When I originally started planning for my first Century
Ride, I assumed that if anything threw me off my routine, it would probably be
an injury. As I give it more thought,
the weather is running a close second. When I plugged away at my weekly schedule, I was basically just throwing numbers into an
empty spreadsheet. I knew I had personal
days to work around, but never really took into account bad weather. Thankfully I padded my stats Week One. Not intentionally, I was just so excited by
that new car smell. I got in an extra two
days and was able to cruise longer than planned. Before I knew it, I had broken a hundred miles
in my first week of training. Prior to
that, my longest week was just over 80 miles .
So far, so good.
As week two rolled around, we had 5 straight days of
storms. Fortunately, I was able to find just
enough blue sky to log some miles and stay on track. But I'm guessing that's the last of the rain this summer.
And it’s not just the rain giving me heartburn. I have a much bigger concern…The heat. Just for fun, I decided to look at last year’s temps. For example, July 20th 2013, the high wasonly 92 degrees.
I just happened to have a 55 mile ride planned for that day this year. Something tells me that when August roles around,
rain is going to be a welcomed obstacle.
If I plan to hit 1,500 miles before the end of summer, I will definitely
need to take advantage of any nice weather I can get and add a few extra miles just to be safe.
And it’s not just the rain giving me heartburn. I have a much bigger concern…The heat. Just for fun, I decided to look at last year’s temps. For example, July 20th 2013, the high was
Stats are not the only thing I'm padding. You will learn very quickly while riding a
road bike that sitting on your saddle for any length of time sucks is
not very high on your list of comfortable seating options.
Saddle is fancy talk for bike seat
So why not go with a nice soft, padded seat like the one my Giant Sedona comfort hybrid?
Giant Comfort Grove
Plus
Well, over a long ride, a cushier seat will eventually give way to
more pressure points as the foam or padding gets compressed. They can even become deformed over time. These seats also tend to be wider, which can lead
to chaffing because more surface area means more contact points. And more contact potentially leads to more rubbing.
They say the longer you train, the tougher your butt
gets. I can’t say for sure if that's the case with me or if I’m seeing results from other tricks I’m trying. It’s probably a combination of both. I'm up to about 20 miles before I
notice any discomfort…usually. There are some exceptions. I spend a lot of time on the back country
roads of Kutztown , PA.
It’s peaceful, beautiful, and completely unkempt. Years and years of tractor and buggy traffic have
left more than a handful of cracks in the road.
The longer your ride, the bigger those cracks seem to get. It’s hard to put into words what it feels like to hit one after two hours in the saddle, but I'll give it a try:
The longer your ride, the bigger those cracks seem to get. It’s hard to put into words what it feels like to hit one after two hours in the saddle, but I'll give it a try:
If you have ever ridden in the back of a school bus, you
probably remember hitting one of those bumps that would launch everyone right
out of their seats. Now imagine that
bus is riding just on its rims when you hit that bump and you're sitting on a cinder block.
That’s what a small crack feels like after 40 miles.
But with every minor problem, some genius has come up with a
solution. I introduce to you... padded
shorts.
And no, I do not own a pair of these baboon inspired riding
shorts. But these are hilarious and I
felt a great way to illustrate the padding.
I currently have your standard store brand and they have done the trick
so far. But since I keep tacking on to
my Sunday rides, I figured it best to upgrade. And yes, I do go commando. Most people do. I’ve heard some people will go with a pair of
compression shorts. I personally think there's enough compression as is. Either
way, you definitely don’t want to go with any underwear that could bunch up or
you’re just asking for some chaffing.
This is also leading to a contentious situation in my dining
room. Even though it’s been a few weeks
since I got my new bike, I still keep my old bike in our incredibly, overly
crowded dining room, which has unintentionally become some sort of cycling
storage facility. I’m sure this drives
my wife and her OCD a tad bit crazy.
To be fair, I do still ride my comfort bike to work. But I tell my wife it’s because I don’t want
to lock my new bike up to a chain link fence and leave it unattended all day long. The truth is, I love that cushy seat on my
Monday morning commute; especially after putting in a long Sunday ride.
There are other things that you can try. I like to stand up at least once a mile. This allows for a little extra blood flow to the offending areas, not to mention changes up the contact points ever so slightly. And definitely be proactive. Keep an eye on the road, and try to get up out of the saddle before you hit any bumps.
There are other things that you can try. I like to stand up at least once a mile. This allows for a little extra blood flow to the offending areas, not to mention changes up the contact points ever so slightly. And definitely be proactive. Keep an eye on the road, and try to get up out of the saddle before you hit any bumps.
Little by little, life is getting easier in the saddle and I
still have a few tips and tricks that I haven’t tried yet. Chamois Butt’r Skin
Lubricant anyone? But no matter what I
ride, what I wear, or even how long I train, I’m pretty sure that at the end of
my Century Ride, I’m going to have one hell of a sore ass.
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