Let’s begin by getting one thing perfectly clear–I rode a mountain bike with very fat tires and 29 inch wheels on a road biking tour. To all the 92 pound riders on wispy little road bikes that one could lift with a pinky finger–I really was aware of what I was riding and your snarky comments would have been more useful before I embarked on this journey. Saying, “How do you like that mountain bike on these hills?” as you breeze past my fat, sweaty, wheezing heap of suffering, simply wasn’t helpful or funny.
I will give points to the guy who said, “I rode a 29-incher like that one the year my daughter got married. When I got home I’d lost so much weight the tux didn’t fit.” This guy at least gave me hope that my suffering wasn’t for naught.
As it turns out one’s choice of bike, gear, and fuel (food and hydration), matters a great deal. Sometimes my thrift, others a gross misunderstanding or lack of knowledge, led to needless discomfort, or even worse, injury and illness, and sadly most of it could be prevented.
I am a voracious reader and a consummate rule follower, to a point at least. Thus, I read the “How to GOBA” handbook several times and mostly followed the directions religiously. Some of the places I deviated were less than wise, and adhering strictly to the rules also bit me a few times for sure. For example, I didn’t take a chair because the handbook said it was forbidden, only to get to camp and find that most people have chairs and the rule apparently isn’t enforced. A chair really would have been nice after a long day on the road.
You know that advice that is a disclaimer on everything from yoga videos to vitamins–“Consult a doctor before beginning any new exercise regimen.” Yeah, GOBA has that too, and I effectively ignored it. Not exactly wise for a diabetic with asthma and lower back problems. I did seek out physical therapy during training, but only after my back rendered me incapable of moving. Even then I didn’t see my primary care doc.
While I was training I had various discomforts and challenges and for the most part I always blamed myself for the struggle. I assumed I needed to work harder, lose weight, try more, get acclimated and so on. Many of those things were actually signals that I needed to change gear, nutrition, or even bicycles.
My husband and I have routinely taken 25 mile rides long before I ever trained for GOBA. Nearly any time I would ride I thought I was drinking a lot of water. I also would typically feel nauseous by the end of the ride and wouldn’t be able to eat for a couple hours afterward. It never occurred to me that there was anything strange about this. Turns out I was routinely getting dehydrated and didn’t realize it. In fact during training I had a long ride one Sunday and I just couldn’t bounce back. I ended up sleeping the rest of the day and through the night.
I also thought most of my other aches and pains were a signal that I was out of shape rather than realizing that maybe I had and ill-fitting seat, the wrong shoes, or the wrong bike.
In an age of online shopping and searches we seem to have acquired a false sense that we can circumvent the experts and save time or money with do-it-yourself everything. That simply isn’t true. Web M.D. is no more suitable a replacement for visiting your real live doctor, than buying gear on Amazon is a substitute for the help and advice of a knowledgeable bike shop. I greatly appreciate the great advice and support I got from my physical therapist, and the staff at Y-Not Cycling and fitness, but in both cases I tried and failed at the DIY approach first, and I never even bothered to visit my primary care doctor at all.
While I bought all the supplies on their list and didn’t take a lawn chair, I skipped some of the most useful advice in that book. They advised seeking out a bike shop to get advice about bikes, gear, and fit. They warned me to see a doctor. They also suggested hooking up with a cycling club or some other group rides before GOBA.
I thought I didn’t have time to join yet another group, as I am already overcommitted, and deep down I was intimidated by the idea of being such a fish out of water with the “real” cyclists. One of the best things about GOBA is how much I learned about cycling. Turns out the skinny dudes in spandex know a thing or two and are actually pretty friendly. I really didn’t even have to embarrass myself by asking “stupid” questions because I could pick up so much just by listening to other cyclists talk to each other about their ride, tell war stories, and so on.
There are so many things to learn, but the place to start is with the people who know. Originally I thought I’d write a review of some of the gear from Y-Not that I road tested on GOBA, but really, what made the gear great was the knowledge behind it. Having the right gear for my needs is what matters. A bicycle seat is about personal fit, the Bontrager one that I have was good for me, but for someone else it might be the wrong fit, and thus painful instead of comfortable. What made it perfect was the expert advice in getting the best one for me.
No matter how big of a smarty pants you are, odds are an expert can help you far better than Google and the DIY approach. They’re experts for a reason, and surprise of all surprises, they’re happy to help.
