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This bike tour
is for experienced and fit cyclists. Now
what exactly does that mean? Well, on one end of
the spectrum that includes bike racers, and on the other
end it includes dedicated biking enthusiasts, people who
love to ride their bikes a lot and can ride for a long
time and are good at it. I know that you can never
judge a book by it's cover, but when push comes to shove
you should fit the following profile.
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Skill level and riding ability:
“Advanced,” and that means that you have
ridden thousands of miles over the years, completed
a lot of centuries, dedicated endless hours to
riding your bike, and ridden many challenging rides
or race.
You love to ride a bike. It does not include
people who have just completed their first century.
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Years of cycling experience:
A
minimum of 4 years, and if that describes you then
you had better be a very good athlete.
Anything less and you don't yet have the experience
and skill necessary to complete this ride.
Ideally, you should have 8 years or more.
-
Climbing speed: I’m not asking
you to race up the hills at 12 mph or faster, but
you should be able to climb at an average pace of 7
to 9 mph, better yet 8 to 10 mph (this is in
reference to a 6% grade for 5 miles). If you ride at 4
to 5 mph up 6% hills then that is too slow for this
trip.
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Speed in the flats: In a
pace-line anywhere from 18 to 24 mph.
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Riding in a group/pace-line:
Riding in a pace-line and group should be second
nature to you. This ride benefits from team work so you must be
comfortable and willing to ride in a pace-line when
it is appropriate.
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Descending skills: You have to
feel comfortable and be smooth descending. If you
are too tentative and anxious descending hills then
this ride is not for you.
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Lean body mass: A physical
attribute of high cycling fitness is a very lean
body. You should be at a relatively low percentage of
body fat. Come to this ride in shape, lean and
ready.
Do not come to this ride expecting to ride yourself
into shape with pounds to lose!
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Number of centuries you have
ridden: Too many to count.
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Endurance: Able to ride for 6 or more
hours in a day, multiple days in a row, and you
thrive on it!
Other skill sets:
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Able to read a map and navigate on
your own ! (in the event that you find
yourself riding alone sometimes)
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Willingness to continue to persevere
when you want to quit.
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Looking for opportunities to stay on someone's wheel
and conserve your energy.
Serious “faux-pas;” don’t
kid yourself and think you can do this ride if:
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You can’t ride in a pace-line.
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You can’t keep pace with pace-lines
that go 18 mph or faster.
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You are out of shape and over your
ideal cycling weight.
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You can't climb hills well or descend.
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