Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - My First Long Distance Ride from Toronto to Quebec

Day 1 - T.O to Cobourg (112 km)
Day 2 - Cobour to Kingston (146 km)
Day 3 - Kingston to Cornwall (176 km)
Day 4 - Cornwall to Montreal (153 km)
Day 5 - Montreal to Trois - Rivieres (136 km)
Day 6 - Trois - Rivieres to Quebec city (129 km)

Then we'll take a train (VIA) back to Toronto.

I am a casual bicycler. Meaning I ride bike to school and local convenience stores. I have never ridden my bicycle for more than few hours. Perhaps this experience will change everything. I am very excited.

My bike would look exactly like this one (I googled it) after lowering the seat and adding foot pedals:
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/files/eee_107.jpg

I am 5'6", 130lb.

This trip will take 7 days so I want to be as prepared as I can be.

My back pack looks like this (with waist belt):
http://www.bigleaguestore.com/images/mattingly-blue-back-pack.jpg

I don't have a rack to tie my backpack to... so I am planning on going to a bike shop to get one installed this weekend when I take it in for a tune-up.

1) What should I look for when going to the bike shop?
- tune-up, rack

2) What do I need to take in my backpack?
- water, snack, sunscreen, clothes

3) There. That's all I can think about. I must be forgetting something. :lol:

Thank you for your time. This is my first post please be gentle :notamused:

You might want to post this in touring as well ... most rides that involve overnight sleeps are considered tours. Are you camping or is this a credit card tour?

http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=47

I'll just add you need stuff to fix a flat tire, and I assume you are not camping, because then you need camping stuff.

Have fun!

You might need some lights.
Not unusual to get caught in the dark on a tour.

if you have room in your budget, you might want to get some smooth rolling tires rather than the knobbies, to give you a little more speed. For multi-day rides like that, with lots of hours on the bike, I would also consider getting a pair of bar ends for the handlebars, to give you some additional hand positions.

+1 for the road tyres. Also consider a proper rack and pannier(s), rather than backpack.

Have a look at the touring pages at VeloWeb. and visit the Touring subforum.

Thanks for all your advices!

Machka: I will post it in touring for more diverse perspectives :) This will be a credit card tour. Hotels are already booked.

valygrl: like... patches? air pump? will that be enough to fix most flat tire problems?

10 Wheeles: oh yes! I saw some self powered hand lights on sale last week. I hope they're still around!

spokenword: excellent! depending on the cost, I will look into getting the smooth rolling tires. and I think bar ends should be a must since I am sure I will get tired/sore from one hand position at some point. Q: what type of bar should I get? the ones that rise up 45 degrees or ones that bend down in U shape? What's the difference?

randochap: I guess panniers are more secure.


Thank you all for your replies!!!!!!!! :D

Tire changing - google for instructions, here's one semi-decent you-tube, i'm sure there are better out there, this was just on the first page i found:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5K-DXt9djA

You'll need a new tube and/or patch kit, levers, pump. Try to find a local bike shop that will give you a demo or has a how-to seminar.