12 TIPS FOR GREAT TRIPS

Posted May 6, 2001
21,531

2 cycling-adventure experts tell you how to prepare for a tour.

If you're like most cyclists, the thought of taking a bike tour awakens a dormant urge to travel road and trail in search of adventure, discovery, excitement, and companionship. But be careful--without adequate preparation, you may actually find what you seek. Consider:

The adventure of grinding through deepening twilight toward a distant campsite on legs that retired for the night miles ago.

The discovery that your long-empty water bottle is now giving you a headache and double vision.

The excitement of realizing that your new saddle sore is growing faster than the national debt.

The companionship of a friendly sagwagon driver who takes you to the hotel after fatigue, hunger, and thirst forces you to abort the day's ride earlier than anyone else. To help ensure that unexpected aches, unwilling legs and inadequate mental preparation don't put the kibosh on your valuable vacation days, we asked 2 veteran bike guides to tell us how to avoid the most common road and off-road touring mistakes. ROAD Mistake #1/Training on the Tour Some people figure they can get in shape on the first week of the tour. But they find out pretty quickly that they should have done it earlier. The best approach, if you haven't been riding much, is to start training 2-3 months before the trip. Start by riding 15 miles a day, 3 times a week. Raise that to 25 miles the next week. Keep increasing your mileage. The slow, gradual approach is always the best. Look at your trip itinerary and find your longest day. If it's 90 miles, you should work up to about 70 miles in training. You can ride comfortably almost twice as far as you've ever ridden in a day. But do some long training days anyway to see how your body reacts. Mistake #2/Downplaying the Mental Side Be mentally prepared. We've seen a lot of people quit a tour because they let things get to them. It's not a physical problem. You have to be prepared to face difficult times and work through them. You must convince yourself that you'll keep going. Mistake #3/Not Getting Loaded Often Enough If you're going on a camping trip, you should do at least 2 training rides with your bike fully loaded, especially if you've never ridden with panniers. The extra weight changes your bike into a different beast in terms of stability and handling. You have to brake earlier because your bike's heavier. And you have to stay on top of the bike more in turns. If you lean the bike too far, your front panniers can hit the ground. Also, be careful on rough roads, because the stress on your wheels is greater than the added weight. Mistake #4/Neglecting Butt and Hands Get a comfortable saddle, but be careful about overdoing it. Wide, cushy saddles may look comfortable, but they're designed for shorter, casual rides in a more upright position, not for pedaling long miles on a tour. Overstuffed saddles can cause chafing and pressure points on sensitive areas if you're riding bent over in an aerodynamic position on the standard road or mountain bike. Some people use a salve to help reduce saddle sores, but it's better to keep your crotch dry, especially at night, so others prefer baby powder. Sometimes, though, there's nothing to do but struggle through a misearable break-in period, which usually lasts about 3-4 days. But remember--this break-in period should happen well before you leave for your tour. If you're renting a bike, take your own saddle along, and wear a clean pair of cycling shorts every day. As for hands, padded gloves are great, but moving your hands around on the handlebar is the key to staving off numbness and discomfort. A drop handlebar is best for road touring, but a mountain bike with bar-ends or an aero bar works, too. The more hand positions you have available the better. Mistake #5/Carrying Too Much Take as little stuff as possible. Using something once in a month isn't a good reason to take it. On a 2-week self-contained trip, 35-40 pounds of gear should be all you need. Once you're packed for 2 weeks, you're packed for 3 months. You just re-use stuff. People tend to take too many clothes, overcompensating for the weather, You don't need a windbreaker, a rain jacket, and an in-between jacket. Layer your clothing instead. In chilly weather (for example, between 40-55 degrees), the base layer should be a sweat-wicking fabric like polypropylene, and the outer layer should be a wind-and water-resistent zippered shell. Regulate body heat by opening the zipper on climbs and closing it on descents. With advances in clothing, expecially in underwear, you can get away with carrying a lot less. Mistake #6/Diet Obession Eat well on a tour, because you're cranking. We've seen vegetarians ride strongly and we've seen people who eat total garbage ride strongly. A lot of it's mental. If you're convinced your diet will effect your riding, it might. But whatever you do, don't tour to lose weight--you'll just be sapping yourself of energy when you need it most, and who wants to have a vacation where they're constantly tired? You need plenty of carbohydrate for daily energy, but you also need some fat and protein and lots of liquids. Mike Deme, a 4-year tour guide for Adventure Cycling. DIRT Mistake #1/Poor Weight Distribution People tend to sit on their butts and lean on their hands too much, so I tell them to keep their pedals level and rise 6-8 inches off the seat for tricky terrain. Bend your elbows and knees and absorb the impact with your legs and arms, not your butt and hands. For descents, slide back on the saddle to get your weight over the rear tire. On steep descents, you may have to slide completely off the back of the saddle. Mistake #2/Heavy Shifting Avoid crunching the gears. Lighten the pedal load slightly before a shift, especially if you're going uphill. Don't hit an incline and expect the gears to change when you're applying a lot of pressure to the pedals. The best tactic is to shift before you get to a hill, not after. And you must avoid cross-chain gears (large chainring/large cog or small ring/small cog) that laterally bend the chain beyond what it was designed to take. Mistake #3/Front Brake Phobia It's a myth you shouldn't use the front brake going downhill. In fact, the front brake supplies the majority of your stopping power. Just make sure your weight is over the rear wheel if you're descending. (See Mistake #1.) An exception: In a loose corner, ease up on the front brake so the front wheel doesn't dig into the soil and throw you. Mistake #4/Improper Cornering Lean your bike, not your body. Push down on the outside pedal, and push the front tire directly into the ground. This really helps cornering traction. It's like skiiing, where you put your weight into the edges to carve a turn. Mistake #5/Poor Uphill Starts Starting on a hill is a real challenge. Apply the rear brake to prevent roling backward, then put one pedal up in the power position, between top center and horizontal. Simultaneously release the brake and apply pedal pressure--slowly, not like a piston, so you don't spin out. Don't worry about getting the other foot into the toe clips or clicked in until you're well underway. Mistake #6/Poor Bike Fit Women have proportionally smaller upper bodies, so they may need a short top tube or stem. Also, some people want a wide, soft saddle for a long off-road tour. But once you're on a hill or in tehcnial terrain, that will prevent you from using body English. You'll be more efficient with a narrow saddle that enables you to move around. Steven Fenn, A veteran tour guide for Western Spirit Cycling.