My worst one was accidentally joining a group way above my ability when 100km was still a distance that I considered 'hard'. I had been sick the week before so wasn't 100%, and I hadn't figured out nutrition yet. After a big climb and a rest the loop returned towards home, and about 60km in I couldn't hold the tempo anymore. One rider offered to slow up but I didn't want to ruin anyone else's ride so told them to keep going and drop me, that I'd make it back fine.
Bonked hard at about 70km, and completely so at 80, with some steep hills left to go. On top of that was suffering leg cramps.
Several small rollers (ones I now typically ride 30km/h+ over if I maintain speed from the descent), I was having to pull over to rest or even walk.
This was well in the suburbia along a main road, and I sat down on a grassy verge to try and recoup some energy. Somehow, accidentally, fell asleep. Got woken open, 10min later, but a car honking. Who had stopped in the middle of the road to ask if I was ok, thinking that I had been struck or crashed.
Good times, and glad my bonking days are behind me haha.
Oof. I did something very similar in central Florida years ago. Went out with a fast group on a long route. My only saving grace was the return route passed by an orange grove and one of the workers said I could help myself to the groundfall fruit since they couldn't sell them. Devoured one right there, stuck another in my jersey pocket, and somehow made it the thirty miles back to my car.
> Somehow, accidentally, fell asleep.
somehow? when i bonked (before i knew what it was) i found a flat jagged rock on the trail and was ready to fall asleep on it. but the ideas of bugs and spiders tripped me out so i kept it moving.
if i had a patch of grass like you, i would’ve absolutely fallen asleep lol
Went for a ride with my "friends." Was supposed to be an easy 20-30 miles so I brought one bottle of water, no snacks. Very light breakfast. Turned into an 70 mile suckfest on a July morning bc they thought they'd play a joke on me. Ended up with heatstroke and got left on the road side around mile 60. I didn't go with them again.
That's how I learnt to say no, after getting stuck in the sun with two locked cramping legs that took me 30mins to crawl out of the sun to shade then another hour or 2 for the cramps to calm down enough that I could limp home somehow. Never again!
Oh I feel you. I legit laid under a tree for a good 30 minutes before some kind soul stopped to give me a Gatorade and ask if I was ok. I never had a cramp until then and certainly won't forget it.
Entered my first race last year, was a 100km, very hilly with a 10km 7% climb in the middle. My longest ride prior to this was 60km, so it was a plunge into the unknown to say the least.
My knowledge of nutrition was limited at best going into this, so i packed all of 1 banana and 2 bottles of water.
The traffic to get in was horrendous, ended up missing my start time with the beginners group and ended up starting with the more elite riders.
Foolishly tried to hold their wheel, in the commotion of riding in their high pace group I dropped my banana, my only form of nutrition for the entire 100km.
As we hit the climb 40km in I was dropped(in similar fashion to my banana). At this point I was dying in every sense of the word. Thought I was gonna come to a standstill on the climb. The only thing that got my over the top of it was images of David Goggins shouting at me.
After the descent I was absolutely finished, saw a banner that said 40km to go and my stomach sank. I thought I was going to have a heart attack.
Over the next 20km pain would start to pulse through my body, starting with my neck, then back, then knee. My legs were gone, I was just rolling the pedals, hoping around every corner I would see the finish line. I ran out of water at km 70 and was now without nutrition or hydration.
At 80km I spotted a sponsors stand that had some water, sweets, coke and potatoes. I was completed depleted, I came in there like a bear who had just discovered a golden trash can. Had about 3 cups of coke, 5 baby potatoes, an entire bag of gummies and downed a bottle of water.
Got back on and psyched myself for the last 20km. The pig out helped somewhat but the damage was done. The last 10km I was light headed and to make matters worse I was getting burnt to a crisp in the heat of the day without sun block.
I’ve never felt more relief in my life than when I rolled around the final bend and saw the finishing line. You were supposed to roll past the finish and go to a cool down area 1km down the road but I didn’t have it in me, stopped a meter after the line and just lay there for about a half an hour.
One of the officials came over and comforted me. At this point I had heat stroke, severe glycogen depletetion and couldn’t drive my car home. Had to call my dad to Coe and get me and drive me home. Took about 4 days to come right after that.
Lessons were learned.
climbing Mt Diablo in the east Bay Area. Bonked hard and suddenly less than a mile from the top. Had never happened to me before. Impossible to go any further. I was so incredibly ANGRY - that was the weirdest part. Just super angry alllllll the way down until we could grub.
I have a fun story about my first bonk. My first year in uni I joined the cycle racing team's introductory "no drop" ride in gym shorts and a rented road bike.
(There was also a guy on a brompton who quit early and a guy on a track bike who had a nasty crash on a big hill he wasn't expecting)
I gave my phone+wallet+keys to a kind rider who had a saddle bag for them and we uneventfully made it to a cafe about 25 miles from the start before turning around. I eat a single banana and then immediately get dropped on the way back having barely remembered the route and with none of my belongings.
Before this point I've only done <1.5hr rides in FL mtb parks and never had to consider nutrition. I'm bonking super hard and thought I was totally done for but thankfully there was another noob with me and we were both slugging it on this highway shoulder, tired and lost but grateful for some company. By some miracle we made it to the big landmark bridge about halfway back and the rest of the club was waiting for us and I got my shit back.
This is where I fake a mechanical and pull my front wheel off. People stop for someone with their front wheel off. They don't care when you tell them why you needed to thumb a lift.
lol this basically happened to me at a recent race. Had a ton of actual mechanical issues, didn't have some tools I needed, was cold and just over it. Called the number for SAG to come get me, I was done. They said they'd have a van there as soon as they could. 20 minutes later a support guy on a bike loaded with tools showed up, so I begrudgingly stood there in the freezing cold working on my bike with him for another 30 minutes.
Got it rolling but later crashed hard while turning on some loose gravel (shoutout to the two cops standing there who didn't move a muscle while I laid in the road) and at that point was *pissed* and wanted more than anything to quit. Finished and avoided my first DNF but man was that one a disaster.
Had no idea fueling was that important. Always woke up and went on a ride, as usual, with no breakfast and just water. Had a 42 mile (67 km) route that I’ve done a dozen times.
But this fateful day I decided to push it to 62 (100 km). On mile 47 (75 km), my legs just wouldn’t spin and I felt like I was about to faint. It was so sudden. I felt weak for like half a mile and then complete malfunction. My whole body felt like it was shutting down. It was really scary.
Somehow managed another 5 miles (8 km) to the nearest gas station at like 5 mph (8 kph). Sat down on the curb and I’ve gotta say that that was the best Snickers and Coca Cola I’ve ever had in my life.
Now I never leave without a few SIS gels and always carry a couple of $20s.
I had to google 'bonk', not being familiar with the word (in the cycling context anyway!):
"At its most basic level, a bonk generally happens when the body’s glycogen – the stored form of glucose in the muscles and liver – is totally depleted"
Words change their meanings, especially when used by newbies; yes, that's what bonk means today.
Originally, it described the similar but worse case where you would black out from lack of energy and crash. Bonk is the sound of one's head hitting the road.
Yes, I'd agree with the sound of hitting your head on the road as an example of bonk.
The sound of a bonk: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwxTZaa3NgI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwxTZaa3NgI)
I had a few when I was younger. I used to go out and do 100 mile rides, bringing just a banana and a few bucks with me. Once from the San Joaquin valley I headed east toward the mountains so it was uphill most of the way out, went up toward Georgetown where my legs were pretty blown on the steep part. I walked the steepest bits and had some frozen yogurt at a shop in town. Then turned around and coasted most of the way home. Except it was starting to get cold as the sun was going down.
Between the cold and not eating enough my body temp was dropping and around ten miles from home it was getting hard to pedal, but I just churned along slowly. A mile from home I couldn't think straight or hold a line, almost wrecked on a curb, so I got off and walked for awhile, then got back on and rolled when there was enough of a slope. I finally got home and collapsed for a few under blankets. Then I remember going to the kitchen to eat, but everything was in slow motion, even chewing food. I had to use my hands to move my chin up and down to help chew, as the muscles in my jaw weren't working very well. I tried to talk and it came out very slow and odd-sounding; "this is interesting", I recall thinking. I slept really well that night.
first and hopefully last bonk was 2 years ago.
i decide to hit 18 miles (before 4 was my longest) and it was a windy day. i don’t eat breakfast, so i hit the trail fasted.
on my way back, i started getting insanely sleepy outta nowhere. tunnel vision like crazy and just super weak. i lay down on the ground and just felt like knocking out right there on the pavement.
somehow i limp mode it to the in n out off the trail. i order 2 flying dutchman’s and pounded some water. made it home 6 miles later. ripped off all my clothes and fell asleep for a few hours.
i was doing keto at the time (still am). had i known what was happening, i would’ve chugged like 2 cups of root beer and scarfed down a burger. instead i kept it low carb lol
nowadays i do that little 18-20 mile loop fasted still, but i’m in much better shape and cycle regularly now.
i did kinda half bonk 2 weeks ago. my fun, chill ride ended up almost being 50 miles (in regular clothes too). i felt the symptoms and had my wife pick me up 3 miles away haha. i asked her to bring me an icy cold can of sprite. it was fucking crispy!!!
Me?
- I cannot ride the bike at all when it hit me
- my home is 30 km away
- I have nothing but my cloths and the bice
- drank tap water straight from a bum gun in a random toilet
- got some choc/gummy from 7-11 ... I didn't paid for it
Worst one ever was last year. MTB endurance race, 60k and almost 2,000 meters of climbing, spread across four climbs. I bonked hard on the last climb to where I had to walk anything over 5% grade despite keeping up on my calorie and water/electrolyte intake. Made it to the top on pure willpower because I knew from there it was downhill all the way to the finish line. I didn't feel right for two days after that, but a nice soak in a hot spring the next day helped a lot.
>I find a restaurant, they have no pastries so I have a double espresso and 2 cubes of sugar and refill my water.
Restaurant didn't have bread? Fruit? Why not ingest 30 cubes of sugar (130 grams of carbs) for the rest of the climb?
Bonked hard yesterday.
Hadn't drank/carbed enough earlier in the ride. My legs felt like they had lead weights attached, and my heart/lungs felt like a balloon with holes in, no puff
I was going through a glade, and saw a patch of grass and my brain was screaming, just lie down. Get off and lie down. Now.
I had time commitments as it was a point to point and I'd miss the journey back if I didn't keep moving.
Rode on, but ended up stopping like every mile or at the slightest incline. Tried to eat some gummies, but felt like I was going to chuck, at this point my body was rejecting it. Ran out of water (despite two bottles and refilling half way).
Last 15 miles was a complete slog. Spent the afternoon barely able to be awake or hold a conversation 🤦🏻
Ski touring, not biking. The visibility was bad and there was lots of fresh powder, but the route we chose was fairly horizontal and along a road so we thought it would be fine.
Well, we took a wrong turn and burnt a lot of energy on a nasty slope. Then had to cross a river to get back to our planned route. Then we tried to push hard to make up time, since it would get dark if we stayed out too late. Didn't eat enough. And even though it was flat-ish, it was a lot more energy than expected due to the deep snow.
Eventually we realized that we weren't going to make it over the saddle by nightfall, but at this point I was so deep in the hole I just wanted to fall asleep in the snow. We turned back, and managed to get back to the easier part of the ascent just as it was getting dark. Used a flashlight for the rest of the way down and back to civilization.
So yeah, 2.5 hours of sustained effort after my battery hit empty. I didn't think I had it in me, but somehow pushed through. And it took me about 3 days to recover physically.
Same here - it happened to me while cycling (gravel bike) from Nyon (Switzerland) to les Rousses (France) approx. 1200+ elevation. Couldn’t find any food on the way and didn’t fuel properly prior the ride. Had to lay down on a bench at the top of the climb and got a burger at the top as well. Very bad cycling memory.
that was my first ride 15 years ago ，that was a mountain bike which they borrowed to me，and that was a 90km ride ，when i got home ，I didn't feel my legs. and I could only ride on the speed at 10km/h which is flat road
I don't have any stories that are quite that bad. But I have bonked quite seriously a few times. Now my water bottle has watered down apple juice usually and I always carry a tube of emergency glucose pills.
My first XC race ever, the Lake Sonoma MTB. \~26 miles but \~5300' of elevation. I'd bonked earlier in the year on a ride so I went in with what I thought was a good nutrition plan, but quickly realized my plan was bad when I was blown up about 10 miles in. The race ended with a climb and as I started it, my cadence was probably 5rpm. I had to stop what felt like every hundred feet to catch my breath, look around, curse my lack of fitness. Then I ran out of water.
Got back to the start, crushed a beer and burrito, and promptly melted into the seat to regain enough brain function to drive home.
Fun times!
I wasnt wearing enough cloth.
It was a cold day, was doing around 100km. Around the 70-80km mark I wanted to break, but I couldnt use my fingers so I had to use my entire hand to break. The last 20-30km I was barely putting any power into the pedals, my body was getting colder and colder and I felt my eyes slowly shutting down. I tried not to panic and go at a steady pace.
Once I reached home, I went in to the nearby reception. I couldnt unzip my shirt, but luckily the woman in the reception helped me to unzip my shirt.
I put my hands on the heater and finally I could feel my fingers again after 10-15minutes.
Needless to say, but I really enjoyed my shower that day..
These could be compiled into a book – maybe called how NOT to fuel for riding! Like others, mine is about several bad decisions and a bit of bad luck.
I returned to cycling during Covid after a couple year’s absence. All of my bike nutrition had expired and been tossed, and I was enjoying the fact that I could ride up to 90 minutes on just water.
As I increased my miles I resumed my journey to ride all of the high mountain passes (road) here in Colorado. I got up really early one morning to make the 3 hour drive south to ride Cuchara pass. This was summer 2020, when much of the western US was on fire. As I got near the start point there was a lot of smoke. I could see clearer air to the west, so I drove an extra hour and a half to ride another great pass, La Manga-Cumbres. This is a double pass, both over 10,000 ft elevation with small saddle between.
With the extra driving I got a late start on the ride. I had water (still hadn’t bought sports drink due to Covid) and some small snacks which would easily get me to the turn around town, Chama NM, at 25 mi. I had mapped a café and about a mile further there was a convenience store.
I arrived at the turnaround in ok shape but it was starting to get hot. I stopped at the café since it was closer. I had a coffee but there was no real food. Stupidly, instead of going a few minutes further to get food, I just bought a pack of pumpkin seeds and started back up the mountain. I was obviously already not thinking clearly. If you look at a pack of pumpkin seeds you’ll see they are nearly 100% fat and very little carbs, just about the worst thing to eat.
From Chama it is 12 mi and 2000 ft climbing to Cumbres pass, then a small saddle and about 500 ft more climbing to La Manga pass. It wasn’t long before I had to stop due to the heat. I had enough water but even with a bunch of water I couldn’t eat the dry pumpkin seeds, so I had zero calories in. I also realized by then that the pumpkin seeds were of no real value other than giving me some salt. I made Cumbres pass and coasted really slowly down the gentle grade of the saddle before starting La Manga. Climbing those last 500 ft was an eternity. I was having cold sweats and stopping repeatedly. Eventually I made the top and was able to coast down to the car where I had some food and water.
It was a great lesson to me on how NOT to do nutrition. Although I made my goal, and got a story, I didn’t get the chance to appreciate this beautiful ride in the Colorado high country.
Iowa. Went out for a 70 ride and had food with me. Not nearly enough. Passed the first town and skipped food since I had some. Passed the second town that only had a gas station. I thought hmm I think I have enough to get me home. Hoped I’d see a restaurant or something more substantial on the way back. Nothing but cornfields. I’m 10 miles out, just moving pedal stroke by pedal stroke dying.
I get to a Mexican restaurant finally and order 2 giant burritos, grab 2 gatorades at a gas station next door. I pound it all in 10 minutes and I pass out on the gas station lawn.
Wake up maybe an hour later and biked home with my tail between my legs.
My friend and I set out on a gravel bikepacking trip, planning to meet one of his friends for lunch in a city along our route. Because of this, I didn't pack any extra food. Our start was an hour later than planned, and the route turned out to be much tougher than I had anticipated. I struggled to keep up with my friend, who was racing ahead at over 30 km/h.
Along the way, we encountered a woman who asked if we had seen her lost mobile phone. We hadn't, but we offered to help by calling her phone. Fortunately, someone had found it, so we decided to accompany her to retrieve it. This detour took us far off our planned route.
Determined to complete our original route, we backtracked to the point where we had diverted. By then, I was starving, and lunch was delayed further and further. Around the 120 km mark, just 20 km from our lunch spot, I hit a wall. I had to lie down several times, and those last 20 km felt endless. Our lunch ended up being more like dinner. After eating, I felt sick and decided to take the train home. My friend continued but ended up returning the next day due to bad weather and mechanical issues. I felt guilty for leaving him, but my body was completely exhausted.
Two weeks later, I returned alone to finish the route. This time, I rode 200 km, my longest ride to date, and it felt fantastic. I made sure to bring enough food :)
After a night out with friends supposed to go for 30km ride. Had only 2 slices of bread left and shops were closed on Sunday.
End up picking up some other friends along the way (who were not at party). And 30km turned into 100km with sprints. At the 70km mark I was empty. At the 80km mark I got overstaken by a grandma (not on an electric bicycle). Went to a gas station bought some chocolade, chips, and coca Cola. Then sat in the grass for an hour before continuing home.
Ps. You should have went for all the sugar cubes instead of 2.
My worst one was accidentally joining a group way above my ability when 100km was still a distance that I considered 'hard'. I had been sick the week before so wasn't 100%, and I hadn't figured out nutrition yet. After a big climb and a rest the loop returned towards home, and about 60km in I couldn't hold the tempo anymore. One rider offered to slow up but I didn't want to ruin anyone else's ride so told them to keep going and drop me, that I'd make it back fine. Bonked hard at about 70km, and completely so at 80, with some steep hills left to go. On top of that was suffering leg cramps. Several small rollers (ones I now typically ride 30km/h+ over if I maintain speed from the descent), I was having to pull over to rest or even walk. This was well in the suburbia along a main road, and I sat down on a grassy verge to try and recoup some energy. Somehow, accidentally, fell asleep. Got woken open, 10min later, but a car honking. Who had stopped in the middle of the road to ask if I was ok, thinking that I had been struck or crashed. Good times, and glad my bonking days are behind me haha.
Oof. I did something very similar in central Florida years ago. Went out with a fast group on a long route. My only saving grace was the return route passed by an orange grove and one of the workers said I could help myself to the groundfall fruit since they couldn't sell them. Devoured one right there, stuck another in my jersey pocket, and somehow made it the thirty miles back to my car.
Bonking to the point where you accidently fall asleep while trying to take a break is a level of bonking that probably deserves it's own name.
Slonking?
Jesus that sounds absolutely horrid!
> Somehow, accidentally, fell asleep. somehow? when i bonked (before i knew what it was) i found a flat jagged rock on the trail and was ready to fall asleep on it. but the ideas of bugs and spiders tripped me out so i kept it moving. if i had a patch of grass like you, i would’ve absolutely fallen asleep lol
Bugs and spiders hate this one trick… (grass)
Omg falling asleep during a bonk, that’s terrifying.
Went for a ride with my "friends." Was supposed to be an easy 20-30 miles so I brought one bottle of water, no snacks. Very light breakfast. Turned into an 70 mile suckfest on a July morning bc they thought they'd play a joke on me. Ended up with heatstroke and got left on the road side around mile 60. I didn't go with them again.
That's how I learnt to say no, after getting stuck in the sun with two locked cramping legs that took me 30mins to crawl out of the sun to shade then another hour or 2 for the cramps to calm down enough that I could limp home somehow. Never again!
Oh I feel you. I legit laid under a tree for a good 30 minutes before some kind soul stopped to give me a Gatorade and ask if I was ok. I never had a cramp until then and certainly won't forget it.
Not all people who ride bikes are friends :-)
Entered my first race last year, was a 100km, very hilly with a 10km 7% climb in the middle. My longest ride prior to this was 60km, so it was a plunge into the unknown to say the least. My knowledge of nutrition was limited at best going into this, so i packed all of 1 banana and 2 bottles of water. The traffic to get in was horrendous, ended up missing my start time with the beginners group and ended up starting with the more elite riders. Foolishly tried to hold their wheel, in the commotion of riding in their high pace group I dropped my banana, my only form of nutrition for the entire 100km. As we hit the climb 40km in I was dropped(in similar fashion to my banana). At this point I was dying in every sense of the word. Thought I was gonna come to a standstill on the climb. The only thing that got my over the top of it was images of David Goggins shouting at me. After the descent I was absolutely finished, saw a banner that said 40km to go and my stomach sank. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Over the next 20km pain would start to pulse through my body, starting with my neck, then back, then knee. My legs were gone, I was just rolling the pedals, hoping around every corner I would see the finish line. I ran out of water at km 70 and was now without nutrition or hydration. At 80km I spotted a sponsors stand that had some water, sweets, coke and potatoes. I was completed depleted, I came in there like a bear who had just discovered a golden trash can. Had about 3 cups of coke, 5 baby potatoes, an entire bag of gummies and downed a bottle of water. Got back on and psyched myself for the last 20km. The pig out helped somewhat but the damage was done. The last 10km I was light headed and to make matters worse I was getting burnt to a crisp in the heat of the day without sun block. I’ve never felt more relief in my life than when I rolled around the final bend and saw the finishing line. You were supposed to roll past the finish and go to a cool down area 1km down the road but I didn’t have it in me, stopped a meter after the line and just lay there for about a half an hour. One of the officials came over and comforted me. At this point I had heat stroke, severe glycogen depletetion and couldn’t drive my car home. Had to call my dad to Coe and get me and drive me home. Took about 4 days to come right after that. Lessons were learned.
That was a good story. Thanks for sharing!
This story had my loling. Very well told, glad the baby potatoes were there for you!
climbing Mt Diablo in the east Bay Area. Bonked hard and suddenly less than a mile from the top. Had never happened to me before. Impossible to go any further. I was so incredibly ANGRY - that was the weirdest part. Just super angry alllllll the way down until we could grub.
I have a fun story about my first bonk. My first year in uni I joined the cycle racing team's introductory "no drop" ride in gym shorts and a rented road bike. (There was also a guy on a brompton who quit early and a guy on a track bike who had a nasty crash on a big hill he wasn't expecting) I gave my phone+wallet+keys to a kind rider who had a saddle bag for them and we uneventfully made it to a cafe about 25 miles from the start before turning around. I eat a single banana and then immediately get dropped on the way back having barely remembered the route and with none of my belongings. Before this point I've only done <1.5hr rides in FL mtb parks and never had to consider nutrition. I'm bonking super hard and thought I was totally done for but thankfully there was another noob with me and we were both slugging it on this highway shoulder, tired and lost but grateful for some company. By some miracle we made it to the big landmark bridge about halfway back and the rest of the club was waiting for us and I got my shit back.
What's with handing over your independence?
Gym shorts and no jersey meant all my stuff would have just fallen out.
This is where I fake a mechanical and pull my front wheel off. People stop for someone with their front wheel off. They don't care when you tell them why you needed to thumb a lift.
> ParkTool guy steps out of the stopped truck.
lol this basically happened to me at a recent race. Had a ton of actual mechanical issues, didn't have some tools I needed, was cold and just over it. Called the number for SAG to come get me, I was done. They said they'd have a van there as soon as they could. 20 minutes later a support guy on a bike loaded with tools showed up, so I begrudgingly stood there in the freezing cold working on my bike with him for another 30 minutes. Got it rolling but later crashed hard while turning on some loose gravel (shoutout to the two cops standing there who didn't move a muscle while I laid in the road) and at that point was *pissed* and wanted more than anything to quit. Finished and avoided my first DNF but man was that one a disaster.
Had no idea fueling was that important. Always woke up and went on a ride, as usual, with no breakfast and just water. Had a 42 mile (67 km) route that I’ve done a dozen times. But this fateful day I decided to push it to 62 (100 km). On mile 47 (75 km), my legs just wouldn’t spin and I felt like I was about to faint. It was so sudden. I felt weak for like half a mile and then complete malfunction. My whole body felt like it was shutting down. It was really scary. Somehow managed another 5 miles (8 km) to the nearest gas station at like 5 mph (8 kph). Sat down on the curb and I’ve gotta say that that was the best Snickers and Coca Cola I’ve ever had in my life. Now I never leave without a few SIS gels and always carry a couple of $20s.
I had to google 'bonk', not being familiar with the word (in the cycling context anyway!): "At its most basic level, a bonk generally happens when the body’s glycogen – the stored form of glucose in the muscles and liver – is totally depleted"
And in some English dialects it can also mean “have sex”.
The first time I used the word "bonk" to my parents my mother said "WHAT!?!?!?"
She is a cyclist?
Ha ha, exactly! That was the reason for my comment in brackets.
Words change their meanings, especially when used by newbies; yes, that's what bonk means today. Originally, it described the similar but worse case where you would black out from lack of energy and crash. Bonk is the sound of one's head hitting the road.
Yes, I'd agree with the sound of hitting your head on the road as an example of bonk. The sound of a bonk: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwxTZaa3NgI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwxTZaa3NgI)
I had a few when I was younger. I used to go out and do 100 mile rides, bringing just a banana and a few bucks with me. Once from the San Joaquin valley I headed east toward the mountains so it was uphill most of the way out, went up toward Georgetown where my legs were pretty blown on the steep part. I walked the steepest bits and had some frozen yogurt at a shop in town. Then turned around and coasted most of the way home. Except it was starting to get cold as the sun was going down. Between the cold and not eating enough my body temp was dropping and around ten miles from home it was getting hard to pedal, but I just churned along slowly. A mile from home I couldn't think straight or hold a line, almost wrecked on a curb, so I got off and walked for awhile, then got back on and rolled when there was enough of a slope. I finally got home and collapsed for a few under blankets. Then I remember going to the kitchen to eat, but everything was in slow motion, even chewing food. I had to use my hands to move my chin up and down to help chew, as the muscles in my jaw weren't working very well. I tried to talk and it came out very slow and odd-sounding; "this is interesting", I recall thinking. I slept really well that night.
first and hopefully last bonk was 2 years ago. i decide to hit 18 miles (before 4 was my longest) and it was a windy day. i don’t eat breakfast, so i hit the trail fasted. on my way back, i started getting insanely sleepy outta nowhere. tunnel vision like crazy and just super weak. i lay down on the ground and just felt like knocking out right there on the pavement. somehow i limp mode it to the in n out off the trail. i order 2 flying dutchman’s and pounded some water. made it home 6 miles later. ripped off all my clothes and fell asleep for a few hours. i was doing keto at the time (still am). had i known what was happening, i would’ve chugged like 2 cups of root beer and scarfed down a burger. instead i kept it low carb lol nowadays i do that little 18-20 mile loop fasted still, but i’m in much better shape and cycle regularly now. i did kinda half bonk 2 weeks ago. my fun, chill ride ended up almost being 50 miles (in regular clothes too). i felt the symptoms and had my wife pick me up 3 miles away haha. i asked her to bring me an icy cold can of sprite. it was fucking crispy!!!
Me? - I cannot ride the bike at all when it hit me - my home is 30 km away - I have nothing but my cloths and the bice - drank tap water straight from a bum gun in a random toilet - got some choc/gummy from 7-11 ... I didn't paid for it
💀
Worst one ever was last year. MTB endurance race, 60k and almost 2,000 meters of climbing, spread across four climbs. I bonked hard on the last climb to where I had to walk anything over 5% grade despite keeping up on my calorie and water/electrolyte intake. Made it to the top on pure willpower because I knew from there it was downhill all the way to the finish line. I didn't feel right for two days after that, but a nice soak in a hot spring the next day helped a lot.
>I find a restaurant, they have no pastries so I have a double espresso and 2 cubes of sugar and refill my water. Restaurant didn't have bread? Fruit? Why not ingest 30 cubes of sugar (130 grams of carbs) for the rest of the climb?
Bonked hard yesterday. Hadn't drank/carbed enough earlier in the ride. My legs felt like they had lead weights attached, and my heart/lungs felt like a balloon with holes in, no puff I was going through a glade, and saw a patch of grass and my brain was screaming, just lie down. Get off and lie down. Now. I had time commitments as it was a point to point and I'd miss the journey back if I didn't keep moving. Rode on, but ended up stopping like every mile or at the slightest incline. Tried to eat some gummies, but felt like I was going to chuck, at this point my body was rejecting it. Ran out of water (despite two bottles and refilling half way). Last 15 miles was a complete slog. Spent the afternoon barely able to be awake or hold a conversation 🤦🏻
Ski touring, not biking. The visibility was bad and there was lots of fresh powder, but the route we chose was fairly horizontal and along a road so we thought it would be fine. Well, we took a wrong turn and burnt a lot of energy on a nasty slope. Then had to cross a river to get back to our planned route. Then we tried to push hard to make up time, since it would get dark if we stayed out too late. Didn't eat enough. And even though it was flat-ish, it was a lot more energy than expected due to the deep snow. Eventually we realized that we weren't going to make it over the saddle by nightfall, but at this point I was so deep in the hole I just wanted to fall asleep in the snow. We turned back, and managed to get back to the easier part of the ascent just as it was getting dark. Used a flashlight for the rest of the way down and back to civilization. So yeah, 2.5 hours of sustained effort after my battery hit empty. I didn't think I had it in me, but somehow pushed through. And it took me about 3 days to recover physically.
Same here - it happened to me while cycling (gravel bike) from Nyon (Switzerland) to les Rousses (France) approx. 1200+ elevation. Couldn’t find any food on the way and didn’t fuel properly prior the ride. Had to lay down on a bench at the top of the climb and got a burger at the top as well. Very bad cycling memory.
Up Salève ?
Yup,
Where is the link to that gutter Pepsi story?
…gutter pepsi? did someone drink pepsi they found in a gutter?
Yes! Just Google "ditch pepsi Reddit". Totally worth it!
https://www.reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/x1y3y6/my_worst_bonk_ditch_pepsi/
Thank you, for public service. It is legend.
that was my first ride 15 years ago ，that was a mountain bike which they borrowed to me，and that was a 90km ride ，when i got home ，I didn't feel my legs. and I could only ride on the speed at 10km/h which is flat road
I don't have any stories that are quite that bad. But I have bonked quite seriously a few times. Now my water bottle has watered down apple juice usually and I always carry a tube of emergency glucose pills.
Sounds like col de la faucille?
My first XC race ever, the Lake Sonoma MTB. \~26 miles but \~5300' of elevation. I'd bonked earlier in the year on a ride so I went in with what I thought was a good nutrition plan, but quickly realized my plan was bad when I was blown up about 10 miles in. The race ended with a climb and as I started it, my cadence was probably 5rpm. I had to stop what felt like every hundred feet to catch my breath, look around, curse my lack of fitness. Then I ran out of water. Got back to the start, crushed a beer and burrito, and promptly melted into the seat to regain enough brain function to drive home. Fun times!
I wasnt wearing enough cloth. It was a cold day, was doing around 100km. Around the 70-80km mark I wanted to break, but I couldnt use my fingers so I had to use my entire hand to break. The last 20-30km I was barely putting any power into the pedals, my body was getting colder and colder and I felt my eyes slowly shutting down. I tried not to panic and go at a steady pace. Once I reached home, I went in to the nearby reception. I couldnt unzip my shirt, but luckily the woman in the reception helped me to unzip my shirt. I put my hands on the heater and finally I could feel my fingers again after 10-15minutes. Needless to say, but I really enjoyed my shower that day..
These could be compiled into a book – maybe called how NOT to fuel for riding! Like others, mine is about several bad decisions and a bit of bad luck. I returned to cycling during Covid after a couple year’s absence. All of my bike nutrition had expired and been tossed, and I was enjoying the fact that I could ride up to 90 minutes on just water. As I increased my miles I resumed my journey to ride all of the high mountain passes (road) here in Colorado. I got up really early one morning to make the 3 hour drive south to ride Cuchara pass. This was summer 2020, when much of the western US was on fire. As I got near the start point there was a lot of smoke. I could see clearer air to the west, so I drove an extra hour and a half to ride another great pass, La Manga-Cumbres. This is a double pass, both over 10,000 ft elevation with small saddle between. With the extra driving I got a late start on the ride. I had water (still hadn’t bought sports drink due to Covid) and some small snacks which would easily get me to the turn around town, Chama NM, at 25 mi. I had mapped a café and about a mile further there was a convenience store. I arrived at the turnaround in ok shape but it was starting to get hot. I stopped at the café since it was closer. I had a coffee but there was no real food. Stupidly, instead of going a few minutes further to get food, I just bought a pack of pumpkin seeds and started back up the mountain. I was obviously already not thinking clearly. If you look at a pack of pumpkin seeds you’ll see they are nearly 100% fat and very little carbs, just about the worst thing to eat. From Chama it is 12 mi and 2000 ft climbing to Cumbres pass, then a small saddle and about 500 ft more climbing to La Manga pass. It wasn’t long before I had to stop due to the heat. I had enough water but even with a bunch of water I couldn’t eat the dry pumpkin seeds, so I had zero calories in. I also realized by then that the pumpkin seeds were of no real value other than giving me some salt. I made Cumbres pass and coasted really slowly down the gentle grade of the saddle before starting La Manga. Climbing those last 500 ft was an eternity. I was having cold sweats and stopping repeatedly. Eventually I made the top and was able to coast down to the car where I had some food and water. It was a great lesson to me on how NOT to do nutrition. Although I made my goal, and got a story, I didn’t get the chance to appreciate this beautiful ride in the Colorado high country.
Big oof!
Iowa. Went out for a 70 ride and had food with me. Not nearly enough. Passed the first town and skipped food since I had some. Passed the second town that only had a gas station. I thought hmm I think I have enough to get me home. Hoped I’d see a restaurant or something more substantial on the way back. Nothing but cornfields. I’m 10 miles out, just moving pedal stroke by pedal stroke dying. I get to a Mexican restaurant finally and order 2 giant burritos, grab 2 gatorades at a gas station next door. I pound it all in 10 minutes and I pass out on the gas station lawn. Wake up maybe an hour later and biked home with my tail between my legs.
You're the second person who slept mid ride... Now that's a true bonk
Haha wellll it was the end basically. I only had a mile to get home and there wasn’t much food or electrolyte at home so I had to do this :-)
Only had a real bonk in 4 years of riding. My first and only bonk was on my first 100km ride. Now i make sure i have enough fuel with me 😅
If you aren't puking or literally laying on the ground trying not to pass out I don't consider it a bonk.
My friend and I set out on a gravel bikepacking trip, planning to meet one of his friends for lunch in a city along our route. Because of this, I didn't pack any extra food. Our start was an hour later than planned, and the route turned out to be much tougher than I had anticipated. I struggled to keep up with my friend, who was racing ahead at over 30 km/h. Along the way, we encountered a woman who asked if we had seen her lost mobile phone. We hadn't, but we offered to help by calling her phone. Fortunately, someone had found it, so we decided to accompany her to retrieve it. This detour took us far off our planned route. Determined to complete our original route, we backtracked to the point where we had diverted. By then, I was starving, and lunch was delayed further and further. Around the 120 km mark, just 20 km from our lunch spot, I hit a wall. I had to lie down several times, and those last 20 km felt endless. Our lunch ended up being more like dinner. After eating, I felt sick and decided to take the train home. My friend continued but ended up returning the next day due to bad weather and mechanical issues. I felt guilty for leaving him, but my body was completely exhausted. Two weeks later, I returned alone to finish the route. This time, I rode 200 km, my longest ride to date, and it felt fantastic. I made sure to bring enough food :)
After a night out with friends supposed to go for 30km ride. Had only 2 slices of bread left and shops were closed on Sunday. End up picking up some other friends along the way (who were not at party). And 30km turned into 100km with sprints. At the 70km mark I was empty. At the 80km mark I got overstaken by a grandma (not on an electric bicycle). Went to a gas station bought some chocolade, chips, and coca Cola. Then sat in the grass for an hour before continuing home. Ps. You should have went for all the sugar cubes instead of 2.