Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - First Century Ride, Beginner rider questions

So I just fell into road biking about 6 months ago and was lucky enough to come across a nice 2nd hand road bike for nearly free. Its a 1987 Miata 710. Its not a new bike, but it gets the job done and has been taking care of extremly well. In the 6 months I have owned it I have put about 300 miles on it.

I decided to enter my first Charity Century Ride (if you want to help me click here (http://pages.teamintraining.org/sun/waterway09/bdevore) I need all the help I can get)

But that being said. I have added a few things to the bike since I have gotten it, namly clipless pedals a bike computer, and somone gave me a set of aero bars so I have those on the bike as well for now. And a few weeks ago I replaced my rear cassette.

Most of the components I am unsure how old they are, they are shimano and suntour parts. The ride is a few months away still and I plan to get it checked out before hand, but I was wondering if anyone had an opinion on if I need to get any parts/ Accessories before this race? Any upgrades anyone recommends?

I know people do rides on much older bikes. But I might be able to persuade my wife to let me spend about $200 on anything that people have found helpful on their past rides that I as a first timer doing long distances might not know about or not think of.

Things I am conidering:
New saddle ( I have a stella itlla (sp?) on there now)
spare tires/tubes
new crankset? (not sure on this one, mine just looks old)
camelback

any other ideas are helpful

Thanks!

Only you can decide if you need a new saddle. Assuming the bike is otherwise sound and the century flat (you're in FL I see) the running gear on the bike should be fine. Have a knowledgeable friend looks things over, particularly tires, tubes, cables, check wheels/spokes and does the bottom bracket spin smoothly.

You're a young guy, probably with a good non-bicycling fitness level and the event isn't until October. Do a search in this collection of forums for century training tips and develop a plan around your duty schedule.

BTW, the Miyatas of that vintage are well-regarded. I don't know the configuration of the 710 equipment since my 912 is a 1984, but if you find after the century that you really enjoy this bicycling thing there is a ton of information on these forums on very affordable upgrades. For example, if your 710 still uses downtube shifters these can readily be upgraded to barcons.

Good luck!

Thanks for the reply.

I have no doubt that I can physically do it. Im 26, in the Coast Guard, and they are forcing me to run 1.5 miles 3 days a week right now. Im not in perfect shape, but I bike 20 miles 3 times a week nearly effortlessly here in the Florida heat. The rain has been killing my riding this week though.

The person who had my bike before me is a LBS mechanic. However I do not like the people at the store he works for and plan on going somewhere else.

I personally belive the bike is in great condition. I have brand new tires (they wont be by October) and new breaks.

I have researched my bike before and I do know they were well reguarded. I love this bike, and for the price I got it for, I could not pass it up. Its hard to justify spending money on this sport to my wife, but she knows I love it and is willing to see where it goes. Like I said, I should have $200 available to me in the next few weeks for upgrades or accessories. The only reason I said saddle is because after about 10 miles my saddle starts to hurt. So far I can tollerate the pain, but I dont know what its going to be like 60, 70 etc miles down the road. I was thinking about getting a saddle that relieves pressure on the perineum area, but they are expensive and would eat half of my budget. So I wanted to ask to see if anyone else suggested something else before I get a "luxury" item like a saddle.

Sounds like now is a good time for you to go saddle shopping, as you start to ramp up your mileage. Any good bike shop will let you try one for at least a week to see if you like it. I wouldn't get caught up in brand names; just try them and go with what feels best.

Personally I don't consider a saddle a "luxury" item -- for long rides, it's critical. I was willing to spend $200 for a comfortable saddle if I had to, but I lucked out and found a style for $40 that works well for me. So I bought two.

Assuming the bike still has down tube shifters, I'd probably see if i could find a pair of dual-control levers (shifting as part of the brake leavers) for the $200 you mention. This was probably the biggest improvement on overall enjoyment as well as performance I have experienced in the evolution of cycling technology.

That said, I probably have to shift more here in the rolling hills of central New England than you do in FLA. Still, dual controls are a huge improvement over DTS in my opinion.

Enjoy the bike. Sounds like you're having fun!

[EDIT:]

A saddle you can actually sit in is not a luxury, BTW. It is as important as having round wheels. And you don't need to spend $100 to get a good one. Every bike shop I know of has a box of "take off" saddles that were removed from new bikes when the buyers took delivery. I've had good luck with a couple $15 saddles this way.

Good shorts and chamois butt'r helps a bunch on centuries, as does a saddle that works well for you and padded gloves.

And you definitely need to ride more miles than you have to figure some of this out. You need to do some 50 mile rides (or longer) to find out what your issues are at those higher mileages. Sometimes you can feel like you're on top of the world at 60 miles and then at 75 feel like you're about to die. It's better to find that out before the big day if you have serious saddle problems or other bike fit issues. Riding 300 miles in six months is not a whole lot of mileage as preparation for a century. Many people here ride that far in a week or two, and certainly in less than a month.

My bikes all feel horrible for the fist 10miles and then fine for the next 300.
You need to ride more to figure these things out. 60 miles is a good distance. You'll likely need some fine tuning in bike fit to make things more comfy.

Definitely kit out with a spares kit (good multi tool, tubes and repair kit).

Hard to beat www.performancebike.com for prices. Doesn't help if you need to try out a saddle, though. But for the other upgrades you mentioned, something to think about. I agree you need to use the "search" function on here for some input on prepping for your first century. You'll definitely need to gear up your riding to being able to do at least 70 miles comfortably before attempting a century. You have a decent timeline available. Now you need to develop a realistic training plan to get you there. Good luck. You should have no problem if you follow a basic training schedule.

On the components, seat, etc., I would say don't change it unless you have some definite problem with it. It's not uncommon for people to upgrade components, but it's usually because they are familiar with the old and the new and see some distinct advantage.

Have you got equipment to fix a flat? Part of your money can go there.

Ditto to the riding more miles. I got in 666 miles in June, on a cruiser bike. Get out there and ride.

any other ideas are helpfulYou must know someone who has cycling experience. Talk with him/her - or get to a shop and tell them about your ride.

Ask for honest answers about what is "needed" for your bike, as well as what would be the best new bicycle for some one with your means and interest. Guessing about things over the Internet can miss too many items.

Assuming the bike still has down tube shifters, I'd probably see if i could find a pair of dual-control levers (shifting as part of the brake leavers) for the $200 you mention. This was probably the biggest improvement on overall enjoyment as well as performance I have experienced in the evolution of cycling technology.

That said, I probably have to shift more here in the rolling hills of central New England than you do in FLA. Still, dual controls are a huge improvement over DTS in my opinion.

No!

Buying brifters is not the first thing that new riders should spend their $200 on. Sure... a lot of people like them, but they're definitely not necessary. The most important thing to look at here is that the OP has about $200 to spend total. That money can buy a lot of gear that is more important than new brifters. Good shorts... good gloves... saddle that fits... all of these are crucial, and are things that new riders usually don't own yet.

Save the brifter investment for later... after you have the important bases covered.

I'm sure you can do a century, and I think you'll have a good time. The main thing is to be prepared for it, so you don't wind up getting an overuse injury and enjoy the ride.

Ergo, the main thing is to start training and put on the miles. In addition to building your endurance, you will figure out what (if anything) on the bike needs to be adjusted, repaired or upgraded. Offhand I don't see a reason to change the shifters or saddle unless you're having issues.

You should put together a small repair kit: patch kit, tire levers, multi-tool (preferably with a chain tool), pump. I also bring a few extras like sunscreen, cash and a credit card. If you don't mind the weight and heat, a Camelbak is an excellent choice; Camelbak also makes the "Podium" bottle, which works very well; they even have an insulated version now.

Separately I recommend you get Road ID or a similar medical ID tag, very handy if something goes wrong.

Thank you everyone for the sugestions.

My problem with getting more miles is my free time. I am on a cutter and my free time is spent at home since I spend so many months at sea away from my wife. I normally only get 2 - 3 hours every couple of days, so I am lucky to get 15 miles every time I get to ride. I can go farther. I have done 30 miles here and there. I plan on doing a bunch of long runs coming up, but a problem is I am going to get underway for 2 months up until 4 weeks before the ride. It sucks for me.

I do a have a few people I know that are into cycling and if I ever get a spare weekend to actually ride with the other people I will be riding with on the century then I think I will be fine. All that into play, makes it impossible for me to REALLY train for this ride, and its unfortunante.

I am not worried about the distance. I have done crazy things in my career and life, the "phyiscal fitness" part is not a problem. My stamina on the bike itself does worry me. As well as my attention span.

I guess I really need to focus on longer rides when I can. Thanks everyone. I apreciate all the advice.

Problem solved.

http://www.bikepark.auto-mart.hr/Jarun%202006098.jpg

Originally Posted by Brett A
Assuming the bike still has down tube shifters, I'd probably see if i could find a pair of dual-control levers (shifting as part of the brake leavers) for the $200 you mention. (...) Still, dual controls are a huge improvement over DTS in my opinion.

No!

Buying brifters is not the first thing that new riders should spend their $200 on. (...)

Save the brifter investment for later... after you have the important bases covered.

I'll still stick with my original opinion. I'd rather have dual controls and ride in cutoffs without gloves than deal with DTS.

Of course, YMMV

:thumb:

I was also considering putting that $200 into a trainer. It would be something I could take with me while the ship is out. We have an exercise bike, but I dont know if a trainer is that much better than that, or if its worth it. The only other time I would ever use a trainer is if its raining. And it rains ALOT in florida.