Biking is a great way to stay active for your entire life. From early on in childhood to late in adulthood, many individuals enjoy the activity of biking. Biking is a common low-stress exercise that will keep your cardiac system in great shape as well as many muscles of your body.
One of the best things about bicycling is the number of miles you can travel in a day. Many seasoned bikers can bike up to 100 miles a day with ease. Now, not everyone can just hop on their bike and expect to bike 100 miles without feeling the pain that is associated with long distance biking, but if you do plan to travel on your bike there are several things you should know!
First of all, you need to train adequately before a long bike trip. Take a few long bike rides in your community. You should complete at least one ride the number of miles you will be completing on the longest day of biking you have planned on your future trip. This means if the longest day you have scheduled is 80 miles, be sure to complete at least one 80 mile day ride prior to the scheduled bike trip. This will help to prepare you mentally for the length of ride and amount of pain you may suffer!
You also need to be sure that you have the proper gear for a long distance bike ride. You will need a helmet that fits well. You want the helmet to be snug so that it doesn’t move around while biking. A snug fit will also prevent the helmet from falling into your eyesight while biking and assure complete coverage of your skull in case you should experience a fall.
You also need to be outfitted with proper biking gear. Starting from the bottom up, you will want tennis shoes that are small in size. Small tennis shoes will be more aerodynamic and fit into the toe clips you can attach to your pedals. By attaching toe clips, the force from your legs while pedaling with be used completely. Toe clips reduce the force you need to move yourself mile after mile down the road.
Biking shorts are also nice to have. Many bikers use padded shorts to provide some extra cushion on their bottom. Long, tight biking shorts may not be very fashionable off the bike, but when biking they are quite glamorous!
A tight fitting fitness shirt is also great for a high mileage bike trip. These shirts will absorb and move away moisture from your skin. They are also great to increase aerodynamics on your bike and help you move quicker through the air.
You will also want to wear biking gloves to protect your hands on a long distance bike trip. The nerves that control the feeling in your hands run along the base of your palm. Biking gloves have gel cushions that will protect these nerves after many hours of constant pressure from gripping the handlebars of your bike.
It is best to remove all jewelry prior to the bike trip. Necklaces may become caught in a fall so they should not be worn. Rings will restrict blood flow to your fingers so they should not be worn.
Next you will need to ensure your bike is ready to sustain many miles. Check the brakes and gears. Oil all moving parts and be sure the tires are properly inflated. Always carry a spare tube on your bike and try to have a spare tire handy if needed. Flat tires happen often, and if you have the proper materials needed are no big deal, but if you are not prepared a flat tire can ruin your biking day. You can also purchase an air pump that attaches to your bike.
Food and water is also very important on your bike trip. Pack high calorie foods that are easy to eat and help you to feel full and energized. Trail mix with peanuts, dried fruit and chocolate candies is excellent to munch on throughout the day. Granola bars are also a very easy to carry snack that will give you some extra energy when you need it most. Carry a water bottle on your bike with fresh water to quench your thirst at any time.
While you can do much to help prepare yourself for a long distance bike ride, really all you need to do is bike and just keep on pedaling. Be sure to pack some ibuprofen to ease the pain along the bike course and just keep going. After your muscles are nice and warm you will often find a natural rhythm that will keep you going for miles and miles!
