I'm considering doing the MS150 Atlanta Challenge this fall. its a charity ride, 150 miles total (2 days, 75 miles each day). has anyone ever done a ride like this? i try to go mountain biking a couple of times a week, but i'm in no shape to ride this many miles yet. usually the mtb rides are 10-12 miles a couple times a week, mostly night rides. due to work and atlanta traffic, its hard to get longer rides in. i bought some slicks to put on my mountain bike so i can commute to work, but that's still only ~12 miles round trip.

any thoughts on how to maximize my riding in the woods for longer mileage on the road? or for training in general? i live in atlanta, road riding is really scary.

5/9/2006 11:47:52 PM

you do not want to do this on a mountain bike - even one with road tires - an entry level ~$600 road bike with at least a carbon fork would be better

5/10/2006 12:28:42 AM

Get some maps of local bike routes and greenways. I guarantee you that if you do your homework, you can find safe routes for road rides. But you really should think twice about doing that kind of mileage on a mountain bike. At the very least, rent a road bike. BTW, you can get entry-level road bikes for 400, but you might as well spend 600 for something that will last.

5/10/2006 4:12:43 PM

I agree that you should look into getting a road bike for this. About a month ago I saw several very nice bikes come up on craigslist here in the Raleigh area

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/bik/154564440.html
http://raleigh.craigslist.org/bik/154736948.html
http://raleigh.craigslist.org/bik/152522420.html

Also, with a road bike you will have a chance to go out on tons of group rides (check cyclingspokenhere) to get the full experience. Riding in a pack with the draft on a road bike is a lot different than riding around Umstead on a mountain bike. A 10 mile loop at near full speed around Umstead for me is about the equivalent of a 30+ miler at ~18mph letting someone else pull most of the time on the road.

[Edited on May 10, 2006 at 4:24 PM. Reason : x]

5/10/2006 4:23:50 PM

i've been trying to save for a full suspension mtb frame, but may have to look into getting a road bike instead. also found a rails to trails type greenway that's supposed to be pretty long and bike friendly. it will still be a weekend excursion.

Quote :

"A 10 mile loop at near full speed around Umstead for me is about the equivalent of a 30+ miler at ~18mph letting someone else pull most of the time on the road."

do you ever ride mtb single track? what would you estimate 12 miles at chhs or rr at speed is comparable to on the road. i haven't actually ridden those trails in a while, but the trails down here are comparable. internation horse park (site of the 1996 olympic mountain bike competition) is especially tough.

5/16/2006 10:22:28 PM