I need advice on last minute preparations for a 200 mile bike ride.?

Answer 1

Is this a one day event, or a couple of days? Are you solo-ing, in a group, in a race, lesuirely? Roads or trails? Are you asking about training or equipment?

1. Make sure you have enough of everything. Hydration / food / spare parts / tools / spare clothes.

2. Whats the weather forecast going to be? Pack appropriately.

3. Whats your emergency options? Cell phone? Emergency money?

4. Do people know when you are going, the route you are taking, when they should expect you to arrive?

5. Check over the bike, make sure everything is in proper working order. The last thing you want is to go 10 miles and have the brakes / peddles / wheel fall off.

6. Oh, and don't forget to stretch and warm up all those muscles. That's a long time to be in the saddle, and to cramp would suck.

Answer 2

Make sure you are hydrated. Bring plenty of drinks with you. If you have a support car, that's even better. If you don't have a support car, bring a cell phone & money for drinks along the way. Bring spare tubes & a patch kit with the basic tools. The previous week, you should have some extra pasta & rice & other carbs in your diet. Don't pig-out the night before, just a little extra each day the week preceding the ride.

Training-wise, there's not much last minute preparation. If you haven't trained, you will have trouble completing the ride. Ease up on your training a couple days before the ride. Don't stop training, just ease up a bit.

A couple years ago I did a ride of 220 miles. It took about 13 hours.

Answer 3

Don't save anything until the last minute!

Do NOT change any components or riding position within a week or two of your ride.

Take a couple days off beforehand, and take a short, EASY spin at best if you really want to. Your body should be FULLY recovered from your training schedule before taking on such a long ride.

Make sure your bike is in perfect working order a day or two before the ride. Check your tires and inflate them, make sure your wheels are true, your drivetrain is clean & lubed, your brakes are adjusted properly, and bolts are torqued correctly. No matter how well you've trained, if your bike breaks down you're SOL.

Answer 4

That is a good inexpensive bike. Young and fit is good. It makes it easier to adjust to the bent legs and the pressure on your wrists that the Ninja will impose on you. One strong suggestion is to buy some good ear plugs. They will not only save your hearing but will reduce fatigue. Make sure you buy a helmet that fits correctly so that you can see the road as you are leaning forward. Another suggestion is to take a different route each time you go and return. You will find some interesting roads instead of getting stuck on an interstate with all the traffic and big trucks. A 250 is not ideal for freeway traffic, their lightweight allows them to get buffeted badly by the trucks. Be sure to take a riding class if you haven't. I suggest you read a book titled 'Total Control High Performance Street Riding Techniques' by Lee Parks. It has a wealth of information that will add to the quality of the experience as well as inform you of the basics of riding smartly and safely. You have the right learning attitude going in as evidenced by your question. Ride well and have fun.

Answer 5

200 mile rides (in one day) are generally for elite racers with team car support and riding in a group for energy efficiency. Most high-level riders are hard-pressed to ride 200 km(~125 mi) in a day solo (unless the route is all downhill and the wind is at your back the whole ride). You may want to consider riding your 200 miles on June 21 near Whitehorse in Canada - at least you will have 20+ hours of daylight that day...

Answer 6

I believe they do, but to make sure, check with National Buses, whether they stow bikes with the luggage.

However, if you insist, wear waterproof clothing, as umbrellas can be a tad awkward whilst pedalling.

True story. as the Tour de France are having a couple of "etapes" in Britain this year, try to incorprate part of your ride on the route. If you cycle along about an hour before the riders are expected, the crowd encouragement will do absolute wonders for your morale.

Answer 7

make sure you have plenty of carbohydrates in you start carbo loading about three days before hand. a good pair of cycling shorts make sure your bike is running perfectly. hope you have prepared for this in the weeks running up to this

Answer 8

Have no advice just wanted to say well done and good luck, would love to do something like that myself in a year or so.