am I mad??

[mtbdarby]

UK,
I don't think you're mad (at least not about this ). My longest ride of this season had been 30 miles but I rode mostly 15 miles 2-3 times a week. I attempted GRABAAWR and lasted 3 days, each day around 60 miles. The first two days were fine, my legs were really sore the 3rd day so take it at your own pace and enjoy!

[Trekhawk]

Ooohhh that sounds like such fun. We all want to come.

[Bikingmomof3]

It sounds like fun, just have a back-up plan. Enjoy.

[DDH]

sounds like great fun to me. I would do as DebW said though and have a contingency plan in case you are unable to make it for some reason.

[Bad JuJu]

Well, you MIGHT be mad, but not because of this bike trip you're planning.

Sounds like a wonderful idea, and a little bit like when I rode my first metric century when my longest ride until then had been 35 miles, two years before the metric. But I'd been riding 15-20 pretty regularly, so it was something of a challenge, but definitely do-able. Be prepared with tools, patches, pump, plenty of food and water, and ... Have fun!

[Trek420]

what Bad JuJu sez "definitely do-able. Be prepared with tools, patches, pump, plenty of food and water, and (editors note-cell phone)... Have fun!"

Uh, I know these people to whom you refer, well BF less so but Dad a little bit.

I think he's jealous Note to TE UK's Dad rides and even planned a tour of China a while back (It got canceled at the last minute due to SARS).

Go, have a good time, post the ride report and are there any TE gals in the area you'll ride?

Do this and a short ride the next day...and whatever you are doing keep going 'cause you can do ALC.

[uk elephant]

Thank you all for your votes of confidence! I will make sure to be well prepared. I have patch kit and tool kit and two spare tubes. I have two bottle cages for water (and will be passing at least a dozen pubs for refills.....does wine work as a sports drink? or perhaps cider?). As for contingency plans, it's a bit tricky. I won't be able to follow along the railway for easy access to trains home. But I will have my phone and there are busses around so I'm sure I won't be too stuck.

Did have a good talk with BF last night too. He is just worried about me, but definitely thinks I can do it. I promised I'd send him regular updates along the way so he doesn't worry too much.

I'm getting excited about it now, despite the weather forecast. On the news last night the weather map for Saturday shows a big raincloud covering pretty much all of England. But I've got raingear and can handle any weather. Just hope the headwinds aren't too bad (although that can be considered training for the AIDS ride hills).

[DirtDiva]

I think you should do a 62.5mile ride and make it your first metric century.

[Duck on Wheels]

I think you should do a 62.5mile ride and make it your first metric century.

Or ride home again the next day making it back-to-back centuries, as Auntie Trek has suggested for ALC preparation.

I'm a leeettle worried because of the ankle swelling you had after your 3-day hike, but that resolved itself and you didn't seem more sore or tired than usual otherwise. Besides the 2 cages, remember that you also have a 3-liter hydration pack. You could have water in the pack and sports drink in the bottles. The pack gets lighter as you get more tired, so that works out pretty well. I'm SURE you can do this. I think even I could possibly do it, since the terrain's pretty flat and you have no minimum speed or max arrival time. Let's just hope you don't get headwinds all the way. HAVE FUN and send SMS's to me too along the way.

X X ( ) ( ) Mom