2008 Tarwheel in Elizabeth CIty, NC
 

Anyone riding the Tarwheel this year? I'm signed up, but this will be my first ride, so I'm a little nervous. I couldn't convince my husband to do it with me...so I'll be going it alone.

Yep. I've never done this ride, but I hear it's very well organized and has great rest stops. Will your hubby at least be there to cheer you on and drive you home afterwards?

Yeah, he said he would be on stand by so that I could call him if I need him to come pick me up. I'm still not sure which of the three rides I'm going to try to do. I know I won't be able to do the full century yet...but maybe the metric century. I talked to a guy in Elizabeth City last week that has done it before and he did say that the rest stops are great. I figure if I get too tired, I'll stop for a while until I can continue. I just don't want to look like an idiot out there. It doesn't help that I'm buying my first road bike on Friday, so I only have a couple of weeks to get used to it!

I am not riding it because it conflicts with another ride I was already signed up for. My parents live in Duck, NC; so I was going to make a long weekend of it.

Looking at the route and knowing the area, I think you will be fine as long as you have some miles on yours legs going into it. It is really flat so if you take your time & just take it SAG stop to SAG stop you should be fine. Be sure to watch your hydration & nutrition and your should be fine. Just be sure not to think of it has riding a century, it's more like riding 30 miles, taking a break, riding 30 more miles, etc.

Have you done these types of rides before? You won't look like an idiot, not any more than the other hundreds of people on bikes and in spandex. Really, you shouldn't waste your time on those worries! There are all types of rider on these kinds of rides. All ages, sizes, types of bikes, speeds... It's not a competition and it's not a beauty contest. I like these types of rides because of the camaraderie--we all choose to do this bicycling thing, and we all really like it! How cool is that?

Ride your bike as much as possible before the 26th. You'll want to work out the kinks and get comfortable before the ride. Cables are gonna stretch, so you'll want the bike shop to do a quick look-over a few days before the ride. If you haven't already, I highly recommend arranging for a professional fitting of your bike. Also, get used to the other things, like shorts and shoes. Nothing is worse than realizing that those brand new shoes give you blisters when your on a ride far from home. Do you have a riding buddy whom you can do the ride with? You can probably find someone who's riding at your pace, or if you prefer you can ride alone and enjoy the scenery. It's a personal preference.

Will you have a bike computer? It'll be very helpful for following the cue sheets, although the course should be well-signed. Sometimes, though, the signs fall off. That happened to me in last year's Bike Virginia and I got lost for little while. I hadn't seen another cyclist in a half hour; I thought that was strange. Maps are great, though.

Oh, and drink lots of water/gatorade and eat frequently.

I have never done a ride like this before...actually I've only gotten into outdoors riding in the last couple of months. I'm a SPIN instructor, so I have the basics of indoor cycling down...but not the wind and elements part! I bought a Hybrid in February, but with the wonderful Virginia/Northeast NC weather haven't been able to get outside with it very much. I did get a trainer for the house and have spent some time on there. I'm trading my hybrid in for a road bike on Friday and am sooooo excited!!!

This says it all. A few weeks getting used to the new bike will work wonders.

I'm thinking about checking this ride out this year. I heard they have the best food at there rest stops (like deviled eggs which I love). You'll love a ride like this due to the support they give you while riding.

I rode much of the Tarwheel Century route as part of Cycle NC one year, and it is a beautiful area with nice scenery, limited traffic and flat roads. Wind and rain are the main potential issues. I rode the Cycle NC spring event last weekend in Oriental, NC, and it was extremely windy on Saturday. I rode the century route that day and it was probably my toughest day on a bike ever, even with the flat roads. You can ease the pain from the wind by riding in a paceline, but if your biking experience is limited to spin classes, a century ride is probably not the best occasion to learn.

Just don't stop so long that you tighten up.