100 miles a day, loaded?

iPete

Its slowly dawning on me that I've set myself up for bit of a challenge, to reach Rome in 14 days, that's approx 1200 miles. Some of which will need to be 100+ to allow for a slow day on the Alps and some contingency time.

I've still got 2 and a bit months to go & currently cycle 150-170 miles per week partially loaded.

Thanks to running commitments I can't get any practice in, just want to hear peoples thoughts on how possible this is, bearing in mind I'm part of a 3 man team, 2 of which are super fit on their feet.

raybo

Are you carrying gear?

If so, I think you are setting yourself up for a very bad experience.

Either do less mileage or take a longer time. Can't do either? Go somewhere else.

On the other hand, sometimes these types of trips lead to good stories!

Consider this day's ride over the Pragelpass with a loaded touring bike. I'm in my late 50s but in good touring shape. I managed to do 36 miles on the day I went over that pass. There is no way I would have been able to do another 60 that day, even if I had enough time. I climbed another pass the next day and after a rest day, took a train up the next one.

Be careful. Don't bite off more than you can do.

Why not try a test run with two 100 mile days on a weekend to see what it might really be like.

Ray

daccordimark

This doesn't sound too bad. As Ray says it does depend how much gear you are carrying though. To encourage you I went from being a racing cyclist with nothing longer than a 50 mile time trial under my belt to fully loaded camping tourist in one short sharp shock. The first day (about 70 miles) was hell but by day three it was much better.

Your trip can be done in 14 days but you might not get to enjoy the scenery much!

Get all the cycling miles in that you can and try to steal time from your running commitments for some loaded training. If nothing else it's amazing how differently you ride when your bike is so heavy you can barely lift it off the ground!

Good luck with the ride,
Mark.

iPete

Thanks guys. The trip is deffinately verging more towards being a tough challenge over a relaxing tour. We are carrying all we need, which all in should come to 12-14kgs max on the rears.

I've been working on the basis that we can grind out 15mph over 7 hours then still have daylight for everything else.

Hopefully I'll get some fully loaded riding down after this weekend!

andymiller

I think the common rule of thumb is 50 miles a day. There are a few people on here who do a lot of touring and manage to get in high mileages, but I think the golden rule is: if you need to ask whether it's too much, then it probably is.

iPete

andymiller wrote:

I think the common rule of thumb is 50 miles a day. There are a few people on here who do a lot of touring and manage to get in high mileages, but I think the golden rule is: if you need to ask whether it's too much, then it probably is.

It's more a question, is it possible? to which the answer seems to be yes, so we're in. Naturally it's reassuring to hear from people who've achieved similar distance carrying kit.

daviesee

You should be able to do it.
I did similar when I was only doing 20-30 miles beforehand.
Start 8.00.
10.00 cafe break.
12.00-1.00 lunch.
15.00 cafe break.
17.00 finish.

Roughly seven hours on the bike at 15 mph = 105 miles, sorted! 8)

Easy days = faster & further; hard days = slower & shorter but hopefully it will equal out.

andymiller

iPete wrote:

It's more a question, is it possible? to which the answer seems to be yes, so we're in. Naturally it's reassuring to hear from people who've achieved similar distance carrying kit.

I think the answer is 'yes in theory'. But there is a world of difference between sitting at home and dividing 100 by 8 and actually sustaining 12.5mph for hour after hour - especially through the mountains.

And of the four response you've had two are saying that you are biting off more than you can chew (and probably a load more people who've read this thread and thought
'Oh God not another one' - if I had a pound for every post I'd read from someone who's not done much touring but now wants to ride a gazillion miles in a week for charity I'd be a rich man).

Sorry I don't want to sound negative, but there's a difference between setting yourself a challenge and being a masochist.

andymiller

andymiller wrote:

iPete wrote:

It's more a question, is it possible? to which the answer seems to be yes, so we're in. Naturally it's reassuring to hear from people who've achieved similar distance carrying kit.

I think the answer is 'yes in theory'. But there is a world of difference between sitting at home and dividing 100 by 8 and actually sustaining 12.5mph for hour after hour - especially through the mountains.

And of the four response you've had two are saying that you are biting off more than you can chew (and probably a load more people who've read this thread and thought
'Oh God not another one' - if I had a pound for every post I'd read from someone who's not done much touring but now wants to ride a gazillion miles in a week for charity I'd be a rich man).

Sorry I don't want to sound negative, but there's a difference between setting yourself a challenge and being a masochist.

Tim Farr

I agree with Raybo - a reality check would be to load up the bike and do back to back 100 mile days on reasonably challenging terrain. You could do them from home. Of course you can't simulate the weather - such as the really hot conditions you are likely to encounter if this is to be a Summer ride. That heat can really get to some people - including me!!

vernonlevy

I am relaxed about doing sixty miles per day for three weeks and have ventured up to eighty miles on some occasions but to expect to have to do one hundred miles per day for a fortnight in possible very warm conditions would fill me with dread.

In theory it is possible. I doubt that it would be an enjoyable experience. but each to his own taste.

MichaelW

Back-to back centuries are very tough and the more you string together, the less chance you have to recover.
If you are a natural athlete with a very tough constitution and a "good engine" you could pull it off. Most of us mortals need recovery days.

coxy84

It sounds like a big ask did jogle last summer 1000 miles in 12 days but had support so
wasnt carrying any load, and that was hard enough, I suppose it depends what you want out of it, if you want a real physical and mental challenge go for it, if you want to tour to enjoy scenery and stop once in a while without having to worry about a tight schedule change your mileage or time.

boblo

Hmmm, I've done LeJog via the gentlemans excuse me route (over to Aran and up Kintyre to avoid the mid Scotland bit); Bit over 1100 mles in 12 days fully loaded. I'm nothing special on a bike just persistent. I would say we dint do much apart from cycling and dint see much of the route apart from the road in front of us. So it is possible and Mr Beumont managed it for months on end. How enjoyable it is is another question...

As the others have said, give loaded multi 100 mile days in a hilly area a go first before committing yersen to your big trip. I'd also look to drop your kit weight as 14kg for 3 sharing camping gear seems a bit excessive to me. BTW, the 15mph moving average you cite is a probably a bit much fully loaded in hilly terrain unless you and your chums are 'a bit special' (entirely possible of course).

iPete

Hey everyone, thanks for the wise words, they are being noted!

The other two members of my team are paid footballers & one used to time trail for GB so that makes me the weakest link

So I've put forward to the others that we start 2-4 days earlier now, this brings the daily ask down to 65-75 miles & assuming we can do a few big days (like day 1, to reach dover + some) that gives us some recreational time off the bikes.

As for the weight, I'm quoting worst case figures for one person, so hopefully it should come down significantly!

boblo

iPete wrote:

<snip> As for the weight, I'm quoting worst case figures for one person, so hopefully it should come down significantly!

Make it so....

pneumatic

As a challenge, it is doable. As a tour (as in tourist), the mileages will compromise your sightseeing experience. Three suggestions:

1. Plan to ride 8-10 hours a day, rather than n miles per day. That will give you even bigger distances on the "flat" to allow contingency for the mountains. On the longer Alpine passes, you could be looking at 2hrs plus continuous uphill. Your average speed will drop below 10 miles per hour, even with the compensation of the descents.

2. if you fall badly behind schedule, or you fall behind your fellow riders, don't be ashamed to take a train to catch up the distance. It makes for a good rest day and trains in Italy are very cheap.

3. as already suggested, be absolutely ruthless with luggage. Lycras wash and dry overnight, one change of clothes for the few hours you are not on the bike will last a long time. Share the toolkit between you, take a compact camera rather than an SLR, etc... I've done a 10 day alpine tour with a bar bag and a rack bag only. I was minging by the end of it, but, frankly, who cares?

I'd say go for it. Better to have tried and compromised than never to have tried at all.

mandie

It can be done. I've done it over a week or so, but I don't recommend it. Basically all you end up doing is eating, sleeping and riding the bike. Touring should be more than that I think. I found that I was riding past places I would normally have stopped of to look around; and completely ignoring what would have been interesting detours.
I have stuck religiously to 50 to 60 miles per day ever since.

dilemna

I would budget for riding 50-60 miles a day with a couple of rest days scheduled to recover. If you find 50-60 miles a day is too little you can always detour to see something you hadn't planned. For such a trip it is best to build in some flexibility as contingency just in case some thing goes wrong which at some point it will. It is supposed to be a holiday after all isn't it which I guess is supposed to be enjoyable as opposed to a punishment.

Have you all cycled together before? One of you is going to be the hare, the other the tortoise. It will be difficult to remain cycling together if your paces are very different. Try doing some shakedown rides as a group to see how you get on.

pimptovimto

I think if you are doing 150miles a week plus right now, then you are in good shape as it is, this will be a challenge but very doable for you, I have recently moved from riding unloaded to carryig 25Kg in order to train for a tour in June as well. I have found that adding weight makes little difference on the flats but uphill is a killer, not only in speed but also in the legs and back. I agree with another poster about aiming to cycle time rather than distance, its much better IMO to cycle for 10 hours and complete 100 miles and be able to do it againt he next day than cycle for 7 hours and do 100 miles risk injury and not be able to do it the next day. I say this because what you lose one day going up hill you will be able to get back the next day going down them(I dont speak from experience here, but for every up there is a down)

I dont want to give advice where it is not wanted but I think you should maybe look at doing some strength work in the gym, I found this a great help in the last few weeks. I also think you should be very positve about this because if it wasn't going to be a challenge what the hell would be the point.

iPete

All advice is wanted and oddly enough I'm already doing gym work!

I also now think that whilst we are after a challenge it needs to be possible, so I'm very certain we'll be adding 2-4 days to the start, this should also take into account the possibility that the mileage will be higher as we won't be able to use all major roads etc as the route planners suggest.

The cycling for time sounds a much better day than aiming for miles. Also we shall hopefully get a chance for a mini 300 mile tour up England the month before as training together & might still get a 4th team member to spread the work and weight!

Finally, slightly off topic but if anybody has an experience in crossing the Swiss Alps & can improve on my provisional crossing (link blow), get in touch!
http://www.bikemap.net/route/409431

Stuntman

it's not called a challenge for nothing. if you wanted to enjoy the scenery more, you would've set a target of less mileage.

Do it and give us one of those stories which lead to us hoping we can do it.

Good luck.

jc4lab

Its not fitness but the distractions and photostops that mess up your mileage..100 miles in the Scotish highlands where you meet noone all day is easy..Cote Adzur where you stop at every rugged viewpoint to take a photo, you do 35miles in the same time.

Mapman

Just adding my piece to underline what has been said before . I have just completed a loaded "tour" of Portugal . Im fairly fit but in Portugal 50 miles a day was enough in the heat and wind . It did mean we could have liesurely stops x3 a day ,and enjoy the scenery ,and local tarts . I have done 75 miles a day for a week tours ,and yes i could do it . But didnt enjoy it nearly as much ,even though i saw more i enjoyed it much less . On the continent i always include a day off in the middle of a tour to relax and see the sights .. Trains are really usefull if you are behind schedule ,will often use a train (tends to be cheaper than Uk ) means i can have a rest and get to destination quicker ... Have a great time

andymiller

jc4lab wrote:

Its not fitness but the distractions and photostops that mess up your mileage..100 miles in the Scotish highlands where you meet noone all day is easy..Cote Adzur where you stop at every rugged viewpoint to take a photo, you do 35miles in the same time.

What, no rugged viewpoints in the Scottish Highlands?

Flavio

pneumatic wrote:

...Plan to ride 8-10 hours a day, rather than n miles per day. That will give you even bigger distances on the "flat" to allow contingency for the mountains...

I absolutely agree.

Consider also the wind: it can transform flat roads in mountains!

dpiper

I've always done it this way - www.tra-velo-gue.co.uk - mainly due to lack of time, but its no prob if you are reasonably fit, start early and are prepared to plod along all day.
I've found the key is to eliminate faffing!

iPete

Update: so far, so good, we did 810Miles in 8 days, it was HARD with plenty of head winds and included crossing the Alps which was amazing, we are now ahead of schedule and only need to do 40-60 mile days now, which is good because Italy is hot!

lastant

Good work iPete...I'm actually very jealous of you!

Russell Smith

Pete and BJ,

Congrats on reaching Rome, hope you bring BJ back safely Pre-Season starts shortly he'll be fit enough.

We www.veloandblue.com would like to make some contribution shortly, it makes our 302 mile ride seem a bit trivial.

Well Done

iPete

Hi Russell!

Nice to hear from you, small world, we touched down safely last night, BJ is just about in one piece, he'll show you his grazes I'm sure and I'm pretty sure he'll be fit after all that!

A few stats from the tour..

1,417 miles
18 days
104 hours cycled
2 sock washes
A few litres of wine to wash it all down in Rome.

Thanks for any contributions to the charity, much appreciated!

Pete