Questions for serious bicyclists!

Panda86

Hey, has anyone out there ever done a serious, long distance bike tour? I want to do the STOKR (Scenic Tour Of Kootenai River) bike ride, which is about 80 miles for the shortest route. I was wondering if anyone knew what exercises would be good to train for this, and what kind of bike I should purchase. I am quite sure that the whole ride is on paved roads, which I imagine would affect what kind of bicycle I should buy. Any other info would be great, such as good websites to purchase bikes and gear, etc. Thanks!

CAworkout

I am not a serious cyclist, but I am trying to be! I recently purchased a road bike...and then the book "Every Woman's Guide to Cycling: Everything You Need to Know, From Buying Your First Bike to Winning Your First Race" by Selene Yeager. If you are thinking about getting a bike and getting into cycling, I highly recommned the book first. It's about $12.00 on Amazon and has really good info from everything from what type of bike is best for you to detailed training plans. I will say you should be prepared for the cost of a good bike. After doing a lot of research, testing a bunch of bikes and getting the feel for bike shops, I ended up spending $2,000.00. That included my bike and all sorts of necessary equipment: helmet, emergency flat repair kit, spare tuibe, water bottle, clipless pedals, shoes, etc. There are more entry level priced bikes, but you need to find one that you are comfortable with that fits your needs and your price point.

Ebony2

Use any bicycle movement. Stationary bikes, or just bike couple kilometres a day, and build until you can nearly do the entire length of the bike tour you want to complete. Do some weight training (but be sure not to injure yourself), and swimming also helps all over with cardio and endurance.

terraskye

Hey, has anyone out there ever done a serious, long distance bike tour? I want to do the STOKR (Scenic Tour Of Kootenai River) bike ride, which is about 80 miles for the shortest route. I was wondering if anyone knew what exercises would be good to train for this, and what kind of bike I should purchase. I am quite sure that the whole ride is on paved roads, which I imagine would affect what kind of bicycle I should buy. Any other info would be great, such as good websites to purchase bikes and gear, etc. Thanks!

I seriously recommend sheldonbrown.com for bicycle research information. Do you have a price point in mind for what you want to spend on a bike? I also recommend personally not going to a box store and visiting a local bike shop or several and asking what they think and tell them what you are looking to do with the bike.

Good Luck!!!

tcac

Me and my husband are training to do a long bike trip in one year. We are going to do the trip from Piggsbugh, PA to DC. You bike to DC and then take a train back. It is about 230 miles each way. We have just started biking longer distances as many times a week as we can fit in. Our trip will be on rails to trails so we will not have to fight cars. I have started carrying a back pack with water bottles to get used to having more weight to carry. I also use the leptical for 1 hour a day. I am about to begin working with k-bell to build strength in my arms and upper body. I am not an expert, just discovered I love long distance riding.
linda \
P.s. We did talk to a friend who is a bike racer and long distance rider and he says absolutely buy padded underware and shorts.
not to sure about that.

Panda86

All great suggestions- I will look into all of them... keep the suggestions coming everyone! I especially like that there is a book out there! I will be searching for it ASAP!

Panda86

Me and my husband are training to do a long bike trip in one year. We are going to do the trip from Piggsbugh, PA to DC. You bike to DC and then take a train back. It is about 230 miles each way. We have just started biking longer distances as many times a week as we can fit in. Our trip will be on rails to trails so we will not have to fight cars. I have started carrying a back pack with water bottles to get used to having more weight to carry. I also use the leptical for 1 hour a day. I am about to begin working with k-bell to build strength in my arms and upper body. I am not an expert, just discovered I love long distance riding.
linda \
P.s. We did talk to a friend who is a bike racer and long distance rider and he says absolutely buy padded underware and shorts.
not to sure about that.

WOAH! That is a SERIOUS bike ride! Way to go! I just loooove riding my bike. I think I am going to go out pretty soon and ride along the highway here to see how far I can ride so I know how much I need to work.

HOSED49

I am not an avid road bike person, although I did bicycle patrol for two years as a Police Officer on a mountain bike. First thing is to decide what kind of bike you want. They have hybrid bikes now which make it a somewhat easier choice between leisure and sport riding.They are geared more towards road riding but arent a full on road bike. You also have the option of road bikes. For long rides, I would invest in a good brand, something thats gonna last you (Cannondale,Trek, Specialized etc..). Get fitted for your bike, they can do it for you at the bicycle shop which is where I would recommend you buy your bike from, your height will determine what size frame you need. Look into a good cycle computer to keep track of your rides, speed and distances,you want a small seat also( less contact the less areas get sore), decide on clip in pedals which require clip in shoes, or try some toe clips as both of these will help you generate power with less effort. Get your bike and start riding now as your butt and other parts need to get acclimated to your seat. They have ergonomic seats for men and women also. Do some research, take the bike out for a ride in the parking lot of the shop your at. Learn how to change your tires and chain as you might need these skills during your ride. During a Police Mtn. Bike course I had to change my tire 3 times during a 26 mile ride and we were timed! These are just a few tidbits from my experience, I dont have any experience with true road bikes but I hope some of this will help you.

dawngirl

Several years ago I participated in the Washington, DC AIDS Ride. It was a 340ish mile ride from North Carolina into Washington, DC. To train, I increased my local distance weekday rides gradually and tried to take extended rides on weekends. I was also running at the time, approximately 3-5 miles per week.

I strongly suggest padded shorts and saddles to protect yourself from saddle sores.

HOSED49

P.s. We did talk to a friend who is a bike racer and long distance rider and he says absolutely buy padded underware and shorts.
not to sure about that.

I had a pair of the padded shorts, they are good but a crutch. Understand that there are certain areas afffected by your seat that are gonna get sore, but the areas will soon adapt to the stress of the seat and you will be able to overcome the soreness. Thats why I say to ride now and often to get those areas acclimated to the seat. Once again, a rule of thumb for seats is this : The smaller the seat, the less contact area with those parts, the less areas to get sore.

ErinSarah12

I recently did a 220km bike ride (The Ride to Conquer Cancer) with basically no training because I had a knee injury for the two months prior to the ride. VERY DUMB MOVE :laugh:

Having NO experience doing long distance rides, I learned this:

1. Put sunscreen on your knees/tops of your quads/whereever the sun is smiling down on.
2. Snack a lot. Drink even more.
3. Don't take a mountain bike to do a road bike's job :embarassed:
4. I would have killed for padded shorts!

Good luck!