first long cycle advice

[craig kennedy]

Im considering my first lengthy distance to cycle. I have not done it before, or the route, though thats not a worry. its 33 miles there and 33 back again (friend lives there so can stop and replenish)

Any advice? Map my ride says at 10mph its 4 hours (I always air on the side of caution so saying 10mph is better than saying 12)

I will have a single bottle of liquid, snacks, spare tube, gas canisters, puncture repair, 2 phones (one slips inside my wallet and is the size of a credit card) the other is my map etc.

So, anything I should be aware of. It will be a leasure cycle not looking to get there and back in super time

oh and to date my longest cycle is 19 miles with a stop to let dr take some blood in the middle

 

[Citius]

Just do it.

 

[13 rider]

Sounds like your well prepared just take you time and don't over do it on the way out you got to come back . Have a nice break at halfway and refill bottle . Drink before your thirsty a snack every hour is a reasonable mantra

 

[Spike on a bike]

Yeah go for it but bare in mind it's quite warm today so you may need extra liquid and sunscreen

Well it's quite warm here

 

[Saluki]

Take 2 bottles if you can, or top up en route. Hydration is key on a warm day. Any day really.

Take it easy, and have a lovely ride.

 

[ianrauk]

Just get on your bike and ride. Don't push it too hard and you'll be fine.

 

[davdandy]

Forget the puncture repair kit and buy a spare inner tube instead.And as a previous poster said take two bottles.

 

[gbb]

I used to find if I knocked an mile or two per hour off my cruising speed...Ie just ease off and go steady, i could ride all day like that, much further than going at your normal pace.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I've found that I can get going and do about 45 miles without much preparation, last time I did it I was crossing "civilized" country, though, and I was only about 12-15 miles from the nearest town most times. I'm in The States, though, and even here in the Middle West, the towns can be 10-20 miles apart for a decent sized town, so I carry two bottles. Your area is probably a bit more built up, so access to such things may be much more frequent.

 

[winjim]

Eat. Drink.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Be merry!

 

[slowmotion]

Have some porridge for breakfast. It's a great fuel. Also, stick a few fig rolls in your pocket and drink lots of water. You'll be fine. Have fun.

 

[Garry A]

Padded shorts

 

[jefmcg]

its 33 miles there and 33 back again (friend lives there so can stop and replenish)

Any advice? Map my ride says at 10mph its 4 hours

4 hours? 33 miles would be 3 hr 20 at 10mph. Or 6:40 there an back. Still, you'll probably want so decent stops, so if your moving average is 10mph, 4 hours sounds like a good time to allow.

If you have it, bring a USB external battery: 8 hours is a long time for most smart phones to use GPS. If you don't, you might want to put it in airplane mode when you aren't actually using the internet. That would save a lot of power. Maybe keep the backup phone off, so you know you have plenty of battery if you need to call for a rescue (won't happen, but still...)

Good luck and have fun.

Forget the puncture repair kit and buy a spare inner tube instead.And as a previous poster said take two bottles.

Both, just in case you are unlucky and get more punctures than you have spare tubes. I always have patches with me, but have never deployed them on a ride.

 

[Bianchi boy]

after about 40 miles i can get a bit saddle sore, so spend some times peddling out of the saddle [up inclines] if this becomes an issue