The Ride to Conquer Cancer - 2014

[Katiepie]

Best of luck. You'll definitely want to be completing 100km rides by the time the event rolls around. Remember also that working with other cyclists in a pack will really help. Slogging out the distance solo will be a lot more work. In competition packs, only 40% of the energy is used, compared to doing all the work.

In terms of bikes, be careful purchasing anything 2nd hand, as you can end up inheriting the issues, and depending on budget, end up costing more than something new on special. On that note, never pay RRP The mountain bike will make the riding harder (you probably know that), but then, for improving fitness, that's not a bad thing. Try to find the fun in the riding, as doing it purely for fitness will be a struggle to keep motivation going.

Used to road team time trial over a decade ago, and got into bicycles again last year, but this time mountain biking. Good for fitness and the social aspect

Awesome advice as always Gremiln, thank you. There is fantastic support for all entrants for the ride, but it is Auckland based so their weekly group training rides are up there only. I will train solo until I have a road bike (yes, will be making sure I have help buying the right bike for me) and then actively seek out groups down here to train with.

And you are right, the added effort of starting on my piece of crap will be very good for my fitness.

[R650R]

I wouldn't worry too much about knocking out the distance during training as on roadbike during thee real thing your avg speed will be higher than mtb river trail anyway.
I'd say just get your body used to being active for how long you think it will take which I'd guess at 3-5 hours for 100km a day.
And also learn to control fluid intake, drinking too much is as bad as drinking too little.
Karapoti was 50km but my training rides were only 17-25km every second day, just focused on doing that without stopping.
Give yourself a rest the week before.
The gym is actually the best place to get fit but I cant stand to be around all those blokes who shave their chest and legs... biking is a fun way to stay fit but only 1/4 as efficient time wise compared to gym workouts with proper program...

[Ocean1]

Go hard Katie, it's a good gig.

And you'll be chucking off the leathers in favour of the traditional bare minimum of lycra I assume?

[Katiepie]

Go hard Katie, it's a good gig.

And you'll be chucking off the leathers in favour of the traditional bare minimum of lycra I assume?

Thanks mate.

And yes, will be sporting a different "biker" look for the next wee while, in between the leather outings of course. Got some good basic gear to get me going - out for a 25km ride tomorrow. Will upgrade gear as I upgrade bikes and when I have kicked into full swing with my fundraising campaign.

[SMOKEU]

Thanks for your advice. And yes, I know what a massive challenge this will be, not being a cyclist. This is why I have made a start this early as I will need all the time I can get to get ready.

Starting out with a shitta of a bike, but that won't be for long. Am working hard to save and sell a few things (no, not the motorbike) to buy myself a small framed, lightweight endurance road bike for the later and longer training. Seen a few that I have had advice on, but just for now need to stick with the shitta until the time is right to change.

Who knows, smoking some buds on the rides might just help me with my food and diet issues - my old colleagues have been trying to fix me for years with that stuff. lol - stubborn girl but I just keep saying no.

Good plan. I also find that after a smoke up I can get myself more into "the zone". It's a bit hard to explain, but basically it's about finding a good, steady pace that you can sustain, focusing your mind on the task at hand.

Also, never ever ever ride anywhere without ALL the equipment you will need in case of a puncture. So, pump, spare tube, patch kit and tyre levers. You'll only make the mistake once of going far from home without the proper kit, and then having a very long walk home. Practice removing the tube and tyre so you don't have any surprises when out on the road.

Watch out for idiots who don't look before they open their car doors either, so slow down if you have to ride close to parked vehicles.

In terms of bikes, be careful purchasing anything 2nd hand, as you can end up inheriting the issues, and depending on budget, end up costing more than something new on special. On that note, never pay RRP The mountain bike will make the riding harder (you probably know that), but then, for improving fitness, that's not a bad thing. Try to find the fun in the riding, as doing it purely for fitness will be a struggle to keep motivation going.

+1 to this.

[Katiepie]

A gentle 25kms done today on the old shitta. I am certain that training on this bike is definitely going to help improve my fitness.

Strong head wind all the way, so a good morning out on the bike as part of "bike the trail".
I have some indoor cycle trainers on my watch list on Trademe, so won't be slacking off due to lack of daylight hours during the week.

A fun day - now off to walk my two large dogs for 4km.

Smiling and feeling good - will deal with the neck pain later

[SMOKEU]

If you have an Android phone look for Map my Ride or Strava to record your rides with GPS and track your progress. 25km is a good effort. Keep up the hard work!

[Katiepie]

Thank you to those of you who have donated already. People are being very generous and it's pretty inspiring to see. It makes me push harder to achieve a great result for the Cancer Society. I was reading some figures on how many people in New Zealand Cancer affects directly. And reading some of the blogs of other participants who are cancer survivors and what they have been through filled my eyes with tears and gives me even more determination.

Last night after work I got the dogs out for a 4km walk, and then headed out for a short 8km ride. I have to walk the pups every night but will be aiming to do a short ride 3 nights a week and 2 longer ones (20-25km) each weekend.

Tomorrow I have one of the Ride trainers in Auckland calling me to discuss my diet issues and nutrition with me, as well as to help me set up a proper training schedule to keep me on the right track.

Some pretty awesome folk in Wellington have offered to ride and train with me when they can and I am very thankful indeed.

Over the weekend I have raised $455.00. A long way to go but when I set my mind to something I don't give up. My grandma used to tell me I managed to get my last career by sticking around like a bad smell ad never walking away. She wasn't wrong, I knew what I wanted so I made it happen.

Looking forward to the weekend and getting another decent ride under my belt.

[R650R]

Well done, keep at it. Your Grandma sounds nicer than mine.
When she wasn't giving me the finger out the window driving past in front of my mates she was telling me to slow down as she didn't have any spare money for flowers (my funeral).
Yes the numbers of people affected are mind blowing, did my own research when family affected and the best thing seems to be to promote healthy eating and lifestyle.
The problem is getting exponentially worse and if anyone here hasn't been affected personally already I urge you to read up a bit and change habits while its early enough to make a difference.

[Katiepie]

My second 25km ride under my belt today. It was a beautiful day in Wellington so I got up early to get the bike a bit more sorted for some decent rides. I brought an odometer from trademe and it came with a dead battery. Replaced it today and was looking forward to keeping a closer eye on what I was doing.

I got out my new, but cheap, hand pump and tried to add some more air to the tyres. After a couple of pumps I lost all the air out of the first tyre. And no matter what I did, I couldn't refil it at all. I tried the second tire, lost all the air that was already in it aswell. Sigh. What was I doing wrong? I was getting frustrated as I was ready to head out for some decent training, but wasn't going anywhere with 2 flats. I had the inner tubes both replaced only a couple of rids ago so I didn't think it was that. It took me a good wee while to realise that the pump was leaking! Ah ha - that I could do something about.

I loaded the bike into the station wagon and headed into town (I live in the country). Nothing was open on a Sunday except the warehouse, and they had a single pump left, the same cheap crapper I had jut brought last weekend. So I brought it, with the hope the I wouldn't have to wait another full week to do this ride.

Sure enough it worked. I was relived as my budget for the week doesn't stretch much past buying a second pump.

It was a still day with no difficult head wind. I tried to get the odometer to work for half an hour at the start of the ride, but once again no go, and then the screen died. Sigh - I was going to have to just figure out the distance another way.

I was doing well and cycling well along the river trail when the drink bottle cage I brought fell sideways on the frame. I stopped to try and suss it out - last week the PVC electrical tape wouldn't hold it in place, this week the cable ties were no good. The supercheap auto cheapo bike doesn't have bolt holes in the frame to screw in a bottle cage like most other bikes. I tried drilling into the frame but after breaking off my 3rd drill bit (yes metal bits) I gave up.

The rest of the ride went well and I found it much easier than I did last week. It's amazing how much difference not having to battle the wind makes.

A complete non rider - riding is causing me migraines from the pressure and pain in my neck and my leg with the plate in it is swelling up each time. But am learning how it al feels, and they are small consequences to pay for starting this challenge. It does seem though that I have a lot to learn about bicycles and kits for the ride. I look forward to booking into a class that a local bike shop runs when the budget allows.

Feeling good, and really enjoying the challenge already.

If you would like to help support me and believe that I can do this then please head over to my ride page and donate. All proceeds go to the Cancer Society to help with future research and treatments - giving others a better chance at kicking Cancers butt!!

http://www.conquercancer.org.nz/site...nal&fr_id=1050

[R650R]

Sometimes your better off without one of those odometer things, cause its damn depressing when you go for a ride and end up being slower (bad diet/not enough sleep/lower pressures for mud etc)...
It takes a long time to get faster than your base level anyway, just getting out there and doing it is great though for getting the body used to it.

[Gremlin]

Katie, it's likely your bike will use schrader valves: http://www.fitwerx.com/wp-content/up.../03/Valves.jpg

These are standard fitment for all cars, motorbikes and most bicycles (upper end use Presta). So, any gas station pump will work, just make sure to keep a good seal between valve and pump.

If you're up in Auckland with the bike, feel free to ask for some assistance and I can go through some basics with you.

[Katiepie]

Sometimes your better off without one of those odometer things, cause its damn depressing when you go for a ride and end up being slower (bad diet/not enough sleep/lower pressures for mud etc)...
It takes a long time to get faster than your base level anyway, just getting out there and doing it is great though for getting the body used to it.

I'm not wanting to focus on speed or timings at this early stage, more wanting to keep a track on how far I have ridden. Did it the "google" was this time and now I know it's a 26km route return, I'm happy to keep cycling that route to just work on fitness and strengthening my neck. Pushing myself will come further down the line.

Katie, it's likely your bike will use schrader valves: http://www.fitwerx.com/wp-content/up.../03/Valves.jpg

These are standard fitment for all cars, motorbikes and most bicycles (upper end use Presta). So, any gas station pump will work, just make sure to keep a good seal between valve and pump.

If you're up in Auckland with the bike, feel free to ask for some assistance and I can go through some basics with you.

I really appreciate that. And yes, I think those are the valves on it. Will need to learn the basics and them some, but this first issue was the fact that I brought a cheap pump, and the valve fitted to the pump was leaking, and released ALL the air from both tires.

I really am a complete amiture. BUT I'm giving it a go, and can only learn more as I go along. Just like on my motorbike, learning how to do a few of the basics like tighten chain etc for my solo road trips (South Island for my 30th birthday over Easter)

Donations are coming through steadily and I am humbled by the generosity being given. Any amount is appreciated, and donations can also be made anonymously. It certainly is pushing me to work even harder at reaching this goal.

[SMOKEU]

1. Never, ever, ever Jew out on a bike pump. I recommend a Topeak Joe Blow. They're around $80 if you shop around, and do presta valves and schrader valves without having to dismantle anything on the pump. It will also do high pressure road bike tyres, as I've tested it to 120psi and it does it very easily, with plenty more in reserve. It's also great for motorbike tyres.



2. Don't make any holes in the bike frame either, especially not when you upgrade to a decent bike!

3. Don't fuck around with cheap tyres that are prone to punctures, you need a proper puncture resistant belt in there.

4. Don't forget a portable pump to carry with you at all times, but this can be a fairly cheap one unless you need more than about 50psi.

[Gremlin]

2. Don't make any holes in the bike frame either, especially not when you upgrade to a decent bike!

Meant to comment on this actually. As the smokey one said, don't drill the frame. Proper holes will have threads inside to bolt the bottle cage to, you'd have to drill through the frame unless you use some sort of expanding butterfly. You're also risking compromising the frame, and your safety. Zip ties are probably your best bet to secure a bottle, or try and alternate mount, on the bars, under the seat (roadies use this) or consider a hydration backpack (bladder in a bag). Easily re-purposed for motorcycling as well.

If you know what you're looking for, this site can have good deals: http://www.torpedo7.co.nz/division/bike/home.do

Otherwise, a bike store with specials is also a good bet.