Today I did my first cycle ride with the new cycle computer. Distance 27.4 miles, average speed 12.7 mph. Took just over 2 hours. At this speed I will have to cycle for about 7 hours to reach my target of 85 miles per day. And today my bike wasn't fully loaded.
Physically I don't have any worries about increasing the distance and weight every few days over the coming weeks, but I am worried about the saddle. Yesterday's ride was very painful so before I set off today, I adjusted the seat angle so the pointed end was slightly lower. This put pressure on a different part of my pelvis, and encouraged me to lean forward a bit more, so some body weight was transfered to my hands. I also allowed my legs to take my weight more often to give my backside a rest. These measures seem to have worked because for the first time in two weeks, I have finished a ride without worrying about how much worse the pain will get after tomorrow's ride.
Before today's ride I took the bike to a friendly bike shop nearby (a Dawes dealer, so I figured they'd know something about my bike, even if it is quite old) asking for advise about what else needs preparing on my bike, maintenance-wise. The guy said my bike would be able to take the strain of the extra weight such a long tour would require, since the Dawes Galaxy bike was actually designed for this type of use. He said the wheels looked fine, but the tyres need replacing. But the current version of the tyres (a new Schwalbe Marathon) would not fit these old wheels so well due to the shallow rims. He knew the model number of the Schwalbe tyre I needed, and will order them in. He will also make sure the spokes are tensioned correctly and will give me a few extra to take on my trip so I can repare one should it break. I also asked for two spare innertubes.
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