likapunchindafa

im hoping to make an adventure to nyc from new hampshire this summer a total of 243.74 miles (says mapquest) and i know im gunna have to train hard for this, but i still have many questions
1) what kind of training should i do??
2) what kind of nutrition would be the best for me to bring on the trip (staying in a tent 2-3 nights)??
4) how often should i train a week??
5) how long before the trip should i start training??
6) should i take training really easy about a week before the trip so that im not tired on the first day of the journey??
7) and if you would like to make suggestions i am open and listening (which isnt actually a question...)

Lecterman

Over how many days?

Are you riding back as well?

How much do you regularly ride in a week?

likapunchindafa

i plan on making it there in about 3-5 days. i will have a more accurate answer after i see how comfortable i feel afer training for a couple weeks.

i also don't yet know if im riding back. my brother wants to get picked up from new york and go back in a car but i want to ride back, but even if we do ride back we have friends in new york and staying for 2 days before the return home.

i don't ride yet so i can't answer the last question. i dont even have a bike yet but im hoping to get one by the end of the month, i already have one in mind.

late

Do a couple short trips to learn the ropes. Carry close to the weight you will have on the big trip.
Add a few miles each week, and a couple pounds. Frankly, I wouldn't do a bike trip to NYC.

You might want to simply pick your brother up, and consider the cycling tour as a seperate trip.


When you start riding, give it about a month, and then we'll pick this discussion back up. You will have a better idea of what you are ready to do.

likapunchindafa

discouraging words...

ericgu

Well, it depends a lot on your experience level. Riding 50-80 miles per day - especially carrying camping gear - is quite a bit of a ride.

If I were doing this, I'd want to be in the shape where I could ride a century pretty easily.

Santaria

The problem is your questions are all completely hypothetical. While I'd like to tell you that the best-case scenario would involve you being able to do this no problem, the worst case is that you'll find you can't ride beyond a 7 mph mark w/ a load of camping gear to haul.

Am I saying you can't break that number, no. But who knows until you have a bike and put some road miles on it and yourself?

This would be like me asking my wife who doesn't ride to do the MS150 with less than 2 months time, no bike and a November due date - actually, it would be EXACTLY like that. I'm thinking the response is the only variable that would be different.

UmneyDurak

More like hard reality. Do you have a bike?

Carbonfiberboy 

I saw you over on the LDC forum. Different folks here, eh? You ask good questions.

1) Ride. Ride lots. No special kind of training. Don't load your bike down to train. Just enjoy yourself and build up the miles. Try to ride hills as much as you can. You'll get stronger as the weeks go by.

2) Eat what your body tells you to. I wouldn't carry much food with me. Eat out of grocery stores and mini-marts. Ensure is good. Cold poptarts are good. Candy bars are good. Fruit is really good. Burritos are great. Fruit pies are good. Deli sandwiches are good. Practice eating different things on your training rides. Eat dinner in a restaurant or fast food joint. Then you won't need a stove, fuel, and all that weight.

4) Start riding 5 days/week. Maybe 10 mile rides. Vary the length of them. Some short, some longer. Each week ride longer. Work up to riding over 100 miles a week. Preferably quite a bit more. If you get too tired, cut back on the weekly mileage until you feel better. Do one or two longer rides on the weekend. Say 50 miles on Saturday and 30 on Sunday after you get in shape.

5) Start training now. I know you don't have a bike yet. So start jogging. Do situps and pushups. Jumping jacks. Jump rope. Exercise a lot.

6) Yes. Two weeks before the trip, ride really hard and get tired. Then the last week taper it down and rest. The taper isn't so important because you'll be riding for days. But make sure your butt is in good condition and rested. And go over and over your gear until you are sure you have everything and know exactly how it all works.

7) Do it. This is not going to be that hard. You'll have a great time. Try really hard to keep the weight of your gear down. Ideally, no more than 15 pounds each. You will want to take a couple of rides with full gear, just so you get used to the feel of the weight and how the bike will handle with that weight. Get a bike with low gears. Mountain bike gearing would be fine.

likapunchindafa

thank you for your help

late

Riding is a skill, riding in traffic is an art, an inexperienced rider riding
in NYC sounds like a trip to the morgue.

Too much, too fast.

Carbonfiberboy 

Thinking safety, the first thing you'll need will be a helmet and a helmet or eyeglass mirror. Cycle Aware and 3rd Eye are good mirrors. Adjust the mirror so that you are looking at the lane beside you and you have to turn your head slightly to see directly behind you.

A tail light is a must for rain or fog or dim conditions. The Cateye TL-LD-270 is a good one. Mount it on your left seat stay.

You may ride in the rain on your trip, so ride in the rain when you train, also. It's not bad, really. Get comfortable doing it. That means the right clothing and learning to judge braking distance - much longer in the rain.

likapunchindafa

so in the past 4 days i got in about 70 miles on a rusty old bmx bike. (gt performer) and i feel good. i am gunna go look at bikes this weekend and i felt like i should tell you guys that