Hello all! I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome myself back.
I last logged on in 2010, but I’ve been lurking on and off since. I just finally figured out my login and password combo today.
This link is for Bike the Coast, a bike tour/ food festival taking place in Oceanside, Ca. on Nov. 3rd. They have options for 100-50-25-15-7 mile routes.
http://bikethecoast.eventmediainc.com/
Is anyone planning on going to this? I’ve never done anything like this before. I am going to register for the 50 mile one. It would be cool to get a chance to meet up with any other unicyclists before the groups set out.
I plan to attempt it on my 29" ungeared uni with an off road tire. I expect it will be torture. I’ve only had my 29er for about a month and I’ve been doing a little training for the event. I did a 22 mile ride today, my longest yet. I felt pretty good, but it seems like saddle soreness is going to be a bigger issue than fatigue.
p.s. when registering, code “bikesurf20” should save you 20%
I can’t make it down for the ride, but I recommend you get a Schwalbe Big Apple tire, 2.0". It’s an excellent road tire. Depending what you have on there now, many offroad tires can be terrible on pavement. Here’s
http://www.amazon.com/Schwalbe-Bicycle-28x2-0-Allround-Beaded/dp/B0025XY0ZG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1349671622&sr=8-3&keywords=schwalbe+big+apple+29
, but not necessarily the best price. The 2.0 is much better on road camber than the 2.35". And get some short cranks. For road riding on 29", 102mm is great.
Thanks John, its a bummer that you wont be able to make it.
I’m begining to realize this little adventure is going to be more costly than I anticipated. Looks like I’m going to need a road tire, bike shorts, and maybe a helmet. My cranks are 125 mm and I’m pretty happy with them for the time being. Maybe I’ll change my mind when I put on a lighter tire, but with the high rotational weight of the WTB Dissent 2.5" it can feel like stopping a train at times.
50 miles? Definitely consider shorter cranks. 125s will get you there, but something shorter will be easier on your legs. 125 is a good size for 36" riding with hills, but long for flat rides.
Bike shorts pay for themselves. How much is your crotch worth? 
As for the need of a different tire, it really depends on how that one works for road riding. Try it out.
Bump/Update
Hopefully some interested unicyclists will see this. There is still plenty of time to sign up. I believe you can also register the day of.
I took a trip to REI recently to return some faulty goods of theirs (I’m a wildlife biologist and very hard on my outdoor gear). With the money from the returns I was able to get some Novara strata padded bike shorts. They are normally 60$. I got them on clearance for 30$. Wow, they are awesome! I really was not expecting this level of increase in comfort. Being that I’ve always worn blue jeans and a t-shirt for “extreme” activities, it is so much more comfortable with the bike shorts and a cheap spandex shirt. Since purchasing the shorts it has been a lot more common for my rides to end from fatigue rather than saddle soreness.
On Monday I ordered a Schwalbe Marathon Supreme 2.0. So much for trying to keep things cheap 
. I think the tire cost me about 70$. The main reason for choosing this tire is flat prevention, lets hope it stands up to its reputation. I am a flat tire magnet. Unfortunately, the tire hasn’t even shipped yet and I wont be receiving it till next Thursday.
Oh, I forgot to mention. I live in Oceanside now, only a couple blocks from the starting location, so I’ve been doing some of my training on the actual course that the ride will take.
As for now I think I’ll stick to my 125 mm cranks. Shorter cranks would probably be better for Bike the Coast ride, as there is very little elevation change, but as soon as you move inland just a bit it is non-stop rolling hills. Maybe shorter cranks will feel more appropriate once I get a smoother rolling tire.