what was I thinking?
I only recently started riding my bike after having been hit by a cop back in October. I've been a little nervous going to and from work but all in all, I'm feeling pretty good about it. But what was I thinking when I signed up for the Five Boro Bike Tour? It's 42 miles and the claim is that its doable for cyclists of all levels. We'll see about that.I'm fairly confident that my butt is is shape for such an event (beginner cyclists deal with "sore butts") and while I work out regularly I'm not so sure I'm ready for 42 miles on a bike!
Are there any cyclists out there that have advice? The ride (notice I'm not calling it a race) is a month away so I've got time to do some training. Are there any cyclists out there who want to come up to NYC and do the tour with me? C'mon, it'll be fun!
The good news for me is that there will be no traffic on the route. None. Except, of course, for the occasional cops protecting the roadway which, now that I think about it isn't such good news. D'oh!
posted by jch at
9:40 AM
7 Comments:
As an avid biker, i've found that a banana seat really helps with a sore toosh...
Joe,
My sister is a super cycling enthusiast and does crazy 150 mile (in two days) rides every year for the MS Society.
She was just telling me about this bike ride in NY after she read it in her most recent cycling magazine. I'm going to ask her to come over to your blog and comment with something helpful. She's great at that.
Have fun!
Hey Joe:
I am Dana's super cycling enthusiast sister. From what I have read about this ride I know you can do it especially if you already do some riding. There will be a LOT of people so the start will be slow and maybe a little scary. Try to get to the outside so you have room to manuever. A common bike term comes in handy in big rides like this, "HOLD YOUR LINE." This simply means come out of a curve in the same line you went into it or stay straight on the straight aways. Don't try to do a lot of passing the more moving around you do the scary it gets for everybody.
I like hard seat, padded shorts. If you aren't into the typically bike shorts there are some shorts available that look like regular shorts but still have padding in them.
I can go on and on and on but I don't want to highjack your blog. If you want more info get my email addy from Dana.
I am jealous I think it will be an awesome ride and I would like to do it but I can't get to NY to do it.
Most important -- Drink often and have fun. Staying hydrated is the key to remembering the ride.
I'm sure my been-bikin'-forever husband will chime in at some point. He would LOVE to ride with you, Joe! There's just the minor issue of paying for a $200 plane ticket. oh well.
I would love to do the ride. I'm with bikegirl, get padded shorts. It's the key to life in the saddle. If you're not in a hurry and there are tons of people riding, then I'd start after the big crowds... that is the freakiest part of organized rides.
Enjoy!
hey joe, if i can get the time off and you can help me find a bike in NYC I'll be happy to join you.
Don't know if you want suggestions/feedback from complete strangers who happen to stumble upon your blog, but I'm offering my thoughts anyway! I road the 5 Boro Ride in 2002 and loved it. I'd done a fair amount of biking before, including the NYC Century Ride in September 01, but didn't "train" for the Boro ride at all. I think it's reasonable to say all riders can finish it. There were entirely families involved, including preteens, and they survived--though I saw many of those children passed out on the Staten Island Ferry on the way home. I would recommend doing it with a friend or two as it will surely be more fun that way. I road with six friends and coworkers and we had a fantastic time. The route is very crowded and shouldn't be thought of as a "race." IN fact, there will be plenty of slow points that give riders ample opportunity to catch their breathe. And they also tend to have tons of food at the rest-stops, so be careful not to eat too many Terra potato chips or Odwalla bars as they might make you lethargic!
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