baconandeggs

I signed up for a university cycling trip four months ago. What they didn't tell us at the time was that the track covers 120 miles in two days! I'm not out of shape (though I'm not athlete) but the things I do (dancing, jogging) isn't related to biking at all. I haven't been on one for a year. Is this something I should back out of?

I think the track's mostly flat highway biking, but still. I'd have to rent a bike and don't have any padded clothing, etc.

Chief

You can do most anything you put your mind to.... and this bike ride will leave you either loving or hating cycling! Good luck.

Abe Froman

I once did 50 miles at once without riding for 5 years previous to that. It was hard, but I survived. My but hurt pretty bad.

JanMM

Could be a real challenge to jump on a bike and ride 60 miles two days in a row with zero base miles. On a bike you've never ridden. Probably wouldn't kill you.
It will be what you make of it. Or, you could back out.

coldfeet

You can do it. It WILL hurt. Doing it on a rented bike that probably isn't set up for you is going to make it worse. If you can get any time in on the bike in advance, that will help. The proper way to do it is get yourself a bike at least 2 weeks in advance and get some minimum 30 mile rides in, dial in the bike so that it fits you properly.

Otherwise, pack along some Ibuprofen, Liniment, etc. Book a massage session after you get back. Good luck.

Machka 

OK ... let me get this straight ...

1) You signed up for a university cycling trip ... and it didn't occur to you to ask how far you'd be cycling? How far did you think you'd be cycling?

2) You signed up for a university cycling trip ... and in the 4 months that passed between then and now, it didn't occur to you that getting a bicycle might be a good idea?

3) When is the trip?

10 Wheels

You can do it. But your butt won't like it.

2manybikes

In other words..........how much time do you have left to train?

It can take a while to just get the comfort and the position worked out for a long ride. Not to mention getting your bike legs.

ThermionicScott 

Probably bad idea. But like most bad ideas, it has probably taken hold, so nothing will dissuade you. Get a pro fit beforehand if at all possible, so you can limit the damage to muscle soreness.

baconandeggs

Oh boy guys.

My university puts out about fifteen outdoor trips a semester. Everything from canoeing to some hikes to fishing to horseback riding. I sign up for them all because I like getting away from the city. So when I signed up for an "Overnight Easter Bike Trip" I really assumed it was going to--well--not be 120 miles in two days. Nothing else they have is remotely close to this in exertion.

I also am not at liberty to rent a bike now. I walk where I need to go and never really need to go more than two miles from where I study. I don't at present bike as a sport; biking for me a year ago was a way to get to X or a nice thirty minute paddle around the neighborhood to the park.

The trip is next Sunday. So I'm guessing I really shouldn't take this on.

(I'm a woman--not if that makes any difference in biking, but it might in terms of my ability to cold turkey something.)

I'm not concerned about, I guess, the distance. Hell, if I couldn't feel it, I'm sure I could bike 120 miles in a day. (Ten hours? Oh yeah, I'd be dying, but if there was a whip, I could do it.) Pain typically doesn't hit me until the day after so that morning that I got up after sixty miles--I kind of feel I might not be able to pull through for the next sixty because of soreness and the inability to move.

Northwestrider

If you have reservations, don't go. These things should be enjoyable IMO

storckm

You're right: the first way would likely be manageable, the second likely very painful. I don't suppose you could borrow or steal a bicycle now? A few short rides to get it set up would be helpful, although it might be a bad idea to try anything really long too close to the trip. Or you could just cancel.

Artkansas 

Just my guess, but you could do the 60 miles easily enough. The hard part would be the second 60 when your body is hurting.

It's definitely doable. Is the ride going to some place you really want to go, or going with people you really want to be with? Or is it riding just to ride?

If it's riding just to ride, I'd just rent a bike that weekend and do a shorter trip somewhere that fun. The point is smiles per miles.

RB1-luvr

you're butt is going to HATE you, and depending on what style of bike you ride, your shoulders and neck may too.

having all day long to do 60 miles should be doable though.

SlimRider

Don't worry, you won't have any problems at all on the first day...

Just think, people do centuries. They ride for one hundred miles in one day!

Therefore, what's a measly 60 miles?

Street Pedaler

You're in college so I'm going to assume that you're fairly young and you said that you walk everywhere so I'll also assume that you're in a least some semblance of shape so these two things are working in your favor. I agree with pretty much everyone else in that, you can do it, but it's probably gonna hurt. A lot. But there's at LEAST an 80% chance that you won't die from it. I say go for it. If ya want to be a bear, you may as well be a Grizzly. Good luck!

RB1-luvr

If you do do it, you have to tell us about it in this thread.

CraigB

This. Especially on the second day.

StephenH

There could be a wide range of variation in the results.

One major consideration is what pace you're expected to hold. If you're riding with friends that will hold your pace, no problem there. If you're riding with a 15-mph group and you're an 11-mph rider, you have big problems. Riding 60 miles in a day, you can go pretty slow and still make it. The catch is that if all the other participants are regular cyclists, they're going to want to hold a reasonably brisk pace.

If the route is perfectly flat and it's not especially windy, then a good ol' cruiser bike in good shape would get you through it. If your area is a mess of hills and hurricanes, you need a good bike, and that becomes problematic. Road bikes are great, but they are less of a one-size-fits-all proposition.

I would suggest to contact the organizer(s), explain the situation, and get their take on it. It may be a lot of other people jusst like you, in which case, no problem. Or it may be mainly experienced cyclists, where you'd be better off not going.

If you're game, you might ask the organizer(s) if they know of any stoker seats available on tandems. That solves the bike-rental problem, avoids being potentially stuck by yourself in the middle of nowhere, and would help on the speed issues.

AlmostGreenGuy

I wouldn't even consider it. Not for that distance.

Phil_gretz

You CAN do this, but it will not be comfortable - even on the first day.

I've taken novice riders on all types and lengths of ride, including taking a relatively fit friend on a 59-mile each way bike trip to a weekend retreat (day to rest in between). He had ridden 25 mile trips in preparation and had a bike that fit properly. He suffered on the first day - and I had a careful plan to pace, hydrate, and encourage him.

First, the bike must fit you and your riding style. This isn't a random thing. The saddle must fit without chafing. Your weight distribution must be comfortable for you. Your riding position must account (some) for the desire to minimize wind resistance. Your hand position(s) must be sustainable for a relatively long time (say 5 hours of on-bike time). Have a cycling expert friend help you set up the bike or borrow one that's in good condition from a classmate or dorm mate.

Second, learn to establish a cadence that you can sustain for LONG periods of time. This usually means spinning faster than you might ordinarily consider, at lower speeds than other people normally go. This cadence is your friend, because it shifts the load from your muscles to your heart/lungs. Trust me, it's important to do this.

Nutrition, hydration, taking breaks, and trying to relax will all be important. Do some google searches, but you'll need to think about 200-250 calories per hour, ~ 1pint to 1 quart of liquid per hour, and regular short breaks to stretch and relax your hands.

Be mentally and physically as relaxed as you can - it will cut down on fatigue.

Good luck.

Phil G.

danadear

Oh hell no. No way..but then I'm a bit of a wimp. Day one you can probably manage but you will be happier than you can imagine when you get off that bike at the end of that day. Day 2 you are going to get up and cry.

BlazingPedals

Sitting on that saddle on the morning of the second day is going to be an eye-opener. I wonder if I'll be able to hear the screams from here? I'm in Michigan. But yeah, you'll make it. It won't be pretty and you'll walk funny for a week, but you can do it. Maybe some biker babe will take pity on you and keep you company when everyone else drops you for coyote bait.

fietsbob

8 hours to cover 60 miles, you are going to need to average about 8 mph..

so Its not that fast, just have to keep at it.

stand on the pedals occasionally to get the circulation in the sitplatz,
and get some seamless bike shorts.

the fit of the rental bike is, hopefully, adequate,
and the bike won't have rolling resistance of a beach cruiser.

Are there Friends going on this trip with you?,
should have some new ones by the end.

Dudelsack 

You pitiful fool. You inexcusable bolus of human waste product. You hack. You duffer. You look funny and you smell like rotting chamois. The hatchery from which you were spawned was destroyed out of horror from having introduced you into the Universe.

Actually, I think it's a cool idea. I'd go for it.