i hate cars. quick question for a road trip.

[boyo1991]

hey guys! im new to the forum, and actually new to commuting by bike in general... i just have a quick question...

is it normal to bike long distances.. i.e. 50 miles for a road trip? im going to be riding a single speed (its best where i live, very flat) and the bike is very comfy.. but i will be traveling from fargo, ND to detroid lakes, MN... want to make sure this isnt a bad idea.. its like a 5 hour ride.. for me, more like 6.. i am in shape.. i work out.. just want to make sure this is more of a normal road trip commute so that i dont get half way there and say "screw this noise!" lol..

if someone could google maps it (i already did) to get a better view on what im working with.. id surely appreciate it.. thanks for any and all input!

dave.

 

[Volnix]

Is that 70km or something? Its not that much, but it can be very difficult if you get oposite wind and have to haul lots of heavy stuff. You will probably need alot of water too. If it rains and your gear gets soaked you will probably have to haul another few kgs of water. Its best if you do it in daytime.

Are there any issues with stray dogs there? Is that a heavy traffic road?

If you done this distance a few times then it shouldnt be a problem. Google maps also has a "terrain" mode, where you can see the elevation diferences in the distance.

 

[Volnix]

It would also be probably better not to do it with a single speed...

 

[boyo1991]

i live on the flatest part of the earth.. we have a plaque that "boasts" it.. im really not worried about hills, i actually turned my bike into a single speed because multiple are not necessary and get in the way.. it will be breezy as how flat it is.. maps says it will take 5 hrs... just want to make sure this trip isnt "over my head" i know ive seen ppl bike across the world before.. and its why im planning that it shouldnt be anything but i still dont know haha

 

[Volnix]

Originally Posted by boyo1991 .

i live on the flatest part of the earth.. we have a plaque that "boasts" it.. im really not worried about hills, i actually turned my bike into a single speed because multiple are not necessary and get in the way.. it will be breezy as how flat it is.. maps says it will take 5 hrs... just want to make sure this trip isnt "over my head" i know ive seen ppl bike across the world before.. and its why im planning that it shouldnt be anything but i still dont know haha

Basically this is a fun trip right? So there is not reasons to "stress" your self to do it. Dont get how you keep a 90rpm cadence with a single speed though... Or how you start with the loaded bike.

The people who say that have been around the world in bikes might only have done so "in their own minds" and show some fake pictures they made with a bike hauled by an airplane to the himalayas or something "open minded" and "hairy" like that... /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif

Maybe a good idea is to load the panniers with some stuff and make a few 70km circle rides to get used to the distance and then go for the actual trip. Just so there is no worry that you might get tired in the middle of nowhere.

(PS it probably helps alot to have the best possible tires).

 

[alienator]

i live on the flatest part of the earth.. we have a plaque that "boasts" it.. im really not worried about hills, i actually turned my bike into a single speed because multiple are not necessary and get in the way.. it will be breezy as how flat it is.. maps says it will take 5 hrs... just want to make sure this trip isnt "over my head" i know ive seen ppl bike across the world before.. and its why im planning that it shouldnt be anything but i still dont know haha

Where are you located?

 

[An old Guy]

Originally Posted by boyo1991 .

is it normal to bike long distances.. i.e. 50 miles for a road trip? its like a 5 hour ride.. for me, more like 6.. i am in shape.. i work out.. just want to make sure this is more of a normal road trip commute so that i dont get half way there and say "screw this noise!" lol..

Take a cell phone and if necessary call someone to pick you up. Might as well take whatever is necessary to fix a flat. Practice before you go. Take some money.

There are most certainly stores where you can buy food and get free water.

5 hours seem like a long time for that ride. 4 hours on the bike is more reasonable. but it takes what it takes.

---

When I was a teenager - 50 years ago, I took off on my bicycle a couple times for a 50 mile ride. Not enough sense to take a spare tube or tools. No enough sense to plan for food or water. Somehow I survived.

Have fun.

 

[maydog]

Single speed is OK, but not the best choice for distance riding even up in the flat-lands. You have plenty of wind to deal with up there, when it is at your back or in your face you may benefit from more gears.

If you are in decent shape an your bike is in good condition, I suspect that you will be able to do the ride in much less than 5 hours riding time. Twelve to 15mph is a pretty sustanable pace.

It is not uncommon to ride 50+ for a "short" trip. I did 3x 60 mile rides this week myself. Only you can determine how far is too far. I find that the first half of the ride is the hardest, since turning around is always an option. After the halfway point - your destination is closer so you might as well finish.

 

[Damien Lee]

Personally, I'd never attempt such a trip with a single speed but that's just me. You do mention that you're on the flattest part of the earth which isn't the case where I stay. There are quite a few hilly areas in my neck of the woods and those gear changes are essential. Just let at least one loved one know about this trip, and have plenty of water and a cell phone with you at all times.

 

[Jcycle]

That isn't a good trip for a single speed. I'm not sure why you wold make that choice to be honest. Terrain isn't the only thing to contend with. What about wind and weather in general?

 

[AryaSnark]

Make sure you take water and some snacks, but something to drink is most important - you might get dehydrated surprisingly quickly on a trip like this. Also, make sure your bike is in 100% condition, and as others have pointed out, you need to be prepared for an emergency repair anyway.

What's the weather nowadays in your place? Strong wind and rains will totally suck on a trip that long, if you have calm sunshine, it can ever go smooth. I have to agree that a singlespeed is not the nest choice for a 80+ kilometer ride, though.

 

[Corzhens]

This is not to discourage you but I cannot imagine myself doing that ride alone. The 50 miles is the distance of a tour where they use racer bikes with gears and they ride in groups. I wonder how you would feel when halfway of that 50 miles that you get tired by your lonesome. But anyway, as you said that you are physically fit, all I can say is good luck and don't forget to let us know what happened with your epic ride.

 

[sharkantropo]

Hate the car driver, no the car .

50 miles for a daily road trip is relatively too much at least for me. When 20 miles is my average daily road trip. And I personally would not trust in a one velocity bike for a quite long trip like that. Given the distances, circumstances may vary. But you also claim that lives in a very flat place, so It's not so bad to ride there with a single velo bicycle.

 

[bitolpav45]

Songs you can sing along to. Belting out notes can make listening to music into a performance. Movie soundtracks or Broadway musical songs are great song choices that you can be fun to sing along with.
Songs with an upbeat tune. If you're driving, you'll probably be tired and you don't want to lose control of the wheel. Choose upbeat songs to keep you awake and feeling fresh.
A lot of songs. If the ride is long, running out of songs and having to replay them can make music become boring. You can calculate how long the ride will be and try to bring enough songs to last the ride.

 

[bitolpav45]

Songs you can sing along to. Belting out notes can make listening to music into a performance. Movie soundtracks or Broadway musical songs are great song choices that you can be fun to sing along with.
Songs with an upbeat tune. If you're driving, you'll probably be tired and you don't want to lose control of the wheel. Choose upbeat songs to keep you awake and feeling fresh.
A lot of songs. If the ride is long, running out of songs and having to replay them can make music become boring. You can calculate how long the ride will be and try to bring enough songs to last the ride.

FetLife
IMVU
Canvahttps://imvu.onl/

 

[Froze]

I ride a lot a lone, in fact the longest ride I ever did, 158 miles, was entirely alone with no cell phone, people do that sort of thing all the time. So I don't think 50 miles is a big deal at all, however I've never owned nor ridden a single speed bike but it has been done by others, read: https://www.bikeforums.net/long-dis...ance-cycling/627939-single-speed-century.html

https://medium.com/@airjoshb/the-fo...ing-my-single-speed-for-83-miles-1d5059c9256e

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/fixed-single-speed/how-far-do-you-ride-your-fixie-265342.html

So as you can see others have done it and so can you.

 

[cyclintom]

i live on the flatest part of the earth.. we have a plaque that "boasts" it.. im really not worried about hills, i actually turned my bike into a single speed because multiple are not necessary and get in the way.. it will be breezy as how flat it is.. maps says it will take 5 hrs... just want to make sure this trip isnt "over my head" i know ive seen ppl bike across the world before.. and its why im planning that it shouldnt be anything but i still dont know haha

As Volnix pointed out, it isn't how flat the ground is. In case of a strong headwind, single speed bikes can't gear down to be able to push into such a headwind without breaking you.

But to answer your original question: I do a 50 mile ride at least once a week. I do hard climbing rides often into headwinds twice a week. Now, I've been training a long time and don't pay much attention to it but this is not an especially difficult ride.

Here's the problems:

A. You HAVE to have a good saddle. I use a Prologo there are many different styles to fit your behind properly but you should have a good one before trying a distance ride. In 40 years of riding until Prologo came along I always had blisters.
B. You HAVE to have cycling shorts with padding.
C. After the ride do not sit in those shorts for very long. The saddle will generally wear the inside of your thighs a bit and sitting in damp shorts will cause blisters to raise. OOOUUUCCCHHH.

 

[cyclintom]

I ride a lot a lone, in fact the longest ride I ever did, 158 miles, was entirely alone with no cell phone, people do that sort of thing all the time. So I don't think 50 miles is a big deal at all, however I've never owned nor ridden a single speed bike but it has been done by others, read: https://www.bikeforums.net/long-dis...ance-cycling/627939-single-speed-century.html

https://medium.com/@airjoshb/the-fo...ing-my-single-speed-for-83-miles-1d5059c9256e

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/fixed-single-speed/how-far-do-you-ride-your-fixie-265342.html

So as you can see others have done it and so can you.

I've done double centuries and while you're under 50 they are still reasonably easy. I don't like single speed bike but you can have a double sided wheel and two different gears. Around here the San Francisco delivery guys will have a fixie on one side and a single speed on the other. And brakes normally just on the rear but it would be a cold day in hell that I would ride a bike in San Francisco without the best of brakes.

 

[taniadad]

Basically this is a fun trip right? So there is not reasons to "stress" your self to do it. Dont get how you keep a 90rpm cadence with a single speed though... Or how you start with the loaded bike.

The people who say that have been around the world in bikes might only have done so "in their own minds" and show some fake pictures they made with a bike hauled by an airplane to the himalayas or something "open minded" and "hairy" like that... /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif

Maybe a good idea is to load the panniers with some stuff and make a few 70km circle rides to get used to the distance and then go for the actual trip. Just so there is no worry that you might get tired in the middle of nowhere.

(PS it probably helps alot to have the best possible tires).

im going to be riding a single speed (its best where i live, very flat) and the bike is very comfy.. but i will be traveling from fargo, ND to detroid lakes, MN... want to make sure this isnt a bad idea.. its like a 5 hour ride.. for me, more like 6.. i am in shape.. i work out.. just want to make sure this is more of a normal road trip commute so that i dont get half way there and say "screw this noise!

 

[taniadad]

As Volnix pointed out, it isn't how flat the ground is. In case of a strong headwind, single speed bikes can't gear down to be able to push into such a headwind without breaking you.

But to answer your original question: I do a 50 mile ride at least once a week. I do hard climbing rides often into headwinds twice a week. Now, I've been training a long time and don't pay much attention to it but this is not an especially difficult ride.

Here's the problems:

A. You HAVE to have a good saddle. I use a Prologo there are many different styles to fit your behind properly but you should have a good one before trying a distance ride. In 40 years of riding until Prologo came along I always had blisters.
B. You HAVE to have cycling shorts with padding.
C. After the ride do not sit in those shorts for very long. The saddle will generally wear the inside of your thighs a bit and sitting in damp shorts will cause blisters to raise. OOOUUUCCCHHH.
https://ovo.fyi/chaturbate/ https://ovo.fyi/xnxx/ https://ovo.fyi/tubegalore/

im going to be riding a single speed (its best where i live, very flat) and the bike is very comfy.. but i will be traveling from fargo, ND to detroid lakes, MN... want to make sure this isnt a bad idea.. its like a 5 hour ride.. for me, more like 6.. i am in shape.. i work out.. just want to make sure this is more of a normal road trip commute so that i dont get half way there and say "screw this noise!