What's making you tired today?

[SteveDallas]

It was mostly flat, with some hills here and there. It wasn't (IMO) quite as good for "all levels" as advertised, but there were no serious problems. Really the biggest challenge was the fact that I had never ridden more than 5 miles at once.

I also overslept and didn't make it out as early as I had wanted.... I assumed I could just kind of keep up with the slow part of the pack, but everybody was so spread out, and there were so many people out riding on their own, that it was hard to do that. But I made it through, and I learned several things and picked up a shopping list that will make next time better.

I finished in 4 hours, including stops (including several to orient myself with the cue sheet).

[HungLikeJesus]

Originally Posted by SteveDallas

It was mostly flat, with some hills here and there. It wasn't (IMO) quite as good for "all levels" as advertised, but there were no serious problems. Really the biggest challenge was the fact that I had never ridden more than 5 miles at once.

I also overslept and didn't make it out as early as I had wanted.... I assumed I could just kind of keep up with the slow part of the pack, but everybody was so spread out, and there were so many people out riding on their own, that it was hard to do that. But I made it through, and I learned several things and picked up a shopping list that will make next time better.

I finished in 4 hours, including stops (including several to orient myself with the cue sheet).

How do your, uh, contact points feel?

[SteveDallas]

Originally Posted by HungLikeJesus

How do your, uh, contact points feel?

CHAFED!!! (But not badly.)
One of the things on my list before next time is a pair of real bicycling shorts. Another is a cheap bike computer, so I can keep track of distance between points.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Mudflaps might have helped, today.

[casimendocina]

Originally Posted by SteveDallas

I finished in 4 hours, including stops (including several to orient myself with the cue sheet).

How much longer than 5 miles was it?

What tips?

[SteveDallas]

Originally Posted by casimendocina

How much longer than 5 miles was it?

What tips?

25 miles long.

Real bike shorts (see Chafing above)

Bike computer/odometer (I have a GPS in my phone but it's such a battery hog I don't feel comfortable leaving it on. I left everything off except the actual phone function, and turned on the GPS and mobile data--needed to load the maps from Google Maps--when I stopped for a progress check.)

New helmet--one that has a visor, and is some color other than solid black. (It was a sunny day.)

Also consider a Camelbak backpack water supply. I had 2 water bottles along, one on the frame and one stashed in a back shirt pocket, but I really couldn't drink without a full stop.