Just looking for some advice, myself and a couple of my friends have decided to go on a cycling challenge holiday next year. I’m just wondering if anyone else has done anything like this and if they have any advice on training and preparing myself, been a long time since I’ve been on a bike for longer than an hour never mind 10 days and over 80-100miles! I’m a well controlled diabetic so I’m not to concerned about that, but I will definitely need to get myself in a lot better shape for this! Thanks 😊
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amydmac
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I would think Tiggerr would have lots of advice to offer. Or you could read his blog. I’m afraid I don’t have the link. Best of luck with your plans 🚴♀️🚴♂️
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We do have other cyclists🚴♂️🚴♀️ on here. When I can recall names I'll tag them in here later 😀
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One of our members, Tiggerr, recently cycled from John O'Groats to Lands End. This is his first post, with link to the blog he kept throughout healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...
He is in the middle of a house move so hasn't been here so much recently but I hope his blog is useful
Hi amydmac - Tiggerr is your man for the very long bike rides! But 80-100 miles over 10 days is very doable. (Unless it's 80-100 miles per day??? That would be a very different prospect, and would need a bucketful of serious training beforehand!)
Just a few pointers from me, you can research them a bit more at your leisure.
You want to be as comfortable as possible on the bike, this makes a huge difference to your physical and mental staying-power.
So:
Good layers and good waterproofs. I would always go for a bike-specific waterproof jacket in a hi-vis colour - they are a good windproof top layer. You don't need to pay a fortune, there are good entry-level makes, and sometimes the discount supermarkets have a bike week. Padded bottom! Some people swear by padded fingerless gloves to relieve some of the pressure on your hands. Make sure your helmet fits well. And check what the organisers supply you with, before you buy anything.
You need to make sure that the bike gets set up for your own body dimensions - saddle height and handlebar height are important. Most people who haven't cycled for a while tend to have their saddles set too low, which puts a strain on their legs and their back over a long distance.
If you will be carrying your own luggage, make sure you have a good rack and panniers. Personally I would avoid a rucksack (unless a very small, light one as a day pack), they make your back sweaty and put strain on your back and arms. And pack the minimum you can get away with.
Definitely take a water bottle - perhaps two, depending on how easy it will be to refill en route. And you will probably need a couple of snacks with you - it is quite hungry work. I am partial to bananas and cereal bars myself; I don't know what diabetics can have.
If you are self-guided, make sure you know how to read a map and how to mend a puncture. I usually carry a spare inner tube and replace that, rather than mend a puncture en route. Make sure you run your fingers round the inside of the tyre before replacing the tube - if there is a thorn or tack still embedded in the tyre, it will just puncture the replacement!
Good lights and a good lock, if there is any prospect that they will be needed.
Personally, I would train a little, beforehand. If you don't have a bike/ can't borrow one, even getting to the gym and using their stationary bike will help. Start small and work up gradually to the equivalent of 10 miles per day. I would say do this over the space of a month - not every day, maybe every couple of days. But have a plan and try to stick to it.
It is best to have a real bike to practice setting off and stopping - especially if you have your saddle set up correctly, as you will need to get your bottom off the saddle to get your foot onto the ground when you stop. It is not difficult but you need a little bit of practice (somewhere safe and probably traffic-free) to be confident.
Don't be scared of hills - get into a low gear, slow and steady will do it. There is no shame in getting off the bike and walking up a hill; however, I find, if you get the gears right, it is often easier to cycle up slowly than to walk pushing a heavy bike. Remember your legs are stronger than your arms.
Hope this helps! You can Google a lot of the info about bike set-up, helmet fit etc, but PM me if you need anything more. I love a cycling holiday! I hope you have a great time.
PS amydmac - I forgot to say, another really important thing to practise if you will be on the road at all, or even just riding in a group with others, is looking to check behind you whilst you are moving.
It is called "the lifesaver look" for a good reason - I always check behind me before making a turn, or moving my road position, or slowing or stopping. (Obviously you need to signal in good time as well, to make your intentions clear to other road-users.)
You need to practise it, to get used to doing it safely.
When you set up a child's (first) bike, you set the saddle height so that they can get their toes on the ground without getting off the saddle. For efficiency you need to use your calf muscles to extend your ankle to get to the bottom of the pedal stroke... and using e.g. SPD pedals will enable you to push and pull the pedal up, down forward and back - this is particularly helpful when going up steep hills.
Low-Carbohydrate, High-Fat (LCHF) is great - and, if you had a decade to train, you could fuel with fat rather than carbohydrate.
You will probably want to put powdered fuel in your water bottle.
You could probably walk ten miles a day - so, if you have to push the bike a proportion of the way,...
80 to 100 miles (per day) is not easy - I cycled From Paris to Brest and back (760 miles) in 86¾ hours in 1995... but it took about seven years to get fit.
I cycled about 15,000 miles a year for nearly a decade - and did step-aerobics and floor exercises for cross-training.
Where will the ride be?
You will have to think about how many gears you need - and what type of (clip-on) pedals.
Aw god thanks guys! It’s an adventure cycles from London to Geneva so it’s 70-100miles a day for 10 days 😶 I think I’m a bit mad in all honesty but I was sitting taking to my colleagues and we decided we needed to go on an adventure! I don’t know if we’ve given ourselves enough time to actually get fit enough for something like this! 🙈 but I’m excited to try anyway!
That sounds like a great challenge amydmac IMO, the best thing to do is set a 'crazy' challenge.
Last August/Sept I managed John O'Groats to Lands End. I did it on my own following a more circuitous path of bike tracks, B roads and canal paths. Doing that slowed my progress down so the most I cycled in one day was about 90 miles whereas I think that if you stick to faster roads you should be able to manage the 70-100 miles on a regular basis.
Additionally, having friends will help you break through the daily psychological barrier to keep going.
I probably didn't do enough training and only had the one training day where I did over 80 miles but once again, as you are doing this with friends, you will hopefully find it easier to get motivated and put the miles in.
I'm very good at learning from my mistakes and definitely made enough of those. If you would like any specific advice I'd be happy to try and help.
Wow! 80-100 miles per day! What a brilliant challenge!
You have enough time to train, but do start now. Make a plan and stick to it. It is a very significant challenge, but with the right training you can ace this!
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