It's been quiet for a few days, so thought I'd post and help bring the thread back to the top of the stack!

I'm planning to ride this year's STP (Seattle to Portland) 204 mile ride, my first, on my '06 Swift. I'm doing it over 2 days--no way I could do it in one. I've been training seriously for the past 3 months and have been doing 50-80 mile rides twice a weekend for some time, gradually building up my endurance. No fancy setup like many of you, the major upgrades are a B-17 saddle and a Sram dual drive (just too hilly here for 8 gears).

The Swift has been riding very nice, the only complaint so far is the stock handle bars which feel a bit low and narrow on those longer rides, even with bar ends attached. I'm considering other options and love the look of bullhorns but probably won't change this close to the ride. Other than a stretched chain and worn-out Primos, victims of riding 1000+ miles in the past 6 months, the bike's been handling great. I'm able to comfortably manage a 15mph average over the course of a long ride which is my target speed. Probably not too fast for most, but it'll mean two pleasant 8-9 hour days of riding. I'd been relying on my Carradice Nelson to carry gear, but have reattached the rack and paniers with the thought of adding capacity for supplies and a change of clothes.

Anyone else planning to ride STP and, more importantly, on a Swift?