I remember when I purchased my first road bike. I was a happy lad. I did 25 km rides, then 50 km rides, and then moved up to 75 km rides. I then started dreaming about the legendary 100 km ride. It is a right of passage for cyclists. Another right of passage is falling off your bike when you forget to un-clip. This guide is not about falling off your bike though. It’s about what you should do on your first 100 km ride.
Make sure you eat! (before and during the ride)
Eat! You need to eat. You need those carbs before starting the ride or you’re not going to have a good time. Treat this as your typical long bike ride…because it is. You must fuel your body to ride. Bananas, a protein shake, granola bars, eat something! These are things you should have before and during your ride. Just do not overdo it.
After you have completed the ride, try not to scarf down a big bag of Lay’s chips, one large pizza, and two Coca’s Colas. Trust me, I’ve been there. Try and eat healthier (easier said than done though!). Your body is your engine.
Plan Ahead
Make a game plan. You want this day to be excellent like it’s your wedding day or hot date. It’s you and your hot bike. Plan it and good things will happen.
What I recommend:
- Plan a route (use strava/kamoot/google maps)
- Plan what time you will leave
- Find your rest spots to stretch and eat
- Check the weather
- Make sure you have no obligations. 100 km is a long day unless you’re fast
- Safety first, tell others what you will be doing
- Make sure your bike is in good working condition
- Plan it the night before or at an earlier date
- Relax
Bring the Essentials
- Water bottles with water
- At least one spare tube
- an air pump/ C02 cartridge
- Food (banana, granola bar, energy gels, snickers chocolate bar)
- Wallet
- Bike tools (multi tool, tyre lever)
- Lights (be visible even during the day)
- Your cell phone
- Your finest cycling apparel
Bring the essentials that I mentioned to give you peace of mind and readiness. You got this. Do not be afraid to bring a backpack. Bring what you are comfortable with. This is your first 100 km ride, do not bring the bare minimum. You do not want to have a bad time. I have included a picture to show you what I bring to all of my long bike rides.
Have fun
Don’t stress. Just go out and do it. Bike riding is about having fun and being healthy while doing it. This is a way to get out of the house, enjoy the scenery, and to have a good time with yourself or with others. As you progress in this beautiful sport, you will learn a lot more. I am still new at this as well but I will share as much as I know.
Just do it!
If you are thinking about doing it and have not, why? I was in the same position. I made many excuses. This was a mental barrier that I created because I doubted myself. I could have done it much earlier. When you start the ride, It is a big deal. When you finish the ride, it is an even bigger deal. It’s a bigger deal because you did it and there will be more to come. It then becomes no big deal. Just do it.