Just signed up for my first big ride!

[Jolt]

Every year the Bicycle Coalition of Maine puts on a couple of different rides, one being a women's ride that is on June 1 this year and another being the Lobster Ride which will be July 20. The women's ride (but not the Lobster Ride) happens to fall on a weekend I will be off work, so I just signed up for the 50-mile option. Long enough to be a challenge, without being overly ambitious since I have never done a big organized ride like this before. It will also be good preparation for a charity ride in the fall that I told some people at work that I would do with their team this year. If anyone has any tips/things they wish somebody had told them before their first organized ride like this, I'd love to hear them (even though at this rate it's going to be a while before riding season starts around here!!).

[Helene2013]

Good luck. And let us know how it went!

[marni]

a woman only has a special flavor. Much more fun and less competitive than mixed rides especially for the longer (50+ miles). Hope you have a great time. I am looking forward to the Little Red Riding Hood in Utah with my three sisters in June. We will be doing a longer option and having a ball.

[OakLeaf]

Have fun!!

One thing I wish I'd known - organized rides often go long distances without passing a town or store, so you're reliant on the rest stops for food and beverages. If you have any special needs (e.g., needing some protein on longer rides, not being able to tolerate whatever brand of electrolyte beverage they're offering), bring something with you.

[ny biker]

I wrote an answer to this last night and then clicked the wrong button and lost it all. Oh well.

The first thing I think of with organized rides is flat tires. I'm always amazed by the number of people who have flat tires within the first mile of an organized ride. This happens even when there's no debris anywhere on the road, so I tend to think many people have not been riding regularly and/or have been ignoring their bike maintenance. So the first thing I'd say is to make sure everything about your bike is in good working order before the ride.

Second, make sure to plan for the whole day, not just the actual riding part. You'll be parking in a big lot or field, and you might have a bit of a walk from your car to the sign-in area, restrooms etc. It might be crowded, there might be traffic on the surrounding roads, there might be a line for the restroom. So you'll want to make sure you leave yourself enough time at the ride start.

I always like to make a checklist in advance of the ride so I don't forget to bring anything with me. Start with 1. shoes and 2. helmet. Include everything you'll want to wear (head to toe to fingertips) and anything that you'll be carrying in your pockets or bike bag. I also bring extra clothes that I might decide to switch to at the ride start, like an extra layer if it might be cold or a lighter weight jersey if it might be warmer than I expect. Also clean clothes to change into after the ride.

Other than that, have fun and enjoy the ride!!

p.s. related to Oak's post, they usually (but not always) serve Gatorade at rest stops.

[Skippyak]

What I found was that I over prepared and over fretted and carried too much stuff. Having done a few now I tend to strip down my seat bag and use a tiny one, only carry one tube instead of 2, ditch the pump and just take to co2, I don't carry any food that I don't get at a rest stop but always fill up on water at stops even if you don't think you need to (I was bitten at a ride than ran out of water at 80 miles stop in over 100 degrees, I rode past the 70 mile water stop)and I have never met a porta potty I didn't like. The last ride I did was a century with no halfway rest stop porta potty and I had to pee behind a car in a layby. When you are paying for a supported ride, enjoy the support. 50 miles will fly by though. Read reviews of previous rides, they often are useful. My biggest regret on my first ride was that my distance was too short.

[jusdooit]

Take the time to enjoy yourself. Take advantage of all the rest stops, even if it's just to top off your water. Make sure you get a map and/or cue sheet, and the list of emergency numbers. If you riding by yourself don't be afraid to ask to join in with a group doing your pace. Most importantly............relax & have fun.