Quick Tip: Get Ready Early for a Big Ride

Some pre-ride nerves are normal. A century, charity ride, tour or race matters to you, so you want it to go well. But you do not need to let last-minute details turn those nerves into worry.

Start getting ready several days before the event. Check the bike. Inflate the tires. Charge the computer and lights. Make sure you have tubes, tools and a pump. If the bike needs work, you still have time to do it or take it to the shop.

Then take care of yourself. Wash your riding clothes. Set out the kit you plan to wear, including gloves, glasses, shoes and a vest or jacket if the forecast calls for one. Decide what you will eat before the ride and what food you will carry. Check the route, parking, start time and weather. If travel is involved, pack the car the night before.

This may seem like a lot of fuss for a bike ride. It is not. When you wake up on event morning with the details settled, you can eat breakfast, get dressed and ride to the start without rushing around the house looking for a missing shoe or a charged head unit.

Early preparation also gives your mind a chance to settle down. You have done what you can do. The weather, wind and other riders are out of your control. Your bike, clothing, food and plan are not. Taking care of those details early is one way to reduce the anxiety that can come before a big ride.

The night before, make one last check of your list. Then stop thinking about it. Get some sleep. Tomorrow, you get to ride.

Readers, do you get pre-ride jitters or do you have a specific method you use to get prepared?