From fz1oa.com, January 12, 2016. The question was how to prepare for a 1,000 miles ride in one day:
I think it depends a lot more on the rider and the preparation than the bike itself. Within reason. There are some guys here that can only ride an hour or so before they are in agony. Doesn't matter what bike they are on. Others are bothered by various other things that prevent them from being able to be in the saddle all day. Neck pain, back pain, sore butt, etc. If in general you are not in pain from just being on the bike for a stretch, then it's all up to your preparation, clothing, and a few other things.
- Do not use cotton underwear. Monkey butt city. I use polypropylene or lycra tights. Very thin, wicking, and don't bunch up.
- Get a tank bag and a camelback bladder. Put the bladder in the bag, and work out a way to be able to drink while you ride. If you are not drinking regularly, you will quickly become dehydrated and get tired much faster. I mix grape gatorade with water, or just straight gatorade. When I stop for lunch and dinner I drink a diet Mt Dew. Some caffeine is good for me, but a constant supply is not. Too much makes me have to pee all the time.
Those are the most crucial factors for me. Physical comfort and hydration. I assume you have decent riding gear and none of it contributes to pain or discomfort.
Then there are other things that help:
- Music. Get an MP3 player and a Sena or other bluetooth headset. For me, the sound does not have to be that good. It just gives my mind somewhere to go other than staring at the road 10 feet in front of me.
- Start early. For me it's best to get on the road early. Of course I'll ride deep into the night but that gets harder and harder as the day goes on.
- Don't dawdle when you stop. Get there, do what you stopped for, and move on. Don't go in the store and look at crap. Don't phone your mom. Take a minute to walk around and stretch but don't find a bench and hang out for 20 minutes.
- Don't wait 45 minutes to stop to pee if you have to go. Just pull off somewhere and do it, then get back on and keep moving. A roadside pit stop is much faster than a gas station bathroom stop anyway, and you don't have to hold it - avoid discomfort.
- Don't worry about doing everything at every stop - gas, food, bathroom, text home, check map. Just do what you need to do at that stop then get moving again.
- Avoid removing your helmet. After a couple of days on the road, taking it on and off, the tops of your ears will get sore. Discomfort. The serious LD riders all have modular helmets, and during a rally they don't take them off all day. Saves time and discomfort.
- After several days, your ear plugs will abrade your ear canals and begin to hurt them. Once again, don't keep taking them out. Use neosporin or something on them to prevent the chafing.
So basically, avoid discomfort of any kind, stay hydrated, and don't dawdle. Keep moving. Every minute is a mile.
As Fitty said, it is difficult to average over 60 mph on a long day. But saving 5 minutes at a stop means you can go 5mph less for an hour. It makes a difference.
Last thing - scout your route on google maps ahead of time. If you have a GPS, don't depend on it. Have a good idea of where you are going ahead of time. I sometimes make a list of the towns and highway numbers I'll be taking. It's easier than you think to get off track, and sometimes your GPS will do it to you, in the most unimaginable ways. Know where you are, and where you are going.
By the way, I only did 916 on the Super Duke. 2nd day I owned it, rode from Flagstaff to Wichita. It was made slightly more difficult by about 1/2 of the trip being in the 30s and below. 19° when I left Flagstaff.
Grommet