after 44 miles the first day see how you feel. can you go another twenty miles? if you can than you should, because the second day is going to be harder on your bodies.
2008-10-09 04:15:11
7
Advice on ride distances for 2 day trip
I'm riding about 100 miles next weekend from Rockwood to the Waterfront (ending at the Rockbottom Brewpub, actually). I have a couple of options for first day and second day distances. The first option is to ride for 44 miles the first day and 53 the second. The next option is to ride 64 miles the first day and 33 the second. I haven't gone on really long rides like this, so I'm not sure what's a reasonable distance in one day. I probably should mention, too, that the friend I'm riding with doesn't ride much and is a bit out of shape. Is it better to push the first day thinking that we'll be really sore the second and have a shorter distance to finish or do we take it easy the first day and push on the second day?
2008-10-09 02:18:35
i think you'll both be surprised as to how many miles you can do in a day, despite your shape. i've gone with people on their first long distance trips and they've usually impressed themselves. when i tour i usually think i'll advance approx 10 mph, breaks, lunch, rest stops included. even if you lower that to 8 miles per hour (say if you take longer rests or ride slower), in about 6 hours you should be able to go about 50 miles.
2008-10-09 14:39:27
The biggest factor in your distance will be your bike fit. Erok is right regarding speed and distance, but if you aren't comfortable on your bike for more than, say, 25 miles (even with stops), longer distances will be more of a matter of managing back/butt/arm/neck pain than actual fitness.
2008-10-09 15:28:10
i found that gloves with a nice padding on the palm help out immensely. there's a nerve that runs along your palm between your pinky and your wrist that can get numb really quick, and padded gloves help keep some pressure off of it. also, a good fit will obviously help as well so that you don't have too much weight on it.
2008-10-09 18:38:03
I have done a bunch of 2 day 100 mile trips - I guess Im weird in that I get my bike legs the second day- I always have to push myself thru the first day??
I have padded gloves and padded seat- actually added aeros a few mo ago and the change in position you can do intermittently with these really helps me- of course Im a little older
2008-10-13 14:26:43
over the summer, i did a two-day, 240 mile trip. before that, the farthest i had ever gone in a single day was about 70 miles, and that was without gear. i think you'll be surprised at how far your body will carry you.
the first day was the day i got tired and sore. i did 140 hilly miles, and 100 flat on day 2. day 2 was when everything else hurt, in the way bjanaszek mentioned. it wasn't necessarily a fit problem as much as i was tired and putting too much weight on things that weren't my legs.
also: i did that solo. i think with another person there, you'll both be very surprised at how far you can make it. i was personally happy having the physically challenging leg be on the first day, so i could at least tell myself the whole next day that i only needed to coast.
2008-10-14 19:43:11