That's what I think some friends might be thinking when I tell them about my plans to ride the entire lengths of the Silver Comet Trail and the Chief Ladiga Trails in one day. My friend Eric is going with me (I actually think this was his idea,) so I won't be alone. Neither of us have ridden 100 miles in one day before, but we did manage 45 miles in 5 hrs 26 minutes last October. We're both trying to train for the trip, but with work and kids, it's a challenge to get the time. Eric's family is also planning a move in a couple of months, so spending several hours riding a bike isn't going to win him any love at home.
So, for now, we're doing the training thing and researching. I think I have a pretty good idea of what I need as far as gear and supplies go. I purchased a rack & panniers for the bike. I bought riding gloves a few months ago and finally got some shorts with pads in the butt. I thought I'd hate them, but they do make a considerable difference. I may replace my saddle, but don't think that's really necessary. Mine is old, worn and cracked, but still quite comfy, so I'll probably keep the one I have. The fact that I think most saddles are insanely overpriced is a big part of my reluctance to replace the one I have.
We both already have decent bikes. Mine is a 2012 Windsor Wellington 2.0, and his is a Diamondback Interval from the late 90s. Both are in pretty good shape. I'd dare say the bikes are in better shape than we are.
A few years ago Eric was, according to his own self-description, huge. While reading on the Internet, he stumbled across someone's rather moving account of running and finishing a marathon. This struck a chord with him, and he told his wife that he wanted to do that. While most wives of "huge" men might laugh, his gracious wife simply encouraged and supported him. Awesome! Now, he runs marathons on a regular basis along with any other race he can track down. So, he's in pretty darn good cardiovascular condition. He's probably in better shape than I am even though he still outweighs me by about 40 lbs. I KNOW he can outrun me by a very long shot. We're well matched on bikes, though.
I never really stopped riding bikes from when I was a kid. When I bought my first car, I quickly realized that riding my bike to work was much cheaper, and I loved riding about as much as I loved driving (that's saying something about a 16 year old!) I went back and forth between mountain bikes and road bikes, but have been exclusively on road bikes since my mid 20s. I did take a break from riding when my 2nd son was born. There was simply not enough time to devote to riding, anymore. So, my vintage Schwinn all steel downtube shifter racer sat for about three years.
In 2011, I "blew out" my left knee. By that, I mean I tore all but one of the tendons in my knee, bruised the bones, and shredded my cartilage. I got a little fatter, the muscles in my legs disappeared, and I generally felt horrible. It took a full year to completely heel from the accident and surgery.
Being inspired by watching Eric very visibly drop huge amounts of weight in a pretty short amount of time got my ever-widening butt back on my bike as soon as my knee was healed. Last July, I discovered rust HOLES in the frame of my bike, a bike I dearly loved, so I replaced it with the Windsor (you can read more about that in an earlier post.) It's a slightly heavier bike, but with completely modern components, and it actually fits me (something I couldn't say of the Schwinn.
Since January of last year, I've dropped over 30lbs. I'm down to around 185 or so, the lowest I've weighed since about 2001. So, I'm in pretty decent shape for a 38 year old dude. I put in 38 miles on the bike last week, and am hoping to repeat that feat and then some this week. I found a wonderful trail in Suwanee that is probably very similar to the Silver Comet, so I'll be putting in as much time there as possible before our "Century Ride."
Here's a pic of my "rig" with the panniers, rack, top tube bag, handlebar bottle holder etc...
Wish us luck!
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