Meet at the Marriot to car pool from there at 6am.
150 Royal Plaza Drive
Fitchburg, Massachusetts 01420 USA
Were aiming to lift off from the start in Hatfield at 8am.
Hatfield Pavilion
Billings Way,
Hatfield, Mass
Bring your own t-paper, they usually run out.
After everyone is finished there will be post ride eating pizza activities at
Bertucci's Brick Oven Restaurant
233 N. Pleasant St.
Amherst, MA
Hiatus
12 years ago
You can be sure there will be piles of bagels and bananas at every pit stop along the century ride, but you'll want a few more things to get you comfortably through the long day. A checklist of the most important items to remember:
ReplyDeleteSocks: Cycling specific (thin, non-cotton) socks help prevent hotspots.
Cycling shoes:
Jersey: A cycling jersey wicks moisture away from your skin much better than a T-shirt, plus it has pockets for those extra banana.
Padded shorts: A must for any long ride. Nothing comes close to raising the comfort factor than a chamois (the pad) between you and your saddle. Go for the eight-paneled version; they fit best. And while you're at it, pick up some chamois cream to rub in before the ride, it will help soften the pad and keep it supple.
Long tights; rain/wind jacket: Check the forecast, and if there's any chance of cool or wet conditions, bring plastic -- and leg gear. Bring a pair of tights, or consider a pair of leg or knee warmers, perfect cool-weather leg protectors.
Cycling gloves: Unless you've already got calluses on your thumb joints, wear gloves!
Sunglasses: The western sun is a tough ball of fire to face without a pair of sunglasses.
Bike: You've put in the miles, packed all your gear, rested up for the big century; the only thing left to do is wheel the bike out of the garage and go, right? Almost. Your bike deserves a final tune-up and cleaning before hitting the road.
Helmet: They won't let you ride without it.
Water/energy bars/gels: Two bottles, for sure.
Basic tool kit, patch kit, extra tubes, pump,: An allen wrench (at least 4, 5 and 6mm,) and a hex wrench (with 8, 9, and 10mm) are the two basic tools you'll need to make adjustments on your bike. For flat-tire repair, bring at least one new tube (two if you have room), tire levers, and a pump.
Sunscreen:
Lightweight camera: Pictures tell a thousand stories, and make your century-ride bragging rights that much better. Don’t try and shoot while riding.
Beer (or PIZZA food) money: You've earned it!
P.S.: You did schedule a massage appointment for the following day, right?
Doesn't Big Dave have enough tools and other stuff in his saddle bag to support a pro team?
ReplyDeleteMe? I'm breaking every one of Charlie's rules about riding a century.
2 hours on the rollers today at medium intensity - beer tonight.
Plan on another hour on the rollers tomorrow at low intensity.
Boulder Cafe for a couple PBRs tomorrow evening (okay, more like 10-12), home by 11:00pm in bed by 12:00.
Up at 4:30 Sunday to pack before heading out.
I basically did the same "pre COVAC" ritual a couple years ago and it seemed to work well.
Big Dave provides AAA cycling roadside assistance on most of our rides. Sometimes I think he has a whole bike shop in there which certainly does not help him on the long climbs.
ReplyDeleteI can’t even think about doing indoor training yet, but if that works for you then the more power to ya. If it ever stops raining and it dries off a bit I’ll go out for a spin later.
Have some brews for me. I’ll have mine tomorrow at our post ride activities.
I’m pretty much in rest mode and hydration mode for the rest of today. I’ll be hitting the sack early tonight and up at 5:15am. Weather still looks good.
Hello to All COVAC Participants:
ReplyDeleteRoute Change Information:
Due to pending road construction on Elm Street, Hatfield and the uncertainty when this construction would be starting, the beginning of the 100, 75 and 50 mile routes and the ending of the 25 mile route have been slightly re-routed as a safety precaution for this year.
Make sure to check the new Cue Sheets on our website
www.amherstrotaryclub.org/covac.
New Cue Sheets will also be available at the pavilion on the morning of registration.
Just a reminder:
Registration is from 7 am to 9 am on Sunday. You may show up and start your ride at any time during those hours. There are no mass starts for the COVAC ride.