Getting ready for 20 mile Coker ride

I am hoping to do a 20 charity bike ride for A.I.D's on my Coker. The
longest ride I’ve done on it so far is 6 miles. Once with 152 cranks and
once with 125's My legs were much more tired after riding with the 152's
but I went much faster with the 125's.

How should i work up to this distance? What cranks should I use? And
what is the best petal to replace my plastic ones for under 20
dollars?

I will buy 140's if you think that will work good.


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KcTheAcy wrote:
*I am hoping to do a 20 charity bike ride for A.I.D's on my Coker. The
longest ride I’ve done on it so far is 6 miles. Once with 152 cranks
and once with 125's My legs were much more tired after riding with the
152's but I went much faster with the 125's.

How should i work up to this distance? What cranks should I use? And
what is the best petal to replace my plastic ones for under 20
dollars?

I will buy 140's if you think that will work good. *
I did my first 20 mile ride after never having gone more than about 4 or
5 before. It was on a Coker with 6" cranks. If speed is not an issue,
then I'd recommend simply riding with whatever cranks you are most
comfortable with. Trust me after 12 miles or so your legs will not be
the issue, if you get my drift. I'd put more thought into your saddle
than your cranks.

You should have a great time for a great cause.

Cheers,
Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


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deal with a situation, then I answer that we have got to experiment and
find one. God knows we have experimented long enough with other methods.
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KcTheAcy wrote:
*My legs were much more tired after riding with the 152's but I went
much faster with the 125's.

*


Is that a mistake?

If not then it sounds like you should use 125's, but I wonder if you
meant to say that your legs were less tired with the 152's?


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onewheeldave - Semi Skilled Unicyclist

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the Muni that really fires him up."

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I wouldn't worry about optimizing crank length yet. Once you have done
some more long distance rides then you can start playing with crank
length and you'll have enough experience to be able to analyze the
differences that you feel while riding with different length cranks.
Till then the 150's will do you just fine.

For now I'd suggest staying with the 150's. The 150's will give you
more control. Control is very important in group rides like a charity
ride.

Shorter cranks only start making a positive difference when you are able
to cruise in the 12 mph to 14 mph range. Below 12 mph or 14 mph you
have to deal with the negative side of shorter cranks which is less
control and more pedal pressure required to accelerate and decelerate.

I've been riding mostly with 140's which I have found to be a good
compromise. They're slightly more comfortable when cruising at around
12-14 mph. Still long enough that I don't have to push on the pedals
too hard when climbing (I ride around Seattle where there are lots of
hills). When I did the 33 mile Chilly Hilly ride in February I put on
the 150's. I wanted the extra control for the climbs and the descents.
My cruising speed on that ride was slow enough that shorter cranks would
not have been an advantage.

You don't absolutely need to work your way up to 20 mile rides. You
could go out and just do it and you'd make it. You may not feel well at
the end, but you'll make it. But if you've done a 10-15 mile ride
before doing the 20 mile ride you'll have a better idea of what to
expect, especially in terms of saddle comfort. There is a big
difference between sitting on the saddle for a 6 mile Coker ride and
sitting on the saddle for 20 miles. Doing a 15 mile test ride will give
you a chance to tweak your saddle position and riding posture to
maximize saddle comfort.


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I'm currently happiest with 140's (I think they're a good compromise,
but use whatever is comfortable for you. 20 miles isn't so long that
everything needs to be optimised.

If you don't have an airseat yet, getting one would be my primary
recommendation. Especially if you plan on doing long rides in the
future.


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mscalisi - Not such a newbie anymore
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KcTheAcy wrote:
*I am hoping to do a 20 charity bike ride for A.I.D's on my Coker. The
longest ride I’ve done on it so far is 6 miles. Once with 152 cranks
and once with 125's My legs were much more tired after riding with the
152's but I went much faster with the 125's.

How should i work up to this distance? What cranks should I use? And
what is the best petal to replace my plastic ones for under 20
dollars?

I will buy 140's if you think that will work good. *



Crap.. I ment to say My legs were much more tired after riding with the
125's but I went much faster with them.

Sorry. Thanks for the imput


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KcTheAcy - Ohh Baby

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Firstly, the crank length thing. The difference between 150s and 140s
is 10mm which is around 7%. In simple terms of speed, the difference is
negligible. Choosing 140s rather than 150s is a fine tuning detail, not
important at this stage in your Cokering career -if ever.

And 125s? These will make the Coker faster on the flat in a straight
line, but you will lose out in many other areas. I'm far from the most
experienced rider here, but I've ridden 20+ miles without a dismount a
couple of times, and ridden my Coker on tarmac and cross country. With
several hundred hard miles under my tyre, I still prefer the control of
150s to the alleged speed of the 125s.

So, it's only advice, but my advice is, stick with the 125s for now.

Pedals? Good pedals make a real difference. Any pair of pinned
trapezoid platforms would be good. I reckon that good pedals give an
increase in "power" of about the same amount as a single step change in
crank length. Grippy pedals give you confidence, and allow you to apply
the pedal force smoothly for more of the pedalling circle. When I put
pinned platforms on my first MUni, after riding with the standard
plastic items, it was a revelation. I now have them on my Coker and
28.

And how to train for the 20 miles? By riding a lot, and by not
worrying.

At a steady pace on the Coker, you should average about 9mph. More
experienced riders can average anything from 10 - 15 mph. I can average
about 12 or so when I put the effort in, but I think 10 is nearer the
mark for a steady long ride for me.

So, 20 miles at 9 mph is about 2:15. That's 9 lots of 15 minutes... or
4 lots of 30 minutes, and a final 15 minutes. Just break the ride down
into manageable chunks, build in plenty of rest breaks (dismount for a
minute or two every 15 minutes or so), eat plenty of calories, drink
enough fluid, and you'll get there.

The two enemies a
1) Overdoing it: starting by riding too hard for too long without a
break, and spoiling yourself for the last section...
2) Underdoing it: stopping too often, never getting a rhythm going, and
getting demoralised.

Good is:

1) Conversation with other riders.
2) Rhythmic music - at the right speed. Val Doonican is out, bluegrass
may be ambitious... try some good ol' rock & roll.
3) Riding behind an attractive member of your preferred sex who is
wearing tight cycling shorts.


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Mikefule - Roland Hope School of Unicycling

Everyone should be fatuous for 15 minutes.
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KcTheAcy wrote:
*IAnd what is the best petal to replace my plastic ones for under 20
dollars?*

I'm not really a pedal expert, having tried only two types of pinned
pedals. On my Coker, I use these Wellgos:

http://www.unicycle.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=669

I'd characterize them as adequate, and they do meet your price
criteria.

On my muni I have the primo super-tenderizers, which many people don't
like but I've liked a lot. I've thought about replacing my wellgoes with
these so I have consistency in pedal feel between my coker and muni,
which are my two main rides.


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tomblackwood - Registered Nurtz

Tailgate at your own risk.....

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Mikefule wrote:
*.....With several hundred hard miles under my tyre, I still prefer
the control of 150s to the alleged speed of the 125s.

So, it's only advice, but my advice is, stick with the 125s for now.
............ *


presumably that should have been 150's?


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onewheeldave - Semi Skilled Unicyclist

"He's also been known to indulge in a spot of flame juggling - but it's
the Muni that really fires him up."

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Just checking to see who was reading carefully. Dave was of course
correct. Stick with the 150s.


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Mikefule - Roland Hope School of Unicycling

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