Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Which bike?

Hi,
I need a bit of advice on what type of bike to get? In around two months i'm going on a 300 mile bike ride. Presently I have a claud buttler mountain bike (the model is mercury), but i don't think this is the ideal bike on which to ride such a great distance. What type of bike do i need? What is the price range for that type of bike?

Thanks a lot

JT80

Check here first. (http://www.bikeforums.net/search.php?)

How many days will the 300 mile ride involve, and will you be carrying any of your gear on the bike.

It also depends on your long term plans for riding, if it's just a one time need you may want to spend less on the bike, but if you are going to continue with this type of riding you may want to invest a bit more. These days you can get a pretty decent bike for $1200, a bit less if you catch a sale or discount coupon. If you spend less than that on a new bike you may not be very comfortable on your ride. Of course, you can get a better bike used for the same money.

Thanks for responding.
The ride will take place over four days. I plan to carry a couple of thing on my bike such as a water bottle and a pump. This is my first long distance ride. Usually i ride several times a week but only 2-3 miles at a time. So the bike will be used but not neccessarily for the same purpose.

My main question is would i be comfortable on a mountain bike or do i need a different sort of bike e.g. a racing bike. Which one would be easier to ride?

Thanks

JT80

claud buttler mountain bike (the model is mercury)
http://www.falconcycles.co.uk/CORP/cb/mercuryM.html

It's not completely unreasonable. You might want narrower wheels. You might want a dropped handle bar ("racing" type).


Usually i ride several times a week but only 2-3 miles at a time. So the bike will be used but not neccessarily for the same purpose.
I sure hope you plan on a little more training than that! What was the longest ride you've done in a day? When was that ride?

300 miles in 4 days is 75 miles/day. If you average 12 MPH, that's over 6 hours per day on the bike.

Thanks
When i said i ride 2-3 days a week, i didn't mean training. I haven't started training yet. The 2-3 times is just to a bit of excersise and to get around.
So are you saying i can keep my bike, just change the handle bars and wheels and that is good enough? Also i very stupidly added on front suspension should i get rid of it?

Thanks

JT80

Thanks for responding.
The ride will take place over four days. I plan to carry a couple of thing on my bike such as a water bottle and a pump. This is my first long distance ride. Usually i ride several times a week but only 2-3 miles at a time. So the bike will be used but not neccessarily for the same purpose.

My main question is would i be comfortable on a mountain bike or do i need a different sort of bike e.g. a racing bike. Which one would be easier to ride?

Thanks

JT80

I rode 260 miles in one day on a mountain bike. You can do it, and be reasonably comfortable if the bike fits you. I learned from this forum that equipment choices are not the first reason you'll finish, or suffer, or not.

Make sure the bike fits you just right. Get the right nutrition, hydration, electrolytes, on schedule. Learn your all day pace, and train up slowly until you can go 50 miles on back to back days without trouble.

I wouldn't worry about a new bike just for that ride, unless you want a new bike. Those other issues are big, though.

Thanks
When i said i ride 2-3 days a week, i didn't mean training. I haven't started training yet. The 2-3 times is just to a bit of excersise and to get around.
So are you saying i can keep my bike, just change the handle bars and wheels and that is good enough? Also i very stupidly added on front suspension should i get rid of it?

Thanks

JT80

Note that I asked some other questions too.

Buying wheels and replacing the handle bars would not exactly be cheap (about $300). You might be better off without the front suspension. It wouldn't be out of the question to use what you have. Any advice about crap to buy requires having some sense of what kind of budget you are working with.

Note that the course is going to be much harder if it's hilly.

I'd say the amount of riding that you are currently doing isn't really doing much for you (if that's all the exercise you are getting).

Your biggest issue is going to be you and how much riding you do.

=============

When is this ride?

What's the longest ride you've ever done? When did you do that?

If you have never done a ride of "reasonable" length (let's say 20+ miles), try doing that and see what it's like. A 75 mile ride isn't exactly trivial and you have to do that 4 days in a row.

I don't think people have enough details about you and your situation to give you very useful advice.

The ride will take place over four days. I plan to carry a couple of thing on my bike such as a water bottle and a pump. This is my first long distance ride.

I'm not trying to be mean, so don't take this the wrong way.

This is going to be your first tour, not your first LD ride. 300 miles over 4 days is only 75 miles a day. You'll get more relevant responses in the Touring forum.
If you were planning on this trip with a 30 hour time limit from when you started, you'd get more relevant answers here.

I'm not trying to be mean, so don't take this the wrong way.

This is going to be your first tour, not your first LD ride. 300 miles over 4 days is only 75 miles a day. You'll get more relevant responses in the Touring forum.
If you were planning on this trip with a 30 hour time limit from when you started, you'd get more relevant answers here.

Yes, the question is more appropriate for the touring forum. See the "touring versus long distance" sticky at the top of the forum.

http://www.bikeforums.net//showthread.php?t=207134

Ive done 20 and 25 mile rides but nothing really this long. I suppose the last time i rode around 20 miles was half a year ago. The ride is taking place in 5 months.
Thanks for all your help. i'll try the touring forum