First ride fully loaded and in the SUN, is it enough?

[oldfatfool]

Not sure if I will be accused of willy waving but what the hell. I am planning a bit of an epic (for me) in 5 weeks (see sig) hoping to climb many famous tour climbs in the Alps and Pyrenees on a loaded tourer.

Up till now I have mainly done the monthly ColinJ forum ride with very little weight on board and the odd 120k with double panniers, the only time I have loaded up fully was last week when I went for a 17km ramble with swmbo.

So with the sun shining this morning I loaded the bike to the gills including more or less all I was planning on taking including a 3ltr bladder on my back and set off.(total weight in the region of 23kg inc water)

Managed 95km in just over 5 hours with 1500m of climbing at an average gradient of 4% and probably topping out at close to 15%.

I have to be honest my shoulders are killing and so is my hip and coccyx. Most of this I am putting down to only taking a 5 minute breather at the top of Holme Moss and stubbornly refusing to drop out of the middle ring (38T) with a 11-34 cassette for the duration, on the basis that if I can do that then I should manage anything the Alps throw at me especially when ridden over a full day ( 80 ~100 km with upto 2400m of climbing)

So to all you experienced tourers does it sound reasonable for me to expect to wander over to France and make a good job of my tour?

Link to my ride today http://www.brytonsport.com/mapTrackView?id=577129

And a couple of pics:

 

[Banjo]

Some great pictures. Envious of you having 5 weeks to go cycling.I would be chuffed with 5 days.

Personally I hate riding with anything on my back and would try to stow the extra water on the bike somewhere.

 

[oldfatfool]

Some great pictures. Envious of you having 5 weeks to go cycling.I would be chuffed with 5 days.

Personally I hate riding with anything on my back and would try to stow the extra water on the bike somewhere.

I wish, sorry I set off in 5 weeks, the tour only lasts 3 weeks

 

[ColinJ]

Well done!

Did you find the heat a problem? (If you did, then France could be a real problem!)

 

[oldfatfool]

Well done!

Did you find the heat a problem? (If you did, then France could be a real problem!)

TBH I didn't think it was that warm, in fact on the descent toward Diggle it was bleedin cold so put the Gillet on! Looking at the GPS data it topped out at 29deg so hoping the heat won't be a problem in France, just remember the sun cream

 

[ColinJ]

TBH I didn't think it was that warm, in fact on the descent toward Diggle it was bleedin cold so put the Gillet on! Looking at the GPS data it topped out at 29deg so hoping the heat won't be a problem in France, just remember the sun cream

I was out walking on the tops yesterday and thought that the wind was keeping the perceived temperature down. Standing in the sun when sheltered from the wind though, it was damn hot!