Ladies - Preparing for First Tour

[dr_bar]

Sorry to intrude, but are you doing some stretches before you head out and during your breaks? This might help with the soreness...

[RocketGirl]

Sorry to intrude, but are you doing some stretches before you head out and during your breaks?

I have to admit that I did not. So, on these past few trips I thought I did give it a try. At stop lights, I'll stand up or stretch out the neck muscles. While riding, I'll check my posture, are my elbows tucked in, shoulders and hand grip relaxed. Also it helps to be observant for any little aches that happen after even my short rides. I noticed that my right knee feels a bit stiff at times, so I'm focusing now on how the lower half of me sits on the bike. As far as stretching before I head out, again I have to admit that I don't because I just want to get out there and ride!

Thanks for the input and please don't ever feel like you're intruding. Great tip!

[Lion_Lady]

Hubby and I hope to do a Saddle Sore 1000 in the not too distant future. That's 1000 miles in 24 hours. He realized that he hasn't ridden as far as I have in a "sitting" even though he's racked up more miles per year than me. He's been commuting to work the last 2 years and I've only just started to (took longer to gear up than to ride the 3 miles to my old job).

Anyhow... we decided to do "half a 1000" mostly for him to see how he feels after that long on the bike.

I realize that I will stretch and twist my upper body on the bike. Rotate shoulders, swivel them. Stretch the spine uuuup, and relax. But the real key is to take decent off the bike breaks. Got to be careful about not keeping the blood circulating in the legs.

As for the ride stress. Are you wearing earplugs? Please get yourself some (the foam disposable kind - you can find them at Home Depot and many bike shops, about 50 cents a pair). They will help with fatigue immensely. It may take a bit of getting used to, but you will be amazed at how UN fatigued you'll feel compared to riding without earplugs.

P

[RocketGirl]

As for the ride stress. Are you wearing earplugs? They will help with fatigue immensely. It may take a bit of getting used to, but you will be amazed at how UN fatigued you'll feel compared to riding without earplugs.
P

Thank you Lion Lady! This was great advice.

I finally remembered to use the ear plugs before leaving for our recent ride. It was bad enough dealing with the cold temps and new terrain. I felt like I could have rode until sunset. Alas, the weather started to look ominous and we cut our ride short.

[Lion_Lady]

WooT!! Glad they helped!!

Now, I've got to get into and around DE before it gets tooo cold. Our BMW club has an annual year long scavenger hunt, and I need to visit some spots in DE.

But not this weekend, heading down to Lynchburg with hubby. He's riding in The VOID IV - http://www.rallythevoid.org/

P

[MZ33]

Never heard of Ralleys before. They look like fun! Have a great weekend!

[Yamaha Couple]

Thank you all for the helpful info.
My husband, daughter and I are going on some long motorcycle trips next year and was looking for info
on what to take and want to be aware of.
You had it all right here.


Thank You for posting the links

Cindy

[kawgurl]

Just my two cents on this thread............just a mish-mash of 'stuff':

Preparing for touring gets easier the more you do it I have found. You learn to weed out what it is you don't really need - and generaly replace them with something that - oops - you maybe forgot the previous trip. Making a bike trip checklist is handy for this - we keep ours on the laptop so that we can edit it at any time.

Being tall (6') and a former athlete who now has low back/hip problems (nothing serious, just over did it when I was younger), I have a stretching routine I perform daily before I first get on the bike - a little stretching goes a long way when it comes to reducing any joint irritation or stiffness during the day. I pay special attention to my hip flexors (front of the hips) and make sure they are well stretched because those are the muscles that stay "flexed" all day when riding a bike (same as sitting in an office chair). Gets the blood flowing, clears my head and really does make me feel more loose.

I find that stopping every 200km (150 miles?) or so works best - for me I have no choice as at that point I have to get gas, too - as my tank is fairly small (hence the reason for selling the Meanie). A quick stretch, swig of water, snack and a yak during these breaks keeps me going all day long!

I travel most often with my husband - and we sometimes take our trailer (which he pulls with the Valkyrie) - so in those cases, I don't have to worry about "space" for stuff - we even take along the lawn chairs so we can sit and relax and have lunch at a rest area.

When I travel on my own for any distance, I feel the most important thing to have along is a (charged) cell phone. Second is a small (but well stocked) first aid kit. The cell phone I keep zipped in my jacket which in the case of an emergency I hope would stay with my body - it's useless in a saddlebag IMO.

There are things I keep handy in a little windsheild bag so I don't have to rustle through my saddlebags at every stop - these items are: air guage, sunscreen, lip balm, a spare contact lens, small camera, etc.

***CENSORED FOR LADIES ONLY*** - this is an idea my sister in law (who rides pilion) suggested for those really long trips - using pantiliners daily to reduce the pairs of underwear you may have to take along. I have never tried this myself, but it could be viable in certain situations. IMO if I have to pack THAT lightly, I'd find myself a new bike!

One last thing and that's about the sheepskin - I thought my husband (who's had many more years in the saddle than I) was nuts - sheepskin? Looks goofy, gotta be really hot, etc.....well, it's NOT. It will keep you cool when it's hot and warm when it's cool. It breathes and keeps you comfortable - even if you already have a comfy seat. Make sure you get real sheepskin - and you can get them in a variety of colors (I have lime green)....cut it to size, and away you go. Sheepskin can also be washed (not dried) with mild detergent to bring back it's "fluffiness".

Happy riding - I won't be going on any long rides now until the spring!!

[Lion_Lady]

Here's a list from the ladies forum on sport-touring.net courtesy of R6Chick

- 1 travel roll of Charmin (I never worry about bathrooms lacking in supplies or emergency roadside needs)
- 1 travel back of baby wipes (these clean nicely and usually have moisturizer in them since dry crackly butt skin is frowned upon by babies and adults alike!)
1 - stick on 8 hour heat thing for neck (great when sore on long rides or caught in serious cold by surprise)
1 - stick on 8 hour heat thing for back (same reasoning as the neck one)
1 - travel size Vaseline
1 - travel size Bonds medicated powder
2 - tampons (1 regular, 1 super)*

*Now... instead of tampons for "Auntie Flo" - here's an alternative, that I love because I don't have to carry a box of anything. http://www.divacup.com/ Since I'm getting near to The Change" my periods are odd and irregular. A tampon is miserable if instead of a "real" period all I'm having is a little spotting.The Diva Cup is great for a real flow, because there are NO LEAKS!! Not overnight or anytime.

I pack two pairs of undies, no matter how long the trip. The silky kind for camping. You can wash them before you go to bed and by morning they're dry. Also, two pairs of socks.

Another thing I'd add is a small 'ShamWow' type of towel. They can be used to press the excess water out of those undies or socks and will dry quickly.

I've got an AlaskaLeather buttpad. LOVE IT!! http://alaskaleather.com/buttpads.html The "deluxe" is worth it. Keeps me cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

P