Cycling Challenge

commercegrad07

Feeling in a bit of a rut lately and looking for some goal to achieve, i decided a cycling challenge would be just the trick. I am by no means a serious biker and would rarely have used a bike other than as a young lad. Sitting with friends we decided on a 55 mile mile route which we would hope to complete in a day. While all of us are in reasonable shape, none of us would have undertaken anything like this journey on a bike. Just wondering could anyone point us in some direction to go about planning and training for it? the route is on good roads and we'd all be cycling reasonable raleigh mountain bikes.. any info or tips would be greatly appreciated.. are we out of our mind?

Sean02

Great idea. What area are you all from?

commercegrad07

around mid west.. we;re galway lads and hoping to cycle from shannon airport to galway.. development of the plan is in its infancy, i dunno how confident we are!

Alkers

If you're all healthy not even fit 55miles should be easily enough doable in one day with no training. Just go along at a nice steady pace and make sure to bring food, drink and a puncture repair kit!

Ghost Rider

I can't vouch for whether you're out of your minds in any other respects, but 55 miles in one day will be quite manageable, especially if it's in summertime (so you can take it a nice, handy pace if needs be).

Just make sure you're reasonably well equipped for the weather and for any breakdowns. I'd recommend you wear/bring

- padded cycling shorts
- water bottle
- some kind of wicking jersey (preferably high-vis or with reflective bits)
- a rain jacket (ditto re reflectivity)
- a helmet
- sunglasses/goggles
- gel padded gloves (to help with hand numbness)
- toe clips for your pedals (or, even better, a so-called "clipless" pedal system e.g. SPD)
- a saddle bag (rather than a rucksack, which can get very uncomfortable)
- two spare tyre tubes
- puncture repair kit & pump (in case you run out of spare tubes)
- spare spokes
- basic tool kit e.g. set of hex keys, spoke tool, tyre irons, universal wrench
- a mobile phone
- cash

Other optional/conditional extras would be suncream, a cycle computer, bike lights and a baby chimp.

commercegrad07 wrote: »

Feeling in a bit of a rut lately and looking for some goal to achieve, i decided a cycling challenge would be just the trick. I am by no means a serious biker and would rarely have used a bike other than as a young lad. Sitting with friends we decided on a 55 mile mile route which we would hope to complete in a day. While all of us are in reasonable shape, none of us would have undertaken anything like this journey on a bike. Just wondering could anyone point us in some direction to go about planning and training for it? the route is on good roads and we'd all be cycling reasonable raleigh mountain bikes.. any info or tips would be greatly appreciated.. are we out of our mind?

Raam

Ghost Rider wrote: »

- spare spokes

Spare spokes? Seriously?

Ghost Rider

Reckon so. Chances are you wouldn't break one, but if you did, you could really mess up your wheels.

Raam wrote: »

Spare spokes? Seriously?

Raam

I've never brought a spare spoke with me. I don't even own any spare ones. I've done many thousands of KMs and not had an issue with spokes, but maybe I just have good wheels

How do you carry the spares while on the bike?

flickerx

Ghost Rider wrote: »

Just make sure you're reasonably well equipped for the weather and for any breakdowns. I'd recommend you wear/bring
[snip]

I'd bring all of that kind of stuff if I was going on a longer trek, like a four day trip from Galway to Ennis via the Clare coast (which I did before with two pals), but I think if it is just a one day trip then a spare inner tube or two and tools to fit the new tube would be enough. Just make sure all your parts are in decent working order and lubed up sufficiently (hee hee) so when you set out you wont need to carry so much crap with you, and hence weighing you down.

55 miles / 80 km or so was the longest we did in one day, we had panniers with changes of clothes, food etc with us, and we were fairly tired after that. I think its well doable if you pick points along the way for rest stops, food, and maybe a pint or two nearer the end to get you over the last stretch It also much easier if you dont have bags on the back of your bike.

I think you should all get the train to Westport or Sligo first thing in the morning, bring your bikes on the train, and then cycle home from there. That'd be a good trip.

Morgan

I agree with most of the list - but the spokes are definitely overkill. They're not going on an expedition here. As infrequent cyclists they're not going to be replacing spokes and truing wheels on the side of the road. A broken spoke or two won't stop them getting home.

Ghost Rider

True, my own experience was over several days so I had panniers with me... Perhaps spare spokes is overkill for a single day's cycle but if you could find somewhere to put them, I'd take them. It's not as if they weigh much.

Raam wrote: »

I've never brought a spare spoke with me. I don't even own any spare ones. I've done many thousands of KMs and not had an issue with spokes, but maybe I just have good wheels

How do you carry the spares while on the bike?

Gavin

Sheesh, just bring your bikes and some food/water/phone. If something happens call for a lift.

Maybe padded shorts.

Gav

Morgan

Inside the seat-tube is a good place to carry spares - but you still need to know what to do with them...

tunney

90km cycle, three and a half hour solo ride, three hours or less in a group. Why would you bring all that crap? 2 tubes, a pump and twenty euro emergency money.

Raam

tunney wrote: »

90km cycle, three and a half hour solo ride, three hours or less in a group. Why would you bring all that crap? 2 tubes, a pump and twenty euro emergency money.

I'll second that, it's pretty much all you need, but I'd add a couple of tasty sweets and a drink. And maybe a camera for some pictures.

Ghost Rider

Sheesh. Everyone's turned into Bear Grylls...

Raam

Ghost Rider wrote: »

Sheesh. Everyone's turned into Bear Grylls...

I'm gonna take my top off and do some press ups any minute now

Morgan

tunney wrote: »

Why would you bring all that crap? .

Yeah, who needs clothes? Ride free!

Ghost Rider

And what's all this about "roads"??

liamo43

I agree with all the recommendations of Ghost Rider. Better to be sure,cycling jersey holds a lot, no backpack, Replacing a spoke is easy, make sure that they are the right length, You might get the cycling bug, Enjoy. Liamo.

Gavin

Good advice Liamo, just missed by a year though.

ROK ON

Just a suggestion on the route. The Shannon Galway road is fairly busy. Given that yu guys are infrequent cyclists, you should avoid this road. Even though there is a good hard shoulder, it can get to be a real pain in the backside having vehicles wizz past continuusly at high speed. Suggest that you take the coast road (Miltown Malbay, Lahinch, Fanore, Ballyvaughan, Kinvara. Abolutely spectacular spin (circa 150km). Plenty of nice places to stop for refreshment.
If yu are going to undertake this trip, why not make it memorable. There is nothing that interesting cycling along the N18.

penexpers

Raam wrote: »

How do you carry the spares while on the bike?

You buy a bike with braze-ons for carrying spokes (yes they do exist)

Raam

penexpers wrote: »

You buy a bike with braze-ons for carrying spokes (yes they do exist)

Wow, that was a delayed answer!

blorg

From what I have heard most common is you stuff the spokes down the seattube. If you need to replace, just take out the seatpost/saddle and there you have them. I have not tried this myself yet due to my lack of a beard.