Motivation

[CorsairMac]

When I did start to get tired, there was an older man on the side of the road with a sign that said he has MS who told me I could do it! I guess he could tell I was getting tired. I got a little choked up and that kept me pedalling the rest of the way. Thanks for your help and I look forward to continuing to be a part of this women's cycling community!
-sarah b.

yeah - that choked me up too just reading it. Thanks for sharing Sarah! and congrats on a job well done.
I'm thinking we need to pass the She-Ra Princess of Power Tiara to SarahB next!

[fixedgeargirl]

Way to go Sarah!!! I went to your link - sounds like an awesome trip!!! And I choked up when I read the part about the encouraging man in the wheelchair.

Hurray for you!

[nuthatch]

Sarah, thanks for posting your experiences - they'll be my inspiration when we have our MS150 in June!

[Technotart]

I'm one of those types who carries a huge purse with everything I could possibly need for a week of survival after a natural disaster in it -

I am already getting teased about the fact that I will probably carry more first aid supplies for the MS 150 than an EMS truck - help me pare it down!

Do I need rain gear? Do I need a jacket? What items can you not be without on a long ride? (There will be PLENTY of food, water, first aid and tires/tubes available)

Sunscreen is a major one for me I know....

Oh - and Hubster is driving up to the overnight and staying and driving up to the finish line....so he will have my overnight stuff with him...

What should I carry (or not carry) on the bike?

[CorsairMac]

(There will be PLENTY of food, water, first aid and tires/tubes available)

don't necessarily count on them having tubes. Read what I just posted under my charity ride today here in NM. It was a very valuable lesson learned about depending on SAG. As for what else to carry, I carried a CO2 pump, extra cartridges, my cell phone, ID, ElectroMix packets so I could make my own replacement drink and Larabars. Because my diet is so restrictive, I tend to carry my own food as a better safe than sorry thing. The rest stops had PowerGels, fruits, Gatorade and water and that was it. Some people were happy with that, some weren't. Lesson learned, next time I'll have a tube with me too just in case!

[Trek420]

from the wisdom of CorsairMac "don't...count on them having tubes....I carried a CO2 pump, extra cartridges, my cell phone, ID...."

sad but true there are riders who count on volunteer mechanic support on rides for the upkeep of their bikes. When I've needed help, ghost shifting, flats, I got kudos from volunteer wrenches because my bike is clean, lubed, I have what it takes to fix a flat on board (except for knowing how to do it fast).
"this is what one does" I said
"no, riders arrive with threadbare tires, expect to flat, expect a new tire and we run out" they said.

My LBS agrees. I had a Pre-Primavera check up and asked if he has time to check the bike before ALC4. He said that when he offers this to riders before a major ride....and for free...some simply volunteer that "If I have a problem, they'll fix it there".

Stuff happens, things break, can't anticipate everything but it's just more fun when you have the basics to fix stuff if problems occur.

Plus you might not need the tube, might want to help someone else, some cute rider with a flat ;-)

On one Diabetes benefit ride they ran out of food both at the stops and after. That's unusual but it's good to bring some cash just in case you need to "make your own rest stop". Another time was the Healdsburgh Harvest Century which was 104 in the shade that year, we stopped at a little country store and bought bottled water.

[nuthatch]

I'm doing our MS150 in June and I've been thinking about the Sheldon Brown article that Trek420 posted. (And thanks, trek, for your post - very instructional and motivational )

There's an almost religious quality to the concept that our suffering on charity rides offers some sort of redemption for both ourselves and those we ride for. That's one way to view what we do, but I've always thought of it as, in a very tiny but positive way, living that day with those people who have that condition. It's our very meager way to share their day with all it's ups and downs, challenges and rewards. It's hard and it's fun and, well, it's just life! And that's what every bike ride is, whether for a cause or just on your own. It's a tiny, focused slice of life, lived at it's most intense - potholes, flats, tired muscles, bonking, natural beauty, endorphins, conversation, conundrums to be solved, etc. And that's what I think needs to be shared with those who don't ride - what a wonderful experience it is.

So, brava to all you heroines out there who ride, making the world a better place one pedalstroke at a time!