What do you think you do that helps ride long distances.

Billy did you happen to know Dr Robert Cade? He was the head of the research team that invented Gatorade. I had a class of his at the university of Florida in the late 70's. He was from Texas I remember.

 

For me, what works is staying hydrated, it is very easy to get carried away with the ride and forget this.
Stopping every hour for a strech.
Quality comfy gloves, I can't believe the difference this makes on long trips, I've got a drawer full of gloves that seemed comfy when I bought them, but were crap on a long ride.
Hearing protection, one of my late discoveries and by far the most rewarding.
Good fitting leathers.

 

Good fitting ear plugs + headphones = plugphones.

 

Mighty Plugs. www.earplugsonline.com

 

No Sir.. The name doesn't ring a bell. I was shooting for Rice at the time. They were in the old Southwest Conference then. UofTexas, Texas A&M, University of Houston, LSU.. they were vastly overmatched in numbers. The entire studentbody at the time was around 25-2600. UofT had kids that were All State on the team that never played a down.

They should have been playing smaller schools like Army, Navy, Harvard, Yale ect. What was unique was that the average IQ on the Rice team was aboot 135.

 

BB doesn't light up his bridge-the cheapest shemale there is.:vfrshorty:

 

Timely question for me. I just returned from a 5k in 12 day trip. My 08' has the stock clip-ons and seat. I found them pretty comfortable and the bike was great the whole trip. I have a throttle-meister. It worked great but as much as I love the VFR the only thing I'd trade for is a new RS with REAL cruise control. I stretch every hour by letting my legs stretch out to the side and back, aided by the wind. Upper body bends forward. 10 seconds and I'm comfortable for another hour. Before you comment, I only do this with no traffic present. It's really quite stable, hands are still on the bars and really works. I always carried vitamin water you buy at any gas station next to the gator aid. Just agrees with me better. Any chance I got, I drank half a bottle. Salty treat every other gas stop seemed to work nicely. Any stop required as much neck stretching as I could manage.

 

PS I also use ear plugs all the time. I buy the custom made kits online. I think they're around $15 bucks or so. Comes in two parts, mix them together, stuff them in your ear and 10 minutes later you have custom earplugs. I wouldn't ride more than 20 minutes without them.

 

My wife gave me some "Emergen C". Electrolytes and vitamins and other stuff (she's the expert) Works good, tasty and convenient.

$20 for 90 packets at Costco.

http://www.emergenc.com/products#original-formula

 

better off not riding too far till I get a few more years riding the beast.

 

How long have you been riding?

 

I have been riding for maybe six or seven years but stopped for maybe two or three years. I have been riding the vfr for two years, but it seems to be hard for me to set up right. I have hard bags but don't use them-they are red and I need to paint them black-winter project. I am riding today with just one headlight- I have new blubs-it doesn't look that hard to put in, but you only need one working low beam to be legal riding and I am not using it that much, it is too nice today to fix it- I will get to it, but I am too buzzy right now.

 

One thing that would help you ride longer distances is to fill your tank

 

I would fill the tank if I was going on a long ride- I see zero cents in a full tank going 30 miles-its just dead weight then!:stickhorse:

 

Maybe this comment belongs in the "You Know Your Getting Old When" thread. Undergarments with flat seams that reduce chaffing really help prevent the dreaded monkey butt syndrome. Over pants & thermal base layers also seem to improve comfort.

 

I do wear heavy butt stuff-hoefully is doesn't smell bad:bs:

 

I don't use energy drinks except when it's been a long day, and there's still a couple of hours to reach the destination. Then a Red Bull is just the thing. Be aware you may find yourself making some sketchy passes with that new found burst of energy.

 

Even on a short ride I get leg cramps if I don't have a glass of water before setting off, soon as I pull onto the freeway, probably 2ks from home, my hips will start telling me I need water and if I don't, very quickly they will turn into full blown cramps that are bad enough to prevent me getting off the bike

 

rock star is my fovorite

 

For me hydration is an important thing. I try to drink a liter of water prior to a long days ride and continue to drink water at each stop. The wife and I go 150 to 200 miles, gas up, pee, have a snack (fruit, power bars, nut bars, try to avoid heavy food with high fat and sugar content, etc.) walk a bit and continue on. But I think more importantly is your physical condition. I have been on a 5 to 6 day a week light workout schedule, cardio and strength training. This by far has done more than anything else in preparation for riding. I have lost 35 pound of fat and gained 20 pound of muscle, mostly all in the core of the body.

Now that the core is strong no more resting hands on the bars with my body leaning on them. No hand numbness, no shoulder and neck pain, and I feel okay when I get off. The legs have been conditioned and strengthened, no more sore knees, and I can sit for 12 hours plus a day.

The physical conditioning and good diet to me is more important that the overall ergonomics. But there may need to be changes made there as well, but I would not change things without being physically fit. I found on my ST1300 that I bought in April that I now have put 15k miles on that I have changed nothing for ergonomics. My wife on her 2008 VFR had me put on a set of LSL superbike bars. That is it.

And before you start the days ride do 5 minutes of stretching and cardio, that goes a long way physically and mentally.