Long trips on a bicycle?

[WalterDavis]

I finally ordered a new mountain bike, hoping to drop a little weight and get outside a little more. Maybe even ride some on slickrock, since it's here However, one thing that I'm really interested in is doing some long distance traveling by bike-taking the highways or backroads, camping along the way:thumbup: Anyone do anything like that, or know of any good resources for information for stuff along those lines?

Thanks:thumbup:

 

[stingray4540]

My brother, me, and some friends did that when we were teenagers. We didn't know much, but we took the basics in a baby pull behind, that we borrowed from friends sister. The rest in some bookbags.

Were we lived in Ohio, there was a partially paved trail that went all the way to lake Erie, so we did a trip there, camped on the side of the trail on what was probably someones backyard in the woods next to a corn field.

It was only an overnighter, but it was a heck of a fun trip, and quite exhausting by the end of it.

Unfortunately I can't offer much advise, since we didn't know what we were doing back then, and were quite under prepared. If I were to do it again, I would be looking at lightweight backpacking gear, and find out what kind of bags that can attach to the bike to see what can be carried on the bike, and what you'll have to carry on your back.

 

[luckykitty]

Do put most of the weight in bags that are attached to the bike.
The lower the weight sits the better.
You don't want much weight on your shoulders, and for longer trips I need my shoulders for a camelbak type of drinking system (mine has a little space for additional gear).

 

[IUKE12]

I spent many weeks on the road with a bicycle several years ago, lots of fun. Set the bike up with racks and panniers and you will be amazed at how much you can comfortably haul. start here

 

[Snow]

Never done it, but I really want to.

 

[desmobob]

I've done two seven-day self supported bicycle trips (and one seven-day supported trip). I'm 250lbs and close to maxing out the weight rating on my wheels, so I use a trailer (Croozer Cargo) instead of panniers.

I pack my Big Agnes Seedhouse 1 solo tent, a light sleeping bag, and whatever else I feel like lugging along. It's a ball!

Once you do it, you'll want to make at least one trip a year.

Stay sharp,
desmobob

 

[heatondc]

I think that there is an off chance that there is a bike shop or two in your neck of the woods. They would be happy to point you in the right direction. Or if you ever make it up to Price I could help. I'm at Decker's Bicycle on Main St. Feel free to shoot an email w/ questions at bikes@emerytelcom.net

 

[akabu]

http://www.bikeforums.net/
http://www.caree.org/bike101bikefit.htm IMPORTANT!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHmJALSp_9s&feature=related

Take your time, ride without the load on All Terrain, and learn how to handle yourself and the bike at slow and fast speeds dodging obstructions on the flats and hills.
Water Water Water!!! On trips I had 2 water bottles on the frame and one in my back pocket along with a packet of Fig Newtons, additional water bottle {coca cola bottle}in bike pack. If I saw a source of water I refilled.
Learn The Bike – How to adjust and Repair!!

 

[akabu]

When you get your Bike have your tools ready.
Get a tube of LOK-Tite and some alcohol take all screws and nuts {one at a time} degrease with the alcohol let dry then a Dab of L-T and replace and tighten.
Road vibration will loosen them if you do not "For the want of a Nail the war was lost...."
Learn Car hand signals if you do not know them ,its the way you'll communicate with Drivers and other riders '

 

[Bushman5]

Helmet, bike lights, DOT reflective tape on the bike and a reflective vest! Trust me, cars cant see us!

 

[Thalestin]

Start by doing some long distance rides. It takes time for your body to adjust to long rides. If you can ride 100 miles in a day and your ass isnt dead the next day, your ready for touring imo. If your going for less distance in a day, you can train less hard.

Get some slicker tires for the road. Stubbies will slow you down A LOT. Personally, i think mtn bikes are for mtn iking and not for long distance trips but it will get the job done, just a lot more slowly

 

[mdauben]

I finally ordered a new mountain bike, hoping to drop a little weight and get outside a little more.

Congrats! Biking is a great recreational activity and a great way to take off some excess weight. :thumbup:

I'm really interested in is doing some long distance traveling by bike-taking the highways or backroads, camping along the way:thumbup:

I've done a fair amount of bike touring in the past, including a few "centuries" (100-mile days). Unfortunatly, mountain bikes are not really opimal for long distance road riding, but if that's what you got you can work with it.

First thing you need is a set of road tires! The heavy treads or knobs on off-road tires are great for mud and soft soil, but are nothing but a drag on the pavement. I've got an extra set of wheels for my mountain bike, one set with knobies and one set with stree tires to make swaping them out easy.

Next, you need some luggage racks and saddlebags or "panniers". Hanging your luggage on the bike frame, and as low as possible, is much supperior to carrying a back pack. Blackburn makes some great luggage racks for mountain bikes, although there are others, too. There are a number of makers of bicycle luggage, like Topeak, Avenir, and Sunlite.

My usual set-up was a rear rack and panniers, my sleeping back lashed on top of the rack, a small seat bag with a spare tube and some basic toos, and a handlbar bag with stuff I might need during the day (sunscreen, hat, camera, rain jacket, power bars, etc).

Also, don't forget to take lots of water! I used both a back-bladder and frame mounted water bottles (plain water in the bladder, and sports drink in the bottles as they were easier to clean).

If you don't have a local bike shop that carries this stuff, you could check out one of the big on-line bike stores like Bike Nashbar or Performance Bicycles.

Hope that helps!

 

[Skimo]

What kind of mountain bike did you buy? I ask because it matters very much for long rides, especially for getting back into shape.

From what it sounds like is a street bike would have been a better option.

There is a reason street bikes and mountain bikes are named the way they are, finding a decent hybrid will cost a good deal of money more than buying two bikes one for street one for road.

 

[WalterDavis]

Thanks for the good advice, all! I'm already looking at panniers, though I'm sure it will be a while before I buy them-heck, it'll be a while before I'm skinny enough to ride in public, let alone for a long way I definitely plan on taking lots of water, work even just gave me a small camelback-type pack in extrasuperamazinglybright green so I won't get run over from behind, though it looks like I've got a radioactive leach on my back when I wear it(which is really funny, considering I work with radioactive dirt on a daily basis)

Skimo, I went with a Windsor Cliff29er Pro. It was the best spec'd bike I could find in that layout. Lockout Tora front shock, hardtail (because as big as I am, a rear suspension just moves up and down when I try to pedal), 29er, it really seemed like it would be a good do-it-all bike, since living in Moab I'm going to have to run some of the local trail, but I should be able to get a set of street tires/wheels and spend some time on the pavement, too:thumbup: I had to stretch to afford it, but it should hold up well and have the ability to grow with me as I get better.

 

[d_filgate]

I'd like to preface this with the fact that I live in a semi-arid desert, and
have found that most of my biking problems dealt with sun and heat.
My daily trek to and from work was about 12 miles, up and down hills, with
a large hill climb at one end of the trip.
Usual summer temperatures range from mid 90's to 110 F.

1) Helmet with some kind of cloth bandana or something like that to protect
your neck from sunburn. Also, sunglasses, even on cloudy days.
2) A pull trailer behind the bike is an excellent idea. Saddlebags over the
back tires is also a good idea depending on how much you want to carry.
3) Camelback for drinking water. Fill it half full the night before you leave,
and put it in the freezer. When you leave, fill it up completely. Gives you
cool water, "and" keeps you cool as the ice melts.
4) In addition to the camelback, carry two water bottles mounted either on
the handlebars or on the bike frame. This is for your legs.
I found that in the heat, the muscles in my legs tended to cramp up a bit.
Splashing water over my quads and calves helped a lot in dealing with the
cramps due to the heat.
5) Make sure you take something to replenish your electrolites.
Some powdered gatoraid or something like that works good.
It helps with the cramps in muscles while biking in hot weather.

Anyway, just a couple of things I learned.

Cheers

 

[gdtrfb]

Just google some resources bicycle touring... also check out www.sheldonbrown.com downtheroad.com ....

Kind of like marathons, the only way

to get your body used to being on a bike for hours is to do it. You also have to like biking

good luck and have fun

 

[Wildewinds]

If you're planning on getting a mountain bike, and you want to do a road tour... be careful about comfort. I was an avid mtn biker a few years back and I got tricked into doing a 100 mile road race. Mountain bike riding is nothing like road biking. You're ALWAYS sitting when you're road biking. My ass was on fire after the first 20 miles. It felt like I was in prison.

 

[Guyon]

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=643560

This poster (see link) kept us up to date on his bike ride over in the Busse forum.

Canada down to San Diego if I remember right.

His blog is linked and is an interesting read if you want to do something similar.

Long distance bikes are a different breed from mountain bikes. Here's what that dude was riding, the Surly Long Haul Trucker.

 

[mdauben]

My ass was on fire after the first 20 miles. It felt like I was in prison.

Heh! Honestly, that has more to do with conditioning that the bike. There is NO bike seat (mountain or road) that is going to be comfortable after hours in the saddle until you have toughened up "down there"

 

[Wildewinds]

Heh! Honestly, that has more to do with conditioning that the bike. There is NO bike seat (mountain or road) that is going to be comfortable after hours in the saddle until you have toughened up "down there"

Yeah, I know. It's just that mountain bike ass conditioning is different than road bike ass conditioning.