info needed please guys

[turnerfromswansea]

hi everyone i am new to cycling.... my little cousin has cystic fibrosis and i have decided to get off my lazy ass and try something challenging... i am doing the london to paris ride in september 2009... 95miles first day then 80m then 75m and last day 65 miles ending under the eiflel tower.... the problem i have is iv been training now for 2 months and on a carrera subway mounting bike but everyone is saying i should be using a road race bike.....i tried my mates bike and really didnt like it.... will i be at any disadvantage on the mounting bike......your advice is much needed as like i said i am new to this and dont know much at all

 

[ianrauk]

The Carrera Subway is not a mountain bike, it's a hybrid/city bike. It will do the trip no problem. However you may want to swap the tyres for something less chunky then the 1.5's it does come with. Ignore your mate, it's a good enough bike to do the job if you are indeed fit enough to do the mileage & the bike has been well looked after and fully serviced.

 

[yello]

Agreed. Nought wrong with your bike.

 

[turnerfromswansea]

i bought the bike second hand but like new condition and the hybrid tyres wernt on there it has chunky tyres..... and as for the being fit enough...well lets just say im trying my best lol..... a year should be enough for training dont you think

 

[yello]

Yes, a year is plenty of time.... but don't get complacent!

What's you longest ride to date? How did the bike feel? Did you suffer any aches or pains?

 

[turnerfromswansea]

well the most iv done so far was a 30 mile dont forget tho iv only been cycling for 2 months and packed in the fags 2 months ago aswell.... but after the 30 miles i was gutted because i knew my self that i could have done a lot more,,,, supprisingly only my wrists were aching..dont know if that is normal... im doing 15 miles a night for now and then big rides on the weekend.. 50 miles next week end

 

[andrew_s]

Mountain bikes are slower, but plenty of people ride them for long distances on road.
If you want to stick to your mountain bike, you can minimise the disadvantage by fitting slick road tyres like the Gatorskin or the Rubino, and pumping them up to 90-100psi.
It may also help to try a lower and more stretched out position. If you look at your reflection in a shop window as you ride past, your back should be at about 45 degrees.

 

[yello]

Sounds to me like your going well. The 50 next weekend will give you a good indication of progression.

Nothing should really ache to the point of discomfort though some aches are to be expected after doing big miles. The aching wrists might be something that can be sorted by adjusting saddle or handle bars but I'd wait and see what happens after the weekend. Do you feel your putting to much weight on to your wrists?

 

[RedBike]

I thought the carrera subway was a slick tyred mountain bike (aka a 'city' bike)

is this the one?
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/subway-1-8831


Althought the bike is quite capable of making this trip i'm afraid it will be harder work than a good road bike.

Take a good look at the types of bikes people use for cyclosportives / audaxs. These types of events are very similar to what you're about to undertake.

http://images.google.co.uk/images?ndsp=20&um=1&hl=en&q=cyclosportive&start=0&sa=N
http://images.google.co.uk/images?um=1&hl=en&q=audax

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

I used to worry about distnce a lot, but now I am confident that whatever distances one can ride at home you could easily do more than that (double it) when away from home and you have all day to ride without any other commitments. I ride 35-45km a day at home, ontour I can do 135-140km with a full touring load...but thats me...now..a year ago I wouldnt hav ebeieved anybody who told me I would be able to do that...so my point is that you have time, enough time, jus tkeep focused, keep riding and you will blitz that ride no problem. Then you will be able to look back with pride on a great achievement and brag about it in th eboozer till closing time!

..Good on you for doing it

 

[turnerfromswansea]

thank you very much for that last comment it all helps... thanks everyone for the advice and info..im sure il have alot more to ask soon,,,mark

 

[cheadle hulme]

Nice one for giving up the fags too. I'm 5 years in and best decision ever made. It gets hard after 2/3 months so be prepared. getting fitter by cycling is a good way to overcome the pangs.

 

[Andy in Sig]

You can get ergonomically designed grips which slide over the end of the handle bars. They are designed to enable your hands to rest on the bars at a more natural angle so eliminating the stresses which lead to wrist ache.

 

[punkypossum]

The subway will do it no problem. I cycled from York to Amsterdame on an mtb in May (250 miles in 4 days) which was fine. There were a couple of people with subways on the trip who had absolutely no problems either. Yes, a road bike might be quicker, but the subway is defo up for the job!

 

[Paulus]

Good advice all round from everyone. The Subway will get you there, my advice would be to swap the tyres for something a bit smaller, say, 28.or 32 mm width. Good luck.