We Did It!

[morea]

For any of you who remember this (http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27884) thread, MyST and I were working up to biking a "century" - that's 100 miles of biking in one day.

We did it yesterday!

http://i18.tinypic.com/4t7jsbk.gif


Here are some shots of my biking computer. Total distance: 104.66 miles (168.43 kilometers)

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c343/gdfmorea/centurydist.jpg


Total time: 7 hours, 27 minutes and 38 seconds.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c343/gdfmorea/centurytime.jpg


I don't know if I would do it again - it's hard to carry enough fluids (even wearing a 2 litre hydration pack and carrying a saddlebag containing a few bottles of gatorade) so we finished up a little dehydrated. I got a pretty bad sunburn even though I wore SPF 50 sunscreen.

Overall, the ride actually went better than expected, but the main lesson learned was that the human butt is NOT designed to sit on a bike seat for 7 hours in one day. OW! :o

[tuliptree]

WOW morea, kudos to you and MyST!! That's quite a feat!!

[CkretAjint]

... wow! http://www.teamzx2.com/Smileys/others/77.gif

[Two-Toe Tom]

WOWOWOW! congratulations you two! :D

[morea]

thanks guys! It was a very long day!

[MyST]

Thanks!

A seriously tough ride!

[SpugNothuson]

Crazy I tell you! I went for an 80 mile ride on my Ducati around the countryside in the blistering heat and I thought I was a little mad.

You 2 are to be commended.

Did you plan the route first or just cycle till the computer said 50 miles, turn around and come back?

[Virgo Nightingale]

Great job, guys!

[vtwin_gary]

i know that 3 hours in a motorcycle seat i'm sore. so i'm sure 7 on a bike seat is too much. how do the tour guys do it?

[morea]

Crazy I tell you! I went for an 80 mile ride on my Ducati around the countryside in the blistering heat and I thought I was a little mad.

You 2 are to be commended.

Did you plan the route first or just cycle till the computer said 50 miles, turn around and come back?

Commended or committed? ;)

We planned the route ahead of time. It's ridiculously hilly here, and we tried to plan our route so that we climbed the worst ones while our legs were still fresh. We still had some major hills to do around the 90 mile mark - it was unavoidable... but they weren't as bad as some of the monstrosities we could have found ourselves up against. :D

To be honest, I'm a little surprised that I am feeling as well as I am today. I have had arthritis in both knees since I was about 15 (an old sports injury) and figured I wouldn't be walking very well today.

[morea]

i know that 3 hours in a motorcycle seat i'm sore. so i'm sure 7 on a bike seat is too much. how do the tour guys do it?

for one thing, they have professional masseuses and physical therapists who tend to them on a daily or near-daily basis.

for another, they have nicer saddles. Ours are pretty cheap, low-end ones that aren't really designed for this sort of thing... and man, do they chafe the hell out of your poor inner thighs... *cringe*

and I've also just learned most experienced long-distance cyclists use a special cream on their shorts pads to prevent problems... little did I know. :rolleyes:

[Typically]

wow that's insane! congrats on that guys it must have felt weird siting on a nice comfy couch after all that =]

[morea]

it's painful sitting much of anywhere right now. ;)

[The_Black_Knight]

Of course, what morea isn't telling you is that they were being towed by a car...

Just kidding. 100 miles in a day on a bike is quite an achievement.

I just wish the roads around here were more bike friendly (most of them are very narrow, and I don't want cars to have to dodge to keep from hitting me). I would love to start riding...

[Craig B]

That is awesome! Nice job you guys! I'm so out of shape, I'd be lucky if I could bike for 3 or 4 miles.

[morea]

Of course, what morea isn't telling you is that they were being towed by a car...

Just kidding. 100 miles in a day on a bike is quite an achievement.

I just wish the roads around here were more bike friendly (most of them are very narrow, and I don't want cars to have to dodge to keep from hitting me). I would love to start riding...


if ONLY we were being towed by a car! :p

Actually, what I've failed to emphasize is that we did the century on mountain bikes... road bikes are more designed for this sort of thing (different geometry), so we made it harder on ourselves *physically* because we didn't care for the thought of making it harder for ourselves *financially*. (A road bike is a substantial investment!) ;)

BK - if you have a local bike shop in your area, check with the people who work there... maybe there are some trails that would be great for riding that you just aren't aware of. That happened with me when I started riding.

[D-Frag]

nice job you 2 that shit is hardcore, you guys are loco

[Virgo Nightingale]

Of course, what morea isn't telling you is that they were being towed by a car...

Just kidding. 100 miles in a day on a bike is quite an achievement.

I just wish the roads around here were more bike friendly (most of them are very narrow, and I don't want cars to have to dodge to keep from hitting me). I would love to start riding...
BK, I'm not sure what part of Jersey you're in, but there's a county park in my area (Saddle River County Park) that goes through I think 5 towns (Ridgewood, Glen Rock, Paramus, Fair Lawn, and Rochelle Park), complete with several miles of paved walking/biking paths.

[Navian]

i know that 3 hours in a motorcycle seat i'm sore. so i'm sure 7 on a bike seat is too much. how do the tour guys do it?

Easy:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drafting_%28racing%29

Drafting or slipstreaming is a technique in sports racing where competitors align in a close group in order to reduce the overall effect of drag or fluid resistance of the group in a slipstream. Especially when high speeds are involved, drafting can significantly reduce the average energy expenditure required to maintain a certain speed.

Drafting is usually to reduce wind resistance and is seen most commonly in bicycle racing, car racing, and speedskating though is occasionally used even in running. Some forms of triathlon allow drafting. Drafting is sometimes seen in swimming as well, particularly in "open-water" swim events where competitors are not separated into distinct lanes.

In cycling, the main (largest) group of tightly packed cyclists in a race is called a peloton, while cyclists riding in straight-line formation, each (but the first) drafting behind the one in front of him, is called a paceline.

Drafting can be cooperative, in which several competitors take turns in the lead position (which requires the most effort and energy consumption). Or, it can be competitive or tactical, where one competitor will try to stay closely behind another leaving him or her more energy for a break-away push to the finish line. -Continue-

The person further to the front of the group will cause the cyclist to work harder, but the person the furthest back doesn't work as hard, reducing strain/stress and dehydration of the ride.

You can go many miles cycling/running/swimming this way without problems.

[urstwile]

Congratulations you two! :)

[morea]

Easy:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drafting_%28racing%29

The person further to the front of the group will cause the cyclist to work harder, but the person the furthest back doesn't work as hard, reducing strain/stress and dehydration of the ride.

You can go many miles cycling/running/swimming this way without problems.


Navian, drafting in a pack can ease muscle fatigue (I'm told, I've never ridden in a pack) but it doesn't help a whit for saddle soreness! ;)

[Navian]

Navian, drafting in a pack can ease muscle fatigue (I'm told, I've never ridden in a pack) but it doesn't help a whit for saddle soreness! ;)

You need a comfortable seat! :)

A schwinn cruiser seat:

http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/419TNMS0QBL._AA280_.jpg

Your buttocks will love you. :p

[morea]

honestly? While a seat like that might be comfortble for a short, casual ride on a bike trail, you won't see any serious cyclists using something like that.

High end saddles are ridiculously thin, hard, and light weight. As long as you have a proper saddle fit (they actually measure the difference between your 'sit bones' and factor in your riding position to determine your proper saddle width - I believe that the farther forward you lean, the narrower the saddle you should use) a hard saddle is better for you in the long run.

If anything, the problem we had was that our saddles were TOO soft. If we had the really thin, pro-style saddles there wouldn't have been chaffing problems.

[Navian]

Just giving ya a hard time. :p

[morea]

don't make me think!!! I'm tired! I feel like I've just biked 100 miles or something...

oh wait...

[CamarotaDesign]

Congratulations Mo!!!

[TheBluePanda]

Jeez.. 100 miles!? Congrats, thats awesome. I absolutely suck at riding a bike for long distances, always have. I honestly will pass out if I attempt to ride for more than a few miles. Can't possibly imagine 100.

[MyST]

100 miles and 7.5 hours worth of riding. I actually loved the riding.
OK, so the body was sore after, but I loved doing the century.

The thing is, in the winter, take the exact same bike and place it on rollers and I want off in under 20 minutes!

Nothing beats being in the great outdoors.

[Exodus]

Wow! Great job! Congratulations on the milestone! :)

[Samakimoto Graphics]

Congratualtions Morea and MyST!

[CamarotaDesign]

Oh crap, I forgot to say Congratulations to Myst too... my bad! Congratulation Myst!!

[MyST]

Thanks!


*cancels appointment with psychologist regarding self-esteem issue*

[morea]

lol! Thanks guys! :D

[cornfed]

You guys are on a roll! Congratulations!

[Navian]

Oh yeah, congrats M. & M.

[Tea]

That's incredible! Congratulations.

[morea]

thanks! We took yesterday off and managed a 20 mile recovery ride today. That puts us just past 1600 miles (2600 km) for the year. :)

[Two-Toe Tom]

do you have a goal for how many miles you're gonna do for the year?

[morea]

not really, it sort of depends on how long the snow holds off so we can keep riding. We'll right straight through January if the roads stay clear.