Touring - First century... planning ahead

This summer I will be going on vacation at the other side of the country. As I don't want to be trapped in the car all the way, or in the train, which may be even worse, I am planning on riding the bike there.

The total distance is 155 miles. For some of you that may be a piece of cake. For some even, a very small piece... For me on the other hand, being a bike commuter who ride a mere 30 miles a day, it's quite an adventure.

Weather will probably be comfortable, maybe a soft breeze and temperatures between 68F-86F. I usually ride at an average speed of 17 miles an hour which results in a 9 hour bike ride. Whether I will make it one day is still a riddle, but I'm willing to make a stop overnight at a hotel.

There are some things I am not certain about, and you may be able to tell me a bit more.

What do I need to pack?
All my clothes for the vacation will be transported by car, so I'm not worrying about that.
What are the essentials I need on a 9 hour bike ride?

Traveling with a bike can be troublesome and sometimes expensive. So if you only plan 155 miles, you might want to see if you can rent.

Next, you have to decide whether you are going to do this in one day or two. What you need to take will vary a lot between these two plans.

If you will do it in one day, start early. Study some maps to figure out where you will be able to get food and water. If the weather is good, you probably won't have to carry much more than some snacks, some water, flat repair stuff, a cell phone, and some money and an ID.

If you will do it in two days, do everything above, plus figure out where you will be staying overnight. Make a reservation at the hotel if necessary. Take along some clothes to change into for the overnight. You can wash out your cycling clothes in the sink and hang them up to dry--if the climate will be arid enough that the clothes will dry overnight (perhaps with a bit of help from a heat lamp or hair dryer), then you won't need a change of cylcing clothes. You'll also need to take along some toiletries and sunscreen. How you carry this depends. You might consider a seat-post mounted trunk bag, or a small pannier if you have a rack on the bike.

It's not just the 155 miles I will be doing. I'll ride another 155 miles back as well ;)
But besides that I know the area I'm going to has awesome scenery, so I was planning on riding for several days during the vacation as well.

It's basically a road bike, without any eyelets for a rack or whatever. So I will be using a handlebar bag I have, and might get a seatpost trunk bag as well.

You might want to post this in "long distance cycling" rather than touring; this is the kind of thing long distance riders do all the time. But really, all you need is sufficient water and food, tools to repair flat tires etc., some basic toiletries, sunglasses, and the pain killer of choice (aceteminophen, ibuprofen, your call). If you're not used to 9 hours in the saddle, your neck will be pretty tired by the 100 mile mark, and will only get worse after that.

I don't know what kind of shape you're in, but 155 miles is a hell of a long day's ride, especially for a first attempt. You won't be carrying much of anything, so you should be able to make pretty good time, but i think 9 hours might be rather over-optimistic. I'd say you'd be doing well if you were on your bike for only 12 hours, not counting breakfast, lunch, dinner & breaks time. If you're set on doing it in a day, i'd suggest leaving a couple of hours before dawn and expect to arrive well after dusk. I'm not trying to disuade you, because it is do-able; I've done over 200 in a day with loaded panniers, but that was in a 24 hour period when I was a lot younger. if you are into athletic challenges, I'd say go for it.

On the other hand, you might actually enjoy it a lot more if you were to do it over two days.

in addition to JN's advice on what to bring, I would suggest not only studying maps, but to bring them along. cities can be tricky to navigate at times, and roads can be closed. a basic first aid kit would be prudent, and some high-energy tunes can help keep you motivated.

have a good ride!

;)

I think that you need to plan for Two Days.

Your body starts to feel Wear at about 40 miles if your not used to Long Distance riding.
Hands, arms, back, butt, foot problems begin to develop.

You will need lights if you do not have any.

You might also call ahead if you know where you'll be staying, to make sure they'll let you keep your bike in your room. I've been denied this by both a fleabag motel in Santa Fe, NM, and by a Best Western(IIRC) in Corpus Christi, TX. The one in Corpus took place immediately after a rain soaked, 40 degree, 158 mile ride. I about went nuts, especially since we told them we were bringing bikes in when we made the reservation.

I usually ride at an average speed of 17 miles an hour which results in a 9 hour bike ride. Whether I will make it one day is still a riddle, but I'm willing to make a stop overnight at a hotel.


What do I need to pack?
All my clothes for the vacation will be transported by car, so I'm not worrying about that.
What are the essentials I need on a 9 hour bike ride?

If I understand you correctly you are accustomed to a 17mph pace for 15miles with the whole day and night to recover before repeating the same pace.

Have you ever ridden 30 miles nonstop at an average 17mph pace, or 50, 100? If you haven't I would suggest your math may be correct but it's not based in reality.

Break it up into three comfortable days, or two with an option of three if you've never experienced an 80 mile day. When I was 25 I was very fit and rode 170 miles in eleven hours with five or so ten minute stops. That 17mph average was bracketed with climbing fast up big hills at 10mph and flying on flat downwind stretches at 25mph and downhill as safely as gravity would take me. It was not the same as eleven 15miles bike rides added together, it's harder.

All you need to bring are the things you need for the ride and time on the bike. Clothes for the ride temps you'll experience , toothbrush, water, snacks, two spare tubes,patch kit and allen wrenches. Don't do any work on the bike for a weeks worth of riding before the trip. Get off the road before dark and give yourself time to rest for the next day. Turning it into a slug fest might be to your taste but it's also a great way to get injured if you pile on too many "firsts".

Maybe your motivation for this idea is to test yourself, or perhaps wow ppl with your endurance. If so, go for it.

Proper nutrition and hydration will be very, very important. If you won't have at least 12 hours of daylight, better outfit the bike with proper lighting. A seat post rack and bag should hold all you'll need, mostly high energy food, unless there are plenty of stores along the route.

Eat a bunch of carbs and don't ride at all the day before to allow your body time to store glycogen. Cadence no lower than 60 rpm, higher being better. Target a pace of about 15 mph. Pray for a tail wind.

155 miles in a single day, result, agony!
155 miles in two days, result joy!

If you aren't a long distance rider and accustomed to doing 100 mile days then I strongly advise you to split your 155 mile journey into two days and stay in a hotel for one night. I recently rode 90 miles to visit friends and it took me 6 hours of pedalling with 2 hours for rest and eating, so 8 hours total and I was ready to rest at the end. Most cyclists can work up to 100 mile days, but it takes a few months and then the next step to 100 plus mile days is difficult. Go over to the "Long Distance" forum and ask what they think.

http://wheelsofchance.org/2009/11/08/combining-work-with-pleasure/

If most of your stuff will be going by car you don't need much on the bike. maybe the following

Usual tools and spare parts, tubes, bike lock etc.
phone, wallet
First aid kit
change of clothing
wash kit
rain gear
food and water bottles

I can tell you from experience that a 100-mile day, even if you're in decent shape, is a big deal. A 75-mile day also is a very serious ride, though most people who do some regular riding and are in good health can do it if it's not too hilly. I think the poster who suggested three days is onto something. If you plan to do it in two, I recommend you train consistently through the spring to make it enjoyable.

Slightly off topic but how challenging do you (all) think averaging 60-65 miles a day is on the TransAmerica fully loaded? What kind of endurance should you have before leaving?

If I go I would leave in June. The most I have ridden so far is 32 miles on an old bike that doesn't fit me and 1/2 the gears don't work (could have easily gone further and felt fine next day). My LHT arrived yesterday and I'm picking it up today so going to start stepping it up. I have a lot of mountains near me and one route I plan to train with is riding over the Santa Monica Mountains to the beach from the San Fernando Valley if anybody is familiar. To/From the beach taking Topanga is 30 miles from my house round trip (can easily be made longer). Will also do a few 3 day rides prior to June and potentially SF to LA.

Slightly off topic but how challenging do you (all) think averaging 60-65 miles a day is on the TransAmerica fully loaded? What kind of endurance should you have before leaving?

If I go I would leave in June. The most I have ridden so far is 32 miles on an old bike that doesn't fit me and 1/2 the gears don't work (could have easily gone further and felt fine next day). My LHT arrived yesterday and I'm picking it up today so going to start stepping it up. I have a lot of mountains near me and one route I plan to train with is riding over the Santa Monica Mountains to the beach from the San Fernando Valley if anybody is familiar. To/From the beach taking Topanga is 30 miles from my house round trip (can easily be made longer). Will also do a few 3 day rides prior to June and potentially SF to LA.

You start having problem after 40 miles. Last year I had 226 rides, and averaged 70.45 miles per ride.
65 miles a day fully loaded is about equal to a no loaded 100 mile day.
The hills, winds and the heat wear you down.

I am always amazed by folks who think that because they have ridden X miles with no problem, that 2X or 3X (Heck, now we're talking 5X) should be doable. My advice (and I have done as many as five 100 miles days in a row) is that if you have not trained to do a 155 mile day, you have virtually no chance of pulling it off...at least not without some serious discomfort or injury. The only way you'l pull this off without being miserable is to train for it.

I'll give you an example of what happened to me. While I was training for a transamerican tour, I was doing 50-60 mile days with zero issues. Since my tour average was to be 85miles/day, I really felt that I needed to put in some 80-100 mile days before I left. On my first training century, at 80 miles I developed incredibly painful hot spots on the balls of my feet. I was able to solve the problem with different pedals, but this was something that I would never have found until I stressed the system. If I'd had anther 55 miles to go I would have quit.

Until your body gets acclimated to riding long distances, a ride well in excess of what you're used to will expose all of your weaknesses. Not what you want to discover while on your 155 mile ride.

Better to train for it and then enjoy the feeling of knocking off that monumental ride on the day it happens.

Thanks for all the advice, I really appreciate it. I have incredible amounts of respect for anyone being able to pull off 80+ miles a day. I am splitting up the trip into several days.

Now, what I still need some more info on, is what do I need to pack for a two, maybe even a three day trip?

Minimally:

Bike repair stuff: Puncture kit, multitool, pump.
Off-bike clothes: 1 set
Riding clothes: 1 set, hand wash and hang dry nightly in hotel room
Nutrition and hydration as necessary depending on resupply possibilities on route - the fewer the stores you'll have or stops you care to make, the more you'll need to carry. Minimally, I like a full bottle of water or sport drink every 25-30 miles on a warmish day.

Be aware that you can lose a lot of time, finding, stopping and shopping at stores, but that's where your possibilities for rich interactions with locals happen

Now, what I still need some more info on, is what do I need to pack for a two, maybe even a three day trip?
Where will you stay? (friends? motel? camp?) What will you eat? If you want to do a camping trip you need a tent, sleeping bag, and if you want to cook your own food a stove with fuel, a pot or pots, utensils. Add riding clothes, bike tools, and enough water bottles you can make it between water refuellings.

Freddy,

Smart decision. Describe the style of trip you plan....hotels and restaurants or camping and cooking?

I think that there are numerous packing lists hidden in the archives here somewhere. But you should start with what style of tour you plan.

what a bunch of lame responses. but what do you expect from a bunch of weak tourers is their 50s. i say, if you want do it, go for it. 150 is a day isn't impossible. especially if you prolong the ride and take some breaks to rest throughout the day. hell, i did around 230 miles in a day without a bunch of endurance training or any of that bs, just riding from 6 am to midnight. don't let these guys get to you. i am of the opinion that the touring forums on bf are full of middle-aged pansies.

Whether you can make it in one day, or two days or more, totally depends on you. Just because you haven't done it before doesn't mean that you are not perfectly capable of doing it. Just because you "only" commute 30 miles a day doesn't mean you can't do a long ride. Don't listen to the armchair internet experts. If someone doesn't know you, they can't tell you what you can or can't do, they are just relating to themselves.

vegenaise sniped me....

155 miles (250 km) in a day is very doable .... even comfortably doable, if you've built up to it. Since you're not planning to do this ride for a while, you can build up to it.

In 2003, for example, I did a relaxed and comfortable (and remarkably fast) 380 km ride all in one day around Manitoba. I stopped to take breaks, stopped to take photos, and just enjoyed the day.

In 2004, a friend and I cycled to a beach about 115 km north of Winnipeg. By the time we counted in the ride to downtown Winnipeg at the start and cycling out of Winnipeg, the whole day worked out to 327 km (202 miles). It was a lovely day. We cycled to the beach, spent some time at the beach, and then cycled back.


Freddy - go to the Long Distance forum for questions like this. This is the Touring forum. People here don't generally ride more than about 100 km a day ... but they may do that for several days in a row. The Long Distance forum is mainly for ultra-long one-day rides like centuries, double centuries, brevets, and so on. The rides talked about in the Long Distance forum may be organized and structured rides ... or they may be just someone deciding to do a double century with a beach as a mid-point destination. The Long Distance people will understand your desire to do this ride better than a lot of strictly Touring people will.

what a bunch of lame responses. but what do you expect from a bunch of weak tourers is their 50s. i say, if you want do it, go for it. 150 is a day isn't impossible. especially if you prolong the ride and take some breaks to rest throughout the day. hell, i did around 230 miles in a day without a bunch of endurance training or any of that bs, just riding from 6 am to midnight. don't let these guys get to you. i am of the opinion that the touring forums on bf are full of middle-aged pansies.

why you whippersnapper....

Whether you can make it in one day, or two days or more, totally depends on you. Just because you haven't done it before doesn't mean that you are not perfectly capable of doing it. Just because you "only" commute 30 miles a day doesn't mean you can't do a long ride. Don't listen to the armchair internet experts. If someone doesn't know you, they can't tell you what you can or can't do, they are just relating to themselves.

The OP gave a general description of his/her abilities and regular commute and from that I think that doing 155 miles without a few months good training will be a big challenge. Those sort of daily distances are easily done by randonneurs and stage race cyclists. But not every cyclist laughs at BMB or PBP and for the novice I think it's dangerous to indicate that all you have to do is get on the bike and ride. Some of us can knock out long miles without thinking about, but some empathy/caution for how a 30 mile a day cyclist might do on a 155 mile is only sensible.

what a bunch of lame responses. but what do you expect from a bunch of weak tourers is their 50s. i say, if you want do it, go for it. 150 is a day isn't impossible. especially if you prolong the ride and take some breaks to rest throughout the day. hell, i did around 230 miles in a day without a bunch of endurance training or any of that bs, just riding from 6 am to midnight. don't let these guys get to you. i am of the opinion that the touring forums on bf are full of middle-aged pansies.

A bit OT, but I'm not really comfortable doing more than 100 miles in a day when touring just because I have other stuff to do besides riding, like laundry, making camp and sightseeing and I like to do that stuff while there's still plenty of daylight. If I have to do a longer day I will, but I find that multiple, back to back days over 80 miles just start to wear me down and take away from the other stuff I want to do. If the OP had some experience of century riding I would encourage him/her to go for the 155 mile single day.

The OP gave a general description of his/her abilities and regular commute and from that I think that doing 155 miles without a few months good training will be a big challenge. Those sort of daily distances are easily done by randonneurs and stage race cyclists. But not every cyclist laughs at BMB or PBP and for the novice I think it's dangerous to indicate that all you have to do is get on the bike and ride. Some of us can knock out long miles without thinking about, but some empathy/caution for how a 30 mile a day cyclist might do on a 155 mile is only sensible.

The OP didn't ask whether or not anyone thought he could do a 155 mile ride. He asked what he should pack. I don't see any reason for the BF touring crowd to jump in and try to discourage him. If it's too much for him, he'll find out for himself.

I understand that he asked about what to pack. But in not asking about riding the distance, I thought he had glossed over the more important issue, i.e., whether the distance was appropriate for his apparent level of fitness. By not asking about the clear disparity between his experience and his aspiration, it seemed possible that he had misjudged the difficulty of doing the ride. Never mind what he was planning to pack, I thought he was going to be in for a rough day and that I was doing him a favor by pointing it out. As it turns out, the OP has agreed and has amended his plan to make it a two or three day ride. Looks like we did him a good turn.

I find it interesting that some favor the "train for the ride" approach and others favor the "be an adventurer and just go do it" approach. Guess neither is right or wrong, but as others have suggested, whatever is appropriate for the individual. However, in my opinion most people (even most people who ride 30 miles per day) would never be able to do a 155 mile ride or would suffer mightily without preparing for it.

If you contract with a serious bicycle tour operator they will strongly suggest you train for it and will provide a template for training. I suspect that any organization that puts on triathlons or road races would do the same. I'm sure that part of their motivation is to cover their liability, but part of it is their experience in seeing unprepared athletes attempt something for which they are not ready- and nobody enjoys that.

I'll stick to my guns: training for an athletic event like a 155 mile bicycle ride is prudent for most people.

Thanks for all the advice, I really appreciate it. I have incredible amounts of respect for anyone being able to pull off 80+ miles a day. I am splitting up the trip into several days.

Now, what I still need some more info on, is what do I need to pack for a two, maybe even a three day trip?


You could also ride 80+ miles a day ... even 155 miles a day. If you had posted this question in the Long Distance forum, you would have got an entirely different set of responses ... all encouraging you to build up to it and go for it. And IMO you could still do that. You've got several months till your summer ... start building up one or two of your regularly weekly rides by 10% to 20% per week.

First of all, if you're riding 30 miles a day, 5 days a week, you've got a good fitness level to work with. You could very likely go out and ride a century (100 miles) right now. But if you wanted to ride one comfortably, building up is the way to go.

So right now you're riding 30 miles comfortably. Next week, do a 33-35 mile ride on one or two days. The following week, do a 35-40 mile ride on one or two days. The next week, do a 40-45 mile ride on one or two days. Next week, do a 45-50 mile ride on one or two days. In four weeks time you could be up to 50 mile rides. If you hit a week where the distance is a struggle, repeat the distance the next week. In another four weeks you could be up to an 80 mile ride ... and it would only be the middle of March.



If, however, your plan is to ride very casually so you can take in tourist attractions, do sight-seeing, and so on along the way, then perhaps breaking it up into two days would work better for you.

what a bunch of lame responses. but what do you expect from a bunch of weak tourers is their 50s. i say, if you want do it, go for it. 150 is a day isn't impossible. especially if you prolong the ride and take some breaks to rest throughout the day. hell, i did around 230 miles in a day without a bunch of endurance training or any of that bs, just riding from 6 am to midnight. don't let these guys get to you. i am of the opinion that the touring forums on bf are full of middle-aged pansies.

It may be possible, but it probably will not be enjoyable. It also depends on the rider, and what the rider expects out of the trip. For example doing it all in one shot means minimal stops for meals, no stops to take pictures or to admire scenery, it means hitting the road before dawn and trying to keep up a short haul pace for a long haul ride that ends after dark. It means riding through pain, and probably asking yourself at least 100 times, "what the &%$@ am I doing out here?" It also means that you can not under any circumstances get lost or take any side trips. You also need to figure that the OP may start the day at 17MPH, but will probably be closer to 5MPH by the end of the day.

Probably better to do it in 3 days, 50 or so miles per day. That means you can be up at 8, have a nice breakfast, hit the road around 9-9:30, stop around noon for a nice lunch, you can stop and admire scenery, maybe take a few pix. finish up at your hotel between 3 and 4, spend some quality time in the jacuzzi or pool to relax those muscles.

It is not relevant but I find it pretty funny that OP does not want to be "trapped in a car" on a 155 mile trip. Maybe a 3 hour drive? Must not like the other people who would be in the car, mother in law maybe? lol

I'd also imagine OP will have a 155 mile ride home not that it matters.

You could also ride 80+ miles a day ... even 155 miles a day. If you had posted this question in the Long Distance forum, you would have got an entirely different set of responses ... all encouraging you to build up to it and go for it. And IMO you could still do that. You've got several months till your summer ... start building up one or two of your regularly weekly rides by 10% to 20% per week.

First of all, if you're riding 30 miles a day, 5 days a week, you've got a good fitness level to work with. You could very likely go out and ride a century (100 miles) right now. But if you wanted to ride one comfortably, building up is the way to go.

So right now you're riding 30 miles comfortably. Next week, do a 33-35 mile ride on one or two days. The following week, do a 35-40 mile ride on one or two days. The next week, do a 40-45 mile ride on one or two days. Next week, do a 45-50 mile ride on one or two days. In four weeks time you could be up to 50 mile rides. If you hit a week where the distance is a struggle, repeat the distance the next week. In another four weeks you could be up to an 80 mile ride ... and it would only be the middle of March.



If, however, your plan is to ride very casually so you can take in tourist attractions, do sight-seeing, and so on along the way, then perhaps breaking it up into two days would work better for you.

I agree that the Long Distance forum is more appropriate for this thread as the OP is not really touring, rather just wanting to cover miles. However, I think that doing 155 miles in a single day is a challenge and if the OP can spread it out over 2 or 3 days I'd recommend that they do that so they are comfortable. Once we've done a century or a double century it's easy to forget all the aches and pains it took us to get there. I know that my first century left me exhausted for a couple of days, but now a 100 miles is just a matter of putting my head down and riding. However, I still have to break the 150 mile day as I don't ride brevets and there's really nothing pushing me to longer mileage. If I start to do brevets I'll have to up the mileage, but cyclists who just long for 100 mile plus days are a pretty hardcore group which is why I think we need to caution newbies who set out to do big mileage.

Let's start off with saying that none of the above posts have discouraged me. They have actually INcouraged me to ride the distance anyway, but spread over two or maybe even three days. I'm still going to ride it, but am taking all of your advice into consideration.

Thanks a lot, all of you! :)

It may be possible, but it probably will not be enjoyable. It also depends on the rider, and what the rider expects out of the trip.

exactly. so what is your point then? you don't know what this guy might find enjoyable. just smoke a blunt, listen to your ipod and most anything can be enjoyable. even a 150+ mile ride in a day.

Once we've done a century or a double century it's easy to forget all the aches and pains it took us to get there. I know that my first century left me exhausted for a couple of days, but now a 100 miles is just a matter of putting my head down and riding. However, I still have to break the 150 mile day as I don't ride brevets and there's really nothing pushing me to longer mileage. If I start to do brevets I'll have to up the mileage, but cyclists who just long for 100 mile plus days are a pretty hardcore group which is why I think we need to caution newbies who set out to do big mileage.

Thank you!! I can't wait till I can do the longer distances again. My head says I can ... I just need to get my body up there again. :D

The thing is once you've done a few centuries (and assuming the OP is thinking of doing this ride in July or so, he's got lots of time to get a few in), they start to come naturally after a while. And then ... someone asked me once how to make a century more comfortable, and I replied ... do a double century. When I rode my first double, the longest distance I'd ridden before that was 200 km (125 miles), and I'd done it twice. That double century was no problem at all ... I loved the distance!!

Once the OP gets out there riding longer distances, he may find he really enjoys them. :)

exactly. so what is your point then? you don't know what this guy might find enjoyable. just smoke a blunt, listen to your ipod and most anything can be enjoyable. even a 150+ mile ride in a day.

That is why I said PROBABLY will not be enjoyable. I also stated why, it might not be enjoyable. You seem to be the only one here who thinks this is a nothing trip. The OP rides 15 miles at a time, twice a day, so 30 miles total. Going from 30 miles to 150 miles, is a big deal for a lot of riders. However if your used to doing 30 miles a day, then 50 should be doable, even over multiple days, providing you pace yourself well. One thing we don't know is the age and physical condition of the OP. If the OP is 25 and in excellent physical condition, it's probably easy to do. However if your closer to 50 then 25, and your a decent short haul rider, then it would be a lot more difficult. I wouldn't attempt 150 miles, until after completing at least 2, 100 mile rides. Then do a back to back double, 100 miles on day 1 and another 100 miles on day 2.

You seem to be the only one here who thinks this is a nothing trip.

No, he's not.

Not that I think 155 miles is a "nothing trip" ... but rather something that could be a nice enjoyable day ride.

It's January. That means it's winter in the northern hemisphere. The OP is planning to do this ride in the summer, which would indicated probably July or August. There is a lot of time between January and July.

The OP is riding 30 miles a day 5 days a week. If he has been doing that for a few months, he could go out and ride a full century ... 100 miles ... right now. He IS fit enough for it, and should have worked out any bicycle fit, saddle and clothing issues by now. His only weak area is nutrition, but if he stuck to the guideline of eating 250-300 calories per hour and drinking at least one 750 ml bottle of water and/or sports drink every 1 to 1.5 hours, he would be fine. It's possible it might not be a really fast century, but that's OK.

However, given that he has a lot of time to work with, he can opt instead to build up his distances more gradually, which would allow him to work out any nutrition issues, and just get him used to riding longer than he currently is.

You might also call ahead if you know where you'll be staying, to make sure they'll let you keep your bike in your room. I've been denied this by both a fleabag motel in Santa Fe, NM, and by a Best Western(IIRC) in Corpus Christi, TX. The one in Corpus took place immediately after a rain soaked, 40 degree, 158 mile ride. I about went nuts, especially since we told them we were bringing bikes in when we made the reservation.

Admittedly this is a minor point in response to the OP's query, but could be a major hassle at the end of a trying day. There have been a couple threads about such refusals and a frequent response was not even bother calling ahead with such information; just do it. I've never had a problem and I do prefer to bring my bike into the room. On a couple of occasions in downtown hotels I have checked the bike into the hotel luggage room.

...; just do it. I've never had a problem and I do prefer to bring my bike into the room. On a couple of occasions in downtown hotels I have checked the bike into the hotel luggage room.

Therein lies the problem, in the Santa Fe case, a handyman snitched on me. He saw my bike when he came up to unplug the commode. In Corpus, the way to the room was past the front desk, so even had I not asked, I'd have gotten stopped. I don't consider the luggage room to be a secure storage area for my only reliable means out of town.

I don't actually think this is a huge risk, but the OP was about planning ahead for a long ride, and this was a matter I thought he might want to consider, along with the rest.

The kind of surprises that occur when exhausted and short on options are nice things to avoid.

Therein lies the problem, in the Santa Fe case, a handyman snitched on me. He saw my bike when he came up to unplug the commode. In Corpus, the way to the room was past the front desk, so even had I not asked, I'd have gotten stopped. I don't consider the luggage room to be a secure storage area for my only reliable means out of town.

Hi truman,

Thanks for the reply. I've often just rolled my bike in through the lobby, though it may be less conspicuous in a large hotel. At one fancy hotel, the Loew's Hotel in Philadelphia, they were very gracious as I did so, offering me luggage storage but with no problem in the room. I certainly do prefer in room storage, but in NYC the room was so small, I stored in the luggage room.

FYA, here's one of the two threads I have read on the subject:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?464478-Wouldn-t-let-me-bring-a-bike-into-a-hotel&highlight=bring

That one was by banerjek in September 2008, and he posted something similar at a later time.

Yeah, it was only those 2 places out of 25-30 that gave me any problem at all. But when they did, it sucked.

Have a good trip.

Yeah, it was only those 2 places out of 25-30 that gave me any problem at all. But when they did, it sucked.

Have a good trip.

I think the key here is, when booking the room, ask, if the booking agent can't tell you -- often they can't, because they are in Bangladesh -- you should call the hotel BEFORE booking, ask for the hotel manager, ask them to email or fax you a note that you have spoken to them and they are okay with you bringing your bike into the hotel.

I think the problem arises from someone traipsing a dripping wet, muddy bike through the hotel, and tracking mud everywhere, leaving the hotel the expense of shampooing carpets, before they normally need it. Call the hotel, ask about secure bicycle parking first, be willing to explain why a post and ring or wheel bender rack out in the alley is not acceptable storage for an expensive touring bicycle that is your only means of transportation. Some may already have secure bicycle storage areas, or bike lockers in the parking lot or garage. In a garage it would be easy, take a parking spot, divide it into 3' wide sections with some 2x4's slap on a little drywall and add doors, using the same kind of electronic key as the rooms, then you get your spot with your room. Using vertical storage racks and putting the spots perpendicular to the car parking you should be able to get 5 bike lockers into one spot.

How old are you? I think that a lot of the variety in conservatism comes out of the age range on the forums. The sad fact is that your body takes abuse worse the older you are. If you are young and crazy I say go for it. If you are 40+ I'd say train a bit and expect discomfort.

exactly. so what is your point then? you don't know what this guy might find enjoyable. just smoke a blunt, listen to your ipod and most anything can be enjoyable. even a 150+ mile ride in a day.

dude. what, no 3D glasses?

My longest day was 105 miles and that was after three weeks of building fitness on tour. It was a very, very long day for me. I think a lot depends upon the terrain, weather, wind, not getting lost etc. For me, I am comfortable with 70-80 miles in a day. Everything would have to turn out perfectly for me to achieve more (no flat tyres etc.). Maybe I am weak; or maybe I just know my limitations :)

Regarding bikes in hotels... I bought a new, cheap supermarket mountain bike for a Hong Kong to Shanghai trip twelve months ago. Took it past reception, up into the lift and spent the night attaching accessories, bags, sleeping gear, checking brakes etc. Reception staff and security guy were very interested. "How much did it cost?"; "Where will you ride to?" etc. Very cordial and friendly. Fast forward to the next morning. I'm coming out the lift and walking *to* the reception desk to check-out with room key credit card in hand, cycling gear on, bike packed for my tour. Different security guy comes rushing over from near the main doors in a fluster and saying "bikes are not allowed inside". I remember thining "It's a bit late for all that now. What a waste of energy"!

people get into trouble by arbitrarily boxing themselves into a situation (e.g. 155miles in 1 day) whithout knowing that they can actually accomplish it. by building in a little leeway timewise, you can play it by ear and get there either sooner or later.

there's, what, maybe 16 hours or so of daylight in mid-summer. i think anyone who is fairly fit, with no big load to carry, and not too over-the-hill, could probably average 10 miles an hour for 1 long day. they may regret having done it the next day though, if the most they've done is only 1 hour at a time, twice a day, with an 8 hourbreak in between.

what to bring? for 1 or 2 days, a change of clothes is optional. us high-milage pro's generally have some high energy tunes on hand, 1 waterbottle of sports drink for the electrolytes, 1 waterbottle of tequila, a fanny pack full of candybars, a pair of cool $150 sunglasses and a tube of very retro zinc oxide for our noses. some of the literati amongst us may also tear out and bring sections of time or people magazine, tucked into our shorts or jeans back pocket. (one bit of advice from personal experience: bring along 1 extra bottle of tequila and you can forgo needing a hotel) ;)

How old are you? I think that a lot of the variety in conservatism comes out of the age range on the forums. The sad fact is that your body takes abuse worse the older you are. If you are young and crazy I say go for it. If you are 40+ I'd say train a bit and expect discomfort.

I didn't start enjoying the suffering until after 40. Yeah it hurts more, but feels better!