Originally Posted by
BlazingPedals
Rather than 200 miles in a weekend, maybe your next goal should be a supported tour? Doing tours puts you squarely in the range of most cyclists' abilities. Most tours average around 65-75 miles per day, and the organizer hauls your tent and gear.
GOBA, in your home state, averages about 50 miles per day.
As you increase your mileage, you might want to consider a road bike. It'll roll a little easier down the road, and it'll give you more hand positions. I see people every year on DALMAC, using hybrids and even mountain bikes; but they're the slowest riders as a group and I have to believe they're working harder than the rest of us.
I've had several people around here mention the GOBA event. I think that and generally a supported tour would be a great thing if it happens to fall on one of the few weekends I have available. I coach and our season(s) are during prime riding weekends. But.... fine suggestion and I'll keep an eye out and maybe I'll get lucky and the planets will align. I do know that once my daughter graduates high school that will free me up to do events like that.
Also on the topic of the bike I am going to purchase towards the end of the summer or early fall next year. I'll train all year on my hybrid in anticipation of using a road bike (more of an endurance class) bike for this tour. Of course I'll have to have it in time to get used it it, test it out for a length of time, etc. before doing a long ride. I often wonder what the real increase will be when I go from my hybrid to an endurace bike. The Raleigh Revenio Carbon 2.0 is what I have my eye on now but I have plenty of time to figure all that out.