Confession - Advice About Distances

[blowndodge]

Break up your day. Dave and I would stop every 1-2 hours to site see or eat. Just taking it easy that way you can do 400 miles in a day easy. Even on a Nomad. If you try to do the gas ride; gas ride; gas ride without stopping to site see and get off and walk you may do 450 miles but feel like a cripple at your hotel room. Fortunately my new Victory XCT has a wonderful saddle and riding position. Easily going well over 200 miles per tank. Drain tank, get gas, eat, walk around, mount up and one tank later I'm at over 400 miles. Not riding for an hour in between fill ups is a fantastic "attitude" adjuster.

[Dave]

There's a lot of things to see out there while just riding along. I remember Brad and I stopped at a little oil museum in Santa Paula. Turns out to have been the original corporate office for Union 76. Got a tour of the offices. Very interesting.

[Framer]

Sense I got my bike last June I haven't done over 250 miles in one day. I can do 6 to 7 hours on a bicycle but the riding position is a little deferent. I have thought about bike shorts (I have 15 pair) but haven't done it yet. The thing with bike shorts is not to wear underwear under them and lube the pad. Putting lube on the pad makes it not stick to your butt witch can make sore spots. I don't understand the bathroom thing you just pull them down unless you have bibs on and then you just pull one leg up.

[ray2]

My 500 + days are over. Now I take a extra day on longer trips and try to end the day at a place with something to do or see. Lot of good info on the posts here.

[blowndodge]

All this talk about butt, lube and no underwear makes me think about Trip's last trip to the Netherlands with Todd!

[Framer]

Originally Posted by blowndodge

All this talk about butt, lube and no underwear makes me think about Trip's last trip to the Netherlands with Todd!

Leave it to Brad to take this in a direction nobody wanted

[blowndodge]

don't sell this site short Dave. there are plenty of "nobody's" here!!

[cnc]

Originally Posted by Loafer

I've read all the good advice and will add my 2 cents.

1. I tried the bicycle shorts, they helped but for bathroom breaks I found them to be a pain.
I recommended them to a female rider, and she thanked me profusely. Worked for her.

2. At each stop, (in the bathroom) I rearrange the way my underwear fit. This I find has made the biggest difference in my day.
I buy the underwear with no seams on the butt side as well.

Have a good trip.

What?,You put you undies on backwards, or pull them up Steve Urkel fasihion?

[blowndodge]

What a man won't do to get attention Norm!!

[Loafer]

Originally Posted by cnc

What?,You put you undies on backwards, or pull them up Steve Urkel fasihion?

Maybe you skinny toothpick style bodied people don't have the problem of underwear moving
up or down while riding, but I experience an uncomfortable feeling from them and find that
at rest stops rearranging them helps. Just passing on a tip to those that might not have
thought of it. Just remember I can get a passport this year, and you aren't that far away,
my little pretty......

[cactusjack]

Here's some tips for long distance riding...

Eat light (breakfast and lunch). You don't want that 3 pound burrito you ate for lunch coming back to haunt you an hour down the road.

I wear compression shorts rather than boxers while riding. The seams/hems in boxer/jockey shorts can become painful after sitting on them for a couple hundred miles. I think they keep you cooler, too.

Stay hydrated. I have two pouches that mount on my saddlebag guards, each holds a small thermos bottle. I can fill them to the top with ice in the morning and then add water and they will stay cold all day, even in AZ heat - plus I can access them while cruising down the road.

I pop an Aleve in the morning to take the edge off the minor aches and pains - sore muscles, stiff joints, etc.

I carry anti-diarrhea pills (immodium, etc). See first tip, above. The last place you need the "squirts" is out in the middle of nowhere.

[cnc]

Originally Posted by Loafer

Maybe you skinny toothpick style bodied people don't have the problem of underwear moving
up or down while riding, but I experience an uncomfortable feeling from them and find that
at rest stops rearranging them helps. Just passing on a tip to those that might not have
thought of it. Just remember I can get a passport this year, and you aren't that far away,
my little pretty......

At a recent rally I talked to this girl who had the same problem as you Gerry, till she discovered this solution. Maybe it could work for you as well.

[blowndodge]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

Here's some tips for long distance riding...

Eat light (breakfast and lunch). You don't want that 3 pound burrito you ate for lunch coming back to haunt you an hour down the road.

I wear compression shorts rather than boxers while riding. The seams/hems in boxer/jockey shorts can become painful after sitting on them for a couple hundred miles. I think they keep you cooler, too.

Stay hydrated. I have two pouches that mount on my saddlebag guards, each holds a small thermos bottle. I can fill them to the top with ice in the morning and then add water and they will stay cold all day, even in AZ heat - plus I can access them while cruising down the road.

I pop an Aleve in the morning to take the edge off the minor aches and pains - sore muscles, stiff joints, etc.

I carry anti-diarrhea pills (immodium, etc). See first tip, above. The last place you need the "squirts" is out in the middle of nowhere.

You just "buzz killed" my lunch plans today!!

[ponch]

Originally Posted by nomadtom69

It may sound weird but buy 2 pair of Bicycle riding shorts with the padding in them(wear them under you jeans) it draws the moisture off and offers a little extra padding a good set at a bicycle shop runs about 60 to 70 bucks but worth it.

This company sells stuff that is used by long distant riders: http://ldcomfort.com/


I will add that you will learn a lot when taking a trip. Not only about your endurance, but the shortcomings for the bike as it applies to you. If the seat is marginal on local trips, it'll be murder on the road. In fact anything that bothers you on short rides will be magnified. If nothing bothers you, then you should find out before the trip. Take a 300 mile each way trip and see how you like it. I have found that for me, 12 hours of riding/stops is about all I can take a day and it doesn't matter if it's 300 miles or 780. All I can say it is something you will find out. For me, 450 miles a day is about right with my current setup if I want to not feel worn out that night and the next morning. If I had a better seat, that would be extended.

[ponch]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

Here's some tips for long distance riding...

Eat light (breakfast and lunch). You don't want that 3 pound burrito you ate for lunch coming back to haunt you an hour down the road.

I wear compression shorts rather than boxers while riding. The seams/hems in boxer/jockey shorts can become painful after sitting on them for a couple hundred miles. I think they keep you cooler, too.

Stay hydrated. I have two pouches that mount on my saddlebag guards, each holds a small thermos bottle. I can fill them to the top with ice in the morning and then add water and they will stay cold all day, even in AZ heat - plus I can access them while cruising down the road.

I pop an Aleve in the morning to take the edge off the minor aches and pains - sore muscles, stiff joints, etc.

I carry anti-diarrhea pills (immodium, etc). See first tip, above. The last place you need the "squirts" is out in the middle of nowhere.

Yeah, the Hershey® Squirts suck.