2 day 200 mile cycling trip next month?

Question

In the middle of August I plan on riding my road bike from Fayetteville, Arkansas to Little Rock, Arkansas. The distance is roughly 200 miles and i'm going to do it over two days. I have not touched the bike in months and I've only ridden this kind of distance once, over 8 years ago with a group that was vehicle supported.

I am riding this time without any support, alone, and would appreciate any advice or training tips. Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

I went from virtually zero to 170 miles in one day over a 3 month period so don't worry.

The most important thing to do is spend as much time in the saddle as possible. Work out how many hours you can cycle each week then try to devise a training schedule.

Try to mix up your rides each week to include the following:

- 1 long ride ridden at a slowish pace

- 1 tempo ride at a quick steady pace

- 1 session with 2 x 20 min intervals where you work as hard as you can maintain for 20 mins with 10 mins easy pedalling in between.

- 1 recovery ride (very slow), just to keep the legs from stiffening up.

Consider using a heart rate monitor to guage your fitness and help you avoid over training.

Most importantly use the weekly long ride to test out your gear and get your eating and drinking strategies sorted so you are not trying anything new on the big ride.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Ride a lot.  Do short one hr. rides often, and a couple 3,4,5 hr. rides per week.  If you think you can cover 200 miles in two days in the summer heat without training, you will collapse and have to call a shuttle.  Bring lots of money.  And lots of water.  Stay in motels.   Don't lug camping stuff.

Answer 3

In my opinion you won't be ready without at least 3 months of constant training. A century a day, 2 days straight, is a pretty tall order even for those that ride on a consistent basis.

As the other answerer said, take only what you need, bring money and a cell phone, and map out bike shops. Drink at least 2 waterbottles every 20 miles. Pack bananas.

Answer 4

No problem. I was ran over by a car last year, haven't been on the bike in 13 months and then rode 1200 miles in 14 days in Italy last month without any training. It was a lot easier than I expected. Go for it!