Ride to Conquer Cancer

[chasem]

I don't what the altitude of your home town is, but Albequerque is about 5000 ft. It's not that hot there but it is VERY dry. Don't be too surprised if you get a low grade headache that won't go away no matter what you do for the first few weeks. It is a combination of lower atomspheric pressure and being dehydrated. When I moved to Tucson from Boston it took me two months before my headache went away. For me, half an aspriirin, and two glasses of water when I first got out of bed and before any coffee/tea etc helped a lot.

The two towns I'll be riding in until I head to NM are 350-550ft elevation. I'll be in Glorieta, NM this summer though, which is just shy of 7,500ft. I was there all summer last year, though, and the only problem I really had was chapped lips. I'm not too worried about the problems that come with high-altitude, but thanks again for the heads-up

As for the rest, I'll have to read this thread again when it's not... 1:00 am, and when I'm not dead tired.

[ForresterModern]

The other reason to use bike frame mounted water bottles instead of a backpack bladder system is that the backpack adds weight to your torso which is sitting on your saddle, thereby adding weight on your sit bones and an increased risk of sore butt/saddle sores at the end of the day. Off road cyclists love them becasue they get the mouthpiece of your drinking apparatus up out of the dust, dirt, and mud that tends to accumulate down by your frame, plus they usually don't care too much about how much weight is on their saddle because they are either riding with rear suspension or end up out of the saddle a lot absorbing bumps with their knees anyway.

Best thing, though, about hydration back packs is that the mouthpiece is right next to your face so it is easier to remember to hydrate more frequently, and you are more likely to stay hydrated if you don't have to think about it or work to get a bottle out of a frame holder.

Since this is a supported ride, all you have to carry is yourself, your repair kit, your water source and snacks (if desired) and your bike, and even then only for the 10-20 miles each segment between rest stops will be, as you can refill at each stop.