I wanted to complete a 50+ mile ride for my training for the SINZ
unitour, so I decided to unicycle
into DC and back for a total of 55 miles. My plan was to leave from my
house
and unicycle to the W&OD trail at Reston(an old railroad track that got
converted into a
bike trail http://www.wodfriends.org )
and from their I would take the trail all the way into D.C., more
specifically
into Georgetown. I left my house at a little after 10:00 AM and it was
chilly
outside. I had on my new cycling fleece and a shell jacket since it
was in the
upper 30 degrees (fahrenheit), and my new biking shorts. After riding
about 5
miles I got really hot, so I put my shell jacket into my backpack that
I was
carrying with me. The roads and trails leading up to the W&OD trail
were
really bumpy and hilly, so the first 7.5 miles was the worst. Once I
got onto
the W&OD trail the ride was a lot smoother and my average speed
increased to
about 11.5 mph. I took my first break after about 15 miles even though
I didnt
have any saddle soreness yet. I drank some of my bottled water and
stretched
out some more. After about 5 minutes I was back on the saddle and
continued
onward. After about being 20 miles into the trip my right crank
started making
some noise, so I got off once again and tightened it (thank goodness I
brought
tools in my backpack!).
After about 22 miles into the journey I passed by a school on the trail
and the
kids (aged maybe around 8-10 years old) all saw me and started yelling
and
chasing me. They were amazed at the size of my unicycle and were all
saying
"WOOOAH". I surprisingly didn't have any saddle soreness so I just
kept on
going till I hit the Key Bridge, which connects a part of northern
virginia to
Washington D.C. and takes you into Georgetown. I stopped at a Subway
(sandwich
shop) in Georgetown and got a 6" sub. This was basically my halfway
break since
I reached my destination and had done 27.5 miles. I finished my sub,
ate a
chocolate powerbar I carried with me, and had some more water. The
break
lasted a total of 25 minutes maybe, and then I got back onto my saddle
and went
back over the bridge and back onto the W&OD trail. My right crank
started
giving me problems again, so I got off and was able to tighten it a
little more
(I think I need to use some loctite). On the ride back I stopped after
about 13
miles at the 40 mile mark on my journey. I was hungry again so I ate
another
chocolate powerbar and had some Vitamin Water that I was carrying with
me in my
backpack (basically an electrolyte drink). I stretched some more since
I was
starting to get some pain in my knees and the muscles right above my
knees. To
my surprise I didnt have that much saddle soreness either. This break
lasted
about 7 minutes, and then I got back onto the saddle and continued on
the
trail. The rest of the ride was not that memorable except when I
passed the 50
mile mark of my journey. I had never done over 50 miles before so I
was excited
that I finally had done so. I continued on for the last 5 miles of my
trip and
got back to my house. My legs hurt a little and that was about the
only pain I
had. I was surprised because I thought I would be in a lot more pain,
especially related to the saddle, but I was feeling a lot better than
I
thought.
All in all it was a 55 mile trip, and my average mph was about 10.8,
but I think
it was a little higher since I did not pause my cycle computer at the
stoplights
(and there were a few that lasted a while). I had 3 UPDs, which is a
lot for me
because I usually never have UPDs, but the trail was really bumpy for
some parts
and I fell at a few bumps and a gravel detour that I was not paying
attention
to.
My setup was as follows:
Coker with airfoil rim, snafu pedals, 125 mm cranks.
Saddle: small slab of old KH foam on top of a miyata base with a
stiffener
plate, and on top of that I put the full foam from the new KH freeride
w/ the center cutout. All covered
with a gemcrest leather cover laced below since the saddle was sort of
bulky.
GB4 handlebars.
Clothing (I think helped a lot):
Pearl Izumi Kodiak Light jersey (kept me warm, and dry)
Novara Strada road shorts (best cycling shorts I have ever had)
Wool Socks (A must for the cold! My feet were nice and warm)
Sweatpants (I could probably buy some cycling pants, but oh well)
-James
--
siafirede
'Myspace' (http://www.myspace.com/clawsout)
I will be zig zagging through New Zealand late Jan-March. PM me if you
want to meet up or can offer me a free couch! After Feb. 6th I will be
going solo from Christchurch to the NI, so any company will be
appreciated.
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