RA Ride Guide 2012

Everything you wanted to know (and more)
about choosing a bike and packing for Ride Allegheny.

Your Bike

You’ve got a lot of choices in this department, and over the years we’ve seen it all—from full suspension mountain bikes with fat, knobby tires, to carbon fiber racing bikes with smooth 23s. What YOU will need depends on a lot of factors, like your riding ability, your level of fitness, your budget, and how fast you want to do this trip. That being said, here’s my judgment-laden summary of your options.

Best: Cyclocross/Touring bikes

This is a distance ride, so efficiency is the key, and the riding position of a touring road bike is simply the best. A racing road bike will be too “aggressive” (bent over more to cut through the wind). But all your hybrid options (with flat handlebars) put you too upright and you can’t fully use all the muscles in your legs. And the hybrids are MUCH heavier, so that will slow you down.

Cyclocross and Touring bikes are also sturdier. They are often steel or aluminum with some carbon parts, so they can handle the minor off-road components of our ride. They are also designed to accept wider tires than regular road bikes. This is critical! You can do the ride on skinny tires, but they give you less stability (more likely to fall) and less shock absorption (adds up over 300 miles). Road bikes normally run on 23mm or max 25mm width tires. They will work, but they will be at a higher pressure, and you’ll feel it. It’s amazing what moving to a 28mm tire will do to the long-term comfort, and personally, I won’t ride on the canal (the rougher part of the trip) on less than 32s. But to use those bigger tires, you will need a bike that has brakes that are big enough (which are standard on cyclocross and touring bikes).

Beware some of the cyclocross bikes, though, because they are originally built for off-road racing, so they may not be set up to comfortable enough for you (see the section on “fit” below).

The down side of this type of bike is stability. They are basically road bikes, and we are taking them off road. The C&O Canal has lots of holes, rocks, and roots, and if you are not a skilled biker, hitting them (on a touring or cyclocross, but particularly a road bike) might knock you over. Cyclocross and touring bikes are more stable than straight road bikes (which is why they are my top recommendation), but if you’re a novice cyclist, you might want to go to the more stable (but not as efficient) hybrid.

Popular touring and cylcocross choices:

Bianchi Volpe ($)
Fuji Cross 3.0 ($$)
Trek 520 Touring ($$)
Trek Portland ($$)
Trek XO 1 Cyclocross ($$$)
Serotta ($$$$)
Lynskey Cooper CX ($$$$)

Do: If you want to maximize both comfort and speed.
Don’t: If you don’t feel stable when riding off road.

Focus on Speed: Road Bike

If you really want to be the fastest, then you can get a straight road bike for this trip. If you have the budget, make it all carbon, though you probably won’t want a real racing geometry. But many of the not-quite-high-end road bikes have a more “comfortable” riding position that is better suited for this ride. You will end up with 25 tires and if you’ve got decent riding skills, you will likely not fall even when we ride on the canal. These bikes will all be several pounds lighter than the cyclocross and touring bikes. If you don’t think a few pounds makes a difference, remember you are multiplying it by 300 miles.

Popular Choices:

There are too many road bike options to list popular choices.

Do: If you absolutely must be the first to the beer each day
Don’t: If you can’t handle the rough ride.

Focus on Stability: Hybrid

A few years ago, everyone on this trip rode hybrids. They were the lighter alternative to mountain bikes! They have road-bike wheels but flat handlebars and an upright riding position that is easier on your back. They also have shock absorbers, which makes handling the rough terrain on the canal MUCH easier. You hit a bump and keep going, as opposed to having the handlebars knocked out of your hands on a road bike. The downside, though, is that they are heavy—maybe 15 pounds or more compared to the lighter road bikes. This means you’ll be at the back of the pack and your days will be longer than everyone else’s.

Popular hybrid choices:

Bianchi Camaleonte ($)
Trek 7x00 series ($)
Trek 7.x FX series ($-$$$)
Gary Fisher Montare ($$)

Do: If you’ve got all day and don’t want to fall over
Don’t: If you get mad when others finish before you.

For All Bikes

Material:

Carbon fiber is usually more expensive, but a great combination of lightweight and a soft ride. Aluminum is cheaper—very light, but much stiffer so you feel it in your hands and elsewhere when you hit bumps. Steel is more comfortable (like carbon) but heavier.

Components:

A big factor in price is the quality of components. For a ride this long, don’t skimp. Yes, that bike with the “sora” shifters is several hundred dollars cheaper than the one with the “ultegra” components, but the time you spend adjusting and being frustrated with the improper shifting will likely make you regret the cheaper option.

Gearing:

All bikes have a set of gears on the back wheel (the rear sprocket), as well as a number of gears in the front (the front chain ring). The days of the “ten-speed” (two in the front and five in the back) are done. These days you usually have 8, 9, or 10 in the back, and two or three in the front. But in addition to the numbers, the size of the various cogs and rings can have a big impact on your ride.

In the rear sprocket, the smallest cogs are for riding fast, and the biggest cogs you use when going up hills (it’s the opposite in the front: the big ring on the outside is for going fast). Some rear sprockets have a broader range than others. Generally speaking, hybrids will have a broader range than cyclocross or road bikes..

On the front, triples have an extra small ring (granny gear) for going up steep hills. Not necessary on this trip, in my opinion, but doesn’t hurt. Notice that true cyclocross bikes have two rings that are very close together in size, which is also not needed on this trip.

Fit:

It’s a long ride, so having a proper fit makes a big, big difference. Go to a good bike store where they truly understand fit (in other words, not a big chain). You might spend a few more bucks on extra components to make the bike fit right (or thousands more on a custom made bike), but with this much pedaling, if your angles are off, or if your seat is to high, or your bike cleats are not properly aligned, it can cause you some serious pain and discomfort.

Your Gear

Saddles

This is arguably the most important component on the bike, and the part of your body that rests on the saddle is usually what hurts the most by day three! And since bike makers aren’t thinking of our crazy ride when they make their bikes, they often will sell you a bike that does not have the best saddle on it, at least for this purpose. There isn’t one saddle that works best for everyone. Several of us swear by saddles made by the manufacturer, Terry. I particularly recommend the Liberator Y Gel for men. Most saddles have some sort of “cut-away” to prevent undue pressure on certain, um, sensitive blood vessels. Numbness down there can really dampen your mood on the ride, not to mention the rest of your life. I find that seats that are too soft and cushiony lead to more numbness, but I do like some gel padding. Others swear by the gel covers that you put on your seat. Whatever you choose, make sure it is well broken in prior to the ride (and don’t buy any new shorts just before the ride!).

Packs/Racks

In the old days, we used to bring all of our clothes, etc. on the bikes. Now we have vehicles hat bring our stuff place to place. But you still will want some on-bike storage for food, tools, tubes, a lock, and your cold weather clothes. The easiest way to do this is to add a rack on the back of your bike, where you can put a “trunk bag.” Note that fancy racing bikes won’t have the appropriate brazeons (where you connect the rack to the frame). You can also add an underseat pack or even a handlebar bag.

Accessories

I suppose this is a matter of style, but I still have my opinion about what you should have on your bike for this ride (so you should include this in your budget when you are off to buy the bike):

Bike computer. Some are wireless. Some measure cadence (pedal strokes per minute), but all measure speed and average speed. This is critical for getting in shape.

Lights. Front facing light and rear-facing “blinkie.” If you don’t have them, make sure someone is in front of you and someone is behind you.

Pump. Should be mounted onto the bike. My favorite is the “morph” by topeak. It has a built in pressure gauge so you know when your tire is actually full. Works with both schraeder and presta valves.

Hydration. I have two water bottle holders AND I use a camelbak. Camelbaks (hydration packs that you wear like a backpack) are a must in my opinion. Mine (the “rogue” model) holds 70 ounces of liquid—more than three of the large water bottles. And I’ll be almost empty when we roll into lunch. I keep the two bottles on the bike as spares—one usually with just water (the rest Gatorade). Taking in fluids and carbs is critical to not “bonking” on distance rides, so this is important.

Tools. You should have at all times: tire levers, spare tube(s), a good multi-tool, and a patch kit. All of that can fit in an under-seat bag. For the trip, I also bring some chain lube and a few extra tools.

Clothing

This is also an issue of style, but there are comfort issues too. Here’s my list.

Three pairs of spandex biking shorts (baggy shell optional). Make sure you’ve worn them several times before the ride!!! We have laundry options at the end of most days, so you can get by with less than three. Don’t skimp when buying these. Go ahead and spend the extra $30. Trust me.

Base-layer short sleeve shirts. NOT cotton! Good biking shirts, with pockets. Then long-sleeve biking shirts, a fleece vest layer, and an outer wind-proof layer. There are actually many different ways to do the cold-weather set up. This is mine. I’ve never needed more than that for this ride. On warm years, I didn’t bring the vest or the outer jacket. A biking rain coat is a nice idea. A garbage bag with holes cut out for the arms is the cheap alternative.

Shoes: good biking shoes. I’ve done the ride in sneakers, but biking shoes have a stiff sole, which makes pedaling more efficient (which adds up over 300 miles!). If it’s going to be cold, I bring neoprene booties to put over the shoes and those chemical toe-warmers.

Gloves: good biking gloves, and then some kind of long-fingered option for the cold. Remember, in the cold it is the extremities (hands, feet, ears) that get it the most. I bring cotton running gloves and on really cold days use neoprene running mittens (all over the bike gloves). You can also get long-fingered biking gloves.

Chafing: You don’t want it. Seriously. Bring “Body Glide” or some kind of material that you apply to yourself, your shorts, or both, to prevent chafing. A blister in the wrong spot will end your ride early.