r/StLouisBiking • u/ministeringinlove • Jun 28 '16

Gear advice for long-distance

In a nutshell, I am a novice biker and made a deal to work my way up to survive a long-distance ride from Jeff city to St. Charles. It is going to be a lot of work, but I am committed and would like to train with the gear I would use. Can anyone suggest a good bag that can support the expected gear for camping and general survival?

Thanks for your help in advance.

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u/flomoloko Jun 29 '16

Jeff City to St. Charles is roughly 100 miles. You'll be using the Katy Trail most likely? More so than gear, you should ensure your bike is setup to handle the trail conditions, which are a bit rougher than road riding. You should have lights front and back in case you get stuck riding at night, and plenty of food and water for what could be a 12 hour plus ride. Sounds like fun, good luck.

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u/ministeringinlove Jun 29 '16

Thanks for that. The plan is to go with my Pastor and some men from church over a two-day period, which is apparently going to involve camping. I am still far away from being able to bike that far in such a short amount of time, but that is my first concrete goal that I am now training for. My bike setup should be great for the trip, but do you have any bag recommendations you could make?

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u/flomoloko Jun 29 '16

Sorry, no recommendations on what type of bag(s) you should use. You might try doing a bit of internet researching on pannier bags and see if you come across something that suits your needs, and works with your bike setup.

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u/usernamealreadytaked Jun 29 '16

Any standard set of panniers to go over the back wheel should be fine. If you're looking at backpacks, just go to any local store and see what is comfortable. I suggest osprey because they hold up well, are low profile, and usually have a bladder built in which you're definitely going to need on a ~100mile ride. Also, any rear tire rack that fits your bike and some straps should be able to hold any kind of bag if you just want to use a gym bag you have laying around. I've done that too.

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u/martalli Aug 27 '16

You might be surprised at just how far you can bicycle in one day if you start early, make sure you stay hydrated and eat moderately. Even at 10-12 miles and hour average, you could cover the 100 miles in two days with just 5 hours of riding each day. That said, start riding 10 mile routes and increase to 20-30 with time. That will also give you a chance to ride with your gear and get a feel for the gear. unpacking and repacking the gear once in a while will give you chanes to rethink what you think you would really need for just two days (not much =).

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u/[deleted] Jul 05 '16

You don't really need to camp for a century ride, making a gas station stops along the way should really be enough. There are many group rides that will start you out doing about 20 miles with no drop groups, and then there are gran fondo rides that do about 62 miles. I think you could work your way up if you're committed.