How do you know when you have the bonk?
I headed out today for a nice 140+ KM cycle. Took a little time, to get my engine fired up and didn't think that much of it - the winner bar seemed to help and I also had a few swigs from a bottle of powerade.
About 100-110 KMs into the cycle I just felt flat - had a winners Gel and pushed on. The last 30 or 40 kms on this ride was mainly flat and I should have been sitting somewhere between 28-35 KM/H. I couldn't seem to get much over 22 KM/H (constantly dropping to under 20 KM/H :( ) and the virtual rider on my Garmin Edge disappeared on me (or maybe it was I changed screens after realising i'd dropped way behind some 20+ minutes).
It could of just been an off day, or not enough cycling the last couple of weeks. But I did a great 105 KM cycle the day before but hadn't been out during the week.
There was a bit of head wind on that last 40 KMs and the temperature was rising, but that last 40 KMs was the slowest I reckon I've ever done that stretch. All that was going through my mind is that I hadn't eaten many carbs the night before and I must be bonked?
When have you had the bonk? What signs did you have? (no I didn't fall off my bike)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Michael Warner on -
So come on a social Sunday ride instead. If you can't keep up a decent pace, at least you get to chat with Sarah :-)
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Permalink Reply by Michael Warner on
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Just a lack of energy and hence a lot slower. I don't normally notice it when I ride alone, because I ease up as it starts, but in a fast group I'll keep pushing myself until I hit the wall quite hard.
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Permalink Reply by Nick Hortovanyi on -
Is the lack of energy the bonk or is that the wall (being the bonk?)
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Permalink Reply by Michael Warner on
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"Wall" means a sudden drop-off in power output. I think "bonking" is a general term for running out of energy, and hitting the wall means bonking suddenly :-)
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Permalink Reply by Nick Hortovanyi on
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Do you use Gels ? One I think I had been carrying around for a while just in case and decided its time was up today!
Wonder if they loose some energy after a while or suffer from heat stress in the back pocket?
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Permalink Reply by rossmg on -
I used gels (2x) for the first time on this years TdU community ride. The stretch into Ashbourne along the river valley (downhill) I was hitting some kind of a wall and felt pretty horrible. Got into Ashbourne and stopped for 10min - had my second gel and got going feeling much improved - the hill up the ridge just before Strath I even felt good again and rode up with power.
I'm sure that gel gave me a nice kick start! The raspberry was even kinda yummy but the first one, orange, was as bad as I've read!
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Permalink Reply by Michael Warner on
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No, because they're ridiculously expensive and hyper-packaged (i.e. waste a lot of packaging for very little content). I eat something easy on the tum before I ride, drink water and take fruit and/or homemade oat slice with me. I've never bought commercial sports drink or food.
Bananas are still $1/kg at the market, so why suck revolting slime out of foil sachets? :-)
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Permalink Reply by Clive Palfrey on -
Nick, Why ask for opinion then rail against all advice?
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Permalink Reply by Nick Hortovanyi on
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i'm not - it wasn't dehydration.
Interested in what others feel when they get the bonk. Have heard of guys literally falling off their bikes. Just unable to move.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Warner on
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He didn't ask for opinions as to why he bonked - he posted a detailed description of his ride (for no apparent reason) and asked what bonking feels like to others.
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Permalink Reply by Nick Hortovanyi on
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was trying to give context with the description of the ride
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Permalink Reply by Nick Hortovanyi on
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Did you just loose power all of a sudden?
I've got a suspicion that the Garmin Edge 500 may be showing higher temperatures than current air temperature. What do you think?
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