BPCycler

This year we're planning a 4 day ride on the C & O Canal path from D.C. to Cumberland (184 Miles). The days will be 43 miles, 42 miles, 40 miles, 59 miles; OR 43 miles, 42 miles, 51 miles, 48 miles, depending on how we decide to break it up.

We'll be staying hotels along the way to help lessen the blow (yeah right) then plan to stay an extra day in DC enjoying what it has to offer.

Just wondering what you guys do to prepare for long rides, and types of food and drink you bring as well.

cb400bill

Thread moved from General Cycling to Touring.

Machka 

Have a look at Posts 37 and 38 in the Your Short Tours thread. We describe a tour similar to the one you are planning:

https://www.bikeforums.net/touring/1...t-tours-2.html

BPCycler

Thank you @cb400bill. Wasn't exactly sure where this best fit.

BPCycler

Awesome, will check it out. Apparently my search wasn't well defined. :-D

saddlesores

hundreds and hundreds of C&O trip reports on crazy guy...

Search crazyguyonabike.com

Tourist in MSN

I rode the GAP and C&O in May 2013. How to prep? Ride some long days before that to get your bum used to the saddle on the bike.

It was my observation that the trail is much better closer to DC. Thus, you would be finishing your trip on lesser used parts of the trail.

Photos are on C&O close to Cumberland after several days of rain.

I stayed at HI hostel in DC, if you are looking for a lower budget place to stay, consider them. They do fill, so reservation ahead of time is a good idea.

spinnaker

I won't camp on the C&O. Way too damp and too many mosquitoes! At my age I can afford hotels so I figure I might as well be comfortable.


It has been awhile since I rode the C&O but I don't think you will need to worry about food. There are a number of places to buy lunch along the way. Take some snacks and plan ahead. If it looks like there will be no convenient lunch stops along the way then get a sandwich before leaving town in the morning.

Bring a couple bottles of water and a repair kit and you will be good.

BPCycler

@Tourist in MSN - Sounds like we should start in Cumberland. I've ridden sections of the C & O many times and have had days like you should in the pics. It can get quite nasty between Hancock and Cumberland. We're eyeing September for the launch to get past the worst of the scorching heat. We also plan to reserve the hotels well ahead of time, and by breaking the trip into 4 days are more likely to hit our marks.

My all time longest ride is 28 miles, so this will be interesting.

BPCycler

@spinnaker - I know what you mean with the mosquitoes. I've ridden portions of the C & O many, many times, and especially on the day or two after a rain that are at times unbearable. Particularly parts of the trail where you're ride right up against the swamps.


One time something HUGE lurched out of the swamp, scared the begeebers out of me.

Thanks for the tips. For now I was just planning on taking a couple of sandwiches, two 27oz bottles of water, 20oz bottle of Gatorade and a few power bars.

Probably will invest in portable chargers for the phones too still we'll be tracking with Strava the whole way.

Tourist in MSN

I think you could start at either end. Cumberland is roughly 600 feet in elevation, but if you start in DC you would only be climbing roughly 150 feet per day so that should not be any concern as that amount of uphill probably only makes each day longer by 10 or 15 minutes. My comment about the trail being less used further west was more of a suggestion that the further west you are the more likely you might have some slow riding conditions because the trail is less well used.

Thus, I would start at the end that is most convenient for your other logistical issues, like transportation to get from one end to the other end. I have no idea if the eastern end could be crowded on weekends or not, but that might be an issue?

The puddles I showed in my photo, I was very surprised how solid the ground was under the water, my tires rolled right through without any of that sink-into-mud feeling. One of my touring buddies (he is shown in first photo at a distance) did not have fenders on his bike. That was the last trip he ever did without fenders.

The website is labeled for GAP trail, but it has good info on C&O too.
https://gaptrail.org/

BPCycler

Yes, that site is an excellent resource. I also use this one for planning out the miles and stops. It's show what services are available at each point. Have to particularly note the bed and food stops. :-D

Machka 

When is your trip?

If it is still a couple months away, I'd recommend gradually increasing your distances starting now.

Go out for a 28 mile ride this weekend. Do a 32 mile ride next weekend. Try a 36 mile ride the following weekend. Ease back to about a 30 mile ride on the 4th weekend, then back to 36 miles the next weekend, and 40 the one after. Or something like that.

And ride during the week too.

If you can't get outside yet, start doing a spinning class once a week.

spinnaker

So WHAT was it???

BPCycler

@Machka - Yeah, that makes perfect sense. Build of the butt calluses anyway! I think I can handle a 40-45 mile ride. It's Day 2, 3 and 4 that I know will be what kills me if I don't build up more endurance. We've given ourselves just over 5 months to prepare so I'm going to make the most of it.

One day I'd like to pull off one of these "Century" rides speak of. 100 miles would be the bees knees, but my conscience would all me to count 100km. What would that be called? An English Century?

BPCycler

I wish I knew man. It leaped out right next to me as I rode by but didn't see it through the brush. I bolted. I have seen really big bullfrogs around here and that's what I'm telling myself it was. lol

Machka 

100 miles is an "Imperial Century" ... 100 kilometres is a "Metric Century".


As for getting ready for back-to-back-to-back rides ...

Go out after work on a Friday night and do 10 miles. Then ride 30 miles on Saturday. Then ride 20 miles on Sunday. And do a short hilly or fast ride in the middle of the week.

Next weekend, do that again but increase it slightly ... maybe 12, 32, and 22. The next week, try 14, 35, and 25. Then ease back a little on the 4th week.

And so on. Increase for 3 weeks, ease back on the 4th week, increase again for 3 weeks, etc.

Leebo

Work up to your distances, as said. And get in some 4,6,8 hr rides too. Make sure you have your fit and saddle dialed in.

BPCycler

We're getting 6-10 inches of snow tomorrow, but as soon as that's out of the way the training will begin! Thanks for all the tips everyone.

jefnvk

Something else to consider that no one else has mentioned: whatever your group is (you keep using "we"), make sure everyone is putting in the training and is on the same page WRT pace and daily distances and food and lodging. Nothing can kill a group trip quicker than one person dragging or pushing everyone else, or who had a misunderstanding of what the distances really meant.

Leebo

One more thought, lots of snacks! I ride a lot, and plenty of longer rides too. Get a bar bag, things like a PBJ, banana, peanut m&ms work well for me. You'll burn lots of calories on a 6 hr ride, don't wait until you're hungry to refuel. Granola, dried fruit whatever works for you. Water as well.

Tourist in MSN

For a 20 or 30 mile ride, I usually skip any food during the ride. But over 30 miles, I like to stop every hour to hour and a half and have 200 to 250 calories. Minimize the fats for those kinds of snacks, except stopping for ice cream (which has some fat in it) does not hurt.

Once you can easily do a 35 mile ride, you find that you can easily do a 50 mile ride too. But if you run out of fuel because you did not get some calories on schedule, that last 10 miles can be less than pleasant.

I have never heard the term "Imperial Century". I wonder if that is a Canadian term, after all Canadians had Imperial gallons which were about 20 percent greater than a USA gallon before Canada adopted the metric system.

A quick check of Wikipedia yields:

The term Imperial century is sometimes used outside the United States and United Kingdom to indicate that 100 miles in imperial system is used instead of the implied 100 kilometers in metric system.

But I must say that it would be nice if they would start selling Imperial Pints of Stout here in USA.

alan s 

The C&O is flat, other than the locks, so it doesn’t make much difference which way you ride. Don’t count on September being cooler, and keep an eye on hurricanes. I’ve ridden during and right after two of them, and you will be covered head to toe in mud without fenders. October is more likely better. I rode 116 miles in a day one time without too much effort. Making it a 4 day trip is a really manageable pace. Most do it in 3 days. Also, check for closures, etc. on the NPS website. Last check, the Paw Paw tunnel was still closed.

BPCycler

I've always need a "power bar" anytime I've done a 20 / 20+ mile ride, so Every Two Hours snacks will be mandatory!

And I don't have fenders do if it has rained recently when we go, at least there will be a warm shower waiting at the hotel at the end of the day. :-)