I can live with change, particularly as there are some brutal workouts in the library outside of The Sufferfest. Some ideas include:
AWW UCI: Center 4: Road
PR: Hammer Climb 1
OL: Tasmania: Cygnet Coast Road
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And maybe thatās why the name has changed. I would just like the name to be more descriptive than just āThe Tourā. Even āThe Tour of Sufferingā would be an improvement. (I was jesting about the Tour of SYSTM. That was a suggestion.)
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@jmckenzieKOS hello, sorry i am newbie at systm. where can we "look for previous Tour of Sufferlandria? Is it posible to ride it, kind of like āa week withā in the library, or do you mean check what videos were on a specific ToS and ride them?
Sorry for such a basic question in this marvelous kingdom.
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Here is a list of all previous tours @Tiago_Branco, let us know how you make out 
Edit: also, no need to apologize.
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Beat me to it Sir @Glen.Coutts !
Thereās also some information about the previous tour routes here.
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Hehe. Iām always on the look out to help others (to suffer 
)
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Thank you very much! I will!
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Yeahā¦ I registered for Hurtinā in Haliburton, Reggieās Rambler and The Highlander.
[disclaimer: Iāve not read every post in this thread so apologies if this has already been settled.]
What about calling it the āTour of SUFā?
After all, Matthieu van der Poel agrees that the Tour of SUF is truly badass.
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Pretty sure the writing is on the wall here 
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Yup.
Some serious corporate shilling going on. Badly done. If this were Twitter, the ratio would be epic. 
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That was meant as a bit of fun, apologies if it didnāt come across that way.
The spirit of the ToS remains the same, weāre as riders still able to make it as much of a Sufferfest as we like. We also want to make it accessible to more individuals, which we appreciate may not be to the liking of everyone, which is why we still want to keep the SUF spirit alive with the Sufferfest community on here who are integral to the very existence of this platform
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That one was me purely trying to be funny. Iāve not been a SUF/SYSTM user for as long as many of the Knights on here, so appreciate Iām not in the same boat with having been a member of this community for as long or having seen the many changes that have occurred to a clearly deeply beloved platform. But what I do know and love about SYSTM is the broadening reach for more people and the willingness to change based on advances in scientific understanding (thatās more from a workouts changes perspective). Not saying any of this from a corporate view, itās inline with my values as an athlete, coach, and person. I think having a platform that accommodates everyone, including all the Sufferfest Knights, is important. The name has changed, but the spirit remains in the team behind Sufferfest and the community that is an integral part of keeping SUF going within SYSTM
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Hey Coach, thanks for all the replies across a couple of threads. I have a rather lengthy one here.
Fwiw, the ToS was to me (and Iām sure many others) really never about just making it a āSufferfestā. It was always just about pushing myself, doing my best, having fun, being ridiculously Sufferlandrian and of course the DPF. Search Tour of Sufferlandria on the Sufferlandria FB page and youāll see what I mean.
As for making it accessible for everyone, Sirs Neal and Mac had done that with the ToS starting back in 2020 (I think) by offering Nuclear, Focused, Just Get Me Through it and Fundraising options.
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I set riding the Michigan Mountain Mayhem for the first time as goal for this year!
Iām going to do the 100 mile (160k) option, and right after ToS Iām planning on doing the Mountain Fondo training plan on SYSTM.
Any insight from your time riding it? Would be cool if we could make an RGT Magic Road out of a longer than 100k Strava Route so I could practice suffering 
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You could split the GPS route into two segments and load both into RGT magic roads.
Iāve only done the 120 mile option, so Iāve never ridden the 100 mile option. But my advice would be to stay out of the red zone. Try to keep your heart rate below your LTHR so you donāt run out of matches.
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Both great ideas, I appreciate it!
A few other thoughts:
-
Travel light.
I lighten my saddle bag keeping only the essentials to change a flat. I carry a couple of co2 canisters because itās lighter and quicker than a pump. Then two levers, a nozzle and a spare tube. -
Similarly I start with two bottles, but keep one of them empty to save weight. I fill it if I find myself running out of hydration before I reach the first rest stop.
-
āNothing new on race dayā.
So I bring my proven drink mix in ziplock baggies. They serve Gatorade which I donāt care for. Some have GI issues with it. Only problem with my baggies is that my drink mix is white, so Iāve gotten some questionable glances from riders Iāve passed! Single serve pouches of your hydration mix would be better. I use one baggie per bottle to know Iāve got the ratio of mix to water correct. -
Fuel your ride.
I prefer to ride with liquid calories instead of solid food, because it sits better in my stomach. But train for your nutrition and do what works best for you. I aim for between 250-300 calories consumed per hour.
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All good tips, thanks again @Sir_Brian_M , I appreciate it.
One more question, did you do the optional āSUPER HILLā and is it as tough as it sounds?
For others reading here unfamiliar with this ride it is an optional part of the route and is described as "This is when you will have a chance to tackle the optional āSUPER HILLā a 1/2 mile climb up the backside of Schuss Mountain. This climb is like no other and most that attempt it will fail. The Super Hill starts out at 10% then quickly jumps to 15%-20% and just when you canāt take it any longer you get a long stretch of 25%-29% before the final 10% finish. "
As a recent convert but now seeing myself as a true Sufferlandrianā¦ it sounds fun and no way can I skip it!
Not sure which one you are referring to. There are two really brutal climbs.
There was a steep hill as a detour up a narrow bike path the first year I rode MMM. My back tire spun out on some mud and I went down. It was really steep, so I wasnāt going fast. Got back on and crested the hill. The descent was exhilarating!
That climb is not good for riding in a group. I donāt recommend the detour. And it was not on the route the second time I did the event.
Toward the end of the ride thereās a two mile false flat (avg 2% grade) followed by a steep 18% grade for a 1/4 mile. Because itās so late in the ride, it is particularly brutal after you have no legs left.
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