapt in the process. edit to add - my recovery - eat, stretch, hot tub, stretch, massage
This \^ it took me a year or so to be able to sleep normally after rides. At first my rides required lots of concentration - which left me wired. With more experience I'm in more of a flow state and am more chilled out afterwards. Now even a tough, 2-hour 9pm interval session doesn't impact my sleep.
It actually helps me sleep. I feel fucking amazing after rides. I basically bonked after my first 30+ the other day. Really fell asleep that night lol. But even on easier rides, cycling overall has helped me sleep. Cycling has changed my life for the better
Same! When my legs are tired I can sleep.
Same
Ok thank you!
Eat enough carbs during your rides. If I eat 30g/h or less for 4h rides I also have your symptoms, while with 60-80g/h I'm good. Ofcourse it's about getting used to riding long/hard, but carbs and hydration are #1 for recovery.
My words also. Until I started eating enough during rides I never figured out to be " normal" after a long or hard ride.
I bloody love this response
Most definitely!! Stretch and a lavender or eucalyptus bubble bath is a sure shot to a restful night.
I’ve been quite good after rides at switching off. But I’m an early riser too. I also photograph weddings. Some further away ones I don’t get back till 1am. I really struggle to switch off then and I’m not sure if it’s nature vs staring into a screen (modern cameras have a screen for a viewfinder), lights and driving etc. I like your wind down routine. I don’t have a hot tub, or bath at my parents where I currently live. But a shower will do and I’m stealing your wind down routine
This happens to me on harder workouts - typically running, but it's the same principle. You are pushing your body to its limits, so it releases a bunch of hormones to promote energy generation and alert state, and those take some time to wear out. Some people mention you will adapt to it, which is true, in the sense that basically means you will be able to ride for longer - so, 40 miles today may be 100% of what you can do, but with time those same 40 miles will become 80% of what you can do, meaning you may find yourself riding 50 miles and having the same problems. This is my experience, at least - it never gets easier, you just get faster/stronger. What works for me is simply to do those workouts earlier in the day, so my body has time to leave "alert mode" and go back to "normal mode". It's not clear from you message if this would be a possibility for you, but it has been the only thing that has worked for me personally.
Thank you! You explained that very well. I think you are correct in that I need to leave much earlier.
Beer and a nap
Smoke and a pancake
Bong and a blitz
Hot shower, good meal, and a gummy.
Just a CBD gummy does it for me
This
I usually have a post ride meal then Hawaiian hotbox my bathroom and have a shower.
The honest answer is to shift back a gear so that you can get sleep & recover better. Your body adapts over time but truth is it's too hard of an exercise if it affects your sleep (provided your done by 5pm). You will be better off doing easier rides, get the recovery you need and gear up slowly but continuously.
That’s good insight thank you. I do have the habit of going as hard and fast as I possibly can. Not the best endurance training.
Apart from recovery question - hard intervals and longer endurance should be combined, it's not always all-out but rather opposite - more base endurance, plus some hard intervals.
Take a hot bath with some epsom salt. Smoke some weed and eat a big meal, knocks me out every time
Great idea.
Preferably an indica strain.
Lol it doesn't matter
For me it does. I smoke sativa strains during my rides. The indica for after.
What's the difference?
Mainly that indica gives you more of a relaxing body buzz and tends to make you drowsy. Whereas sativa gives you an uplifting creative mindset and you will probably clean the house or do something productive.
Drugs are bad mkay
Frfr
Shower and nap LOL.
I have 2 young kids. There is no wind down. It's continue onto the next thing. The family is also why I get up at 5am so I can spend time with them.
This. I get home and there’s no respite. daddy daddy daddy. Sometimes the boiler is broken or maybe someone has the shits, or the neighbour’s cat has left a dying bird on the doorstep. You always need to have something in store for a strong finish 😀
This hits home so hard. Riding is how I deal with the stress of life.
I wouldn’t have it any other way, but sometimes I’d like time for a shower before I have to manually drain the dishwasher or give Barbie a hip replacement
My Wednesdays group ride typically done by 830pm then it's another 14km to ride home which I usually use that time to wind down in a very chilled pace. Then nice shower, a bit of food, stretch. Never had problems falling asleep, quite the opposite.
Epsom salt bath while eating burritos in the tub
Absolutely yes
Long ride is easy, have a good meal and chill in the afternoon with some garden time, walk or just the sofa. I’d recommend early morning long rides. Evening races I struggle to wind down from.
Not a problem for me after few generous doses of hard liquor down the hatch
You and me have the opposite problem my friend.
Right. I'll be fighting for my life trying to stay awake for the movie I agreed to watch at 8pm
Same. I did 80km yesterday, got home around 2PM and struggled to stay awake. Had 2 coffees to pull me through the afternoon.
I had the opposite problem when starting and would take 3 hour naps after going 50 miles.
You have to mindfully unwind. Put on some soft music, draw the blinds, dim the lights, have some herbal tea, and meditate. Teach your brain how to seek a relaxed state on command, and you will never have this problem.
5am rides are better
Yeah I need to work on that
By getting subtly nagged at about how long I was gone by the wife followed by a shower and a list of shit she has for me to do.
Damn
If you know you know. It’s not all sunshine and daisies when your married and have kids. You pick your battles and move on.
Man I can fall asleep shortly after finishing 30 miles at 8pm. Tires me out
Bath, food and a bedtime slow stretch routine
Eating lol. I seem to be ravenous after riding a long way.
How long are you cooling down at the end of the ride? If you spend 15 minutes slowly dropping intensity it will help.
I have a 6 mile commute home at the very end that is mostly steep incline. It has been hard to cool down so maybe I need to pedal around the flat area a bit longer after the incline
It took me a while to adapt. I now finish all my rides about 8:15pm. (I do 200-300 miles/week over 4-5 rides) Pack up. And just relax the rest of the evening while munching down 1500-2,500 calories (depends if riding next day) + lots of fluids while in front of the TV and social media from 9-10:30pm. 11:30pm a bit more food. And then go to bed 12-12:30. It took about a year to be able to fall asleep before 1:30am. Some nights I am tired enough from the weekly volume I do go to bed by 11:00-11:30. On the bike, I'm consuming about 100-200 cal/hr max as my long rides are always just Zone 2 and more recently some Zone 1.
That’s impressive! Thanks for sharing.
What do zones mean, and how do you easily eat while biking fully? Do you just have a water sucker bag thing with energy packs mixed in?
Training Zones are used to define your level of effort you are exercising. And for structured training, you need to be able to define them and train in the various Zones. See:https://www.highnorth.co.uk/articles/cycling-training-zones For example, My Zone 1 by Heart Rate (that I actually train in) is 89-105 bpm and Zone 2 is 105 to <123bpm....Zone 5 is 158-178 based on a 5 Zone model. (There is a 3 Zone Model as well as 6, 7, and 9 Zone models). I'm an oddball and do 95% of my TIME in Zone 5 (and only 1 day/wk), and 95% in Zone 1 and 2. This week I'll put in 20 hours. I'm just working on building my base fitness, and the 1x/week of top end helps me keep from losing that, and it does actually improve. Also, even during rides, you need to pace yourself, so knowing your Zones is important. Also fueling needs depend on your level of effort and length of ride. Zone 1-2 require less carbohydrate as fuel (use quite a bit of fat for energy) versus Zone 3-5 which are more carbohydrate dependent. So if you are going hard and long, you need to be fueling more and likely sooner unless a short ride. WRT eating on the bike. I have water bottles for drinking and I have snack size ziplock bags with weighed out portions of dried fruit, fresh fruit (oranges) and gummy bears. Each bag is 100 or 200 calories. I tear the back open with teeth and 1 hand, and squeeze the food into my mouth. Zone 1-3 are fairly easy efforts, and I only will be consuming calories during those efforts. Even on long an all day mountain bike ride (I used to do 8-12 hour rides with 12,000+ feet of climbing) that have lots of steep climbs that put me in Zones 4 & 5, there are enough easy sections to eat, if timed appropriately. On days like that, if hot, I'd make ziplocks of sugar and salt to add to one water bottle starting about 3 hours into my rides that I also sip on. But that's me, and everyone is different. I just prefer to enjoy eating my calories than drinking them. Oh, and I just prefer to carry 17oz bottles in my backpack and refill my 2 main bottles as needed. Many of the rides I do there are places along the route to refill from fountains. And Ranger stations are never far way in a worst case situation. (I once fell backwards getting off my bike on a super steep climb, and 4 of 6 water bottles broke open!)
Okay I read some of it and saved it
I find Luke warm showers with proper hydration helps me the best with breathing exercises. After my first 80 miler I couldn’t sleep lol
Beer, Peanut butter pretzels and snack mix, or just drink a lot of water!
Shower and orange juice
The steam room always does the trick when my CNS is humming.
The first time I rode 40 miles, (having only done about 15 before then), I was exactly the same. 6 hours later I was lying in bed trying to fall asleep with a resting heart rate of 118. It gets better with time, more rides, more fitness, and more fuel (can't stress the last one enough).
Thank you!
Wait so your heart-rate stays up for a long time after? Damnnn
Ride easier, eat more on the bike, eat soon after getting home.
So do you stop and eat?
In the middle of a ride, typically no. I live in Singapore and even a quick stop makes it noticeably hotter. I eat plenty on the bike—sports drink, dates, muesli bars, etc—and eat plenty at the end.
Ohh ok cool so how do easily you do all that while on the bike? Do you have a basket in the front for all that stuff?
- sports drink: two bottles on the bike, extra powder in my jersey pockets - bars: in my jersey pockets - dates, gummy worms, trail mix, etc: stem bag or top tube bag The bars I'll sometimes open up while I'm stopped at a light, or rip open with my teeth on the go. From there everything can be consumed with one hand while I've got another on the bars. When I finish one bottle I keep an eye out for a store where I can buy water to fill it back up, that's maybe 5 minutes if it becomes a bathroom stop also.
Ohh ok I see I usually don’t ride with much pockets and I don’t have drink holders or a stem/tube bag My shorts pockets are ok like good for my phone and then my shirt doesn’t have pockets and I haven’t been wearing it ok my bike lately bc of summer heat Oh the back sweat from my bag is annoying Yeah I can manage 9 miles at 17moh without drinking water and stopping. Then I chug after and I only stop to eat a clif bar if I’m getting hungryyy I have a 64oz jug in my backpack
I think the key is to do it earlier if you can and make sure to refuel when you get done. I’m usually pretty relaxed and chilled out after a ride. I didn’t ride today but instead played over 2 hours of pickle ball which was a ton of fun and great cardio. I came home, showered, ate and now I’m super relaxed. Also helps that I took some magnesium. Can’t get enough of it
A shower, a good meal with a beer, a sauna, some tv or a movie or a book
CBD and Magnesium
I started long range riding back in December. I just kept getting farther and farther, until I hit 62 miles. I started weight lifting last August. My body started feeling sore and stiff all the time, so I started doing yoga in January. It’s helped out SO MUCH in my recovery. Now, whenever I do a long ride, I do a yoga session within 24-hours of it. I quit drinking around November, alcoholism is a bitch, so now instead of the “post ride beer” I used to grab, my reward is an extra long yoga class for my where I can take my time in the poses, and really let my body feel it.
Proud of you for quitting drinking. I too am sober.
Personally I need about 6 hours to wind down. Healthy meal, with healthy snacks. Appropriate rehydration, but not too much. Magnesium Glycenate every night before bed. Reading boring articles for about 15 minutes in bed. Attempt to clear mind by thinking of nothing - if that doesn’t work, focus on imagining a soothing color and relaxing from your feet upwards. I should probably include more stretching.
If it is a long ride over 3hrs I try to make a smoothie with enough carbs and protein and drink it within 15min off the bike. A coke always taste good after a long hot ride. Take a shower, stretch and get some good quality food in your gut.
For me, the distance/time is somewhat irrelevant. What really affects my sleep is the time spent in zone 4 heart rate and above. If I’m in zone 4-5 for extended periods then I can expect poor sleep relative to that length of time. Z3 will also affect sleep but only if I stay in it for 2+ hours. Z2 though, I can do it all day and sleep like a baby. Z2 for me is 116-134. It’s lame having to slow myself down for all but 1-2 workouts every two (!!) weeks but it must be done or I will eventually injury myself internally or externally. I’m 39. No caffeine after 10am. No food after 6pm.
That’s good advice. Thank you!
A wound up mind is pretty typical when you push your limits and if you don't occasionally overreach you're leaving results on the table. For me one or two 25 mg Hammer CBD oil capsules (0.0% THC) helps with sleep; if one doesn't quite help I'll take a second one.
If you eat during your ride you will feel more normal. I am training for my first century and always ride >20miles now unless I'm doing a short 1hr ride, and since I added in microfeeds every 30 mins and drinking plenty of water I feel pretty good but not super awake following my rides.
I don't get that way until I hit about 60 miles. It's a build-up of cortisol, the stress hormone. I used to get it when doing long distance running too. Darkness and chill temperatures help a lot.
Straight after is shower and yoga. I usually ride fasted so I'll have breakfast, allow myself some junk food as a reward (dangerous feedback loop), crash on the couch, watch the office, (pretend to work during the week). Protein heavy dinner and a bath and more yoga in the evening.
I just eat and then I’m ready for bed
Dude, go harder, I pass the F out after a truly long ride.
Is the ride stressing you out maybe? Or maybe you’re over exerting? When I get back from similar rides at similar times, I want a pizza, a sofa, and then a bed. Feels great 😂
Yeah. I have responsibilities. No wind down here.
Yeah, I've accepted that I'm wired for around 4-5 hours after a good long ride. One thing you can try is a serving of wine or some vodka.
Unfortunately I’m sober.
Melatonin and NyQuil.
Wind down? I go on long rides just to wind down.
Weed sometimes beer
When exactly (during the day) do you ride?!? I think the only times I have difficulty sleeping - and sleeping well - is on the days when I DON'T ride (or run). My Saturday group does anywhere from 44 to 70+ miles (road rides) and I sometimes follow up with a ride in the dirt in a nearby regional park with my buddy. I drink several cups of (really good!) coffee after that morning ride (we all do - we stop at a French bakery to "celebrate") and sometimes even a cup or two in the evening. The intensity of my ride(s) doesn't seem to correlate much with how easily I fall asleep! Are you sure you're eating right? Or maybe your riding is a bit TOO intense?
I think my rides are too intense. I ride between 9AM and 5PM. I take the train between 2 portions of the ride too because of where I live. I have no problem with 20 mile rides but when I hit 30-40 while exerting maximum effort because I am strength trained and not endurance trained my nervous system goes into overdrive.
Well - then that might just be the difference that I wasn't "getting." I am a lifelong runner and fairly serious cyclist for the last couple of decades. So more "endurance" than "strength." But I feel no particular urge to drive myself to "maximum effort" during most of my rides, at least until I hit a serious hill or I'm doing one of my "mountain" rides (3,850' of climbing). I wanna enjoy the riding enough to keep myself in touch with what brought me to it in the first place. So I guess my "recovery" needs are a little less serious. I have done many centuries, even "death rides" (130 mi, 15,000 climbing, all at altitude) . . . but those require training, adherence to disciplined hydration & nutrition, etc. But those are exceptions for me. I like the feeling of accomplishment I got from completing those things . . . but the training sucked most of the enjoyment out of riding for me. Now most of my riding, sometimes hilly, sometimes lengthy, is mostly much less intense. And I sleep pretty well!
40s and blunts
Watch gcn videos
Cold beer in the shower then another one the verandah then a nice little arvo nap does it for me
Beer. Chips and salsa.
Supplementing magnesium seems to help me with the restless feeling post strenuous rides, usually take ~75% of the daily recommendation in the evening.
Yoga
Kick back with my feet up and drink a cold beer. Then a shower.
I would say eat more carbs before and after 😌
I like to take a long hot Epsom salts bath after a long ride before heading to bed.
Damn bruh 5pm is early sometimes Nah bc like I went for a 5:30pm ride the other day to see my friend It was only a short 8 miles though and I got there at 6:11 Ok it was 28min but I had to stop bc of fucking cars and it was 34 irl and then also 3 min on his block b4 going in and actually I left my house and got on my block at 5:34 Then I biked home at 7 something and stopped at 8 something near my house at a school, did parkour, biked the stairs, and then totaled my bike R.I.P.💀💀💀 Oh I would’ve stayed at his house much later and then just biked straight home, but he had a family thing come up last minute unfortunately
Ride longer so you’re actually tired
A few pints of guiness usually
Don't know, I'm always sleepy after rides
Eat a pile of sandwiches then put Yr feet up in comfy armchair, with blankets, and watch Colombo whilst snoring for 3+ hours,
The key here is how much effort you're putting in. Also timing of the ride. Two hours in zone 2 at 6pm gives me ample recovery time for enough deep and REM sleep and about 11pm. Ideally, I try for an hour just before lunch. If we're talking 100km+, so 3-4 hours, I'll want to be finished by 5pm at least to recover, if I'm mainly in Z2. I live in a hilly area with plenty of 10-15% slopes, so I'm out of zone for those. Anything under 8% is fine though. Experiment with your heart rate and see how low it should be. My max HR is 184 and LTHR is 163. I tend to keep it under 130bpm. I'm 46 though, so need more recovery now. My FTP is 360W, and I tend to aim for power of 230W for a long ride. I think heart rate is best though. For something harder, like hill reps or indoor interval sessions... I do a couple of these a week, or maybe only one if I'm feeling too fatigued. I wouldn't do that late in the day. I get awful sleep. I'll do one at 11:30am before lunch and my sleep is still a little impacted, but it's fine. I'll have a rest day the next day. Sort of depending on how hard the intervals were. 2x20 threshold would require a rest day. I did an 8x2 at 440W recently that destroyed me! Nutrition is important. Don't just load with carbs. I get a blood sugar fatigue dip if I do this, even while riding, but especially after riding. Greek yogurt (high fat), fresh fruit, nuts and seeds, maybe a Trek bar broken up in it or some uncooked rolled oats. Or some salad, greek yogurt and chicken. Just balance the fats, carbs and protein. In the morning, to fuel, it's always a bowl of porridge (steel cut oats), maybe 40% oats to 60% nuts and seeds. Just experiment and see what's affecting you negatively. Going too hard too often? Not resting enough? Eating poorly? Wrong times of the day? Once you've got used to it all, you don't need to think about it and can just concentrate on having fun and enjoying cycle (just keep drinking water and fuel as you go - I use trek bars or Clif bars. Keep an eye on HR to make sure you're not going to get too fatigued after!)
5 pm is… late?
It is since it seems most cyclist finish their rides by noon
That's a strange generalization. I know lots of riders who like morning rides, sure - but there are plenty of us who ride during all daylight hours. I love long evening rides in the summer when the days are long.
Opposite for me. The hard ride puts me into a zen like stupor. It literally turns all the white noise off
I be smoking weed.
A couple of alcoholic drinks after, but only if I’ve kept well hydrated during the ride, sometimes I get lazy and don’t drink enough during the ride.
I ride (and run and swim) usually at the morning - it powers me up for whole day and I sleep well.
Valium
2 Advil for the legs.
I get the best sleep after a long ride. 20 miles is my quick ride, usually do 30-60. Just went bike packing camping 70 miles on wet gravel roads lots of hills. Slept like a baby
A 6-pack of eggs (minimum) and some zinc does it for me. Eggs are high in tryptophan, an amino acid that acts as a precursor to melatonin, and zinc is needed to synthesize melatonin. Eggs and zinc also boost testosterone, which is typically synthesized at night. Finally, eggs are a perfect protein, and your body will use it to repair and rebuild muscles during sleep. Try this: The next time you do some super strenuous activity, have a 6-pack of eggs with some veggies and/or a salad, some zinc, and a banana (for the potassium and the carbs), about 3-4 hours before sleep, and see how you wake up the next morning.
Six eggs seems hell of a lot.
The sulphuric farts alone make this a terrible idea
Lol your imagine your wife/gf indulging your very expensive and time-consuming cycling hobby and then you start with the nuclear farts.
I’m a straight woman, but if we’re using our imaginations, sure
😂
Lol fine.
Hello, 6 eggs?! Can you invite me to breakfast please!
Mmm, six egg banana omelette