What Bike for a 300k Ride

[Spydaman]

My Son has signed up for the Swedish Classic Circuit and needs a suitable bike. The cycling part is a 300k (184 mile) ride in one day. He cycles every day but hasn't a bike suitable for that distance. Any suggestions of type, brand, mode, price range he should be looking at?

Edited by Spydaman on Saturday 16th February 20:09

[Kawasicki]

Very much depends on the road surface. Coarse chip - 28mm or bigger tyres. Smooth asphalt...a normal road bike will do just fine. It’s more important to have good training, pacing and nutrition...and the right mindset.

[keith2.2]

Assuming road - Any road bike will be fine for that distance as long as it's the right size, that really is the most important bit.

It's possible to start going more 'comfortable' by looking at bikes like the Specialized Roubaix or a Bianchi with Countervail - but budget is also a big consideration!

clearance for 28mm tyres will make life a bit more pleasant as well.

Almost more importantly than the bike - budget for a GOOD set of bib shorts (I'd aim to spend around 150gbp) - If you can find Rapha Brevet bibs, maybe at their Bicester store (I think the current season ones are over 200). I've also had good experiences with long days in Castellis - I balked at the pricetag when I bought them but they have justified their pricetag many times over.

Edited by keith2.2 on Wednesday 20th February 03:00

[Gilhooligan]

I’ve done a 300km ride (Wales in a day - great event). To add what others have already said, along with chunkier tyres I added a bigger cassette for the hills and a slightly shorter handlebar stem. I used to suffer sore neck and shoulders on longer rides and found being a bit more upright really helped.

[Nezquick]

Kawasicki said:

Very much depends on the road surface. Coarse chip - 28mm or bigger tyres. Smooth asphalt...a normal road bike will do just fine. It’s more important to have good training, pacing and nutrition...and the right mindset.

I'd probably recommend a proper bike fit as well when he gets his new bike, particularly given the distance he's planning on riding.

[Fletch79]

Nezquick said:

I'd probably recommend a proper bike fit as well when he gets his new bike, particularly given the distance he's planning on riding.

To quote a local bike fitter "Fit First Buy Later"

[ATG]

There are lots of nice-to-haves, but the actual essentials are pretty basic. I used to ride 100+ miles fairly regularly in ordinary shorts or trousers without any discomfort. Lycra would have been a bit more streamlined. Any halfway decent road bike will be fine so long as it fits him. Main thing is going to be getting used to riding that sort of distance. It'll require stamina, knowing how to pace himself and making sure he's hydrated and eating enough. I hit the wall once at the end of a long ride without knowing what was happening. I thought I was dieing. It was horrendous.

[FukeLreeman]

What bike has he got now?

[PeteSV]

If it's the ride around the lake then a 63 year old non cyclist friend of mine signed up for last years event. He bought a Planet X RT58 with Tiagra and had a retul (sic) bike fit with them at point of sale. He started riding once a week in mid Jan, missed the odd weekend ride but managed to ride at the gym a bit too. Then trotted off in the summer and completed the ride with no real issues. Bikes has sat unused since. Incredible determination. Bike is probably available for sale too if you wanted a proven machine

[BeirutTaxi]

Giant TCR... You may be tempted by an online retailers 'cheaper' offering but Giant's R&D have pulled off something amazing.. Racy aero geometry yet great comfort, sharp handling and brilliant stiffness.

BTW it won Bike Radar's overall bike of the year award last year https://youtu.be/18ntHzNLoR0

Edited by BeirutTaxi on Saturday 23 February 21:28

[Andy JB]

Fletch79 said:

Nezquick said:

I'd probably recommend a proper bike fit as well when he gets his new bike, particularly given the distance he's planning on riding.

To quote a local bike fitter "Fit First Buy Later"

While i don't disagree with a bike fit, it can be subjective. A bike mag i read recently went to 4 or 5 professional bike fitters and each recommended different set-ups for their researcher, some quite wide of each other !! Costly too.

A cyclist will soon know when a bike is comfortable and can make the necessary adjustments to stem and seat height etc once some research has been completed on suitable frame size.

[Daveyraveygravey]

Like a lot of things in life, what works for one, doesn't for another, and a third can't tell the difference between the two things the other two think are polar opposites. I had a bike fit which worked for me, a mate had one and thought it cost him approx £20 per mm of stem adjustment...
I ride a Giant Propel, which is meant to be an aero bike, because most of my rides are under 4 hours, probably nearer 2. I did an Everesting on it 3 months after I bought it which took me 27 hours, and might do another. For me, a lot of this talk about comfort/sportive/endurance geometry is marketing speak, to get us to buy ANOTHER bike. I personally struggle to tell the difference between 23mm tyres and 25s, a degree of head tube angle more or less, or another 10mm in the seat stays.

[keith2.2]

Daveyraveygravey said:

Like a lot of things in life, what works for one, doesn't for another, and a third can't tell the difference between the two things the other two think are polar opposites. I had a bike fit which worked for me, a mate had one and thought it cost him approx £20 per mm of stem adjustment...
I ride a Giant Propel, which is meant to be an aero bike, because most of my rides are under 4 hours, probably nearer 2. I did an Everesting on it 3 months after I bought it which took me 27 hours, and might do another. For me, a lot of this talk about comfort/sportive/endurance geometry is marketing speak, to get us to buy ANOTHER bike. I personally struggle to tell the difference between 23mm tyres and 25s, a degree of head tube angle more or less, or another 10mm in the seat stays.

I fundementally agree, but with some disagreement.

I can definitely tell the difference between different bikes and different geometries. I know when I like the feel of a bike and when I don't. I know what I look for and what I want to avoid in terms of handling. However I couldn't say "I like a 72 degree head angle".

Swapping from 23c tyres at 110psi to 25c tyres at 85psi TRANSFORMED the ride on my Felt AR, and improved the cornering because it removed the skittishness.

Likewise, there is a huge difference in feel between the AR and my XR4 - both racy aero bikes.

Endurance geometry just IS more comfortable than all out race geometry for a normal person - the longer you ride for the more pronounced that difference is going to make.

However.

If I only ever rode 2hrs at a time, I wouldn't give a damn about the geometry, I'd buy purely on 'what bike do I like the looks of the best for the money I want to spend'

As above - you can everest on an aero bike. You can TT on a climbing bike. If you're just doing it for the love of doing it - do it on something you love.

Edited by keith2.2 on Thursday 28th February 08:57

[anonymous-user]

If say woth regard to bike fit is that it's only the starting point of getting a bike comfortable. After that you need to do some serious miles to tweak it.

I have a trek to make and a giant propel. Two different bikes with regards to what they're aimed at but in actual fact the propel is much more comfortable for 100+ miles for me, but that's partly because the more upright stance of the endurance to make actually aggravates my lower back whereas the propel stretches me out more.

So get a decent quality bike that won't break, get a fit, then get him out riding to see what he needs to adjust. Dont buy a week before ride!