Long distance cycling can be more than a little intimidating, especially if you have only ever used your bike for the daily commute into work. However, it is an excellent sport and one that is ideal if you want to build your overall fitness and endurance levels.
There is a lot of information about what you might need when you head out for a long distance ride, so here we will look at the essentials, plus a few of the things that you probably won’t need along the way.
What You Need
Clothing – Ideally you want clothing that is lightweight and easy to pack, so that you can switch to appropriate clothing depending on the conditions. Plan your route in advance and have an idea of the appropriate clothing for the route, as packing too much that you don’t need will only make the ride harder than it needs to be.
Panniers – Panniers are perfect for storing all of the essentials that you will need for the tour, but try to keep your weight load between the 20 and 45 pound mark to ensure a stable ride. Pack to a 60/40 ratio in favor of the front pannier to ensure the bike stays balanced throughout.
Miscellaneous Equipment – The extras that you pack will really depend on the trip, but if you anticipate being on the road for a number of days then you should bring a small first aid kit and some tubes, tires and tire patches as an absolute minimum. Make sure you are stocked with plenty of food and water, or that your route stops by areas where you can grab more when you need it. Sunblock, sunglasses and bike repair tools are all excellent choices to fill your pannier as well.
What You Don’t Need
An Expensive Bike – Long distance cycling isn’t as restrictive as some people make it out to be, so as long as your bike is sturdy and able to handle most conditions you should be fine. As long as you are comfortable and the bike can handle the load then it should be okay.
Vanity Items – If you’re going to be spending days riding, there’s no point packing hair product, makeup and other vanity items, as they will just add to your load and make the ride difficult. Is anybody going to care what you look like in the few seconds that they see you zipping past them?
Mechanics Knowledge – You don’t need to know the ins and outs of bike repair to go on a long tour. As long as you can patch a puncture and are aware of most of the basics you should be able to get along just fine. Watch a few tutorials online but don’t worry too much about having perfect knowledge beyond the essentials.
Your Training
Build Up – Don’t just assume you will be able to handle the distance based on your current fitness level. Look at the cycling plan and work your way up to being able to cover whatever distances you have planned for each day.
Recovering Properly – If you train yourself intensely right up until the point of your ride you may find yourself too exhausted to complete it. Aim for your training schedule to be at its peak intensity a couple of weeks before the ride, and then taper down with easier rides in the weeks running up to it so that you recover properly.
Nutrition – On your longer training rides you should be aiming to figure out what you need on a nutritional level to handle long distance riding. Try to eat something every hour and make sure you keep yourself hydrated at all times so that you can maintain peak performance levels.
Planning Your Route
When planning your route you need to ensure that you have the most up-to-date maps so that you don’t run into the unexpected along the way. New roads or alternate routes can throw a spanner into the works very quickly and nobody wants to spend their ride getting lost.
There are also plenty of guidebooks available, which should help with the planning stages. Ideally, you want to be able to enjoy the experience, so don’t plan to just ride on uniform main roads as you may find you get bored. Try a few smaller roads so that you can see something a little different every so often.
Finally, earmark any important areas along the way that you can use for recovery or that you simply want to see. The cycling is important, but the experience is right up there as well so take a little time to drink in your surroundings.
Do you have any tips for long distance cycling?