Originally Posted by
CraigB
No need to worry about getting stuck anywhere - a hill is not a totally insurmountable obstacle. Take on the nearest one. If you find you can't ride all the way up, ride as far up as you can, and walk the rest. Repeat, and in time you'll be walking less and less. Finally you'll have the confidence to tackle more of them. I've yet to see a paved road I couldn't push a bike up while walking. "Famous last words," I know, but still...
Originally Posted by
Seattle Forrest
There's no shame in getting off to walk the bike ... and, if you find yourself doing this, the next time you come back, you have a built-in goal of making it further than last time.
Getting stuck somewhere provides great motivation.
Well. Yes I acknowledge that's a possibility. But logistically I'm still worried.
I have a very low tolerance for heat; had a heat stroke once 6 years ago. I go through about 1x24oz bottle of water for every 10 miles I bike, which is more than double what I see most people on bikeforums drink. I try to carry 4x24oz bottles and I'll go through those very quickly on a hot day, sometimes faster than one per 10 miles. So if I end up having to walk up some big hills that could seriously put a dent into my time, and put me in a situation where I could run out of water. I live in the country and it's not out of the ordinary to find myself 15+ miles from a place that sells water. Right now that's not a huge concern because it's a lot colder...
But that's because the days are shorter. With dusk occurring before 7pm now, it's a lot more likely I'll be caught in the dark somewhere if there's a hill I have to walk instead of ride.
Maybe I'm being overly cautious, but hey, I wouldn't be where I was today if I weren't!