[MikesBMW]

Hey All - I'm about to start training for a 100mile bike ride in August and need to buy things like clip in shoes/pedals and padded bike shorts. Do you all have any recommendations for top of the line highly padded shorts?

[4130]

It all depends on what type of clothes you plan on wearing, but I prefer underwear with a padded chamois for longish rides.

[M3Bimmer77]

Buy a motor!!!!

[Incompatible]

How much time before your big ride? Type of bike? How long have you been riding? Longest continuous ride? Where (topography) are you riding? Expected weather conditions? Is this an organized/supported ride? Is this a somewhat casual ride or a timed event?

[Mandi90TT]

I prefer bibs for my riding; bibs give you better coverage, and don't cut into your waist. PITA when you have to stop to take a leak, but not impossible.

Biggest thing you have to worry about on long rides (and a 100 mile ride can clock anywhere from 4-8 hours, depending on your fitness level; I do IM triathlons, and my 100 mile rides usually clock in at about 5 hours, depending on terrain) is your nutrition. Make sure you get your body used to eating gel packs and such, as those are the easiest to carry and provide almost instant calories, but you do have to get used to them.

For clothes, I've had good luck with Pearl Izumi and Hincappie for bottoms, and Fox Racing and Pearl Izumi for tops. Pearl Izumi gloves work great for me, as well.

Also, depending on your fitness level and riding experience, 100 miles 2 months from now might be a bit much; a 100 miler (also known as a 'century' in bike lingo) is more or less cycling's equivalent of a marathon.

[acechardukian]

I did a 100 mile day in the Alps a couple weeks ago as I was in Monaco for the F1 race and went to Italy after to see the Giro. Flew my bike out and it was my first day riding in mountains as I live in TX where it is very flat. I did about 8400 feet of ascending that day and it kicked my ass. My average heart rate for the day (approximately 7 hours of riding was 168 (I'm 27). I've only done one other 100 mile day before and I did it in about 5.5 hours including a stop for a coffee and some calories.
I ride a wilier cento 1 with shimano dura ace components, pioneer power crank, and Zipp 303's on. Typically for longer rides I wear Capo bibs and a capo jersey as I've found the bibs to be the most comfortable. I bought some assos bibs that are designed for longer rides and paid $400 for them but they caused a little too much chaffing for my liking so I wear them for shorter rides. They have a thicker chamois in them (7mm compared to 5mm in the Capos). Feel free to PM me if you have any questions cause I don't check this area of the forums very often.

[MikesBMW]

I'm riding a Cannondale CAADX which is a cyclocross bike, but I did buy road tires for it. I'm not too experienced with long rides... did a 35 mile ride last weekend and was exhausted the rest of the day, it was definitely tough, but I think with some training I could work my way up to 50, 75, and 100 mile lengths, especially with rest stops. I'll be riding with a group of people that I work with.

I have a cheaper pair of padded underwear now, but I can tell they aren't great quality and my ass still starts to hurt at about 25 miles. Would like to get some top of the line shorts and other items like clip in peddles, cycling shoes, and of course a proper bike fit (I basically self adjusted everything on my bike, but not sure it's perfect for a long ride).

[acechardukian]

Originally Posted by BMW135iMike

I'm riding a Cannondale CAADX which is a cyclocross bike, but I did buy road tires for it. I'm not too experienced with long rides... did a 35 mile ride last weekend and was exhausted the rest of the day, it was definitely tough, but I think with some training I could work my way up to 50, 75, and 100 mile lengths, especially with rest stops. I'll be riding with a group of people that I work with.

I have a cheaper pair of padded underwear now, but I can tell they aren't great quality and my ass still starts to hurt at about 25 miles. Would like to get some top of the line shorts and other items like clip in peddles, cycling shoes, and of course a proper bike fit (I basically self adjusted everything on my bike, but not sure it's perfect for a long ride).

Pedals can be pretty reasonable depending on what you're looking for, I prefer the SPD SL pedals as I feel I get the best power transfer. Those and the look pedals are both pretty good. Can get an entry level pedal for probably $90. The higher end ones will have a better bearing in it but not necessary. Cycling shoes as well can be full carbon and the ones with better ventilation will be pricier. It's worth it for me because it's so hot where I am but I think any full carbon bottom will suit what you need. Proper bike for at you LBS shouldn't cost more than about $100 for a standard fitting.

[P1]

If I can give you one piece of advise from someone who's done distances like that, it's that you must invest in the best saddle possible.

[acechardukian]

Originally Posted by P1et

If I can give you one piece of advise from someone who's done distances like that, it's that you must invest in the best saddle possible.

+1
You have to be comfortable. I've gone through a ton of saddles to find the right one. The LBS should loan out saddles for you to try as well so that you're able to test them out before buying them. i like carbon rails for being light and absorbing some shock from the road but they come at a price.

[Mandi90TT]

Originally Posted by P1et

If I can give you one piece of advise from someone who's done distances like that, it's that you must invest in the best saddle possible.

And best saddle possible means best for you. Not necessarily the most expensive, just one that is comfortable for you.

[P1]

Originally Posted by acechardukian

+1
You have to be comfortable. I've gone through a ton of saddles to find the right one. The LBS should loan out saddles for you to try as well so that you're able to test them out before buying them. i like carbon rails for being light and absorbing some shock from the road but they come at a price.

Originally Posted by Dave 90TT

And best saddle possible means best for you. Not necessarily the most expensive, just one that is comfortable for you.

After trying a few of them, I settled on this one:

http://www.ismseat.com/saddle/adamo-road

[AIRPOWER]

As a avid biker that lives in the land of bikers (Netherlands). Two weeks ago a group of six of us biked around the Bodensee. Here is my advice on individual items that some people overlook:

Gloves - buy the ones that have fingers cut out for this time of year, get good padded ones and make sure the velcro is on the top not bottom, if its on the bottom you will constantly catch them on something and they will come apart. Also make sure they have the largest sweat wipe area around the thumb you can find.

Bibs - Pearl Izumi is top quality here, they actually offer one with a fly in front as well so you don't have to remove half your clothing when you take a piss. Don't waste your time with shorts as the elastic that holds them up will undoubtably pinch somewhere....Bibs won't.

Shorts - see Bibs paragraph above

Shirt - Lots of good brands but make sure it has proper vents and for me at least one zippered pocket in the back for your phone/ID. You don't want to be constantly reaching back there making sure its still there.

Sweat/Dew rag - recommend this to absorb sweat and the little flap in the back will keep the sun from beating down on your neck.

Shoes - I get specialized but whatever brand you get always get a minimum one size up. Make sure they are easily adjustable WHILE you are riding as my feet get hot spots where something is too tight.

Saddle - look at Brooks as they make a great endurance saddle, but whatever saddle you go with get it professionally fitted and adjusted at a real bike store (not REI) as this is probably the most critical piece of equipment on your bike. If your feet go numb during a ride, its your saddle, if you sweat too much and chaff on your gluts again its your saddle.....

Bike fitting - like the saddle do this professionally.

Water bottle cages - two

Under Saddle Bag Small as possible yet big enough to carry one tube, multi-tool, tire changing wedges, patch kit, and most important small first aid kit that has sanitary/anti-infection wet wipes and med-large bandaids as this will fix the majority of scrapes you might get from a fall.

ID Bracelet - DO NOT LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT! I recommend road ID, they have both a etched and a full digital model. The digital model has minimal information like name/nationality/age/blood type and then a code on the back with a website address that gives access to emergency contact, allergies, home address, as much info you want to give or not want to give to emergency responders. I prefer this one because you can change your info when you move or a POC changes their phone number.

I also like other items like sleeves (for cold in morning and/or at elevation and hotter in afternoon) that you can peel off and interchangeable lenses on my sunglasses (for varying WX or lighting conditions).

There is a lot more I can type but this will give you a good start. This is obviously for hot weather as its a whole different ball game for cold weather biking. Ask me about those recommendations in the fall.

Best of luck!!!

[MC 357]

Get bib shorts and use chamois cream for longer rides, it help with butt on longer rides!

I have done a few 100 miles rides alone, but I would imagine it would be easier in a group for motivation. For training i ride about 3 to 4 times a week with one of those rides being a 40 to 50 mile ride. Just take it easy and ride at a comfortable pace, it really wasnt to hard for me. And take snacks and food with you!

[The Wind Breezes]

All about the training and rider, equipment doesn't matter and is basically bling. Go to some local bike shops and get gear that's comfortable for you.

A pro could do 100 miles in flip flops on a mountain bike faster than a trained amateur on the best equipment in the world.

[MikesBMW]

Originally Posted by AIRPOWER

As a avid biker that lives in the land of bikers (Netherlands). Two weeks ago a group of six of us biked around the Bodensee. Here is my advice on individual items that some people overlook:

Gloves - buy the ones that have fingers cut out for this time of year, get good padded ones and make sure the velcro is on the top not bottom, if its on the bottom you will constantly catch them on something and they will come apart. Also make sure they have the largest sweat wipe area around the thumb you can find.

Bibs - Pearl Izumi is top quality here, they actually offer one with a fly in front as well so you don't have to remove half your clothing when you take a piss. Don't waste your time with shorts as the elastic that holds them up will undoubtably pinch somewhere....Bibs won't.

Shorts - see Bibs paragraph above

Shirt - Lots of good brands but make sure it has proper vents and for me at least one zippered pocket in the back for your phone/ID. You don't want to be constantly reaching back there making sure its still there.

Sweat/Dew rag - recommend this to absorb sweat and the little flap in the back will keep the sun from beating down on your neck.

Shoes - I get specialized but whatever brand you get always get a minimum one size up. Make sure they are easily adjustable WHILE you are riding as my feet get hot spots where something is too tight.

Saddle - look at Brooks as they make a great endurance saddle, but whatever saddle you go with get it professionally fitted and adjusted at a real bike store (not REI) as this is probably the most critical piece of equipment on your bike. If your feet go numb during a ride, its your saddle, if you sweat too much and chaff on your gluts again its your saddle.....

Bike fitting - like the saddle do this professionally.

Water bottle cages - two

Under Saddle Bag Small as possible yet big enough to carry one tube, multi-tool, tire changing wedges, patch kit, and most important small first aid kit that has sanitary/anti-infection wet wipes and med-large bandaids as this will fix the majority of scrapes you might get from a fall.

ID Bracelet - DO NOT LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT! I recommend road ID, they have both a etched and a full digital model. The digital model has minimal information like name/nationality/age/blood type and then a code on the back with a website address that gives access to emergency contact, allergies, home address, as much info you want to give or not want to give to emergency responders. I prefer this one because you can change your info when you move or a POC changes their phone number.

I also like other items like sleeves (for cold in morning and/or at elevation and hotter in afternoon) that you can peel off and interchangeable lenses on my sunglasses (for varying WX or lighting conditions).

There is a lot more I can type but this will give you a good start. This is obviously for hot weather as its a whole different ball game for cold weather biking. Ask me about those recommendations in the fall.

Best of luck!!!

Thanks so much for all the detail

[Mandi90TT]

Originally Posted by The Wind Breezes

All about the training and rider, equipment doesn't matter and is basically bling. Go to some local bike shops and get gear that's comfortable for you.

A pro could do 100 miles in flip flops on a mountain bike faster than a trained amateur on the best equipment in the world.

While partially true, it's mostly misleading and partially false, as well.

There are a good number of amateurs in the triathlon world (and this is also true in the cycling world) that for various reasons, don't go pro, and yet, post times equal to, or better than, many of the pros. Hell, I'm usually a MOPer (middle of the pack), but on some good days, I have beaten some of the pros. And I'm not talking about ones that hurt themselves, or have an equipment failure.

As for gear, yes, some of it is bling, but it also makes a ride more comfortable, and more enjoyable. The difference between riding a carbon road bike and a steel mountain bike on a 100 mile ride is vast. And I mean the comfort level, as well as the enjoyment. You will go faster on the carbon bike (talking about a 100 mile road rise, of course), which leads to more enjoyment, and the carbon will soak up the vibrations. Also, you won't feel like you are lugging a 1000 lb weight up a hill with the carbon bike, whereas you will with the steel road bike. Same thing for many other pieces of equipment.

[Incompatible]

As stated in several ways you need to be comfortable on the bike and that comes from two things: 1. Time in the saddle and 2. A good fit. One influences the other, as you ride more you learn what works best for YOU. Some very good details to consider have been posted, however, you need to ride as much as you can between now and then so you can sort things out.

100 miles is a long ride and you will be sore and tired, but it can be done at your level of ability. Ride nutrition and how you pace yourself is very important. Start practicing these now, you want an energy source that is easy to consume and digest without upsetting your stomach. Regardless of what you use, you also need to balance fluid intake. For me, I mix my electrolytes/energy mix in my water bottles and take a drink every 10 minutes of ride time. (I like to hit the "5" marks: 5, 15, 25....). I find that this helps me maintain sufficient hydration and minimizes cramps. For off bike breaks, I prefer shorter times so that my legs don't cool down and go stiff.

Get out and ride, you can do it!

[Kzang]

I have a 2013 Canondale CAAD10 that I ride regularly 50 miles +.. I think your CAADX will be fine as long as you have the road tires.

[Mr Tonka]

So what distances have you worked up to OP?

[mc-m3]

When is /was your ride? I just got back from a 6 day 420 mile trip. More expensive shorts/bib shorts really do make a difference when riding lots of miles over several days. For a 1 day event, I would go at least mid price ($100-$200) as opposed to the higher end ($200-$400).

[Mr Tonka]

Originally Posted by mc-m3

When is /was your ride? I just got back from a 6 day 420 mile trip. More expensive shorts/bib shorts really do make a difference when riding lots of miles over several days. For a 1 day event, I would go at least mid price ($100-$200) as opposed to the higher end ($200-$400).

What 6 day ride did you go on? Judging by date posted, maybe you did Glacier to Yellowstone?