Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Last minute advice for Crooked Clyde's road ride?

I have my first 'big' road ride tomorrow morning, the Indian Creek Roll and Stroll in Souderton, PA. It's 39 miles over the sort of rolling hills you find throughout the Philadelphia suburbs. Frankly I'm more than a little nervous. I've never ridden so far on roads before. I've done rides of 40 and 51 miles on bike paths, but roads are a bit more challenging and a lot less flat.

Any last minute advice? I've put road tires on the Navigator this week. Beyond that and my normal riding I've not done any special preparation. I've been having 'structural' problems this week so I've skipped riding today to avoid aggravating them.

My fear is that I won't finish or that I will finish with an embarrassing result.

i'm a newbie to it all, but i wouldn't be embarased by any result. at least you got out and at the very least gave it a try!

i'm a newbie to it all, but i wouldn't be embarased by any result. at least you got out and at the very least gave it a try!
+1 Exactly what I was going to say.

Finishing is spectacular....I wouldn't worry diddly squat about time/place. Go for it....if you have to stop now and then for a breather, then just do it.

1+ I'd agree 100% would sitting at home with a chesse burger,beer and a sitcom have better results?
ohhh man i just made myself hungry! hahaha

Go for it! whatever your result..the point is you went for it!

Neil,
Remember the joy of the journey and the fact that you were not even riding a bike a year ago. Relax and enjoy the ride for what it is, slow, fast, complete, or incomplete.

We are all proud of you here.

Neil, who cares how fast you do it? We don't! As others have said, enjoy the ride! Hydrate, and keep the blood sugar replenished and ride at your pace. Just have fun, Bro, it ain't the Tour de France!:D

The only embarassing result would be to not do it.

I think you should be proud that you are just showing up. I mean, I know the rest of us are proud that you are doing it.

Fight the good fight, and who cares what happens! At least you tried, that is what matters.

Having gone to college at East Stroudsburg, just make sure you have enough gear inches for climbing. The hills are a bit longer up there than here in the phlia area. Otherwise enjoy the view.....it's a great place to ride.

Put some electrical tape over your speedometer and ride that baby. You'll be just fine. When you're finished tell us how all that worrying you did was for naught.

stay hydrated, crawl up those hills in an easy gear, and enjoy. :D

Wino Ryder has some great advice there! I seem to "enjoy" riding much when I can't obsess over the speedo. I had loads of fun riding my MTB while I was being too lazy to charge it, just.. riding!

What tires did you pick?

Neil,

If you have done 40 and 50 miles already, then 39 shouldn't be too hard. I've found roads easier to ride then unpaved trails. If you did those long rides on the paved Schuylkill Trail it still counts. All flat riding pretty much requires pedaling all the time, no long hills to coast down and rest legs. The route description includes those buzz words "challenging" and "experienced riders will enjoy." So you may encounter a few steep hills. Frankly it's a fun ride, I see no shame in walking a few hills. I usually ride as long as I can, but when my bike speed becomes as slow as I walk, I dismount and walk. Also gives my butt a break. Not that you would, but have a breakfast of cereal and fruit, do not go thru Mickey D's for a egg muffin and hash brown on the way there. Check at start to be sure they have food (banana) at rest stops. The Lancaster CB Ride did not. If they don't, you will want something to east at 25/30 miles. Hopefully they have banana's at start and you can carry one along. And of course top up the water bottle at the breaks. If I get there tomorrow, I'm just doing the 20 miles. Don't have the time to do 39. Good luck and I'll look for your ride report.

You got this in bag, man. Go rock it!

I see where you're coming from with regards to the embarrassing result. You just have to remind yourself that no matter what, you're able to do things on a bike that most of the population can't. :)

What tires did you pick?

Bontrager Satellite Elite Hardcase. A wider road tire with triple reinforcement. Flats rot.

Good luck! Just be safe and have fun. Like they all said above, it's quite an accomplishment to be even doing this ride...thinkink back to last year I couldn't have even imagined doing something like this myself.

Neil,

If you have done 40 and 50 miles already, then 39 shouldn't be too hard. I've found roads easier to ride then unpaved trails. If you did those long rides on the paved Schuylkill Trail it still counts. All flat riding pretty much requires pedaling all the time, no long hills to coast down and rest legs. The route description includes those buzz words "challenging" and "experienced riders will enjoy." So you may encounter a few steep hills. Frankly it's a fun ride, I see no shame in walking a few hills. I usually ride as long as I can, but when my bike speed becomes as slow as I walk, I dismount and walk. Also gives my butt a break. Not that you would, but have a breakfast of cereal and fruit, do not go thru Mickey D's for a egg muffin and hash brown on the way there. Check at start to be sure they have food (banana) at rest stops. The Lancaster CB Ride did not. If they don't, you will want something to east at 25/30 miles. Hopefully they have banana's at start and you can carry one along. And of course top up the water bottle at the breaks. If I get there tomorrow, I'm just doing the 20 miles. Don't have the time to do 39. Good luck and I'll look for your ride report.

OK, Guy. Thanks for the advice, folks. I'm getting ready now, and leaving about 6:15 AM for the ride. I start at 8:00 AM. If anyone wants to find me, look for the black and gray Trek Navigator and the Fat Cyclist jersey:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1039/537931217_970fc4694e.jpg

Bring it home, Neil! We all know you can do it!

Hey Neil. How did it go?

I rode just the casual 20 miles and didn't expect to see you...sorry. Started 9:10 am. Finished 11:05. I wasn't registered so just checked what was at finish then drove home. As you mentioned in your initial post, the area is a lot less flat. There were certainly more hills then I encounter in the Oley Valley of Berks County. I ran out of climbing gears on one hill and walked a good 150 feet. I suspect you had quite a few challenging hills to climb or your route. But as they say, the way to learn how to climb hills is climb hills.

Hey Neil. How did it go?

http://historian2wheels.blogspot.com/2007/06/ride-report-june-16-2007-indian-creek.html

44.5 miles, 4 hours 23 minutes rolling time. Top speed 39 MPH on a downhill.

Today's riding was logged participating in the 16th annual Indian Creek Foundation Roll and Stroll, in and around Souderton, PA. I rode in the 39 mile tour. The difference between my total mileage is from parking in an overflow lot nearly two miles from the ride start, and backtracking to help a fallen rider during the home stretch. The rider who fell was OK, and in fact she finished ahead of me. Everyone finished ahead of me!

The online description of the rides states:

"The 64 and 39 miles ride are very scenic and very challenging. For those more experienced cyclists, you will love these two loops. The new 20 mile loop is geared more towards the casual cyclist. It will have challenging parts but is a beautiful and enjoyable ride." The description is accurate; the route took me through farm country, past barns with slogans such as "Thirsty? Jesus is Living Water" marked on their sides across the peeling red paint; through shady forest areas that felt at least ten degrees cooler than the rest of the ride; and along sleepy Indian Creek. This last part of the ride, five or so miles along Swamp Creek Road, was the prettiest. I was tempted to stop simply to drink in the view, instead of to drink. It helped the ride was blessed with clear skies, a slight breeze, and temperatures in the low 80s.

Overall, the Indian Creek Roll and Stroll had 300 advance registrations for their three rides and two walks, with additional people signing up at the last minute. About 50 people rolled with me at the 8:00 AM pistol-shot start. At first I kept up with the peleton fairly well, holding my own in the middle of the pack. But by the six mile mark I was in the rear, and I had lost sight of the pack by mile ten. I missed the rest stop at mile 12, and decided to push on without backtracking to find it. This was a poor choice, as I was dragging by mile 15. By then I was on the hill on Gold Mine Road, and needed to walk a good chunk of it. Finland Road's hill was even worse, and I was wobbling badly when I pulled into the 23 mile rest stop. A few minutes and some Gatorade later, I was under way again. But by mile 25 the lactic acid buildup in my legs was so great that I no longer was restricting my walking to hills, but instead from time to time I needed to walk on flats and slight upgrades as well. Fortunately most of the serious climbing was behind me by then.

Aside from the lactic acid problem and overall muscle fatigue, I was in fine physical form during the ride. Even the elevated right shoulder didn't give me a great problem, although it was acting up by the end. Note to self - pop a naproxin prior to riding.

Musical entertainment back at the Indian Creek Foundation was provided by The Mango Men; I arrived just in time for their rendition of Jimmy Buffet's "Margaritaville." Lunch wasn't so fortunate for me; I wasn't in time to have any color-choice of banana aside from green, and the hoagie selection was reduced to a choice of cheese or cheese. Still, I had a nice lunch. The rest stop I visited was well stocked, and the volunteers were friendly. I recommend the ride to anyone who wants to have a good time with good company in scenic surroundings.

Information on the Indian Creek Foundation:

http://rollandstroll.com/about.shtml

The mission of Indian Creek Foundation is to provide opportunities for people with developmental disabilities to live in and enrich their communities while meeting their residential, vocational, spiritual, and personal needs from birth to death. At Indian Creek Foundation we are deeply rooted in values that sustain our organization. Basic beliefs like...

o Putting the individuals we serve first
o Supporting each individual to experience independence and exercise choice
o Building a sense of community
o Respecting each individual we serve
o Providing opportunities for individuals to connect spiritually to the faith community of their choice, a belief developed through our historical ties to the Mennonite churches in our area

Very cool Neil, I think many of us were anxious to hear about your ride. It sounds like it was quite the challenge and very beautiful. What jersey did you wear? Did you get any pictures?

Very cool Neil, I think many of us were anxious to hear about your ride. It sounds like it was quite the challenge and very beautiful. What jersey did you wear? Did you get any pictures?

No, I didn't get pictures, but photographs of the route are available at the Indian Creek Foundation website:

http://rollandstroll.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=2003_course

Biggest post-ride problem I have is, err, chafing. I tried to prevent it by using cornstarch and talc. I used so much I feared people might think I was smuggling cocaine. We'll determine how serious the chafing and muscle fatigue problems are in about three hours, when I ride to church.

I hate chaffing. But what jersey did you wear?

"Musical entertainment back at the Indian Creek Foundation was provided by The Mango Men; I arrived just in time for their rendition of Jimmy Buffet's "Margaritaville." "

I forgot to include the URL:

http://www.themangomen.com/index.html

How many charity rides have a live band playing?!?

I hate chaffing. But what jersey did you wear?

http://www.twinsix.com/gear/gear_t607j008fc.htm

Outstanding, Neil! I knew you'd make the ride to completion. Wasn't worried a bit!:D

39 MPH, huh? That's the fastest you've ever rolled on a bike, isn't it? Exhilarating, i'nnit?:eek: ;) :p :D

Outstanding, Neil! I knew you'd make the ride to completion. Wasn't worried a bit!

You should have been. I gave myself permission to quit, without remorse, any time I wanted to. And I don't just mean quit the ride, I mean give up cycling. Frankly the only way I could have completed it was knowing I could stop at any point.

Great job Neil!!! I'm new to cycling and hearing stories like this makes me want to ride even more.

You should have been. I gave myself permission to quit, without remorse, any time I wanted to. And I don't just mean quit the ride, I mean give up cycling. Frankly the only way I could have completed it was knowing I could stop at any point.
And he has the key to endurance cycling in his fat little hands!;) :p :D That's the whole secret, Neil...the fact that you CAN quit, but CHOOSE not to! I still think you did a spectacular job and I couldn't be more proud if you were family!:D

I can't believe your progress Neil. Remember riding in Cleveland going down those "hills" on lakeshore, now look 45 miles and top speed of 39MPH!!! Wow. Great job.

I can't believe your progress Neil. Remember riding in Cleveland going down those "hills" on lakeshore, now look 45 miles and top speed of 39MPH!!! Wow. Great job.

Thanks. It helps to be riding my own bike, and not a rental. :-)

And he has the key to endurance cycling in his fat little hands!;) :p :D That's the whole secret, Neil...the fact that you CAN quit, but CHOOSE not to! I still think you did a spectacular job and I couldn't be more proud if you were family!:D

Thank you, Tom.

One drawback to all my training for a specific event - the MS 150 - is that a burden was placed on my back. The burden was "I have to...." I have to ride 75 miles in one day, I need to finish to avoid disappointing my sponsors, the MS folks, those poor souls that view me as some sort of 'inspiration', my mentor 'Uncadan', etc.... and then I realized I don't ride for any of them. My riding, like my weight loss, is entirely for me. From that point on riding became fun again.

Oh, and incidentally, my hands are not in the slightest bit fat. Perhaps they are callus free, but not fat. :-)

Thank you, Tom.

One drawback to all my training for a specific event - the MS 150 - is that a burden was placed on my back. The burden was "I have to...." I have to ride 75 miles in one day, I need to finish to avoid disappointing my sponsors, the MS folks, those poor souls that view me as some sort of 'inspiration', my mentor 'Uncadan', etc.... and then I realized I don't ride for any of them. My riding, like my weight loss, is entirely for me. From that point on riding became fun again.

Oh, and incidentally, my hands are not in the slightest bit fat. Perhaps they are callus free, but not fat. :-)
:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

Good job Neil, you're still my hero. (note the absence of new). And 39 on the Navigator? You cwazy.

Good job Neil, you're still my hero. (note the absence of new). And 39 on the Navigator? You cwazy.

I had little choice. I wasn't going to walk the bike down the hill. :-)

Great job!! Now get some rest, you have more hills to ride in French Creek Iron Tour on Sunday.

Great job!! Now get some rest, you have more hills to ride in French Creek Iron Tour on Sunday.

Yeah, I'm riding the 50 mile course. And the week after that I may be doing a metric century in Delaware. Fortunately Delaware is flat.

BTW, the June 24 French Creek ride will mark my six month anniversary of learning to ride a bike, and mark my first 1000 miles logged for the year. Amazing coincidence!

Good job! 39 mph is pretty impressive.

Good job! 39 mph is pretty impressive.

Thanks. Gravity helped a little. :-)

Time to repeat my pathetic whining! I have a 50 mile road ride scheduled for Sunday, the French Creek Iron Tour. Substitute "French Creek Iron Tour" for "Indian Creek Roll and Stroll", 50 miles for 39 miles, and we can reuse the post. :)


I have my first 'big' road ride tomorrow morning, the Indian Creek Roll and Stroll in Souderton, PA. It's 39 miles over the sort of rolling hills you find throughout the Philadelphia suburbs. Frankly I'm more than a little nervous. I've never ridden so far on roads before. I've done rides of 40 and 51 miles on bike paths, but roads are a bit more challenging and a lot less flat.

Any last minute advice? I've put road tires on the Navigator this week. Beyond that and my normal riding I've not done any special preparation. I've been having 'structural' problems this week so I've skipped riding today to avoid aggravating them.

My fear is that I won't finish or that I will finish with an embarrassing result.

Since we're recycling Electrons in the interest of economy, this still applies!

http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=4658113&postcount=6:D

I'll let others provide the words of encouragement. I ran the Iron Tour last year and will not ride it again. Too many hills for me and my idea of fun riding doesn't include hills. From their web site it states: "for riders willing to take the challenge and have designed new courses of 25, 50, 75 and 100 miles with loops so riders can opt for shorter or longer distances." So it may be you can start for 50 miles and if it becomes too much of a "challenge", jump onto the 25 mile loop. Current weather forecast is for high of 85 degrees. It's a shame they aren't running it on Saturday, much cooler. Take 2 water bottles, one to drink, one to dump on your head. And again, for 50 miles a banana will be good at half way. I believe last year they had mostly baked goods/cookies at breaks. Carbs but no electrolytes. Good luck, and I hope you don't recycle your ride report.

Yeah, I got some last minute advice. HAVE FUN!!

Yeah, I got some last minute advice. HAVE FUN!!

Wish I could say I did. Guy was right, there was far too much climbing. Also the road markings were so bad that after four miles I said, audibly, the Anglo-Saxon verb for "fornicate", and made my own route. Even the food, much praised by people I've met at other rides, turned out to be hot dogs and beans.

I rode 42 miles in two separate loops. Each had 550 feet of climbing, again and again and again. See below:

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/pa/spring-city/524592261

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/pa/spring-city/524637573

So for 35 bucks I got a shirt, a meal of cheap food, frustration, a wasted day, and a sore left knee. Guess who isn't riding French Creek Iron Tour next year?

Sorry to hear the route hasn't changed. I don't remember the T shirt last year, but I do remember the hills. Was only a 1/2 mile from start and was walking what seemed like a 1/2 mile hill. Next turn another hill. I assume your ride on Rt. 23 was part of your revised route. Last year we crossed Rt. 23 at Rt. 345 and basically rode some roads that paralleled Rt. 23 East. I had to eat and run last year, to a family reunion. So grabbed a dog and a cookie and hit the road with car. Hard for me to believe somebody was praising the food. They must not get out much. Participating in a number of organized rides is one of my objectives this year. There is quite a difference in route selections, fees and refreshments. Iron Tour was crossed off last year. So far this year I've crossed off the Hanover Horse farm Tour and the Indian Creek Roll and Stroll. But I'm happy to add the Pedal to Preserve out of New Hanover. I wasn't too sure about returning to the Lancaster Covered Bridge Ride, but will again. Believe I only walked a small portion of one hill there. You have till 19 August to rest that knee. No need to rush back on the road this week with 90 degree days. Although the Schuylkill Trail should be about 10 degrees cooler....and did I mention flat?

42 miles of hills ain't nothing to sneeze at. Sorry it wasn't as fun, although I'd love to see you tube video of you uttering words like that.....I just can't picture it, Neil!:p

Take an EASY ride tomorrow though, just a few miles to work out the Lactic Acid.;)

42 miles of hills ain't nothing to sneeze at. Sorry it wasn't as fun, although I'd love to see you tube video of you uttering words like that.....I just can't picture it, Neil!:p

Take an EASY ride tomorrow though, just a few miles to work out the Lactic Acid.;)

Report is up on my blog:

http://historian2wheels.blogspot.com/2007/06/ride-report-june-24-2007-french-creek.html

"When I returned either the volunteers noticed my 'death glare' as I approached or word had spread of a enraged rider wearing a Fat Cyclist jersey, for they didn't cheer. For their sake, they made the right decision.

"I seldom use profanity or act in such a angry manner in public but I was sorely provoked by the poor road markings. This problem reminded me, curiously enough, of chess tournaments I played in. Nothing is as annoying to me as poor playing conditions, since in many cases they can be addressed with a little foresight and less work. The failure to do so is, from my perspective, contempt - contempt for chessplayers and contempt for chess. And whoever was in charge of the road markings for the French Creek Iron Tour was showing contempt for cyclists."

Time to repeat my pathetic whining! I have a 50 mile road ride scheduled for Sunday, the French Creek Iron Tour. Substitute "French Creek Iron Tour" for "Indian Creek Roll and Stroll", 50 miles for 39 miles, and we can reuse the post. :)

Plug in "Metric Century in Delaware with Neil Fein Sunday July 1" and the post still applies. Let my pathetic whining commence! :)

Plug in "Metric Century in Delaware with Neil Fein Sunday July 1" and the post still applies. Let my pathetic whining commence! :)

Neil F. crashed at my place after spending the day riding with me here in hill country. We are driving to the ride start in an hour or so. Meanwhile, let me tell you I'm amazed at how much more stamina Neil F. has gained since the first time we rode together. Yesterday the hills might as well have not existed for him; he powered most of them as if they were nothing.

I have my first 'big' road ride tomorrow morning, the Indian Creek Roll and Stroll in Souderton, PA. It's 39 miles over the sort of rolling hills you find throughout the Philadelphia suburbs. Frankly I'm more than a little nervous. I've never ridden so far on roads before. I've done rides of 40 and 51 miles on bike paths, but roads are a bit more challenging and a lot less flat.

Any last minute advice? I've put road tires on the Navigator this week. Beyond that and my normal riding I've not done any special preparation. I've been having 'structural' problems this week so I've skipped riding today to avoid aggravating them.

My fear is that I won't finish or that I will finish with an embarrassing result.

HA! I don't look fearful in these photos. I just found them on-line. Guess which cyclist is me? :D

http://rollandstroll.com/albums/2007-Event/RandS07_06a.jpg

http://rollandstroll.com/albums/2007-Event/RandS07_05a.jpg