Fitness for touring

Wudolph · May 2007

Sorry if this has been done to death before.

I am a fattish forty something and cyclist of c 3 years albeit not without breaks from it. I currently have a London based loop of 20 miles which I am doing about 5 times a week. No breaks but not the speediest at 14 mph or so. I have done 30+ distances before and suspect a 50 miler is within easyish reach.

How does one guess/know whether one is fit enough for a tour and a loaded one at that. It is not so much the 50 mile a day target but the repeating it day after day. Any thoughts?

Have always had a hankering to do Seattle to SF and have the time this summer. I think the distance is c 1300 miles so a LEJOG and a third or so. Think the terrain varies from brutal to bearable.

Thanks

TorugartTim · May 2007

For a big trip, like the one you mention, fitness is much less of an issue than a shorter one. You just ride yourself fit over the first week or two. The riding is a lot easier that it seems before you go, You very quickly get into a daily rhythm and mileage that is comfortable for you. I've never done much training for a big trip. So, don't worry about it - just go.

Tours in faraway places
Info:www.adventure-cycling-guide.co.uk

CyclepathToHell · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by TorugartTim

For a big trip, like the one you mention, fitness is much less of an issue than a shorter one. You just ride yourself fit over the first week or two. The riding is a lot easier that it seems before you go, You very quickly get into a daily rhythm and mileage that is comfortable for you. I've never done much training for a big trip. So, don't worry about it - just go.

Tours in faraway places
Info:www.adventure-cycling-guide.co.uk
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

would agree with all that. excellent advice.

to add, be realistic about how much you'll do and the pace you will set. i have always overestimated the pace and distance i'll cover in the time. it's good to have targets and be disciplined, but it can, imo, ruin a tour if you are setting the bar too high.

Philip Davis · May 2007

Sound advice above. Fitness is rarely a factor in limiting someone on a tour - its more mental preparedness for long days in the saddle, and the physical ability to ride so long (saddlesoreness or boredom usually brings me to a halt long before exhaustion, and I'm certainly not fit). The exception is if you are tackling really big hills or a tough environment. Touring isn't a race.

Having said all that, a certain amount of fitness does increase the enjoyment of the first week or so.

I hate to advocate drugs, violence or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me.' Hunter S. Thompson

Oldknees · May 2007

I am fat (19 stone) and 53. I tour as often as I can with a full set of camping gear. My own little rule is to halve the distance you do without camping gear. Normally I manage 20 to 60 miles a day. There is no point in killing yourself for a few extra miles.

Plan to do a good 60% of the ride before lunch. Have a long long long lunch. Do the most of the rest of the miles in mid afternoon and stop regullarly. Some days you will be in the groove and just do mile after mile. Other days its all just too tough. Be mellow, remember the idea is to enjoy the travelling not get to the destination in the fastest time. Have a look on the Fell Club web site. Oh and one final thing, eat and drink often, can't have you loosing weight eh;-).

slow is good too

gordycp · May 2007

The advice above is good, especially about getting the miles done in the morning. Get up and get going as soon as it is light; do all the messing about with food and shopping and maintenance AFTER 50 or 60 miles. I'm a fat tourer too (17 stone) - in fact I might see you this summer Wudolph. I'm riding from LA up the Pacific Coast for 1000 miles before turning East via Portland to Calgary. I'll wave to you on the Golden Gate bridge.

Have you checked out the Adventure Cycling website? They have a route for the Pacific coast and their maps are fabulous - the best I've ever used.

AndyGates · May 2007

"I currently have a London based loop of 20 miles which I am doing about 5 times a week."

You're fit enough. You'll need to get used to the specifics of riding loaded, but just start with day-tours and work up.

No longer looking for a pennyfarthing as I've got some powerbocks instead. Casualty here I come!
It is by will alone I set my ride in motion.

vernonlevy · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Oldknees

I am fat (19 stone) and 53. I tour as often as I can with a full set of camping gear. My own little rule is to halve the distance you do without camping gear. Normally I manage 20 to 60 miles a day. There is no point in killing yourself for a few extra miles.

Plan to do a good 60% of the ride before lunch. Have a long long long lunch. Do the most of the rest of the miles in mid afternoon and stop regullarly. Some days you will be in the groove and just do mile after mile. Other days its all just too tough. Be mellow, remember the idea is to enjoy the travelling not get to the destination in the fastest time. Have a look on the Fell Club web site. Oh and one final thing, eat and drink often, can't have you loosing weight eh;-).

slow is good too
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I'm a porky tourist whose weight has never been less than 21 stones and has been as high as 23.5 stones. I've got LEJOG, JOGLE, C2C x 3, W2W and Hadrians Cycle route under my belt with very few problems.

Touring is more a state of mind than fitness. On my End to End tours my daily mileages varied between 35 miles and 80 miles. Having a tent helped with the flexibility of decided when to call it a day each day.

My first end to end was done on the back of a preliminary C2C ride plus a handful of Audaxe rides from 100km through to 200km. Establishing a routine within the first few days is important to get you onto the road in a positive frame of mind.

If you are cycle camping, 14mph might be a tad fast. I was happy to be a tad slower though I have averaged 14 mph through the Cheshire plains.

Go for it. You'll cope.

hamstercp · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by gordy

The advice above is good, especially about getting the miles done in the morning. Get up and get going as soon as it is light; do all the messing about with food and shopping and maintenance AFTER 50 or 60 miles. I'm a fat tourer too (17 stone) - in fact I might see you this summer Wudolph. I'm riding from LA up the Pacific Coast for 1000 miles before turning East via Portland to Calgary. I'll wave to you on the Golden Gate bridge.

Have you checked out the Adventure Cycling website? They have a route for the Pacific coast and their maps are fabulous - the best I've ever used.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

You must be mad. The prevailing wind will be against you all the way! Read the route books - they recommend going Southwards. Done it myself and remember one day doing 27 miles in an hour on a bike with camping kit.

"It must be true, I saw it on the Internet!"

Oldknees · May 2007

Love the term Porky Tourist. I thought I was the only HCT (heavy cycle tourist) but there are loads of us. As my wife say's warmth in the winder, shade in the summer. Thanks everybody.

slow is good too

Unknown · May 2007

I can only agree with all the other posts. You are fit enough. I set off on a 4000 mile trip round Europe three years ago having not ridden for six months. Admittedly the first couple of weeks were bloody tough, pushing my loaded tourer up lots of hills, but it was still part of the experience.

You have got plenty of preparation in already - after the first couple of weeks fitness improves and you find a rhythm. By the end, I was riding nearly the whole day in one gear, hills or not. I rode up the Alpe D'Huez fully loaded in one gear as well, sadly it was not the one I had been using for the past 2 months!

Best of luck, just ride yourself fit, the pain at the beginning is all part of the fun!

Fitness for touring

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