Training for Cross Country ride next year

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Hello. I just joined the forum, it looks like a great place to communicate with other cycling enthusiasts and to get tons of information. I just wanted to see if anyone has any advice for me. I will be riding from California to Maine next June. We will be taking about 45 days for this ride and I haven't ridden much in the last few years. I was a very avid cyclist and would love to get back into it. I have a decent Trek and x-country tires. I plan to buy a camelback and I am thinking of buying a floor trainer. Any advice on what I should get? Does anyone want to join us on the ride? It's for a good cause. You can find out more info here:

http://nevusride.org


Nate

The main part of your training should just be building up the mileage. You need to get your backside used to sitting in the saddle for extended periods.

Since you haven't ridden much lately you'll want to ease into it gently so as not to injure yourself :(. The indoor trainer is great for this.

Good luck!

I don't think you will want a waterbag on your back very long and you will want touring/road tires. I've seen several riders switch to narrower harder tires after 1 or 2 days on a trip and wish they had started with them. Much eaiser to peddal.

Originally posted by natodd
Hello. I just joined the forum, it looks like a great place to communicate with other cycling enthusiasts and to get tons of information. I just wanted to see if anyone has any advice for me. I will be riding from California to Maine next June. We will be taking about 45 days for this ride and I haven't ridden much in the last few years. I was a very avid cyclist and would love to get back into it. I have a decent Trek and x-country tires. I plan to buy a camelback and I am thinking of buying a floor trainer. Any advice on what I should get? Does anyone want to join us on the ride? It's for a good cause. You can find out more info here:

http://nevusride.org


Nate

Try the Camelbak on a very hot day and see how it feels. You may like it or not.
Indoor trainers can help get you into shape. They are noisy, wear tire quickly, and you can get hot. Use cheap tires. Use a fan bowing on you. Find times when the noise won't disturb the rest of the household. Elite Elastogel and CycleOps are both good units.
Indoor training helps with base conditioning. Ride outdoors as much as you safely can. Practice riding with your touring load as much as you can. Practice setting up "camp" and repacking.
Make a check list and compare with other experienced tour riders.
Get rid of things that you won't use or that are easy to buy at the convenience/camp store along the way.
As you plan to ride with others, try to have as much in common in the bicycling equipment as possible to minimize sparing requirements. Find a person or group that will support you from home. They can ship you parts and other unique items as required.
Make sure your bicycles are fully prepared. Even the slightest problem should be resolved and tested before you leave.
Read books on touring from Adventure Cycling. Read articles and communicate with authors about unique solutions.
With 45 days to cross you should really be able to enjoy the experience. Preparation will help increase your enjoyment.