The participation ride 2006 - post-ride analysis and comment

WARNING: I am not an expert . . .

. . . and offer these FAQs as an infrequent cyclist who took to cycling in his early 40s. There are many other sources of really good information on the web and I will be referring to some of them. Please do your own research and post the results here for others by commenting on a relevant topic using the 'Comments' link at the bottom of each one.

PLEASE: Don't rely on the information here as your only source. Please seek alternative views especially where your own health and safety is concerned.

Knowledge source

Meet Sheldon Brown. Now I know what you are thinking but my mum always told me (at least I think it was my mum) that you dismiss a person on first impressions at your own peril. If you want to know why he's got a bird on his hat you can find out here. Sheldon has a brilliant section on his website full of detailed knowledge on bikes. These pages are always thrown up by Google and for good reason. The content is really good and helpful. Here is a sample: Sheldon Brown on comfortable saddles. His home page is here.

My Top 10 Tips (Part 1)

There are better places to go for tips on long distance cycle riding but these are my top 10:

1 Make sure your saddle is high enough. Many people make the mistake of having it too low which means they never fully straighten their legs when pedalling. These people usually don't like bike riding - it cripples them. They wouldn't like walking either if they walked along in a squat and never straightened their legs . . . . You should hardly be able to touch the ground when in the saddle and will have to come forward off your saddle when you stop.

2 If something starts hurting change what you are doing. If, for example, you start to get a twinge in your right knee, immediately start pushing less hard with your right leg and take more of the strain on your left leg. The pain will stop and you will be pedalling normally again without even realising it. I also find that the tiniest adjustment, eg to the saddle angle or the tilt or height of the handle bars can may a huge difference and change an agonising situation into a bearable one.

3 Set yourself realistic goals and then stick to them. If you are going to cycle 75 miles think of it as two 30 miles rides with a bit on the end. Focus on the first 30 miles, have a break, feel good about your achievement before you set off on the next 30, and so on. This is also helpful when training. Usually you are not going to have time to practise the full length of your ride several times before you actually ride it. But if you are confident that you can do a 30 mile stretch with no problems you are likely to be able to do a long ride in 30-mile stages without too much trouble.

4 Put the Sudocrem on before you start. Don't wait until you have a sore bum before applying the Sudocrem! Put it on (in liberal quantities) before you start and during the ride. If you are on a really punishing ride you might want to invest in some Germaline just in case . . . it contains and mild local anesthetic!

5 Don't wear pants. Padded cycle shorts are an absolute must but don't wear anything underneath them. Apart from the obvious 'visible panty line' problem that this causes, frankly, the less there is to go wrong down there the better. Keep things simple!

More to follow . . . .

Am I fit enough to participate?

Probably. You need to be able to cycle continuously for one hour at an average speed of between 13-15 mph to be comfortable on a section of the ride. You will then need to be able to get on your bike again do another hour at the same speed after a 5-10 minute break. You don't have to do a whole stage if you don't want to.

I would suggest that you build up to cycling for a full hour (if you can't already do so) and then concentrate on getting your speed up if you need to. Once you have achieved that then try two consecutive hours and do two or three of these before the ride itself. Buy a bike computer - these tell you how you are doing and are great motivators.