tazenkot

Hey everyone,

I'm new to road biking and will be going on a coast to coast ride in a couple of weeks. I am looking for advice with what kind of gear to buy and any recommendations people out there can give me.

Thanks

T

KevinF

Is this a loaded tour (i.e., you're carrying your own gear on your bike) or a supported tour (there's a truck carrying your gear?) Organized tour with the route all planned out, or are you going to be on your own?

How many weeks are you going to take to cross the country? i.e., what sort of daily mileage are you going to do? The first issue (since you're apparently rather new to riding) is that you need to get your position on the bike dialed in. You're going to be on that bike for hours each day for weeks on end.

I know of several cross-country organized tours that keep the daily mileage in the 60, 70 miles a day range. By itself, that isn't too much. You will "ride yourself into shape" after the first week or two, so you don't need to start out feeling like Superman, but I would be riding every chance I get. Do at least one long ride a week,

dekindy

Define gear, please. What do you already have?

If this is an organized tour they should have a list that you could reference so that we could help you better.

The obvious question is if you are new to road biking does this mean that you are a strong mountain biker or runner?

mleess

I'm a little confused. You say you're new to road biking, but are planning a coast-to-coast trip in a couple of weeks. How new exactly are you? How much have you ridden? A coast-to-coast ride is awfully daunting. You're looking at several weeks of riding at 100 miles a day. Have you ridden a century before? Have you done it back to back days? I'm not trying to be a downer, but I hope you are realistically evaluating this trip and your current conditioning.

As for equipment, check with your group or leader. He/she has to have some kind of check list.

tazenkot

Thanks for the replys!

Here's more information:

It's a supported tour and we're riding between 50 and 100 miles per day (average 70)
We are taking 9 weeks to cross the country including quite a bit of community service along the way.

So far I have a bike (Trek 1000) and a helmet. Nothing else.

I have never ridden a road bike for distances but I am a good runner and have done quite a bit of mountain biking over the past few years.

Basically, I am in search of some kind of recommendations with what should I invest my fairly limited budget in.
I was thinking of using mountain biking shoes and pedals instead of road biking ones. Is that reasonable?

Other than shoes, I am going to buy a couple pairs of padded shorts, shirts, gloves, a bike computer, a saddle bag, multi tool, pump and some extra tubes.

Is there anything else I need? I am really new to the sport and a little clueless...

Thanks everyone

T

C-R700

Wow. How much time do you have?

bvfrompc

The mountain vs road shoes aren't going to matter a bit, having shoes that you are used to beats anything new.

Invest in bib shorts vs regular shorts, make sure they fit well.

A good rain jacket, I love my Perl Izumi Shell, best bike clothes investment I have ever made besides my bibs.

I'll let everyone else fill in the rest, but dang,

All I have to say hearing your plan, is OUCH

Little Darwin

Whatever you get as far as shoes and clothing, get it quickly!

Everyone is unique. For example a pair of shoes and cleats good for one person is not so good for another. Give yourself timwe to locate alternatives.

Plus, things usually get better and more comfortable with a little use... You want to be past the majority of the break in period before you start the ride.

Some mountain shoes will be a little heavy because they'll have big lugs in the soles... just like aggressive knobs on a knobby tire. Good for mountain use, but a compromise would be good for what you are looking to do... Otherwise they will be fine. I use Lake MX-101 which they list as a trekking shoes. they are like their mountain shoes, with a little smaller lugs to cut weight... I use mine with Crank Brothers Candy C pedals and they work for me, and are pretty good to walk in as well.

Get the gear, and take a couple of long rides before the trip to make sure that what you get works well for you.

oilman_15106

I would love to hear an update on this in several months. Right now it sounds like it is going to end badly.

Post this over in the long distance cycling area for some better feedback.

FIVE ONE SIX

road biking 50-100 miles day... after day... after day... after day... and running are 2 completely different things. good luck...

z415

+1 though I don't mean to be a downer. I can ride 30 miles of rugged off road easy and complete a century, but I can only run a mile or so. On the flip side my old friend from high school can run 20 miles, but can only bike about that much.

That being said, go train - ignore speed and learn to control and perfect your cadence. You also might want to learn to bike in a TT position on the road drop bars (with your forearms/elbows on the flats) because you might need to do that once in a while to rest your upper body and just have another position to be in because I suspect you will be sore a lot.

Little Darwin

+1 on the long distance forum... Also, try the touring forum.

I forget where I read it online a few years ago, but I remember reading the report of a coast to coast ride by an inexperienced cyclist, and after the first few days (which were a figurative hell) the rest of the trip went relatively well.

Assuming that the ride is well thought out, and the 100 mile days aren't in the mountains, but in the prairies (with a tailwind) I think it is perfectly reasonable... Especially if the OP is young.

I have never done this, but I have five suggestions for the ride...

1) Take your time.

2) If something hurts or makes noises take care of it... don't ignore it.

3) Pace yourself.

4) Drink before you're thirsty and eat before you are hungry

5) Slow and steady is the key.

Yes, there are similarities between 1, 3 and 5... in fact they are the same... But personally, I would not rush... Enjoy the journey! Stop and smell the roses, or whatever flower is near by.

KevinF

I'd recommend mountain shoes actually because you can walk in them fairly easily. At some point during this trip you're going to want to get off the bike and walk around when you reach some park or some old historic town or whatever. Might as well make that part of your life easy.

I've never done a x-country tour, but I have done several cross-state rides (i.e., 500 miles or so over a week). These things go, rain, shine, cold, hot -- you name it, you ride. Tires and brakes show their deficinies -- and quickly -- in rainstorms. I'd suggest heading out a couple times in some abysmal weather conditions to see how your gear is going to hold up. Better to find out now then when you're in the middle of God-knows-where with no bike store anywhere nearby.

Also, join your local bike club and learn to draft. And quickly. When you're faced with an endless headwind (and you will be at some point) -- knowing how to suck somebody's wheel is going to save your day.

mollusk

How do you like your saddle? I'd find out before starting a cross country trip.

mleess

I can only emphasize again how much you realistically need to address your conditioning and the demands of a coast-to-coast ride. If you've never ridden a road bike for distance before, this may be way too much too soon in terms of distance riding. When I started with my road bike (admittedly I was not in greatest shape) I was doing 12, 15, 20 miles and gradually building. Doing 50 was a long day in the saddle (and still is a long ride). The idea of a beginner rider doing 70-100 miles per day, day after day after day, seems awfully grandiose as a goal. If you can, talk to some people who have done it before and gauge their level of experience when they did it. I've never done coast-to-coast, but I have to believe it requires a lot of conditioning and a lot of muscle build-up to endure that kind of constant stress. I don't think it's something you jump into. Kind of like how I wouldn't recommend that a novice runner do a 100-mile run right off the bat. You could be facing a huge physical ordeal that your body is just not ready for. And that is the perfect formula for injuries.

BUT: Maybe you are young and in fantastic shape and can handle it. I don't know. But I would certainly recommend that you get out there now and do some long rides. I mean really long rides, i.e., 75-100 miles, to get a sense of how you handle being on the bike that long, how your conditioning is, how you are climbing hills, how you feel the next day, etc. A nice leisurely bike ride is not physically demanding, but doing it for 7-8 hours straight is. If you don't have any experience in riding long distance, you better get some quick. And if you can't handle 75-100 miles comfortably, I would highly recommend you consider postponing this trip until you get some more miles on your legs.

I wish you the best of luck.

sancocho

flip it











the other way

(sorry,inside joke)





If this isn't a troll:

If you're in fantastac shape, you may make it to Wall Drug without a prolapsed bunghole. Only a complete animal would sign up for a cross-country ride with a couple weeks to prepare for it. The fact that you did, tells me you're the type of maniac that eats bowls of hard coffin nails for breakfast and shaves with a blowtorch. We are a dying breed. Tailwinds to you, my brother.

tazenkot

Thanks a lot for the replies again.

I took the bike out today for what was pretty much my first road bike ride ever. Went 40 miles and I'm feeling very fresh. I'll try to build up in the 2 weeks I have to 70-80 comfortably.
I know it seems quite crazy going on such a trip with no preperation. I'm 25 years old and in decent shape so I hope my body will not break down.

This trip includes building houses and raising money and awareness for affordable housing. Check out the website - bike and build dot org...
I am attaching below a fundraising letter I wrote and would appreciate if anyone can help out or give me any last minute fundraising tips.

About the equipment - can someone please explain what are the benefits of bib shorts vs regular ones. And what should I look for in a rain jacket?

Thank you,

Tomer



Hello folks,


My name is Tomer, I am a recent San Jose State University graduate and a Bay Area resident. Though fairly new to the sport, this summer I will bike cross country - from Providence, Rhode Island to San Francisco.

The program I am cycling with is called Bike & Build. Our purpose is to raise funds and awareness for affordable housing projects in the United States. According to Habitat for Humanity, over 5 million American households face worst-case housing needs. While cycling, we will stop in many towns across the nation to build houses and change this statistic.

In addition to volunteer work prior to the trip, my goal is to raise $4000: $1 for each mile I will pedal. These funds will go to housing groups that support projects planned and executed by American young adults.

Please join me in my effort and visit the Bike & Build website (www.bikeandbuild.org) to make a tax-deductible donation or send a check to the address below. Funds are due by June 1st. Remember to mention my name so the contributions go towards my goal.


Bike & Build
190 N. 10th Street, Suite 308
Brooklyn, NY 11211


If you have any questions about the program, don’t hesitate to contact me.


Thank you for your support!



Tomer Azenkot
tomer@azenkot.com
1128 Littleoak Circle
San Jose, CA 95129

KevinF

Your cross-country ride starts in essentially two weeks (June 14th) and you did your first-ever road bike ride today? I uhhhhh, wish you the best of luck. Keep us posted on how this adventure goes.

recursive

Good lord.

I, also, must hear how this ends.

Mountain bike shoes. Make sure your bike is comfy. Even if it's supported, carry supplies for flats and know how to use them. Inflate your tires properly. A surprising number of people do not.

road racer

very noble cause.....
I wish you well...but I think that you are crazy as hell to undertake a ride of this magnatuide....
GOOD luck and Godspeed...
please be very careful out on the open road.... what happens if you are injured and cannot finish the ride?

gr@sshopper

GET A DIFFERENT SADDLE!!!!!!!

Otherwise- young and in shape? You'll have fun, feel sore, but not collapse into a quivering heap.

jimx200

Jeeze guys, he's 25! If a 25 yo can't hack 50-70 miles a day without bags, then he's a wuss. I think he'll be fine. I ride a sagged tour of 50 miles per day for 7 days in Mexico without problems and I'm 56. Granted I have been riding for years, but 25 is prime time.
Suggestions: forget clipin pedals/shoes at this point, wear a pair of comfortable sneakers, Sketchers are my pic as they have stiff soles, Tiger Balm is your friend (as well as ibuprofen), lots of water intake, don't skimp on calories as you will need fuel, comfortable bike shorts are fine (either road or mt. bike style), light cotton shorty socks, sunscreen everyday..especially nose/ears, polorized sunglasses, proper clothes:windbreaker, long and short sleeve bike shirts, bike gloves (a must), comfortable helmet (I prefer my mt. helmet as I get a little more screen with the visor), basic bike seat bag and tool kit, 2 water bottles (holders), 4-5 tubes and a set of tires (2), and maybe a small camera.
I really suggest as much sleep as possible at night...heck even a mid-day siesta feels good if possible, if staying at motels...a visit to the spa is a must. Maybe get someone to give you a massage too...find a partner and trade off (could have other benefits too...lol...but save your energy for the ride). Keep us posted and good luck! If I was 25 again, I would be all over this ride.

ggg300

butt cream and pain killers are needed...

MTBLover

I agree with Jim- this isn't impossible for a 25y/o if care is taken to indulge oneself throughout the tour. Great advice up there throughout the thread Tomer! One thing I'd add- a helmet cover (although the honeybees are missing in action, the yellowjackets and wasps won't be in another 6 weeks).

Please keep us posted if you can- we're all itchin' to see how this goes for you (I for one have faith that you can do it).

road racer

^^guys dont forget that instead of days off to recover from 70 to 80 mile daily biking(for weeks on end by a novice rider), this young man will be busting his hump doing construction work.... if I understand correctly.