I have friends that live in Cedar hill, and I live in Crowley, approx 33 miles away. This summer sometime I want to take my Hardrock Sport bike and go on a LONG bike ride-1187 down to I35W, then I20E to Cedar Hill.

Stupid, suicidal, or awesome?

My brother is a mountain biker and he doesn't think I could do it.

If it's a road it's doable.  Drink some water or gatorade, the heat and dehydration will be your main enemy.

33 miles isn't all that bad on a bike. I've walked 15 in 4.5 hours, you should be fine.

It'd take about 3 hours depending on how in shape you are in.  It's do-able.  I rode a 100mi ride a couple years ago and I wasn't in that great of shape either.  

You should be able to manage about 13 mph on flat ground on a mountain bike, and no less than 16 (more like 18) mph on a road bike, assuming you are a fit rider.  

I've done 20 miles on my mountain bike with slick tires, and that was a fairly easy 1.5 hours.  

30 miles for a road rider is a normal workout.  

Quoted: If it's a road it's doable.  Drink some water or gatorade, the heat and dehydration will be your main enemy.

It is, however getting there and staying off the highway is going to be tricky.

Quoted: You should be able to manage about 13 mph on flat ground on a mountain bike, and no less than 16 (more like 18) mph on a road bike, assuming you are a fit rider.   I've done 20 miles on my mountain bike with slick tires, and that was a fairly easy 1.5 hours.   30 miles for a road rider is a normal workout.

My bike has standard knobbies on it, good general purpose tires. I am going to need a LOT of gatorade and water-a Camelbak comes to mind as being particularly useful.

It's doable. Enjoy.

Quoted: It's doable. Enjoy.

I'd love to imagine the look on my brothers face when I ride up to his house.....

At the very least I'd have major watercooler points with 'the guys'.....

Quoted: My bike has standard knobbies on it, good general purpose tires. I am going to need a LOT of gatorade and water-a Camelbak comes to mind as being particularly useful.

Check the web/mail order cycling retailers. You should be able to find some semi-slicks for $8-10 each which will help. Either with slicks or knobbies max out the tire pressure for the road (which is opposite where you should have it on the trails).

Very doable so long as you start early and stay out of the 100+ deg sun

Got several friends who do 100-120  mile bike rides(Bakersfield to San Luis Obispo on hwy 58, 125 miles by my odometer when I drive it), some are treks through mountainous terrain though it's all on paved roads.


Most I ever did in a day was 25 miles and that was as a kid, it's not bad when you are in shape.

As long as it isn't hilly, 33 miles is certainly doable. I have a flat trail here (well, very gentle sloped) and when I was in good shape 4 years ago, I routinely did 25 milers. 30 was my best, and that took nearly 2 hours. 33 miles on road, not pea-gravelled trail, is not that bad. So long as you don't get run over by some asshole in a vehicle.

Second the changing of your tire type. I had the serious knobbies, and switched out for a less agressive tread; still has the knobs on the sides, but the center is less knobbed. It helped my times/exertion level significantly.

Take a big Camelback type hydration pack, with some extra water on the bike, don't ride in the prime heat hours, and you should be good to go. I'd say at least a gallon of fluids, maybe more just in case.

I don't know if you'll feel like riding back the same day though; plan to stay overnight would be my plan. (the trip back may be a bit slower, if you're sore).

Quoted: Quoted: You should be able to manage about 13 mph on flat ground on a mountain bike, and no less than 16 (more like 18) mph on a road bike, assuming you are a fit rider.   I've done 20 miles on my mountain bike with slick tires, and that was a fairly easy 1.5 hours.   30 miles for a road rider is a normal workout.   My bike has standard knobbies on it, good general purpose tires. I am going to need a LOT of gatorade and water-a Camelbak comes to mind as being particularly useful.

Swap your knobbies for skinny tires, and you'll find that ride a whole lot easier.

But 33 miles on a bike is nothing.  If you ride with no aerobic effort, you'll cover the 33 miles in 4 hours.

A little training makes the difference between a great, fun, smooth happy ride or a long crappy,crampy, ass pain from hell ride.

If you dont ride some 15 mile training rides dont go. If you cant knock out 15 miles and not feel beat dont go untill you can. With just a little training 33 road miles isnt very much but for an out of shape person its not worth the after effects

I used to ride MB but none of my friends did. They would see me having fun and say can "I go on a moutain ride". I would say great but first I would set up a easy road ride. Because if you head to the moutains for an all day ride you need to be committed to the whole trip, going back is not an option if you dont feel like riding anymore.
My normal training ride was just under 14 miles on a weekday after work 2 to 3 time a week so when ever they wanted to ride the offer was always there.
I just wanted to give them a taste and guess what some dont make it. Now these arent fat slobs, some of these guys surf some rock climb and all golf. What they have in common is little time in the saddle so theirs legs,ass,backs hurt afterwards and some turn around and just go home after a few miles.

Smooth is what make a long road ride fun. They call it spinning circles if you master the art of turning smooth circles with the peddles and the bike fits I know plenty of  people who ride 50 miles in a day and feel great afterwards.

Get a camelback and use water in it. Get a spare tube, small light pump and a patch kit with a decent bike mulit tool and put it under the seat in a seatpack.
Tires I would leave as is unless you dont train at all then you will need ALL THE HELP YOU CAN GET so switch them out for some road tires.

Good luck.

I rode from seattle to portland in 15 hours.  206 miles.

I also crashed at the start, broke my bike frame and had to wait about an hour to get a new bike to complete the trip, battered and bloody, but not broken.

33 miles.  Yeah, I think that's a nice warmup for you.

Do 3 laps around Cedar Hill, great MTB course and safer too.  3 laps of the Expert loop = 30mi. (10mi/lap)

33 miles should be fine if its road and your in decent shape.

I did 3 day s of 30 mile rides with a 24" BMX bike a rode with the front of the pack.

You can't ride bicycles on interstates, were you aware? It's the (fed) law. The fuzz will arrest your sweaty mug.
......
I also heavily agree: get rid of them knobbies for pavement riding, get smoother tires. Knobbies squirm and waste a lot of pedalling energy on pavement. Get the correct-width innertubes for the narrower tires also.
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33 miles is not long, most average people can manage 12 MPH over flat pavement without a lot of effort for at least a couple hours. ....Are you just riding one-way? Or out and back? ....What will kill you is headwinds if there are any--if you are going one-way, hope that the winds are at your back.

PS. your bicycle sucks. Your ass is gonna hurt you bad amigo. If you desire to do long bicycle rides in comfort, get a recumbent. CLWB's are generally easiest for beginners to ride.  
Two lower-priced brands are Sun and Cycle Genius. If you wuss out of being a 'bent-wierdo then you can cough up the money for a Rans crank-forward bike -- it looks like a mostly-normal bike, just sits a bit lower but is still drastically more comfortable, especially over longer distances.

Riding long distances over flat ground really isn't difficult; the "pedalling" is actually only a small part of the effort involved.
The reason most adults don't like riding conventional bicycles is because a regular bike makes their butt, back, hands and neck hurt. Those parts of your body hurt long before your legs really get tired.

Recumbents have common rider pain attributed to them, but it is not as severe and it takes much longer to occur during riding. The pain you get from a recumbent is pain in your LEG joints, from pedalling so long--like four or fives times longer than you would ride on an upright bike.
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Quoted: You can't ride bicycles on interstates, were you aware? It's the (fed) law. The fuzz will arrest your sweaty mug. ...... I also heavily agree: get rid of them knobbies for pavement riding, get smoother tires. Knobbies squirm and waste a lot of pedalling energy on pavement. Get the correct-width innertubes for the narrower tires also. ----- 33 miles is not long, most average people can manage 12 MPH over flat pavement without a lot of effort for at least a couple hours. ....Are you just riding one-way? Or out and back? ....What will kill you is headwinds if there are any--if you are going one-way, hope that the winds are at your back. PS. your bicycle sucks. Your ass is gonna hurt you bad amigo. If you desire to do long bicycle rides in comfort, get a recumbent. CLWB's are generally easiest for beginners to ride.   Two lower-priced brands are Sun and Cycle Genius. If you wuss out of being a 'bent-wierdo then you can cough up the money for a Rans crank-forward bike -- it looks like a mostly-normal bike, just sits a bit lower but is still drastically more comfortable, especially over longer distances. Riding long distances over flat ground really isn't difficult; the "pedalling" is actually only a small part of the effort involved. The reason most adults don't like riding conventional bicycles is because a regular bike makes their butt, back, hands and neck hurt. Those parts of your body hurt long before your legs really get tired. Recumbents have common rider pain attributed to them, but it is not as severe and it takes much longer to occur during riding. The pain you get from a recumbent is pain in your LEG joints, from pedalling so long--like four or fives times longer than you would ride on an upright bike. ~~~~~

My biggest thing is staying off the highway. There are also some parts where I could take short cuts and go off the beaten path.

I'm driving to Cedar hill again today (TO pick up my new Global trades receiver! WOOHOO!) so I'll check out the sideroads.

Quoted: My biggest thing is staying off the highway. There are also some parts where I could take short cuts and go off the beaten path. I'm driving to Cedar hill again today (TO pick up my new Global trades receiver! WOOHOO!) so I'll check out the sideroads.

Look for a way to link it without getting on the at all road, trails all the way. This way could double the miles but also double the fun.

Quoted: Quoted: My biggest thing is staying off the highway. There are also some parts where I could take short cuts and go off the beaten path. I'm driving to Cedar hill again today (TO pick up my new Global trades receiver! WOOHOO!) so I'll check out the sideroads. Look for a way to link it without getting on the at all road, trails all the way. This way could double the miles but also double the fun.

I am not sure the local wildlife in Arlington (Gangs) would take to kindly to me cutting through their backyard . I would be unarmed, and thus defenseless...

Recumbents have common rider pain attributed to them, but it is not as severe and it takes much longer to occur during riding. The pain you get from a recumbent is pain in your LEG joints, from pedalling so long--like four or fives times longer than you would ride on an upright bike.
~~~~~

Get a recumbent if you like walking up hills pushing your bike.

33 miles should be a stroll,  if you really want to do a bike ride come on up to Iowa for ragbrai
cross the state in 6 days. about 350 miles

they always have a 100 mile day

i meet a old guy (60-70)a couple years ago who did the ride on a single speed bike. he did admit to having to push one hill.

If the heat doesn't kill you the traffic will.

Quoted: 33 miles should be a stroll,  if you really want to do a bike ride come on up to Iowa for ragbrai cross the state in 6 days. about 350 miles they always have a 100 mile day i meet a old guy (60-70)a couple years ago who did the ride on a single speed bike. he did admit to having to push one hill.

Or the Trans Iowa Race!!!!
www.transiowa.blogspot.com

Go buy a road or touring bike for that much roadwork...

You can do 33 miles.

Start hydrating a few days before the ride, not the morning of.

Oh yeah - ditch the MTB frame for road riding.

I have a custom...and I mean true custom... Merckx frame I'd consider lending you for the small fee of...say...a 2005 Record groupo...


Just joking about the 'loan' part, BTW.


Best of luck, and enjoy the scenery.

Oh and you don't need to switch out your mountain bike (it would certainly help, but you don't have to).

I saw guys riding the 206mile Seattle to Portland with Mtbikes and knobbies.