Let’s begin with a clear statement of assumptions. The first assumption is that the “endurance riding” we are speaking of is road riding. Audax riding is a type of touring. While I suppose it is conceivable that one could tour off-road, that is emphatically not what we are about here.
So, that said, the first recommendation would be a road bike. Honest, it may look like I’m overstating the obvious here, but my experience has been that this is necessary. Road bikes are designed to ride on the road. Mountain bikes aren’t. Fitness bikes, hybrids, your grandfather’s 35 year old Schwine, that beach cruiser, or the nifty down hill rig, are not suitable to the purpose. Yes, you could ride almost any of these for 125 miles. I personally know a man who rode a unicycle in the Three Gap a few years ago. But let us consider a principle; “The possibility that a thing can be done, does not mean that it should be done.”
What I’m about here is communicating to folks how to best do this kind of ride, and to enjoy it. In my years of experience, I’ve seen this attempted (usually by first time riders) on any number of bike types. Without exception, everyone who’s tried it on a “flat bar bike,” has had trouble and misery. ‘Nuff said?
So now, on to the burning question, “What type of road bike would be best?” Here’s a group of guidelines I’ve developed.
- The bike should fit. (Get professional help with this.)
- The bike should be comfortable (it can be super light, but if you can’t sit on it for eight hours, it’s just wrong)
- The bike should be reliable (read, fairly new and in excellent mechanical condition)
- The bike should not be brand new (you should have ridden it enough to be very familiar with it, and comfortable on it)
- The bike should be reasonably light (note that this is the last item on the list. It’s important, but less critical than the others.)
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