Originally Posted by
Sport10y
Hi Cyco I really do apologize if I insulted you or anyone else for that matter regarding my comment about being "outta shape." I thought it was pretty obvious the context was quite tongue and cheek. Regardless, I hope my comment motivates you to get yourself in better shape. As far as Appalachia is concerned, I was born and raised there, and for some strong reason I have a good feeling that I know a LOT more about what it can do to a person than what you do. Thanks for all of your input though concerning my question, I appreciate it. Sport
Sport,
I didn't consider your request as an insult. In fact, you were honest. I had to toured one time with a lady who bought a bike from Canadian Tire (like Walmart) and was out of shape. She rode for a few months and she built up the stamina and strength to finish the trip. We live in very mountainous areas where 16 to 22% grades are kind of the norm. That's what you get when you're in the Rockies. They say that if you can ride here, you can ride anywhere in the world with enough lungs to spare. This is true.
Having said that, my advise is for you to study the elevation profile for your trip and determine how many climb sections you need to do. If you need a 16" gear or lower, than you need to have lower gears. Being out of shape is what a lot of North Americans are in today unlike some of us who ride and are in better shape.