And what a day it was. The rain! The mud! The feeling of “I can hardly see, but we’re gonna keep pedaling, damnit!” I crossed the finish line of the 50 mile race more than an hour faster than the year before* and I felt like a million bucks, despite a very wet, very muddy ride. I was already thinking about going back for the 100 in 2023.
Whitefish, Montana is a beautiful place but it is very far away from Minnesota. Watch the video below to see how four Stamina teammates tackled the 20 hour drive to The Last Best Ride, as well as the shenanigans that led up to and followed the race itself!
So many people helped us take on this journey and we are so incredibly grateful!!
Madilynn, Elise, Erin, and I (Christina) hit the road to venture to Whitefish, Montana for the Last Best Ride. We had an incredible time and can’t describe the whole trip without writing an epic, so buckle up for this listicle.
From left: Christina (she/her), Madilynn (she/her), Elise (she/her), Erin (she/her)
Going on a bike road trip soon? Here are our top ten tips to make your road trip fun and smooth.
Erin, Christina, and Madilynn displaying Saris’ SuperClamp EX 4-bike
All four bikes ready for the long drive home (numbers were not removed because some of us were in denial that it was over).
4. Fill a couple water bottles and freeze them the night before getting in the car. You have to pack those water bottles anyway for your time on the bike, so you might as well make them useful in the car. The frozen water bottles can keep your fresh food cold.
5. Did someone mention fresh food? Oh right, that was me. Absolutely pack fresh food. First of all, your tummy will be displeased if you eat fast food for too many meals. Second, if you’re driving somewhere rural, you may drive for hours without seeing even a fast food joint, and then you’ll be hangry. Third, packing food can be cheaper than buying it on the road. Fourth, eating packed food saves you time on the road (no need for slow restaurant service). Fifth, after a long day of driving, it’s nice to eat real food for dinner. I made a southwest-inspired mix in advance (chipotle chicken, corn, tomatoes, arugula, black beans, cheese, southwest dressing) and packed wraps separately so that we could have a tasty road-side lunch on the first day. Madilynn made empanadas in advance so that we could have an incredible dinner after 12 hours in the car. If you aren’t ready for that level, just pack some sandwiches (with meat or just pbj), snacky veggies (like carrots or celery), and easy fruit (like apples, oranges, bananas).
Elise’s selfie to the crew to confirm that yes, she was awake, and yes she was ready to hit the road.
6. Buy and wear compression socks on long drives. When you’re in tight quarters (such as in a car with 3 teammates on a road trip), you can’t move your legs as easily so circulation in your feet and lower legs isn’t so great. Compression socks apply pressure to your feet and lower legs to prevent blood from pooling in them. After 12 hours in the car, your legs and feet will feel a lot happier. Do compression socks look cool? If you use your imagination. Are they effective? Heck yes.
We made new furry friends every single day.
7. Remember that gas station coffee isn’t necessarily gas station coffee. In other words, you don’t have to drink the coffee that the gas station has stored on a hot plate for the last five hours. Check the fridge area to see if they have canned/bottled coffee. Canned coffee saved the day for us pretty much every day we were on the road.
8. I know I just mentioned coffee, but you also need to drink lots of water. You want to arrive at your destination, pop out of the car, and be ready to hit the trail. To be ready, you need to stay hydrated (and properly fueled). Bring pickles for electrolytes.
Pickle juice is always the answer.
9. Download some music to your phone if you’re heading anywhere rural. Our route through Montana didn’t have internet access so streaming music wasn’t possible for about 10 hours. When I learned that we couldn’t stream music, I generously offered to sing, but Erin rudely turned me down. Don’t worry; nothing can kill my vibe.
After 7 hours on the bike Erin was happy to accept this wiggly pup into her arms.
10. Pack dog treats. You never know.
