Final Thoughts - It's the Journey not the Destination

See the happy good looking guys above who look very refreshed after 23 hours in the saddles in 4 days. The smiles on our faces after reaching Georgetown were the result of good preparation. We met all our goals. I was able to raise a decent amount of money for a good cause: the Walker Scholarship Fund. I proved to myself that there are more benefits to turning 50 than an AARP membership. We made it to DC, traveling over 340 miles, painfree, happy and on schedule. We aren't great athletes, simply middle aged, slightly overweight desk jockeys, who were up for an adventure.

Here are some thoughts for anyone trying the trip:

Train properly

research your trip

don't believe everything you read on the internet

pack just right

have the right equipment

have reasonable daily goals and destinations

TRAINING

Proper training depends on who you are. For Jeff, who is 12 years younger than me it didn't take as much. He has a general good fitness level by playing hockey year round. His longest training ride was 50 or 60 miles. This may have caught up to him a bit the first day when we went way beyond his longest ride, but after that he was perfectly prepared.

For me, at two months shy of 50, I had to put a little more in specifically for the ride. I started in January. During bad weather I rode for 45 minutes a day on a bike trainer. In good weather I tried to commute as much as possible to work, and I did progressively longer rides each weekend, topping out at 90 miles. I also tried to do back to back long rides on the weekends as I got closer to the ride. Also I lifted some light weights with lots of reps and crunches on a balance ball. Although one thinks you need just strong legs, it's important to build up your core, arms, back and neck. Normally I used to get neck and back cramps and fatigue on long rides. I didn't have any problems on this ride. I was comfortable for the whole journey. Building up your arms is particularly important for this trip. You will be getting out of your saddle a lot on the C&O to ride over roots, potholes and rocks. Your arms and legs will be your shock absorbers. The training was good for me as I was able to drop about 20 pounds between January and June.

RESEARCH

The trip becomes a lot easier if you know where you are staying each night and what is a reasonable distance. There is a great book called the Trailbook. It gives you a mile by mile description of the trails from Georgetown to McKessport with an excellent pull out map. Most of the local businesses have advertisements in the book as well. A guy from DC has also made a very good DVD that is for sale all along the C&O. You follow his ride from Georgetown to Cumberland. Check out the weather forcasts, but remember there are small pockets that are a lot colder than most reporting weather stations. For example, the Laurel Highlands tend to be 10 degrees cooler than the lower areas in PA, and valley pockets like Little Orleans trap cold air over night. Also it's good to know things like: where are the convenience stores and bike shops, is there a laundry in my accomodations, where can I get a good lunch, will I have a climb into town etc.

DON"T BELIEVE IT ALL

We relied on an internet account of a trip taken a couple of years ago by some guys who made the trip from Boston. The problem is you don't know anything about the author's experience as a bike rider or their fitness level. After reading their account it made the C&O seem much tougher and the trek muck slower than it really was. The reality was that instead of averaging 11 mph as they did, we were able to maintain a steady 15 mph. The C&O was actually a bit faster than the GAP. Of course we both had a little mountain bike experience, so what were problems for the other author was fun to us.

PACK RIGHT

If you take too much the bike will be too heavy. If you take too little you will be uncomfortable. For us, knowing we could do laundry the first two nights meant we could cut down on clothes. On the other hand having a windbreaker and full finger gloves was very nice. I may have taken a bit too much, but it's important to have first aid for anticipated problems. I never did need the Prep H. As far as food and energy bars, just take enough for one day, as you will be able to buy stuff along the trails.

EQUIPMENT

Having the correct bike is essential. We both rode drop handle bar bikes. Jeff had a Cannondale Tourer and I had a Motobecane Cyclocross. Road style bikes go faster and have more hand positions. This means your hands don't get numb and you spend less time each day in the saddle. We did have knobby tires on the bikes which allowed the bikes to grip the surface and feel stable through mud and gravel. We only had one true flat in almost 700 miles combined of riding. Another important piece of equipment was the seat. I put a Specialized Body Geometry Gel seat on my bike. It is specially designed to prevent saddle sores and numb privates. Believe me at my age I don't need numb privates. People are amazed when I say that I never had a sore butt. Another secret was applying Body Glide every morning. Also having good bike shorts that transfer moisture and have good padding eliminates biker's butt.

Hydration is another key issue. You can go long distances in hot weather between water. I took a 100 oz. Camelback which was actually very comfortable. When I got off the bike I always had my cell phone and wallet with me, so I didn't have to worry about leaving them on the bike. I would also recommend a rack and bags that work for you. I used two pannier bags that attached to the rack and hung over the back wheel. Jeff used just an oversized trunk bag. Having a cell phone and charger is also necessary for emergencies. Just remember to turn the phone off unless you are using it. Otherwise it will constantly be searching for a signal, which are intermittent, and burn out the battery.

REALISTIC GOALS

Be honest with yourself and only set mileage goals that you are able to reach. This is supposed to be challenge, but more importantly a fun adventure. Don't really simply on mileage indicated on maps. You will do more every day. It's about the journey, so you will add miles off the trail doing a little exploring. You also don't want to race. Ride at a comfortable pace and try to ride with people who ride at your pace. Jeff and I were lucky in that respect. There are lot's of people who are comfortable doing 11 mph. We were comfortable at about 15 mph. If you go too fast you will burn out and bonk, if you go too slow you will spend too much time in the saddle. It's good to change speeds for variety. Early in the morning we would warm up doing 13 or 14. When we were on the paved surfaces we were going over 20. In the afternoons when we were getting in a good rythm we would do long stretches on the trails at 16 or 17. When you get off the bike, you still want to have something in the tank so you have energy to explore. We really enjoyed going for a long walk in Harper's Ferry. As far as where you stay, be honest with yourself. I don't do great sleeping on the ground. It's important to get plenty of rest and feel good in the morning, so I found it necessary to stay at inns. Other people find it better to camp out. If you camp out free sites are all along the trail and you never have to go out of your way to find where you are going to sleep.

Most importantly, enjoy the ride. Learn about the local culture (or lack their of - see Bill's Place), talk to people along the way. Be appreciative and supportive of the businesses in the small trail towns and they will treat you right. Take plenty of pictures so that you can remind yourself of an awesome biking adventure.