100 Mile Bike Ride Attempt

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Step 1: Preparation

I've been running for 3 years and have been biking and swimming for a good bit longer. I have a mountain bike and a triathlon bike. I'll go to a mountain bike park with my friends and we ride around 11 miles. The longest distance I have ever gone on my triathlon bike is 40 miles, and this was last July. Since then I haven't been biking much since I've been busy with school and school sports. Since it's the summer I have a lot more free time so I can focus more on biking. While I hadn't put in the mileage I would have liked for this challenge and I don't have a patch kit ( a little risky ), I still went for it. I know that when your exercising for a long period of time you need to fuel yourself or else you will hit a wall and feel sluggish because there is no fuel in the tank. I got a banana, dried mangos, a fruit bar, a protein bar, a bottle of coconut water ( for electrolytes ), and a lot of water bottles. I put these items outside near my house so I could come back to them during the ride and refuel.

Step 2: The Start of the The Ride

After having a lot of strawberries and yogurt, I headed out at 2:50 pm and started the ride. The sky was cloudy and the temperature was in the mid 80's F. This was the beginning of the ride so I focused on keeping my back straight and arms relaxed to avoid straining my back or wrists. My parents didn't want me to venture onto main roads for safety reasons so I pedaled the miles away around my pretty big neighborhood. The only problem with biking only in my neighborhood is that my neighborhood is almost all hills.

Step 3: Thunder and Lightning

At around mile 25 some dark clouds started rolling in and within 10 minutes there was thunder and lightning everywhere. Then it started to rain. After 30 minutes the storm subsided but I was drenched and my bike and legs were dirty from riding through some mud on the road. My legs were starting to get tired but I kept on pushing.

Step 4: Fatigued Legs, a Punctured Tire, and a Good Ride

In the back of my neighborhood there were a couple of glass shards that I was watching out for because I knew that if I got a flat, the ride is over because I don't have a patch kit. I kept on pushing and my legs were definitely feeling It because I was 3 hours into the ride. My back felt good because I had been keeping it straight and not hunched over. My wrists were hurting from holding the handlebars for so long. At mile 48, what I had been hoping wouldn't happen, happened. I heard a sound coming from my front tire so I stopped to check it out. Sure enough, there was a glass shard in my tire. I picked it out and there was a inch long gash in the tube. I biked 2 miles back to my house on the flat tire and was forced to end the ride. Overall I would say I had a good ride because I pushed myself, rode through a thunderstorm, and still rode 50 miles, which is 10 more miles than I had ever gone before. Thanks for letting me tell you my story. Go out there and challenge yourself!

Comments

[JettaKnight]

Is this an Instructable or just a story? What am I suppose to make?

[Bio plant]

your supposed to make your legs bike long distances. Not every instructable needs to contain materialistic projects.

[exodous]

I just did my 3rd 100 miles day on my bike since really biking for a year. What I do is pick somewhere 50 miles away ride there and then ride back. The advantage of that is you aren't 100 miles away when something goes wrong so if you're desperate for help you aren't that far away for a ride home. I wish I started biking seriously when I was your age, trying to train for a long tour after your 20s when you haven't ridden in 20 years isn't easy so keep riding, it is a good way to see the 'in-between' places of the world and to keep in shape.

[Phil B]

In my 20s I rode a couple 100 mile rides. A lot of it is pacing yourself. I did not ride fast. Min were group rides. Riding some of the miles with a conversation partner helped. It is more difficult if the weather is more unpleasant than normal.

[Bubbler]

Good effort, and I hope you get a repair kit and some spare tyres and tubes soon.

[Leiana2213]

Good job! If you really want to go over 100 miles, I recommend you do something similar to US state Massachusetts' Pan-Mass Challenge. They do make it like a 2-day endeavor, and it's a fundraiser, but it's for a good cause. Also, you really really really should get a patch kit. My dad (who has done the Pan-Mass challenge) recommends always have a patch kit. You never know when you'll need it.

[Bio plant]

thanks I'm definitely going to look into getting one

[AndreasO1]

The way is the target :)