As I was riding along today, I thought wouldn't it be good if there was a thread full of handy tips for planning your ride.

The reason my mind was wandering was because I was on a 105 mile ride and I had reached 45 miles so pretty close to the furthest point so it was impossible to shorten the ride. At this distant location, I suddenly thought, "Oh no. I need a crap." I was riding solo and I had no lock for my bike; I was in a whole lot of trouble. To keep my mind off my bum, I concentrated on interesting and distracting thoughts, avoided moving about too much on the saddle and rode like hell to get home.

The simple fact is, even if I was with other people, how would I have raised the subject. Hold my bike, I'm going for a dump in this field. No way.

The only answer was to evacuate my bowels fully before setting out on a long ride. My tip. What tips can you offer?

this was not as expected

it took me by surprise too.

so grumpy's tip is...

carry a roll of toilet paper along with your repair kit. i'll make a note of that.

I got nothin' to add to that.

what were the interesting and distracting thoughts you had on the ride home?

How to improve the drainage for my tomato plants

Alternative ways to wash my delicates

For how long should tea bags steep

Should I call ahead to the Japanese restaurant to order take-away and pick it up before going home?

Visualising the menu of said restaurant

Perpetual motion device

Laurel and Hardy or Charlie Chaplin

yup, that should about do it with time to spare.

105 mile ride with a lock? what type? is it heavy?

no lock. that's why i had to just get home asap. no way i could have left the bike unlocked for the time it would take to pinch one off.

And a shovel. Definitely not quite what I was expecting from this thread lol. I know the person I most often ride with well enough that it wouldn't be too awkward. And though this is probably far tmi, guess what urge this thread just started in my own body? Yup.

On a 105 mile ride, it calls for planning. On a 45 mile ride, not that much, but still you gotta know your routes.

Most riders actually ride maybe a dozen routes on a routine basis. They know where everything is at. Even if you go to a gas station convenience store, you can easily slip the attendant some bills to store the bike behind the counter.

know your route yes. i make sure there are public restrooms on parks/trails/etc on the way where i can literally bring the bike inside the cubicle, which are usually large enough since enforcement of that disability code where wheelchairs should fit comfortably inside restrooms (in CA at least).

It's never been an issue for me, but since most of my riding is done in a rural, fields and woods environment, I wouldn't have an issue with taking a squat in the woods if the need arose. The TP thing is a bit more problematic, but since I usually wear a bandana around my head for a sweatband, I guess I'd sacrifice it if necessary. That is, if there weren't any old corn cobs laying around.

My digestive system generally shuts down when I'm exercising, which is probably why it's never been a problem for me. Keep the breaks short, and I'm good to go (or, technically speaking not go).

is that the reason why i see some cyclist wearing one sock?

Where are you riding that for the last 60 miles you didn't pass any opportunities to relieve yourself?

I always carry a little retractable lock in my saddle bag. I have mine for skiing, but I"m sure you can find them in other places. Works great if I have to duck into a convenience store at some point for 5 minutes.

Now there's an idea!

Bring some sheets of papertowels. They hold up better than tp.

No, he said he needed to crap.

He did NOT say he needed a piece of crap!!

My biggest pre ride tip would be to get plenty of rest. I usually wake up around noon (being a jobless college kid during the summer has been amazing, btw) after having gone to bed at like 2am, eat, and chill for 2-3 hours to digest (and relieve my bowels if needed) before my ride.

haha

I guess your best pre-ride tip is to take a crap so that you don't need to on your ride.

well I was going to go with "always check your tire pressure" but that seems so trivial now....always check your bowel pressure?

where can i buy the gauge for this? and what is the min/max psi?

As I learned on my ride this morning in the heat, drink plenty before your ride and drink plenty during your ride.