I am going on a 50 mile bike ride tomorrow what will I need to take?

Question

This is my first ride over thirty miles, and I need to know what I will need. Your input will be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Helmet, spare tubes, pump, tire levers, mini tool, appropriate clothing, sunglasses, uhhh...a decent bike and hopefully you've been training and have done a 30 mile ride in the last 2 weeks.

Below are eating tips for a 100mile ride. 50 is similar in that you definitely need to plan how much food, water, gatorade to bring. Expect to be out there 4 to 6 hours. (I am beginning to train for a 50mile charity ride in May. Good luck.)

The morning of the ride
• During an overnight fast, liver glycogen is used to maintain blood glucose levels. If liver glycogen isn't restored (by eating) before starting to ride, hypoglycemia can develop and will contribute to premature exhaustion.
• General guidelines for pre-event meals include the following:
1 Use foods that are familiar and that you know you'll tolerate. Liquid meal replacement beverages may be useful for those who don't tolerate solid foods.
2 The meal should be relatively low in fat so that stomach emptying isn't delayed.
3 It should provide carbohydrate (about 50 grams for each hour before the ride that the meal is eaten - so 100 grams for a meal 2 hours before, or 150 grams for a meal 3 hours before). As an example, eating a banana and a large bagel with jam will provide close to 100 grams of carbohydrate. Having a meal will mean getting up earlyÖbut it's worth it in terms of helping performance. Also, note that this guideline is intended to allow enough time for the food to leave the stomach, so you won't start the ride feeling overly full. If you're not planning to ride hard, meals can be eaten in closer proximity to the start.
4 It should provide fluid. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking 500 ml (about a water bottle) two hours before starting. This will allow enough time to excrete any excess fluid. If you can't survive without coffee, by all means have some - but be sure to include a non-caffeinated source of fluid as well.

During the ride

• Begin to take in fluid and energy immediately. If you allow a deficit to develop, it's almost impossible to recover. You know the drillÖ. "Eat before you're hungry; drink before you're thirsty".
• How much fluid? Ideally, fluid intake should match sweat losses. (This should be assessed before the ride by weighing yourself nude before and after a 2-3 hour training ride. The difference, to which you add the weight of any fluids consumed, represents your total sweat loss. Divide by the length of your training ride to obtain an hourly rate.)
• How much energy? You need a minimum of 0.6 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram body weight per hour, or 0.3 grams per pound of body weight (30-60 grams per hour for most people). This won't meet your energy needs completely, but that's not a serious issue for a 1-day event. It will help sustain performance.
• What form of energy? Solids (real food or energy bars), liquids and gels all work, so it's your choice. If it tastes good to you, chances are that you'll use it on a more regular basis. Some cyclists find solids are difficult to eat while riding moderately hard, and sport drinks containing 6-8% carbohydrate (gms / ml) have the advantage of meeting fluid and energy needs at the same time. A standard water bottle of sport drink provides about 37-50 grams and a large bottle about 45-60 grams. But after 8-10 hours, sports drinks may no longer be appealing, so getting some variety throughout the ride is advisable. Checkpoints are a good time to take in some solid food, if you plan to stop at them.
• Have fun! (and don't fall)!

Answer 2

are you going alone or with a group? If alone, be sure to take necessary tools and a cell phone and some money... as far as nutrition... don't eat meat before or during the ride. take at least 2 waterbottles . i like splitting mine up (e.g.-2 bottles, 1 plain water and 1 with carbohydrate mix) bannanas, maybe some power bars. Amount of water depends on where you're at and how hot it is. Best not to stop even if it's an organized ride. Bring what you need and only stop if you need unexpected help. Finally, pace yourself. go easier than you planned till the last 10-20 miles, then if you feel good, rock on in. Enervit makes a gel which i like too... with that, i don't need carbohydrate mix in the bottles, just water. If you can do 30, you can do 50. Just pace yourself and spin spin spin spin spin and keep those legs fresh... Have a great ride :)

Answer 3

well being someone who rides 75 mile tours, I will tell you as little as possible. The key is to keep moving. Keep some water, in bottles and maybe some powerbars in the back of your jersey or something but that is all. Pack light. 50 miles is not that bad, you can do it with minimal nutrition. The key is just having some water. Also make sure you have stuff in case you have a flat. Like I have a tire iron, and a co2 inflator with a tube. That weighs very little and can be kept in a pouch below your seat

Answer 4

At least a quart of water and a plastic garbage bag in case of rain.

Answer 5

A banana is a great source of potasium.