What do you need for your first long bike ride?

The first long ride is a rite of passage. It is the day your bike stops being transport and becomes a way to get somewhere unreasonable, like a lake two valleys away, under your own steam. It feels wonderful at the start and absurd at the end, and the gap between those two feelings is mostly about preparation.

The bike

You do not need a fancy bike. You need a working one.

• Get it checked. Brakes, tyres, gears and chain, either at a bike shop or by a friend who knows. Pump the tyres up to the pressure written on their sidewall.
• Check the saddle height. When the pedal is at the bottom, your leg should be almost straight with a slight bend at the knee.
• Ride it a few times first. A long day is not the moment to discover a squeak, a rattle or an unfriendly saddle.

The kit

• Padded cycling shorts. If you buy one thing, buy these. Wear them without underwear, which is how they are designed.
• Layers. A light jacket or gilet for descents and shady stretches, even on a warm day.
• Gloves and sunglasses. For comfort, grip and grit.
• A helmet, if you wear one, and check local rules.
• Two bottles in cages, or one and a plan for refills.
• Phone, card, a little cash and some ID, in a saddlebag or jersey pocket.

Puncture repair: learn it at home

The roadside problem worth preparing for above all others is a flat tyre. Carry:

• A spare inner tube that fits your wheel size and valve type.
• Tyre levers (two or three).
• A mini pump or CO2 inflator, plus a patch kit as backup.
• A multi-tool for loose bolts.

Then, crucially, practise. Take a wheel off, remove the tube, put it back, pump it up, all on your kitchen floor with a coffee. Ten minutes of rehearsal turns a roadside flat from a drama into an intermission. Some bike shops and clubs run basic maintenance sessions if you would like a teacher.

Food and water stops

On a long ride, the cafés are the route.

• Plan stops before you set off. A café, bakery or village fountain every hour or two gives the day a rhythm.
• Eat little and often, starting early in the ride, rather than waiting until you are starving. Bring things you enjoy: a sandwich, a slice of focaccia, fruit, a bar you would eat even if you were not cycling.
• Drink regularly, and refill at every stop. On hot days, carry more than you think you need.
• Make lunch the destination. A proper sit-down lunch in the middle makes the second half of the ride feel like a postscript.

Pacing by conversation

The classic first-long-ride error is starting at a pace you can only hold for an hour. Use the conversation test: if you can talk in full sentences, you are about right. If you can only grunt, ease off. On hills, drop to an easy gear early and spin; there is no prize for grinding. If you are riding in a group, agree before you set off that nobody gets left behind and the regroup happens at the top of every climb.

Plan an escape route

Know where the train stations are along the way, or who could drive out to rescue you. You will probably not need them. Knowing they exist makes it much easier to enjoy the ride.