Hi Matt, If you haven't already, I urge you to reach out to the Madison Bikes FB group <https://www.facebook.com/groups/MBIIC/>. There is some cross-over between Bikies and Madison Bikes, but Madison Bikes has over 1,000 followers, so your query would reach a vastly wider audience.
My personal advice to you would be to put as many miles in on the bike during April and May as you can. How you feel on your bike after 30-50 miles is VERY different from how you feel after 70-100 miles, and it's good to know ahead of time where you are going to feel it most so that you can address any physical issues before your trip. As far as gear and equipment go, my first priority would be to make sure that your bike is a good fit for you, and is adjusted correctly for you so that you are comfortable while you are riding and are not going to strain your knees, neck, elbows, or wrists. Remember to engage your core while you ride- it helps support your back and other body parts. The more tired you are when you are riding, the more your good riding technique will go out the window, so focus on good technique when you can: elbows slightly bent, wrists in a neutral position, core engaged, smooth pedal stroke with a relatively high cadence (rpm), shoulders and neck relaxed. Secondly, I would get your bike tuned up (at a minimum) and overhauled if you can afford it. It's nice to have smooth shifting, snappy braking, and efficient rolling, as well as to avoid on-the-road mechanical failures when you are riding long distances. The best time to get your bike tuned up is during the winter. The local shops love the business, have time to give your bike lots of love, and there will be a much shorter turnaround time on the service. If you wait until the spring, there is often a two-week service backlog at the bike shops, and that's a long time to go without your bike. A decent saddle, biking shorts, and gloves are also critical. I am a proponent of chamois cream for reducing high-mileage saddle-skin friction. My favorite brand is Assos, but you can experiment with any that are on the market. Eye protection is a must. Get some sunglasses that you like to ride in, and if you think you will be biking before dawn or after dusk, get a pair of clear or yellow/orange-lensed eyewear as well. Bring your comfiest clothes to change into at the end of the day. Enjoy your training and your ride! -India Co-Founder & Instructor, We Are All Mechanics <http://www.WeAreAllMechanics.com> *Madison's premier bicycle maintenance courses since 2003* WeAreAllMechanics.com [email protected] Follow WAAM on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/We.Are.All.Mechanics> Founding Board Member, Madison Bikes <http://www.madisonbikes.org/> *...envisioning a city where anyone can ride a bicycle conveniently and comfortably, year round.* MadisonBikes.org <http://www.MadisonBikes.org> [email protected] Follow Madison Bikes on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/groups/MBIIC/> On Thu, Nov 30, 2017 at 7:41 PM, Matt Coppens via Bikies < [email protected]> wrote: > I am heading on a 7 day, 545mi fundraising bike ride next year from San > Francisco to Los Angles would like to know what advice you would give to > someone who has never ridden this long of a distance before. > > For me, this ride and fight is personal. I ride with the memory and warmth > of Dawson Wright, a beautiful friend who passed way too soon due to > complications incurred with this disease. > > I have a trainer and am going to be joining a spin class while winter is > upon us in order to get in some bike time, but what would you/would you not > recommend me doing to get prep'ed for this ride? > > Any help is appreciated! > > > > > > > > -- > Matt Coppens > > *"This message is brought to you from the Front Range."* > > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > >
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