My first big bike trip - in California from San Jose over the mountains to Santa Cruz, then down the coast to Malibu - we did in gym shorts and sneakers. We didn’t know any better and didn’t suffer anything. I certainly wouldn’t recommend doing that, however.
I did another long ride on a mountain bike in Utah. It was mostly on the road and I didn’t have bar-ends or any options for hand placement and wound up with some numbness in my pinkies and the outsides of my hands. Not good. I also used my old road panniers which were a joke when I went off-road. Fortunately I had packed some nylon cord and bound the panniers together over the top of the rack.
One time I put my saddle just a touch too high and strained a muscle in my hip that nagged me for a few days. I was racing south on rt. 24 to get to Hanksville before a thunderstorm swept in from the west and pushed it a little too hard.
Long story short, a road bike would be preferable or if you’re going to use a mountain bike make sure you have bar-ends or some other options for hand placement. It’s probably not worth buying a whole new bike unless you’re going to make a habit of it or you just want a new bike. Nothing wrong with that!
I prefer straps to bungee cords or other stretchy tie-downs.
Just make sure your butt’s in shape. That’s the important thing!
If it’s an unsupported ride, pre-drive the route. Look for well-spaced places for rest stops, lunch, water, snacks. Take notes, preferrably on a map. Take the map with you, and each night, go over the next day’s ride. Have a plan for the day, and be able to visualize each leg. Nothing makes a long day feel shorter than knowing how far it is to the next stop. Or the top of the next hill. And knowing that there’s tasty food waiting in 20 km makes the time fly. Especially if you know what kind of tasty food. I’ve spent miles on end visualizing the menu at Sonic. Mmmmm… chili cheese wraps…
Actually, I’ve got a great map book that lists inns, restaurants, bike shops, and the distance between specified points (in increments in the vicinity of 10 km).
I love those books. It’s still important to put together a plan for each day. Figuring it out on the fly from a guidebook is much more challenging when you’re pedaling than from a car. Being able to visualize the day is a powerful well to draw from.
And in response to earlier posts: I’ve done lots of 100 mile plus days, and some 500 mile weeks. If your crotch is numb, something is wrong. Either with the saddle, your clothes, or your riding position. Stand and stretch in the saddle regularly. There’s no need for that kind of discomfort and potential long term damage.
And this should go without saying, but sunscreen and Bag Balm are your friends. At the end of each day’s ride, get out of your shorts and shower as soon as possible to prevent saddle sores (these start as inconveniently located pimple-like blemishes). Clean, or at least freshly rinsed, shorts every day.
Bag balm is your friend.
Use it on the crotchal area and anywhere else things rub and get sore.
I was on a one week bike tour, and my thighs were rubbed raw. I literally could not get out of or back into the saddle due to the pain involved.
A fellow rider turned me on to Bag Balm.
The next day I was as good as new.
Unless you are carrying major amounts of gear, ultimately, the weight of your bike isn’t going to make a huge difference. Are you going to be packing clothes, gear, camping stuff, extra water? If you’re carrying over 25 extra pounds of stuff (~10 kg or more), definitely bring spare tubes and a patch kit. The extra weight does a number on your tubes and the first day out you are virtually guaranteed a flat. On my trip I quickly became expert at removing a tube, patching and storing it then putting a new one on…lather-rinse-repeat. I eventually sanded all my spoke holes smooth and that helped a lot. Rim tape helps too.
Other than that, basic bike repair skills should include checking the true of your wheels (most people just use a brake as a reference) - you may want to carry a spoke wrench. Also, if your chain breaks, a chain tool will help you shorten your chain until you can get to a bike shop to buy a new one. Brakes should be adjusted and replaced if necessary before starting, if you’re carrying extra weight remember they will be doing more work than usual. Your derrailleurs should be set up and tested well enough to last you through your trip, although a small screwdriver for minor adjustments may come in handy. Also, DON’T have new cables put on right before your trip, they will stretch as you break them in and require constant adjustment. If you don’t have locking shoes/pedals, get some cages for your pedals, your legs will thank you.
I am soooo jealous. I did my trip (California to Colorado, ~1000 miles) 13 years ago! I always swore I’d do it again someday.
Bag balm is a panacea, better than snake oil. Perhaps it could, in fact, be used to oil a snake. I myself have used it for chapped lips, saddle sores, sunburns, cracked cuticles, miscellaneous blisters and chafing, almost anything where the sun doesn’t shine, and a new tattoo. I currently have it on a wound with stitches and a bandage.
Upon preview, I realize that this sounds like I’m trying to seem much tougher than I really am. The tattoo is a Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation bicycle logo, and the stitches are where a mole was removed. I’m really a mild mannered manager sitting at my desk in khakis and a tie, and about to head home to have dinner with my wife and cats.
My Wife is training for an Iron Man. She doesn’t use Bag Balm, but another product sold specifically for this. Bike shops have it. Chamois Butt’r.
For something that isn’t a race, I would recommend a pump to keep the tires topped off. But the CO2 filler might be nice if you have an outright flat (I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone carrying a pump on a race, but it might be the types of racing my Wife does).
So unsuported? And you are planning on getting food and water and inns along the way?
You might be surprised at how much water you want, even between 10k stops. But then again, I support my wife that is racing, not touring.
And clean socks. I’m a big fan of Wrightsocks. When my wife sherpas, I bring one pair for each day, but I suppose you could get by with just two pairs to alternate between wearing and rinsing.
enipla, IIRC your wife’s in the right place for training. Since we missed the RTR lottery, I’m thinking about taking a week (or at least very long weekend) to ride around Summit next month. I’m getting tired of flat lands and hot windy days. And work days have been long enough that I’ve got far more miles in spinning in front of the TV than on the road this season.
I know very little about cycling, but I do know that La Maison des Cyclistes, on Rachel street (adjacent to La Fontaine Park - you probably know this already!) is home to Vélo Québec, and I’m sure they must be able to answer any questions you have. We live nearby, and it’s always very busy - there are probably a bunch of random customers who would be willing to have a look at your bike and gear and evaluate it and tell you what you need, not to mention the staff. And there’s a bike shop a couple blocks west that gave me a good discount when I bought my husband a new jersey (he’s getting back into cycling after a long hiatus following an injury).
You might want to see if Vélo Québec has supported tours doing the route you want to do. For your first time, it might be a good idea to have some pros with you. My father-in-law is an avid cyclist (avid? Think insane!) and he does week-long tours with them pretty much yearly, and has never been disappointed.
Back when I was in shape, and rode a few centuries, my neck was my biggest weak link…probably due to my Icabod Crane posture in general, but I did learn a couple of tricks:
If your helmet has a visor, remove it. If you wear glasses, (even sunglasses) make sure they stay up so that you can look through them near your eyebrows. This will let you lower your head by 10 degrees or so. That will make a huge difference in how your neck feels after a few hours on the drops fighting a headwind…it will also let you spend more time on the drops and make better time, or not get so tired.
They are terrible to pack, but bananas are a great energy food, and the potasium can help fend off muscle cramps.
Yes. And just longer rides around the area, training for IronMen. I’m also planning on the RSVP if I ever work out some issues with my quads.
I like body glide for the chamois butter/bag balm/vaseline use. The others annoy me. By the way, as said earlier - you want to find out what annoys you before you’re stuck with it for 3 days and 300k. Find out on a short, close to home ride.
As far as maintenance / tools go - have all the basic stuff sorted that people have mentioned, particularly with regard to taking a chain key and a spoke key. Two of the most common things that could produce a bicycle-is-failing-to-proceed-situation are a busted chain or a busted wheel. Most other things can be patched up to get you to the next town.
The chain is a non-issue if you have the chain tool, so definitely remember that - I know of literally no way of temporarily repairing a snapped chain without it.
Broken spokes are a little more complicated, as you would need to take spare spokes of the correct length with you, and it takes a little experience to replace and repair them. One snapped spoke is not the end of the world, (I rode across Ireland after snapping one coming down the ferry ramp), but it usually signifies trouble ahead for the wheel. Spare spokes would be essential on some long trips - depends on where you’re going. If you’re passing through many towns with bike shops you’ll probably be fine.
Good luck in any case - it sounds like it will be a great ride.
I’ve to to say, the suggestions about broken chains and spokes and wheels going out of true surprise me. I’ve ridden thousands of miles per year for years on end, and have never even seen a broken spoke or chain on the side of the road. As for wheels out of true, I used to have my wheels trued regularly, but not on any wheels I purchased after 1990 or so. The Rolf Vector Comps on my 2001 Trek needed to be trued after four or five thousand miles. I’ve only got about 500 miles on my new Bontragers, but they’re certainly still true (even after four trips via FedEx). Is this really that frequent? Or am I just riding a charmed life?
For a three day ride, staying in hotels with commercial food and water available along the way, I would want, at minimum:
Two/three Jerseys
Two/three pairs of Pearl Izumi Attack shorts
Two pairs of gloves (one with fingers, one without)
Rain shell
Leg Warmers
Two/three pairs of Wrightsocks
A box of assorted Gu or equivalent
Several packs of Clif Shot gels or equivalent
Half a dozen Powerbar Harvest bars
Some dried drink mix - I use Propel single serving powder packs.
At least one change of street clothes.
CAMERA!
Four tubes (two if I thought I could buy more along the way if needed)
Four CO2 cartridges
Milk bars or other tire levers
A Topeak Mini 18 tool (or maybe the Topeak Hexus)
Maybe a small Leatherman or equivalent
If no bike shops along the way, maybe a spare tire (kevlar beads fold fairly small)
Helmet, gloves, glasses
Sunscreen
Bag Balm
Toothbrush/toothpaste (and a shower kit, or plan to use hotel soap/shampoo)
Lip Balm with UV protection
Route map
Cell phone
A good friend to call in a pinch
A small journal and pen
Some assorted small bandaids
A cap
Depending on ride location, traffic and crowd, an ipod (this one’s fairly controversial)
An accurate cycle computer/odometer. These can run from $15 to $500, but it’s very nice to know exactly how far it is to lunch/water/bed. RoadID
If vending machines are part of the plan, handy cash or change.
Either two water bottles with bottle cages on the frame, or a Camelbak
i think you’re right about the chain SuperNelson, a snapped chain would be very rare just touring round the roads. It’s more a case of if it does happen, you need to be prepared as it’s a total breakdown if you can’t fix it.
Broken spokes are fairly common IME, certainly when i was younger and couldn’t afford a decent wheelset. Can be exacerbated at the rear with heavier riders (me :)) or heavily laden bikes.