biking

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In the spring of 2004 I started training for my first long bike ride, the pan-massachusetts challenge.

Here are some tips I have been learning about doing long bike rides:

• The most important training stat is time in the saddle! Ideally you should train three times a week, but in any case at least two times every single week.
• Consider taking a regular "spin" class at your local gym. This is interval training for biking, and can increase your range.
• Take a low dosage advil every couple of hours during the ride days. :)
• Drink a bottle of water per hour riding, whether you need it or not. Most of the people who are hurting on the second day of a ride are those who are dehydrated.
• Don't take too long on breaks on the day of the long rides; this will actually make it harder to get back in the saddle, and prolong your long day unnecesarily.
• Alternate your hand positioning regularly. The one I use most commonly is hands on the top bar, with all four fingers and thumb of each hand over the front of the bar, hanging loosely (no grip). Having your thumbs over the top of the bar keeps your elbows in near your side (vs. putting your thumb on the bottom of the bar which makes your elbows ride out) which helps aerodynamics.
• For downhills and curves and any potentially dangerous situation (cars too close), ride with your hands down low (to lower your center of gravity) and near the brake handles.
• Deterimine your ideal cadence; for many people this is 60-70 revolutions per minute.
• Get a professional fitting at a high quality bike shop. Probably a big successful shop, but make sure to ask who is the best fit person on staff, and schedule with him or her! This can make an enormous difference.
• I did most of my training on a 25 year old bike, and developed this pride about not buying a new bike. But I could not keep up with my team mates in training, so in deference to them I went out and dropped $1K on a new Specialized road bike, and oh my god it made a very big difference!

What tips have I missed?