Advice for Person Not Used to High Miles

[HobbesOnTour]

Hi all,

I would love to cycle from my house to Paris (370ish miles according to Google). But so far, I'm up to about 35 miles on the flats around the Fens. That said, I haven't really tried for any decent kind of distance and my only experience with hills is a 23 miler around Rutland Water (I call them hills. People from Yorkshire would probably disagree.)
My only fixed goal at the moment is to ride from Hunstanton to Peterborough (~60 miles) this year.

What would you suggest as a kind of 'action plan' to begin working towards the ride to Paris?

What's a realistic daily goal for mileage (60? 100 miles?) How long do you wear clothes for? How much do you pack and how much do you put on card/cash when you're en route?

So far, my Specialized Globe (the bike in my avatar) is the only bike I own that I would consider doing it on. It's an oldie, but has been a great bike and is really comfortable for the rides that I do. Whether flat bars cause issues on a longer ride, I am not sure. I've never owned a drop bar bike yet.

Your thoughts for an aspiring tourer please.

The first thing to ask yourself is what kind of a trip to Paris is this?
Is it a cycle trip, emphasis on covering the distance as efficiently as possible, or is it a touring trip, emphasis on smelling the roses, so to speak? If it's the former then an action plan of building up your distance & stamina makes sense. If it's the latter, then I don't think that's so important, at least not on a trip to Paris.

Also, how much time do you have?

Personally, I wouldn't set a "realistic daily goal" until I knew what that goal felt like - on the day and the days after. Like saddles, it's very personal.

I hate the word training in relation to touring. I prefer practising - practising cycling with my gear, practising navigation, route planning, camping (if that's your thing), sightseeing - mini-tours in other words. I learn what clothes suit what conditions, how much water I need, what tools I need to carry, how often I need to stop as opposed to how often I want to stop. Enough time on your bike will answer most of your questions.

To get answers to a lot of your questions check out crazyguyonabike.com - there are thousands of journals from cycle tourists from all over the world. Loads of info...and inspiration.

I've toured for years on flat handelbars, with barends. I did try butterfly for a while, but didn't get along with them. But then again, I'm not a speed hound and prefer to look around where I'm touring. They suit me. Everybody's different.

As for the bike if it's 1)comfortable and 2)roadworthy then there's no need you can't use it. If you think touring is something you'd like to do, then I'd suggest getting this trip to Paris under your belt before a new bike - the experience will help you to figure out what's important for you and help you get the right bike later. Also, consider the fact that you may need to spend money on panniers/bags/clothing. Not much point in buying a new bike if you can't afford to go anywhere on it.

I tour in regular clothing, no padded shorts/creams etc. The only cycling specific clothing I own are a jacket and rain pants that I use commuting in winter. I normally camp, so laundry is done nightly. Sometimes that means damp clothes the next morning. (In winter I'll bring extra clothing). I'll always have cash, but prefer card as much as possible.
I pack a lot in comparison to some, or at least I pack for me. I camp, so there's a tent & sleeping gear. I don't have a big budget so some of my gear has been purchased on price rather than volume or weight. I cook, so there's a stove, fuel and food - real food. I pack tools and spares - tube(s), cables, brake-pads. Others don't. I typically use 4 panniers and a rack bag. I could get away with 2 panniers but prefer the stability of 4.
Distance wise, my average is about 80 km, but I can double that if necessary. I just prefer not to.

I'd suggest your action plan should be picking some interesting places to visit not too far from you, packing up your bike with whatever you have or can borrow and cycling there. Stay overnight (if you can) and return the next day by a different route. I once cycled 95 km to a campsite that is 10 km from my front door to test out some stuff. That way even the action plan is fun!

Good Luck!

 

[I like Skol]

As far as bike choice goes, I’d say a flat bar bike would make it harder than it needs to be, but wouldn’t make it impossible. There are some very competent drop bar bikes on the market that won’t cost the earth, so I’d invest in one of those if it were me.

Like I said, don't be bullied into getting a drop bar bike by someone who appears to be a 'proper' cyclist. There is chuff all difference at touring/leisure ride speeds where comfort trumps any supposed aero gains all day long. The only time the aero advantage of drop bars will make any appreciable difference is when there is a headwind, and even then it isnt huge. It is still hard and slow riding into a stiff headwind regardless of flat or drop bars.

 

[ianbarton]

Hi all,

What would you suggest as a kind of 'action plan' to begin working towards the ride to Paris? What's a realistic daily goal for mileage (60? 100 miles?) How long do you wear clothes for? How much do you pack and how much do you put on card/cash when you're en route?

It helps if you mentally and physically break your rides into morning and afternoon segments. For example, if you started at 8:00am and comfortably ride 80km by midday. Stop for an hour or more for lunch and ride another 80km in the afternoon. Provided you don't totally overcook the morning session you will probably find it's possible to do at least the same distance in the afternoon.

 

[tom73]

As one newbie to another sounds like you're going just fine.

Build up a few routes near to you that are doable in the time you have to ride. That can be mix and matched a bit to make longer ones or make a change from always going the same way out or back ect. Get to know them and how your bike handles on them. I've a set of routes that make up evening ride from 12 to 30 miles. Then with a bit of planning I can make them longer for an early morning Sunday ride out. Breaking longer rides into smaller ones is also a great idea

Include rest days listen to your body if you really don't want a ride then rest up if you need to stop then stop have a rest and carry on. As for hills well you should try and find some one day your going to have do one I sure. Take a drive out or train out and cycle back. They are not as bad as you think and you can stop 1/2 way. I can't avoid them so I never tried guess the lump that I have to ride up to get of my street is more than you've come access.

Eat well and fuel up before and after a ride and some along the way keep the fluid levels up too. If you are happy with your bike keep it and see how you go. But then again not even a year in and i'm in the N+1 club but then you can never have enough bikes.

As for kit buy what you need when you need it that's how I've done it. look for sale stuff and you can with a bit of work get some great finds off eBay.

Just enjoy time on the bike and as I've found out the miles will come over time. Set goals but remember suff and life has a habit of getting in the way.
So don't beat yourself up if you don't manage stuff. The bike and roads will still be around. But above all have fun, I sure am.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Like I said, don't be bullied into getting a drop bar bike by someone who appears to be a 'proper' cyclist. There is chuff all difference at touring/leisure ride speeds where comfort trumps any supposed aero gains all day long. The only time the aero advantage of drop bars will make any appreciable difference is when there is a headwind, and even then it isnt huge. It is still hard and slow riding into a stiff headwind regardless of flat or drop bars.

It’s more than just position though. You have more choices in where you can put your hands, including placing them so you can ride bolt upright, on a drop bar bike. The drop bar bikes tend to be lighter, and have far less draggy tyres, and more ratios, and ratios that are better suited to long distances. I have toured on both flat bar and drop bar bikes in the past, drops ( or butterfly ) would be the default choice for me, based on experience. There’s no point in making it more difficult than it needs to be, the kit is out there, there are plenty of people who’ve made the mistakes, and learned from them, who are happy to give pointers to anyone thinking of going long. It’s down to the individual whether they choose to listen to those of us who have learned what works, or whether they want to learn by themselves.

 

[mjr]

It’s more than just position though. You have more choices in where you can put your hands, including placing them so you can ride bolt upright, on a drop bar bike.

And yet almost everyone holds the hoods almost all the times because many modern drop bars have cosmetic drops that are uncomfortable to use and levers which are difficult to reach from all but one position.

The drop bar bikes tend to be lighter, and have far less draggy tyres, and more ratios, and ratios that are better suited to long distances. I have toured on both flat bar and drop bar bikes in the past, drops ( or butterfly ) would be the default choice for me, based on experience. There’s no point in making it more difficult than it needs to be, the kit is out there, there are plenty of people who’ve made the mistakes, and learned from them, who are happy to give pointers to anyone thinking of going long. It’s down to the individual whether they choose to listen to those of us who have learned what works, or whether they want to learn by themselves.

And what works is swept bars IMO. There is no point taking a lightweight drop bar bike to grind out excessive distances when you can have a comfortable roadster with comfortable tyres, simpler more robust gearing and a sturdy rear rack capable of carrying whatever you need to carry and space for a handlebar bag that doesn't get in the way of your hands or any cables.

Really, do what works for you. If the bike is comfortable and you can do repeated days of whatever daily mileage you need to do, ignore everyone else and do whatever makes you happy: keep on if you want, change if you want. Listen to everyone but decide for yourself

As for hills, that one up to the transmitter SW of Peterborough isn't bad and then you're into the Northamptonshire uplands, Rockingham Forest and so on, where the hills may not be big but they are relentless (unless you pick your route very very carefully to be flat, like sticking close to the Nene).

 

[steveindenmark]

With regards to flat bar bikes. I would agree that bar ends are a good idea to give you a change of hand position.

The guy who won the round Denmark Race last year, did it on a flat bar bike. They have been used in the Transcontinental Race. How many drop bar RTW riders do you see? Not many. A trip to Paris on a flat bar bike would not be a problem, Its what you are comfortable with that is important.

 

[Vantage]

I wouldn't touch the bike. It's your only one and as you say, you find it comfortable. Comfort counts more than anything.
I can't offer any advice on building up mileage as its something I need to do myself. A 40 mile ride leaves me shattered for days afterwards. That's something you'll need to look into though. Can you do your mileages day after day?
Tooling. Only take what your bike needs and make sure you know how to use them. There's no point taking a pump and puncture kit if you don't know how to fix a puncture. Ensure the bike is in tip top condition before you leave.
I wouldn't bother with specialist tools like a cassette remover. As long as you cover basic maintenance and look after it, your bike should be fine.
I think a series of overnight mini tours will help in figuring what clothing you'll need and if camping, hone your pitching and packing away skills. It'll also give you an idea of how far you can go with a loaded bike and how the bike handles with the extra weight.
Do it while you can!
I bought my first touring bike in Jan 2012 with the idea that I'd be having long trips around the UK at my own leasure. I kept putting it off. Before I got the chance, I'd won custody of my children which severely limits my time away from home (and I wouldn't have it any other way) and then I had a stroke in 2017. That damn stroke damaged my cycling in ways I can't begin to explain. Balance, strength and endurance all wiped out in a blip.
I finally got around to a mini tour last year. Loved it.
As the saying goes...
Don't regret the things you did. Regret the things you didn't do.

Listen to @HobbesOnTour he knows his stuff.

 

[Racing roadkill]

And yet almost everyone holds the hoods almost all the times because many modern drop bars have cosmetic drops that are uncomfortable to use and levers which are difficult to reach from all but one position.

They haven’t got the hoods / levers in the right position then.

And what works is swept bars IMO. There is no point taking a lightweight drop bar bike to grind out excessive distances when you can have a comfortable roadster with comfortable tyres, simpler more robust gearing and a sturdy rear rack capable of carrying whatever you need to carry and space for a handlebar bag that doesn't get in the way of your hands or any cables.

This is the last time anyone was as wrong as what you just said there was, in my opinion.

Really, do what works for you. If the bike is comfortable and you can do repeated days of whatever daily mileage you need to do, ignore everyone else and do whatever makes you happy: keep on if you want, change if you want. Listen to everyone but decide for yourself

I personally find I’m happier when I’m not wasting loads of effort unnecessarily.

As for hills, that one up to the transmitter SW of Peterborough isn't bad and then you're into the Northamptonshire uplands, Rockingham Forest and so on, where the hills may not be big but they are relentless (unless you pick your route very very carefully to be flat, like sticking close to the Nene).

As you say, pick the route carefully, and you can minimise ‘terrain’.

 

[MahatmaAndhi]

Again, thanks for the replies. I'm taking them all in.
Today I went for a few errands around Peterborough, then went to Stamford for a coffee. There's a few more hills around Stamford way so it seemed like a good idea. I got totally drenched about half way there, but I figured that this would likely happen en route to Paris, so I might as well chalk it down to experience and carry on. Unfortunately my watch crapped out, so I only recorded the journey home (not happy, Garmin!) but I manually input the route in to Strava and it was 31 miles, so not bad. I'm well knackered, but still nipped to the supermarket on my bike afterwards to pick up Eurovision Provisions. And now I have a great excuse not to anything for the rest of the day!

 

[Ice2911]

Lots of good advice already. My first Long tour I planned an average of 50 miles a day, built in a couple of rest days(funny one happened to be next to a distillery on Aran, not sure how that happened) I probably averaged 70 a day. I don’t think of that though. My day is get up and do 20 to 25 miles stop and have a cake and a drink. Do another 20-25 and stop and have lunch. Then another 20-25 and find somewhere to stop. First trip I did camp but used more YH, B and B as I wanted to ensure a good and comfortable nights sleep. Now I camp more but keep the B and B option open.
The biggest part of the preparation was riding decent distances on consecutive days. If you are interested I can send you a link to my blog showing how I built up from zero to doing LEJOG unsupported. I live in Norfolk so getting ready for hills was also my challenge but I found one close to me and just rode up and down it several times. Not about speed just finding a good rhythm and still being alive at the top.
Bike and kit is about being comfortable and as you have found out being prepared to ride in the rain.
Also a short trip away to test kit and loading beforehand also helps even if it is somewhere really close by.
If you want to do this I’m sure you will

 

[HobbesOnTour]

It helps if you mentally and physically break your rides into morning and afternoon segments. For example, if you started at 8:00am and comfortably ride 80km by midday. Stop for an hour or more for lunch and ride another 80km in the afternoon. Provided you don't totally overcook the morning session you will probably find it's possible to do at least the same distance in the afternoon.

While I agree with the methodology of breaking a day’s milage down to more manageable bites, I’d like to point out a few extra considerations, especially for beginners.

First of all, 160 km a day, for days in a row requires a substantial level of bike fitness, irrespective of load being carried, but that’s not the point of my post.

Taking the idea of 80 km from 8-12, that is 20 kph, or about 13 mph, every hour.
The kinds of things that will impact on this are:

• Weather: Sometimes shelter is better than cycling in heavy rain. Heat. Excessive heat (or cold) will slow me down. Wind - a headwind can be a killer.
• Topography. Hills will impact that average speed. Sometimes you’ll make it up on the down slope, sometimes not.
• Surfaces: Will have an effect on speed.
• Other traffic: Depending on where you are, maintaining that speed may be difficult. I’m thinking here of well travelled bike routes that may be busier on certain days with bikers of all skill levels, walkers, dogs etc. Urban areas will slow you down too.
• Navigation: Undeveloped skills, poor signposting, diversions can all add time and distance.
• Mechanicals. Hopefully minimal, but definitely impactful on daily targets when they occur.

Taking a relaxed lunch of 90 minutes, that means the afternoon leg starts at 13:30 so that you’re at your destination by 17:30.
Assuming you can roll up to your accommodation choice, all is good, but sometimes hotels, B&Bs, Hostels and campsites are not easily found. If you have no reservations and then need to find accommodation, that’s a different (longer) story.
If you’re in a hotel then you’ve reasonable time to relax, wash, do chores, eat and get to bed in time to do the same the next day. If you’re camping, all these things take a little longer.

Just remember that every unplanned delay eats into your downtime. That may be for sightseeing, eating, sleeping or just recovery. A tour where you find yourself rushing to eat and sleep and not having the time to enjoy your surroundings will quickly lose its appeal.

The other things to consider with this is that there is not a lot of time allowed for experiencing where you are, for exploring, for the other things other than riding your bike. Depending on where you are touring and time of year, daylight is also a consideration.

Some of these potential impacts can be planned out of consideration, but others, notably weather cannot. My personal idea is that overplanning kills the enjoyment of a good tour.

@Ice2911 has the right idea, 3 daily stages.

One other thing to remember is that while you might be able to do x km for days in a row at home, there is a difference when you’re on the road simply because you are not at home - especially if you’re camping. “Home comforts” are literally only available at home!

Personally, I stop about once every 90 minutes, for a snack, a decent drink. Maybe a nice photo. I’m not alone in stopping for a second breakfast between breakfast and lunch. I love boats so it’s not unusual for me to spend a couple of hours boat watching.

I reckon my average speed is about 18 kph on my loaded bike, but I’ll calculate approximate travel time based on 15 kph to take account of unplanned stoppages/delays.

In planning, I prefer to consider where I want to go first, rather than the distance I can do. I’d rather plan for low daily distances and exceed them rather than high distances and feel under pressure to reach them.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Again, thanks for the replies. I'm taking them all in.
Today I went for a few errands around Peterborough, then went to Stamford for a coffee. There's a few more hills around Stamford way so it seemed like a good idea. I got totally drenched about half way there, but I figured that this would likely happen en route to Paris, so I might as well chalk it down to experience and carry on. Unfortunately my watch crapped out, so I only recorded the journey home (not happy, Garmin!) but I manually input the route in to Strava and it was 31 miles, so not bad. I'm well knackered, but still nipped to the supermarket on my bike afterwards to pick up Eurovision Provisions. And now I have a great excuse not to anything for the rest of the day!

It's great that you're using the bike more, even if it is "only" a trip down the shops. Every little bit helps!
If you use https://cycle.travel/ they have a handy feature to create round trip rides of your preferred distance. I find it a great way to generate short, interesting routes other than my old reliables.
As for rain, my only issue is to avoid being cold and wet. I actually enjoy riding in the rain, but sustained rain combined with cool temperatures is far from pleasant. Even relatively warm weather can be unpleasant in the wet if combined with wind.
But these are all the things you pick up the more you ride your bike.

P.S. When you do make it to Paris, I suggest you drag your ass out of bed as soon as the sun is starting to rise and ride around the city. It can seem as if you have the city to yourself and is a glorious experience!

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Do it while you can!
I bought my first touring bike in Jan 2012 with the idea that I'd be having long trips around the UK at my own leasure. I kept putting it off. Before I got the chance, I'd won custody of my children which severely limits my time away from home (and I wouldn't have it any other way) and then I had a stroke in 2017. That damn stroke damaged my cycling in ways I can't begin to explain. Balance, strength and endurance all wiped out in a blip.
I finally got around to a mini tour last year. Loved it.
As the saying goes...
Don't regret the things you did. Regret the things you didn't do.

Excellent advice. And not just for cycle touring

 

[mjr]

I personally find I’m happier when I’m not wasting loads of effort unnecessarily.

Comfort is never unnecessary IMO, but I know there's a strong streak of masochism among cyclists and this site in particular.