hxe@rayssd.UUCP (Heather Emanuel) (08/09/85)
A long time ago, I posted requests for information on various
aspects of bike touring, including training from an injured knee to
a 300-mile tour, food, clothing, and equipment.
The response was overwhelming! I was amazed at the willingness of
you all to share what you knew, and impressed at the quality of the
responses. And unlike any other newsgroup on the net, the "experts"
here all seem to agree with each other! That certainly saved me a
lot of 'weeding out' time. I answered every single response I got
with a personal note, so if you sent me a letter and I didn't answer,
either 1) I never got your letter or 2) you never got my answer (we
are having constant problems with our uucp connections so it's not
too unlikely). Anyway, I apologize if I snubbed anyone.
Herewith is the summary, divided into the following categories:
training, equipment, clothing, food, and literature. A paragraph or
so on what I did with all this advice is at the end for anyone who
makes it that far.
TRAINING
--------
Given that I'm recovering from knee surgery and I want to do a
300-mile road trip in September, I received the same sort of advice
I would have expected for any sport:
1. Start slow, build up. Specifically for bicycling, start out
with easy flat miles and build up a mileage base (just like with
running). Then work on a hard-day/easy-day schedule with speed,
hills, and distance, and pushing bigger gears.
2. Start out on the smaller gears and work up. Don't push too
hard, and don't lug the high gears. Remember, "spin, don't push."
3. The only difference of opinion I encountered was in the recom-
mended cadence; some said 60-70 was optimum for touring, others said
80. (My knee still feels better at 60-70.)
4. Practice panic stops, high-speed descents, shifting, working
through traffic, starting off from stoplights in a straight line,
and riding with a loaded bike.
5. Make sure that you have a good position on the bike and that the
bike fits you (especially if you're a woman; most bike manufacturers
default to the male physique when designing bikes).
6. Be prepared to travel more slowly on tour than you do at home.
Touring is, after all, sightseeing, so see the sights!
EQUIPMENT
---------
I had asked about the Biopace chainring specifically, and other
stuff in general. The people who had tried the Biopace liked it,
especially for injured knees, and others pointed me toward more
literature on it. Other recommendations were:
1. A good triple crank set for a wide range of gears, or at least
granny gears.
2. Tools - patch kit, tire irons, 6" adjustable crescent wrench,
small screwdriver, Allen wrenches, chain tool, oil for the chain.
One spare tube.
3. Panniers and a handlebar bag, water bottle (or two), light
pump, bungie cords for tent, sleeping bag, etc.
4. Helmet-mounted mirror (debatable)
5. A good saddle - Avocet and Specialized are recommended. The
optimum seat height is 109% of inseam (crotch to floor).
6. Handlebar padding (Grab-Ons win over Spenco). Also toe clips.
7. Miscellaneous - rubber bands, twisties, assorted plastic ziploc
bags and trash bags, toilet paper, mirror, first aid kit, sewing
kit, scissors, lip balm, sun screen (in Prince Edward Island in
September? I hope so!)
CLOTHING
--------
Again, we have a consensus: shorts, jerseys, shoes, gloves, and
helmet are a must.
1. Shorts - most people prefer the lycra skin shorts with the
polypropylene liners rather than the actual chamois lining; the poly
dries faster. Touring shorts that stretch are also recommended. It
is definitely recommended that you wash the shorts every day, since
they smell if you don't. Pricewise, the skin shorts are the least
expensive. Shorts are essential to prevent chafing.
2. Tights - recommended to keep the knees and legs warm in cooler
weather. Especially good for injured knees.
3. Jerseys - again, poly won, with wool running a close second.
The long jerseys that cover the back when you're bent over are the
best. Whether wool or poly, definitely get a material that wicks
away moisture.
4. Touring shoes are also a must. Sneakers (or any shoe with a
soft sole) will absorb most of the energy of your push, and make
more work for you. You need a hard sole to push with, but a pliable
sole if you will be walking on your touring shoes. The 1984
September/October issue of Bicycling magazine has a great review
of most of the shoes on the market, evaluating both their riding
and walking comfort.
5. Gloves - essential for absorbing road shock, absorbing sweat,
and protecting hands if you fall. Some people say the more padding
the better, others didn't comment.
6. Helmet - need I say more? Who's against them? No one had a
brand preference, however.
FOOD
----
By far, the most recommended snack food for the ride is the banana.
Put them in the handlebar pack or the pocket on the back of your
jersey in the morning, while still slightly green, and they will
ripen during the day. They provide much-needed potassium. Also
recommended were apples, cut vegetables, nuts, and dried fruits.
For drink, water is the favored choice. Unless it's a hard ride,
like a race, most people don't need electrolyte replacements or
other additives.
For meal content and timing, you should load up on carbohydrates for
a few days before the tour, and then keep up a steady intake of
protein and carbohydrates during the ride. Avoid empty fats and
sugar (you should anyway!), especially in the middle of the day.
RECOMMENDED LITERATURE
----------------------
1. "Bicycling" magazine, published by Rodale Press, is a readable and
informative magazine, chock full of good stuff and somewhat 'folksy'
advice.
2. "Bike Tech" is another magazine, specifically recommended for its
info on the Biopace.
3. "Bicycle Touring" by Raymond Bridges
4. "Bicycle Touring in..." by Karen and Gary Hawkins. In addition
to lots of good advice, they have some excellent route descriptions.
5. Bikecentennial has a wide variety of how-to books.
6. The Sierra Club has a good book on bike touring.
7. For Nova Scotia, there's "Bike Tours in Nova Scotia" available
from Bicycle Nova Scotia, P.O. Box 3010S., Halifax, Nova Scotia,
Canada, B3J 3G6. It was $3.00.
8. "Effective Cycling" by John Forrester
9. "The Complete Book of Bicycle Commuting" by John Allen and
available from Rodale Press.
WHAT I'VE DONE
--------------
First, I evaluated my equipment. I have a Motobecane 12-speed I'm
pretty happy with, since it's so light and I'm so short, so I
decided to keep it. I bought an Avocet women's touring saddle and
it was the best purchase I ever made! What a difference! I also
bought a Cateye Solar Cyclocomputer and I'm really happy with that,
too. What a toy! I, too, wish it had an attachment for a pulse
monitor, but I can live without it. The cadence function alone is
worth the price of the unit ($65 - cheaper mail-order). For my car,
I bought the Thule inverted bike roof rack with locking knobs. I
like it so far. The base unit was $50 and the bike mounts were
around $35 each. (By the way, these are US dollars.) For home, I
bought the RacerMate wind trainer with the fan that mounts on top of
the rear tire ($109). I haven't assembled it yet, but I'll let you know
when I do. I get very claustrophobic if I have to wear toe clips
with straps and, for that reason, I had always avoided toe clips
altogether. I finally found the kind that are only toe clips; they
just hook over the top of the pedal. For a repair kit, I decided to
carry one spare tube, a patch kit, tire irons, a chain tool, a few
extra links for the chain (left over from installing the new one),
and a wrench and a screwdriver. They fit nicely in my handlebar
pack (which is actually a saddle pack but I'm too short for it not
to rub the tire). I'm going to get an actual handlebar pack with
map pocket, plus some panniers, soon.
For clothes, I bought a Bell Tourlite helmet. My choice was really
made for me, because I needed a visor and the Bell Tourlite was the
only one with a visor that I liked. Besides, it was on sale ($54).
I got Avanti Lycra gloves and like the feel a lot better than the
leather and/or web gloves I also tried. After a short while I
forget they're there. I bought some Descent touring shorts and like
them a lot. They look like hiking shorts, so I'm not embarrassed
about walking around in them, but they have a padded crotch. I
*finally* found some shoes that are made for women - very difficult.
They're the Cannondale touring shoes and I like the stiffness for
riding but the flexibility for walking. I haven't bought jerseys
yet, but I'm working on it. I'm still debating whether or not to
buy tights; right now I ride in sweat pants when it's chilly and I
haven't had any trouble with chafing.
I subscribed to Bicycling magazine after buying it at newsstands for
awhile and haven't seen a copy since.
My training isn't going as fast as I would like it to, partly
because of the weather in New England (thus, the wind trainer).
I ride 9 miles around our "Ocean Drive" most mornings before work
and most evenings after work, and try to do at least one 25-30
mile ride on weekends. I will start doing one or two 50-mile rides
on weekends as soon as I finish moving (packing takes a lot of time,
unfortunately). I can do some short steep hills and longer mild
hills now, but my cadence drops drastically. I'm doing straight-leg
lifts with weights to strengthen my quadriceps; anything with a bent
knee and weights is still verboten. There's still pain in the knee,
but it's no longer significant. I just have to watch out for
overdoing it and undoing all my careful work. But I'm forging on
ahead and plan to leave on August 31 no matter what.
Well, thanks again for all your advice. That, coupled with the
voracious reading that I've done and constant hounding of my friend
who owns a bike shop, has made me confident enough to know what I
need to learn more about, and what I need to do to take this tour.
I'll post a trip report when I get back. (But I'll try to make it
shorter than this posting!)
Happy Trails!
Heather
--
--Heather Emanuel {allegra, decvax!brunix, linus, ccice5} rayssd!hxe
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I don't think my company *has* an opinion, so the ones in this
article are obviously my own.
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"Ain't life a brook...
Sometimes I feel just like a polished stone" -Ferron