This is probably just another one of those personal details, but I have never personally found a saddle even in the 100 dollar range, that was comfy day after 80 mile day that wasn't leather. A lot of them are good for 40 a day, but beyond that they are hell for me.
I have a B17 on my bike and I love it. As far as riding with other people, it'll just be my son and I and we're way past the resentment part. He really just enjoys that I'm going with him. He realizes my pace is slow and never seems to have an issue with it. When we're out riding, if I get too far behind, he'll pull over and wait for me to catch up.
Originally Posted by
Machka
How did the 52 mile ride go?
And 20 miles is pretty short to show up some fit issues. You can be quite comfortable on just about any bicycle over 20 miles ... it's when the ride gets longer that your shoulders, knees, ankles, and butt can start giving you trouble.
So... here's how it went. Physically, it wasn't bad at all. I trucked along and took breaks when I felt I needed breaks. We brought Gatorade packets and every 3rd bottle of water was mixed with it. My daughter-in-law made us some homemade energy bars and they were delicious and hit the spot. We happened across a gas-station Subway around 1pm and had our lunch there. I actually felt pretty good.
For the downside... it was not a good day for riding. The wind was strong and I swear we were in headwinds both there and back. The Cross Florida Greenway multi-use/biking trail is definitely more oriented towards mountain bikes, but my son and I both run 700 x 42 tires which helped a bit more than if we had narrower tires. There's some sand to negotiate and also some pretty big ponds...errr...mudpuddles, but we managed along just fine. My Brooks saddle is just too nice really. It's broken in well enough that I'm not really saddle sore. I mean, it's a bit tender on the sit bones tonight, but not bad. My knees are good, no pain there. My back is also fine and although it did hurt a bit from time to time, I found that if I stretched out onto my bars, it helped a bunch. The only thing that really hurt that I can report is my bike helmet. It started rubbing, hurting, and gave me a headache. I ended up pulling it off while we were back on the bike trail away from traffic. I hadn't anticipated it hurting, but the duration of having it on caused me some grief.
Before I forget, thanks to all those that posed those links. I did read them all and found some good advice. One of the things that helped out on that trip the most was to stay aerobic. I set a pace that kept me from over doing it and going anaerobic. Whenever I went up against a decent grade hill, I geared down for it rather than push too hard.
All in all, the trip went well. Better than I expected. My son wants to go to a different state park on Sunday that would be a 64 mile round trip, but I'm not sure I should push it... or there would be any benefit from pushing it. I'm not sore, but it's not morning yet so I expect my legs will be a little more tired tomorrow morning.
Edit* Oh..and it took us about 8 hours there and back with plenty of breaks.