Need some help-new to cycling :) and about to bike 4000 miles..

[choltz]

Hello all,

Just wanted to introduce myself. I'm new to the forum and new to cycling. I am a college student-- I stumbled upon an organization called Bike and Build. Basically the org bikes cross country from East coast to West coast and raises money for affordable housing. I thought this sounded super, sooo I signed up! I am leading a trip this summer. I'm really excited and really nervous! I have no clue what I'm doing when it comes to cycling. My bike will be arriving in the mail on Wednesday! (I'm SO excited). Its a Giant Defy 2 Triple. I am going to start seriously training this week--any advice as to what milage to start with?? Also, any advice regarding cycling attire? My trip leaves out on May 25, so I have about 2 months to get in shape enough to bike 4000 miles!! yikes. help!

So glad I found this forum!

cassie

[Pedal Wench]

Yikes - no clue about cycling and you're the leader? That's quite an undertaking! Start slowly - you need to slowly get your body used to riding. See how far you can ride comfortably, then add 10% to that per week. How long will each day's ride be?

Make sure you get properly fit to your bike. Leg-length discrepencies can cause problems, so make sure that's addressed. Read every thread on the touring forum!

[channlluv]

+ 1 to Pedal Wrench's reaction - yikes.

Apparel: you'll need some really, really comfortable cycling shorts - probably three or four pair, depending on whether you'll be stopping often to do laundry. You should also consider long-sleeved jerseys, because that's a lot of sun exposure, and they do make summer-weight, long-sleeved jerseys.

Get some good sports bras, too, and wicking socks, and if you're really going all the way and getting clipless shoes, you'll want to make sure they fit you really well. (I have Sidis and they're awesome.)

Get a good helmet, too. Giants are great bikes. Oh, and good sunglasses are a must - they should fit snug to your face and not block your vision when you turn to look backward to the left for cars and other bike traffic.

See if you can determine the cycling experience of the people you're leading. Beginners will have trouble with steep hills. (Even some intermediate people would have trouble with some of the inclines in the western US.)

Build a really good support team. You'll want reliable people following along by car or van with supplies, medical help, food, etc.

Get really, really good at changing flats.

You might contact one of the companies that already does national tours and tell them what you're doing. They may share some insight on what you have to look forward to here. Maybe this group you're with already has this kind of support in place, though.

Two months to prepare for a 4,000-mile bike trip? Ah, to be young again.

Good luck to you, and welcome to TE.

Roxy

[choltz]

yup. the org is not a professionally led cycling tour and it is mostly amateur cyclists who are all new to cycling. we do have one leader who has made the trip before and another who is an avid cyclist. (there are four leaders). the organization benefits affordable housing and I volunteered with Habitat for Humanity full time for five months last year---so I'm leading but my knowledge lies more with the building aspect. We will start out at 50 miles or so/ day and build. We average around 70 miles a day with the longest ride being 110 miles.

[tulip]

yup. the org is not a professionally led cycling tour and it is mostly amateur cyclists who are all new to cycling. we do have one leader who has made the trip before and another who is an avid cyclist. (there are four leaders). the organization benefits affordable housing and I volunteered with Habitat for Humanity full time for five months last year---so I'm leading but my knowledge lies more with the building aspect. We will start out at 50 miles or so/ day and build. We average around 70 miles a day with the longest ride being 110 miles.

That's admirable (I work with nonprofit organizations to develop affordable housing), but...

Doing a 4,000 mile tour with beginning cyclists with inexperienced leaders somehow doesn't seem like a very good idea. I mean, I wish you the best of luck and everything. Keep your sense of adventure and humor, and hope that everyone else does, too.

First, I hope the bike fits you. Go to a good bike shop and get it professionally fit. It will cost you $100+ and it's well worth it.

Channelluv has really great advice. You'll want to be as prepared as possible. You'll need to know how to fix bikes (flat tires, broken chains, loose headsets, broken spokes, brakes, derailleur cables at the very minimum). You'll want to educate yourself on proper bike fit because I imagine that alot of these riders will have ill fitting bikes, which will result in aches and pains and sores that will send some home. You'll want to educate yourself on nutrition and fueling and hydration, and learn to recognize signs of bonking before they happen. I assume you'll be certified in CPR--if it's not required then do yourself a favor and get yourself certified. Wear your helmet and make sure everyone else does, too. Have lights for low-light riding (night, dawn, dusk, fog, rain).

You might want to check out Selene Yeagar's book on cycling for women. It has a good century (100 mile) training plan that you can start now to be ready for the start of the tour.

Good luck and let us know if you have any questions as you get closer to the start of your ride.

[Melalvai]

Doing a 4,000 mile tour with beginning cyclists with inexperienced leaders somehow doesn't seem like a very good idea.
Well, I'm all for it. They will sure learn a lot in a hurry. They'll be experts by the end. I did a 744 mile trip solo, and had never done anything like it before, and I learned a whole lot. Some things would have been easier if I'd had someone experienced with me, but what an adventure it was!! Though at the time "adventure" wasn't quite the word in mind.

The most important lesson was that 50-60 miles per day is a reasonable expectation. Even if you have biked a century once, don't expect to go 80-90 miles every day with a loaded bike. Wind, hills, road conditions, physical, and mental state all play a big role in how far you can go.

There's a fine balance between lightly traveled roads, and roads that go anywhere useful, such as past a water source.

Missouri has awful roads. But I hope you come through Missouri anyway, and I hope your route takes you near me.

To get in shape--the most important thing is that you ride EVERY DAY. It is not as important how FAR you ride. Even if you can only get in a 5 or 10 mile ride, or even less. Do some longer rides too but get those daily rides in.

I love that you and your group are doing this. Keep us posted on how it turns out!

[indysteel]

I'll try not to repeat what others have said. In addition to simply riding as much and as often as you can until your trip, I would try to find a bike maintenance class. Many bike shops offer them. I would also find, if you can, a bike safety class. Short of that, you would be wise to find some experienced riders to show you the ropes of riding in traffic and on busy roads. You need to know the rules of the road, along with the protocol of riding with other cyclists, down solid before you leave.

For gear, I would get the best shorts you can afford, a couple pairs of gloves, sunglasses, a good fitting helmet, bike jerseys, waterproof jacket, gear that can help you through chilly mornings like arm warmers and knee warmers, cycling shoes (along with clipless pedals), a bike bag (or two), and water bottles and/or a camelback, and plenty of socks. You'll also likely need some chamois cream, sunscreen and ideally a summer weight long sleeve jersey. The chances of you getting a saddle sore are high, so you'll likely need something for that. I use benzoal peroxide (zit cream) for mine with good success. I'm sure I'm forgetting other pieces of gear that would be helpful.

From a training perspective, try to do back-to-back long rides to get your body used to, not only riding, but riding when tired. You're also going to have to learn on the fly how to hydrate and eat when riding that much. It is SO easy to get dehydrated on a multi-day tour. You absolutely have to drink on and off the bike ALL the time. Once you get dehydrated, it's really hard to get out of that hole. Eat regularly on the bike and you should be okay.

I see that you're riding east to west. Yike! Is there a reason for that? Wind is not going to be your friend. Most xcountry bike tours go west to east for a reason.

Good luck. I hope you enjoy it and are safe.

[Kiwi Stoker]

Having a few multi day rides I have a suggestion.

Do buy the best shorts you can BUT buy two different brands. And maybe you might want to buy an extra (different to what you currently have) saddle.

I find that even with training, chamios cream etc you still will get chafing and soreness in certain places. And the last thing you need to do is put on the same type of short which rubs in the same places. I found having different brands shorts meant the different designs allowed for the sore spots to have a break. Also it takes about half and hour to an hour for the pain of getting on a saddle again day after day to go away.

In regards to the saddle if you have room/sag wagon, do take another saddle for the same reasons as above. A friend who did a 24 hour windtrainer charity ride changed his shorts and saddle in his alloted breaks.

[Tuckervill]

Sounds like fun. It is fully supported. As a ride leader, she will be driving the van sometimes. This is from the wiki:


Most days during the 8–9 weeks of each trip are spent riding. Participants ride an average of about 70 miles per day. Overnight stays are arranged in advance of the trip, and are usually at churches or other community centers. Occasionally, the overnight stay will be outdoors. After breakfast and packing up, riders perform a quick cleanup of the overnight location before heading out. Each ride has a van and trailer to carry the riders' gear. Once the trailer has been loaded with everybody's gear, one of the trip coordinators (the duty of driving the van is rotated between the four coordinators) drives it out and sets up a rest stop on the route where riders break for lunch. After all the riders have eaten lunch, the van and trailer continue on to the destination for the day, or to set up a second lunch stop, on longer days.

I think she'll be fine. Wish I was 18-24! I'd try it.

Karen

[Tuckervill]

Cassie, which route are you doing?? The NC to San Diego route goes right through my town! I'll have to keep a lookout.

Karen

[tulip]

I understood the original post to be one inexperienced leader and alot of inexperienced cyclists. But having four leaders, two experienced, and a sag wagon is a different story.

Have fun and consider the suggestions given here. I still hope the fits (mail order bikes make me nervous).

[Cataboo]

Mail order bikes for inexperienced cyclists make me nervous.

But I think the plasticity of youth'll make this trip great for everyone involved!

I can't remember really caring about bike fit when I was young - but I didn't ride 4,000 miles either.

[Pedal Wench]

I think my other post got lost. I wanted to stress the importance of taking some sort of effective cycling or other bike safety class. If you are a leader, you'll need to lead by example. Saddle sores, sore legs and numb hands are nothing compared to the dangers of not knowing the rules of the road. Good luck, and do your homework, and report back often during the trip and keep asking questions - we love helping!

[Trek420]

I have about 2 months to get in shape enough to bike 4000 miles!! yikes. help!

Yikes. 4,000 miles, aluminum frame http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/road/2266/32192/ interspersed I take it with construction work? yikes indeed! :eek:

But ah, the elasticity of youth. :rolleyes: :) :cool: Log off the computer, that bike together and start riding!!!! Preferably the first ride is to the LBS to get a professional fit. new riders buying a bike online and doing a cross continent ride, yikes yikes yikes.

Log off and ride and yes, we want daily ride reports and of course reports from the road.

Good luck, welcome to TE and thanks for doing this. :)

[shootingstar]

+1=lots of cycling regularily between now and your super long fundraising ride.

[Tuckervill]

The org provides the bike, by the way, but they get to keep it at the end. This is no mean feat, judging from the wiki. First of all, it costs $4,000 to participate, so these folks either come from means or they already know how to work hard. Then they stop and build houses on their way.

Remember the young ladies who took off on their bikes in their skirts in the '50s? We old folks worry, but we forget what it was like to not be fully aware of what causes pain like young people are.

Karen

[annielynn]

WOW Good luck to you. I really don't have anything additional to add to all the wonderful advice that you have been given. Just ride ride ride. You need to get some miles under your booty before you head out on the road. Have a great time!

[tangentgirl]

Holy guacamole. This will be an experience of a lifetime. Be sure to take lots of pictures and/or video and keep a journal/blog/whatever to record all this. One day, when you are 142 years old, your great-great-grandchildren will be talking and you will pipe up: "I rode a bicycle across the whole United States when I was your age." They will say, "oh sure, g-g-gma" and just when they are getting ready to go back to their augmented reality videogame with some kids on the MoonBase, you'll whip out a hologram scrapbook and they will be enthralled.

[AnnieBikes]

It sounds like a wonderful adventure...like those new hikers who start at Springer Mountain in Georgia aiming to hike to Katahdin, in Maine, on the Appalachian Trail. Many of them make it and they learn a whopping amount about themselves and what they can do along the way. Good luck to you all. I think that most every post has had great advice.

My one piece is, start out with not too many miles and work up, especially for those who might not have had time to do any training. Over riding can produce injuries, tendonitis, etc. You can avoid that by not trying to do big miles at the beginning. And, please, take a day off, completely off, to rest weary bodies, around once a week, give or take a day, depending on the group. You will be surprised at what good a day out of the saddle will do for both physical and mental health.

My best to your group!

[choltz]

Thanks to everyone for their support and advice! I went out and bought my first pair of cycling shorts today :) and my bike is supposed to come tomorrow. I am headed out with an experienced cycler later this week so he can show me the ropes. :) I'm excited!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

My best advice to you is to learn as much as you possibly can about traffic and road safety for bikes.

I have to admit I personally see a 4000 mile ride for a brand new cyclist with only 10 weeks to prepare, and a 70 mile/day average as being a bit unrealistic, even for someone in their 20's. But hey, I've been wrong before. Hopefully you are athletic and active already, and in pretty good shape. Good luck!
My advice is if you cannot manage 5 straight days of 50 mile rides before the trip starts, you might want to rethink it.
Buy the best shorts you possibly can- $80-150 is the usual price range for good shorts, and you'll need at least two pairs.

[channlluv]

Okay, this is absolutely an admirable cause, and the support vehicle definitely makes a difference, but please do as BleekerStGirl says and get in long rides for several days in a row, just so you'll know what you're in for.

And the suggestion to buy shorts from different makers is a great one.

I hope you have a great trip. It will either be one of the best experiences of your life, or one of the worst. Here's to the former.

Roxy

[Cataboo]

You may be able to catch a discount on bike shorts on bonktown.com or chainlove.com They sell one item at a time until it sells out. Nashbar or performance may also have clearances that help you. I'm assuming you're on a budget!

And definitely try to build up the mileage like everyone's saying before you go - but also when you guys start off - when you do leave with the group, instead of jumping into 70 mile days - try to do some light mileage days to begin with to let your body condition itself.

And along with the recommendation of bike shorts - I think I'd probably recommend that you get bike gloves. Leather palms. If you fall and it scrapes up your hands, that really really sucks. So wear bike gloves at all times. If your elbow or forearm is missing skin, that is not as bad as your hand missing skin.

If you run into any problems on your training rides that your hands are going numb - come back here for advice on how to deal with that.

Bike fit is going to be really important for you because you're going to be spending so much time in the saddle, and you won't really have time to figure it out - so taking the bike to a bike shop and paying $200 for a fitting or something like that is probably going to be well worth it. You want to be as comfortable as possible on this bike as soon as possible.

I'd probably recommend clipless pedals & bike shoes after a while - but you can use pedals with straps or something like that. If you're doing long descents on this ride (which I would figure) - having a way to keep your feet attached to your pedals is safer (least I think so - others here may disagree)

Other thing is - find a saddle that you & your butt loves. Because you are going to be on it for a very long time and having a saddle that makes your bottom parts hurt is miserable even for 10 miles. You don't want a big fluffy padded saddle, those are going to cause soft tissue problems on such a long ride. You may want to consider a brooks leather saddle (there's a thread or 5 on them on here)... and start breaking the saddle into fitting you - but otherwise, measure how far apart your sit bones are and start looking at which saddles fit you. That would probably be part of a bike shop fitting.

[kacie tri-ing]

It will be a great trip, I'm sure, as long as y'all start slowly and don't try to get across too quickly. It sounds like that is the plan!

I second what everyone has said about bike safety. You will undoubtedly be on some busy roads, and you will encounter several drivers (and several dogs) that don't want you on the road. Be prepared for that.

Also, even though many people have said it, GET A HELMET AND WEAR IT. The helmet is the most important piece of gear for you to buy--more important than your shorts, your sunglasses, your jerseys, your gloves, or anything else. You shouldn't turn a single pedal stroke without first putting on your helmet, and you shouldn't let anyone in the group you're leading do so, either.

Have fun! Be safe!

[moonfroggy]

everyone has said great stuff. i dunno if anyone mentioned sunglasses or some sort of glasses. for me i wear a helmet gloves and glasses always. bugs can fly in your eyes while riding and make you crash. happened to me 3 times! now i always wear glasses it is safer.

[Tri Girl]

Everyone has given some great advice. While I cannot fathom doing that kind of mileage with no experience at my age- there is definitely something to being younger. Seems as we get older, we forget how to "just do it" and try something new (we overthink, overanalyze, have experiences that cause us to be more cautious, etc).
I've read lots of www.crazyguyonabike.com journals and young people do it ALL the time and succeed and have a great adventure. At night, after you've ridden for the day, read some journals on this site and read about people's cross country adventures. It's inspiring for sure!

I think you'll be fine. Your body will adjust. Just remember: TITS (Time In The Saddle). You need LOTS of it before the trip!!!! It might feel like a chore (or a second job), but you'll be better prepared for all that work you put in before.


Best of luck to you. I hope you have a GREAT time and I hope you'll keep a journal and keep us posted here on TE of your progress.
Oh- and let's see a picture of you and that bike!!

[choltz]

So my bike arrived, its assembled and I've had it checked out by my local bike shop :) After they heard what i was doing, they checked everything out for free and donated a few little saftey gadgets (like a flashing light for the seat). ***Shout out to North Texas Bikes in Aubrey*** So far, the training has been going well. The weather here in Texas has been a bit crazy-- SNOW in March! I did go for a 30 mile ride on Saturday. It was freezing and super windy, but I made it :). Today is nice so I'm hoping to get out for a good ride. yay! Thanks for all the tips and advice! Super helpful!

[sfa]

You are going to have the time of your life on this trip! Yes, it'll be physically and often psychologically hard, but you'll always look back on this trip as one of the highlights of your life. Having done a similar sort of adventure at a similar time in my life, I can tell you that the first week or two is pretty hard, and then it's just kind of your life and what you do. Bodies adapt to these things amazingly well.

Here's someone else to inspire you: http://www.pedallingalltheway.com/

He decided, almost on a whim, to raise money for Farm Africa first by rowing solo across the Atlantic, and then by cycling 6,000 miles over about three months days from his home in England to the farm he helped fund in Kenya. He got his bike February 15 (after not riding for about 10 years), left on March 29. And he did just fine.

Best of luck to you!

Sarah

[BeeLady]

Lucky you! Wish I were going too!

Best cycling advice I ever got as from a TE member: Just keep pedaling!

One good cross-country book I read was Pedaling Across America by Don & Lolly Skillman. They were older when they did their trip but they gave a good account of what to expect on a day-by-day basis. More detail than some of the on-line blogs I have read. It's a quick, interesting read and maybe you can share the book with some of your other travelers.