For my first 300 km bike ride, I elected to bike to and from Niagara Falls. I had long since concluded that a 300 km ride would be best executed with a night time start, and I wanted a moon that was bright enough to illuminate the surroundings. As the full moon was on August 3 - and I wasn't ready for the attempt last weekend, this necessitated going now unless I wanted to wait until late August.
What went well:
- My plan - route was excellent, the night time start worked perfectly, and I was adequately prepared for various contingencies. Doing the unfamiliar early and saving the familiar for the return trip also worked well.
- Food and hydration - I ate often, downing 200-250 kCal every 40 minutes or so. I also drank about 8.5 L of fluid over the session, only running out entirely at the end. Salty snacks (e.g. goldfish) are a necessary addition to sweets.
- The destination - the trip was magnificent.
- The bike - no mechanical problems of any kind. The new seat was a huge improvement, though no butt can sit on a bike seat for 12 hours and not be tender.
What didn't go well:
- The headwind on the lake. 20 kph headwind for 70 km slowed me down, drained my strength, and eroded my mental fortitude.
- The heat - despite starting at midnight, I ran into 30 C heat with dewpoints in excess of 20 C by noon. Coupled with the headwind delays, I struggled.
- The real victim was my stomach, which was force-fed 8.5L of fluid, 2 Snickers, 3 granola bars, 200g of M&Ms, a sandwich, and some goldfish.
- Breaks could be improved; I stopped for an efficient 30 minutes on the outbound trip, but I took more and longer breaks as the trip went on. Taking breaks is clearly essential on an ultra, but I would prefer to structure it better, with ~20 minute breaks every 3h, and 5 minute breaks every hour, say. This will require fine tuning, and taking a break when you need is far better than bonking.
I set off at about 11:45p - later than my 11p scheduled departure. I carried 3.75 L of weak gatorade in a bladder and bottle; a frame bag with 2 tubes, pump, allen wrenches, spoke wrench, tire levers; a light shell in case I got cold and suncreen; short sleeve bike jersey, sunglasses, knee length tights, gloves, buff for mask; keys, phone, cash, Presto (commuter rail) card, old ID, and ICE info; and five granola bars, three sleeves of shot blox, two snickers, 400g of M&Ms, and a sandwich.
My pace was deliberately restrained; I knew I had a long way to go, and finishing was the priority irrespective of pace. I secretly hoped to average 27 kph. The night ride was brilliant, and I reached Spencer Smith Park at 60 km in 2:12. My fueling strategy was to take my usual 1 hr - 1:15 breaks with snacks, but also to carry a granola bar in my jersey and eat it halfway through the interval. During my route planning, rather than executing an out-and-back, I elected to make a loop - and I chose to do the unfamiliar part of the loop early on, when I would still be fresh and alert. Hamilton was quaint with numerous churches and homeless people in tents; I had the misfortune of hitting what seemed like every red light on King St at 3 AM with no cars. Apparently Hamilton doesn't set their lights to a night schedule, and this slowed me down to 25 km through Hamilton in 1:04.
Leaving Hamilton, New Mountain Road turned out to be a brutal climb onto the escarpment, with a peak grade of over 12%. However, my route was excellent: Ridge Road was absolutely sublime. I saw about five cars in the 2:32 I spent on the escarpment, the moon was bright enough to cast a shadow, and I was the sole denizen of the night. The temperature was a pleasant 15. The rest of my route into Niagara Falls was uneventful, and I made it to the Falls after 153 km in 5:53, and 6:30 real time elapsed. I had stopped for four quick snack breaks, and I felt strong. I ate my sandwich overlooking the two Falls as the sun crested the horizon, and it was magnificent.
I stopped for about an hour in Niagara Falls: first, to each my sandwich and recuperate, second to procure water, and third to charge my Garmin. I consumed about 3.5L on the way down, and I had hoped to find a water fountain. However, COVID concerns suggested this might be unwise, so I settled on the less optimal solution of buying a 4L jug of water from 7/11 (and some goldfish for the salt) to refill my bladder and bottle. It turns out my front light can serve as a USB charger, so I plugged my Garmin in to get it to 45% energy.
I finally left Niagara Falls at about 7:30a. Niagara Parkway was brilliantly fast, and I saw my first other cyclists here. I actually averaged over 30 kph, aided by a 75m descent over 20 km distance. I paused for a snack/Garmin recharge break in Niagara on the Lake, and I could make out the CN Tower in the distance. I had traveled 180 km in 6:50 of cycling time, and I felt strong.
But then, disaster: as the sun came up, I encountered a murderous 22 kph west headwind along the lake. Unfortunately, my route had 70 km facing almost directly into the wind with no obvious alternates, so I had no choice but to grind. It took me 3 hrs to travel that 70 km, and my strength waned. I tried to drop into an aero position, but it's hard to sustain that for 3 hrs after 7 hrs of previous biking. Also, I think my backpack is not very aerodynamic, with straps flapping in the wind. I took two longer breaks of 15m and 45m on this stretch, and on the latter section purchased a 350 mL soda, which really invigorated me. I kept up my food and hydration schedule, but my stomach was starting to struggle. I had saved the shot blox for the latter part, and they were a powerful aid. It took me 5.5 hrs real time to do the first 100 km out of Niagara Falls.
However, once I picked up Lakeshore and got out of the headwind, everything improved. Despite added traffic, lights, and fatigue, my average pace increased from 22 kph on the lake to over 26 kph. The last 30 km were a battle with 30 C heat, dwindling water, and mental fatigue. I had to stop 10 km from home to get a cold drink, as my water had run out, and I was overheating. I went into survival mode, and finished gingerly.
So success! First 300 km expedition done. Overall elapsed time: a disappointing 16 hours.