Touring - First time tourers...

Hey guys,
My friends and I are planning on a small weekend tour for early May. We want to ride from where we are in Ellwood City(ish), PA to Erie, PA. It's about 110 miles with a little over 3000 feet of climbing. I mapped it out using RouteSlip.com and came up with this: http://www.routeslip.com/routes/30286 I can't tell from the spiffy elevation graph but is this alot of climbing? All the sharp pointy peaks look imposing but is it not as bad as it appears? The closest thing we've done to this is a couple mountain biking epics. Thanks in advance!

Brett

How long is a piece of string? To say it is or isn't a lot of climb would be impossible for anyone but you. Only you know your mentality, durability, strength and weaknesses. If it's too much, take more rests.

Rest before you're tired, eat before you're hungry, and drink all the time.

Hey guys,
My friends and I are planning on a small weekend tour for early May. We want to ride from where we are in Ellwood City(ish), PA to Erie, PA. It's about 110 miles with a little over 3000 feet of climbing. I mapped it out using RouteSlip.com and came up with this: http://www.routeslip.com/routes/30286 I can't tell from the spiffy elevation graph but is this alot of climbing? All the sharp pointy peaks look imposing but is it not as bad as it appears? The closest thing we've done to this is a couple mountain biking epics. Thanks in advance!

Brett

I think you are approaching this very sensibly, a short tour that you have planned, good job.
Remember when looking at elevation maps that the x axis is usually in miles and the elevation
in feet so the pointy bits are not that pointy in reality. You are not looking at much climbing on
your route

Thanks guys. I know that the elevation graph isn't an exact cross-section of the hills we'll be encountering but they still look intimidating nonetheless. I think I was getting worried because I only have a double chainring set-up. By the way, what chain should I buy to replace my old one on an old Schwinn 10 speed (the one I plan on taking)? Or maybe I should just do a search for that one...

get a SRAM

If cycling isn't new to you, I wouldn't foresee this route as causing any problems if the roads are good.

The route comes from a site of suggested routes that are generally as flat as possible (as flat as Pennsylvania can be) or at least traffic-lite as possible. This is the route that we've slightly modified for our starting point, I just did it on routeslip.com for the mileage and elevation stats:

ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/bikes/state_mapA.pdf

Also, we should probably be making this a two-day ride, right? How much of a difference does a loaded bike make? We shouldn't attempt it all in one day, should we?

You will find that loaded touring is much different than un-loaded touring. When I'm fully loaded, I figure (for myself) 10mph. This includes breaks, eating (I usually bring my own to cook) and general resting and sight seeing. If you have elevation to take into consideration, a day and a half or even two for 110 mile trip.

I've gone as much as (I am sure I'm not the only one) 120 mi in a day fully loaded. That was pretty much sun up to sun down, no goofing off, and cook-and-run.

These days, I like a lot of sight seeing. Makes for a really good trip. Just my .02

Wimp I cant really tell you much!!!! But You should try an unplaned tour one of this days. To me the thing I like about to be out in the bike is "The insertidumbre" is like go dont know were!!! Ive drive my car to neighborings states and ride in the same erratic maner.I like to be a bumm when it comes to this sport, homeless for 3 weeks is my thing.

If it still looks too lumpy try to find roads that follow streams or railroad tracks. Hope you have some low gears and dry tailwinds.

Also, we should probably be making this a two-day ride, right? How much of a difference does a loaded bike make? We shouldn't attempt it all in one day, should we?

If you've never ridden a century on the bike you're taking, I wouldn't start now (or at least have a plan/provisions/time in case you don't make it in one day).

bigbadwimp,

Relax and just do it.

The hardest part of any ride is starting,,,,after that its all down hill

The hardest part of any ride is starting,,,,after that its all down hill

The first couple of miles are always the hardest no matter where you are starting. When I leave later this week for the Outer Banks, then Washington DC, I might try either walking a bit before riding in the morning or trying a stretching program.