Epic Bicycle Trip

Distance riding, to me, doesn't mean just "miles on the trail". Living in western Pennsylvania, in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, means that I want to be able ride distances on various terrain, up hills and down, on dirt, gravel, and paved surfaces; I want to be able to stay on the bike (as opposed to pushing the bike), and I want to be able to get where I need to go safely. The best way I've found to improve my distance riding is, well, to ride. And ride. And ride. You don't actually have to be in very good riding condition to improve your distance. Modern multi-speed bikes take a lot of the torture out of riding distances. As long as you've got a good fitting bike and a good saddle, as discussed in the previous post, you're probably going to be able to increase your distance pretty quickly. I probably break every "rule" of bike riding. I don't stretch before I go on a ride. I don't do much prep for long rides. I just p