Oh just a lil 162 km ride ! Dude are you doing the next KOM? Think I will just mosey over to my gym and do 3000 laps in the pool.
Not going to do either but more power to ya
It’s great to read about these epic rides sometimes but I think I will be happy when my ass is not broken by them bike seats after 10 mile rides which is my target
The only things I am good at while cycling are being stubborn and my ability to resist moderate levels of suffering. My times and speeds are nothing to be proud of. Sure, I am not the slowest in the road, but far from being near athlete level.
I was never able to ride these long distances with my MTB. So, in this case, I can say that it is the (road) bike that makes the difference.
Looking at your bike, you have a very relaxed position. That is good for some things, but puts more weight on the saddle. Check saddle height too. Too high or too low and it will make the saddle uncomfortable even if it´s the perfect shape for your bottom. Also, cycling shorts with a decent pad are a must for longer rides.
I’m trying to resist the trend here in Sf of wearing full riding gear even if out on a bike for posing not saying they all be Posing
But maybe there is something to be said for the gear. How about sell some big ass seats for big asses?
I have a hybrid which basically means it’s ok on paths and the street but not really good
for either
Bro recommended it because I needed something I can sit straight like a Mormon evangelist in Taipei
I don’t want to hunch over like on mtn bikes or road bikes
I like the way my bike works it’s really all I need
Think I maybe should have splurged and gotten an e-bike for greater distance riding though but 3000 USD is more than what I can handle
Mine at special insider price of about 700 USD was max what I wanted to spend
Actually was trying to keep it under 500
But we need to pay tax and get a helmet too
My wife’s bike is a well regarded trek marlin 6 but she has not even sat on it the two weeks we have had it
Honestly I don’t think she is a rider as yet and may not get bitten by the riding bug even
She just wanted a nice bike in case she wants to ride
Merino wool is your friend. I used to ride in -40c to 25c weather with it as a base layer; never too hot or cold.
Minus 40 c ??? Only polar bears and huskies should be out on that weather and maybe Mormon evangelists
Everyone starts somewhere and no matter what you ride or how far, ditto what @Incubus said and I’ll add riding is riding, there’s really no right or wrong way to ride a bike.
Sometimes it’s not about how much you wear, it’s what you wear. On Sunday I had:
Top/Head
Bottom
Happy to share the links as the above is all Rapha gear. I had gloves on me for the descent in my jersey pocket, which saved my life.
Don’t get sucked into buying a comfier looking seat. Most members here on the thread can tell you that it’s not about how much cushioning is on the saddle, it’s about how your sit bones are aligned with the contact points on the saddle. I mean, look at this saddle and tell me how comfortable this can be over a few kms of riding.
First bike and Hike for me since returning one month ago…
Taichung to Guguan up BoJinJia and back to Taichung (missing the last 14km back home as I was freezing to much to remount my Garmin after a nice dinner at masters or mushroom (just freezing inside that restaurant tonight).
Around 170watts NP average for the rides… slept so badly last night my watch missed me sleeping. Pretty gutted right now but will continue with some bike and hike trips.
Yesterday I went for a high five. I wanted to do this route in the opposite direction than last time.
121,79km 6:56:49 2.618m
The road to Qingshan falls was closed. I saw the signal, but kept going hoping I could cross by bike, but a few km later a local stopped me and told me to turn back because I wouldn’t be able to cross it. He said that they’ll need at least another two weeks to fix it.
Huge winds (thanks they were tailwinds) in the coast sections. The last parts of the descends were a bit scary with all the crosswinds.
I had the scariest dog attack in years. It was in the 北9 road, while climbing my 5th of 6 climb, so no way I could outrun them. A black dog started to chase me and aproach me, then a brown one joined and he and his teeth really got close to my right leg. The brown one got bored quickly but the black one chased me, making aproaches to my leg, for quite a long distance. Second highest heartbeat of the day. I don’t think I am going to climb again that road anytime soon.
Next time it’s this cold I will ride something with less climbs, even with no climbs at all. It is a pain in the ass to have to stop to take on/off clothes everytime. I also have to rethink my refusal to buy water during my rides (because of the plastic bottles). Almost 2,5l of water in the back (plus another 0,5 in the bottle) is just too much to climb to Erziping. Besides, I didn’t even drink all of it because I still had around 0,6l in the bag when I got home.
This was probably my last big ride of the year. I’m not going to ride this weekend and, if I ride next week, will be short morning rides.
I’m not going to pretend I have read the whole thing 
but I did skim read it and noticed that bit. In Taiwan, the land of 7/11’s, you rarely need to carry (much) water with you.
But I don’t like to make more plastic waste.
Echo de menos las fuentes de los pueblos.
Same here. Alternatively you can…
Damn. What can we do? 
Yeah, I’m not super happy with the number of water fountains I’ve seen around. I have seen some though. I even posted a pic of one, running into it was like finding the holy grail or some shit.
Carry a lot of weight on your back.
LOL…
Actually there’s another option. Police stations have water dispensers, and there are police stations here and there and they’re used to receive visitors seeking for this type of commodities 
. You can refill your water bottle or camel bag there.
I like to bring my cup to have it filled with tea or the like for some extra hydration along the ride, and not bring that much water with me. In some places I know where the RO filters are and refill all my bottles for like 5 NTD. But yeah, on warm days I sometimes still end up buying water bottles…
The below is definitely not my ride, but a fun (and somewhat alarming) account of cycling through a dramatic drop in temperature.
Meanwhile, I’m buried under term paper marking and I’d really hoped to get out for a ride today, but nope. Yay, on Wednesday and Thursday I should have free time again, but the weather forecast suggests I’m not going to spend any of it on my bike. At least I got out for a decent but somewhat dull riverside ride last Thursday. I felt a touch cold - but of course nothing like this:
When I reached the top of the Manhattan Bridge, the wind was reaching an operatic King Lear ferocity, and my physical misery had crystallized into a perfectly cut diamond, the purity of which I could almost admire. By that point I’d made peace with my incredibly idiotic cycling-gear choices and had decided to embrace a fully ‘roided-out aggro pro-sports attitude, shrieking is that all you got, huh, punk? ( and other Gatorade-style nonsense) at the wind and sleet. By the time I reached the other side of the bridge I no longer recognized core aspects of my personality.
https://clivethompson.medium.com/cycling-through-a-polar-vortex-bombogenesis-4e5367f9a29
I have the exact same concern. So this is what I’ve been doing the past years: I carry one or two 0.8l stainless steel bottles (Klean Kanteen bottles fit nicely in bottle cages). I fill them up with water before the ride. Then, during a ride and after using up about half of a bottle, I fill it up with free hot drinking water at any convenicence store (they all have a self-serve hot water dispenser for instant noodles).
Convenience store staff are cool with that in my experience, never got any questions. The hot water mixes with the cool water already in the bottle, so you will get warm or hot water which is perfect in winter (but it’s also nice in summer and the water cools down quickly on the ride).
I use stainless steel bottles because they can take hot water unlike plastic bottles. Just be careful carrying them when they’re hot. Viola! No plastic waste and a constant supply of free warm water.
Edit: In winter it’s also nice bringing a 0.5l thermos bottle and some tea bags.
I’ve had problems with metal drinks containers in the past due to my having metal bottle cages on my bike, worth noting for prosperity’s sake (as I’m sure you already know) that if you are using metal bottles to use plastic bottle cages, otherwise the vibration wears through the side of the container pretty quickly.
P.S post worded terribly because it’s 4am and I have flu
If you’re riding in a group can consider buying one bottle for everyone to share.
If zero waste is what you’re going for, then it’s going to be the police station option.
Corona finally stopped kicking my butt and I got my sunny Christmas ride in Missed my bike so much. Wanted to take it really slow as I’m still not feeling 100% (my stamina is barely existent at this point), but didn’t wanna stop and ended up in the hills anyway~
I cycled to Wulai today, nice day to ride out sweating in my winter cycling kit I brought from U.K…… needed getting over a cold and excess alcohol in 2 days sweat the toxins out.
I had a unsportsmanlike pleasure, approaching the last bridge before entering Wulai, overtaken by a man aged around same age riding a very shiny new looking Carbon Pinarello, however after overtaking he was gradually becoming slower, had used his energy to chase me I reckon, I keep space coasting along then cruise past him on the hill approaching Wulai. Even gave him a little wave, took the shine off his Italian patent leather cycling shoes.
