Training For Your Trip

One of the most effective ways you can prepare for your cycle touring or bikepacking adventure is to train, train, train – train early, train often, train hard. And remember to have fun! Training gets you conditioned physically and mentally for your cycleventure. If you’re coming out of a long, dark winter or if you’re just getting back into the spin of things, training for your trip is especially important. Training is the proverbial ounce of prevention.

Taking your bike on a long trip, spending hours a day in the saddle, especially when your bike is loaded with gear, is definitely going to be physically demanding, particularly on the legs, knees, butt, back, neck, and shoulders. And if you hit any less-than-ideal weather, which may include rain and headwinds, it gets even harder. It can also be emotionally demanding, especially if you’re riding alone.

We’re not saying you can’t complete a cycle touring or bikepacking trip without pre-trip training; we’re just saying you’re making it much harder on yourself if you don’t. If you don’t get up to speed before your trip, you’ll have to do it on your trip. Do you really want to spend a (potentially large) portion of your trip training and in pain? If you’re heading out on a week-long trip, you could find yourself getting up to speed the entire time and only finding your groove when it’s time to head back home. If you take the time to train and get in optimal riding shape beforehand, you’re more likely to be up to speed right from the outset of your trip and you’ll maximize the enjoyment of your whole trip.

Whether you’ve already finalized your route or you’re still ironing out the details, it’s never too early to start training for your cyleventure. The timeline and intensity of your training program will depend greatly on the type of trip you’re planning. You should train for as long as possible in advance of your trip to get experience riding through as broad a spectrum as possible of the type of elements and road conditions you expect to face on your trip and to get a good feel for your bike and gear, especially your panniers and bags and how the added weight and resistance feels when riding. This will give you a chance to make any necessary adjustments before you set off. Our recommended training program below is based on a training period of 60 days or two months before your departure, but you can condense that down or lengthen it out as much as you want.

The Three Rs

But before we get into our training program, it’s important to understand that training is about getting your body and mind ready for what lies ahead. When training, be mindful of the following three basic elements of training: riding, refreshment, and recovery – what we like to call the “Three Rs”.

The First R: Riding

The best way to think of this is the total volume of riding you do during a period of time – we like to use the metric rides-per-week. This can be measured in different ways, including number of rides, hours in the saddle, kilometers (never miles!) ridden, calories burned, etc. The amount, type, and intensity of the riding you do on a consistent basis during your pre-trip training will affect your fitness level, endurance, and overall health and wellbeing, and it will make a huge difference to your stamina and psyochological outlook on your trip. If you’ve experienced some of the stuff you may enocunter on your trip ahead of time, you won’t get caught by surprise – you’ll respond like a vet. You’ll understand your capabilities and how your bike feels on the road fully loaded. You’ll be amazed at how well your body will adapt to different challenges, especially if you progress slowly, methodically, and consistently. Psychological and physiological adaptation is the essence of this process and are the direct result of how you go about your training.

The Second R: Refreshment

Think of this as making sure your tank gets refueled regularly and with the good stuff – nutrition is the name of the training game. In order to power your bike, you need fuel. The food you eat and the liquids you drink are the fuel that will help you get ready. Protein, fats, carbs, and the vitamins and minerals they contain bring fuel and essential nutrients to your body before, during, and after you’re in the saddle. Without proper nutrition and hydration, having enough energy to sustain a consistent training schedule let alone a multi-day or multi-week bike trip is going to be tough. Also, nutrition has a direct link to the third, and oft-overlooked, R – recovery.

The Third R: Recovery

Your body has a remarkable ability to adapt through exercise. Training will enable you to maintain and improve performance and physical condition on our cycleventure. While riding itself is the first step to creating important adaptations in our bodies, most of these adaptations actually occur during recovery, not during riding. This is because exercise alone doesn’t get us in shape. In fact, exercise temporarily brings us down, depleting our energy, damaging our bodies and cells, and stressing our neuromuscular system. We don’t get in shape just when we’re riding; we also get in shape when we’re recovering. Nutrition plays a big role here, and sleep is very important. Good rest promotes good recovery. Naturally, there are other recovery tools, including cooldowns, massages, and easy or restorative exercises and activities such as stretching, yoga, swimming, or walking. And don’t forget about ice and hot baths.

Training Plan

We’ve put together the following basic training plan, which is intended to prepare you for anything from a short trip lasting just a few days all the way to a long-distance, multiweek, or even multi-month trip. You can gear down or up accordingly if you’re planning something shorter and more leisurely or longer and more challenging. Feel free to make any adjustments you think you may need.

Stage 1: Basic Training (the first 20 days)

Weekly Riding Goals
Rides: 2-3
Time: 3-6 hours
Distance: 20-30 km per ride
Avg. Speed: 18-20 kph

It’s time to kick off your training plan! Get started by riding. It’s that simple. Get on that saddle and start riding regularly on a weekly basis, with the goal being to ride two or three times per week. Focus on both time and distance, with time being your priority and your goal being one to two hours (or 20-30 km) per ride. The trick is to determine your own steady riding pace and gear selection that you’re comfortable with – something that feels right to you. You want to feel like you’d be able to maintain that pace for several hours. We recommend that you aim for an average speed of 18-20 kph. If you’re a beginner, this may feel tough at first. Don’t worrry, you’ll adapt quickly, and before you know it, this speed will be too slow. In addition to riding, if you don’t already do this, you should start a daily stretching routine, focussing on legs, hips, groin, and lower back. Even five to 10 minutes before and after your ride will make a big difference that you’ll feel right away.

All of this will prepare you for the strength training you’ll be doing in Stage 2. You can do your basic training indoors on a stationary bike (if you have one), which is fine, especially if late winter or early spring weather are simply too much to bear. However, we recommend you get your butt outside as soon and as often as you can, where you can start getting conditioned to all of the potential elements you may encounter on your trip. It’s also easier to achieve your goals when you simply have to – when there’s no choice but to make that last climb if you want to get back home. You may encounter unexpected foul weather on your cycleventure, so you may as well prepare yourself for it in advance, and there’s no better way to get prepared for riding in foul weather than riding in foul weather.

Stage 2: Strength Training (the next 20 days)

Weekly Riding Goals
Rides: 3-4
Time: 4-6 hours
Distance: 40-60 km per ride
Avg. Speed: 20-25 kph

During Stage 2, you’ll build on the basic training you’ve been doing by adding strength training to your program. You may be wondering, what the heck is strength training? Also known as weight training or resistance training, strength training involves physical exercises that are designed to improve strength and endurance, and it can incorporate different training techniques such as bodyweight exercises, isometrics (such as “planks”), and plyometrics (such as “jump training”). Strength training involves progressively increasing the force of muscle output using a variety of exercises, primarily aerobic exercises, and is intended to increase muscle, tendon, and ligament strength as well as bone density, metabolism, and the lactate threshold, improve joint and cardiac function, and reduce the risk of injury. You should add some weightlifting to your weekly routine. We recommend 3 days per week of not-too-intensive workouts with weights to tone and strengthen those parts of your body that cycling neglects (especially the arms and shoulders). Maintain your stretching routine. As with many other physical activities, strength training should be a central component of our training regimen.

The first addition you’ll make to your weekly riding routine is to add at least one long ride of at least two hours (or 50-60 km) and work your way up to at least two long rides per week by the end of this stage, and at the same time, you should increase your pace by aiming to dial up your average riding speed closer to 20-25 kph. The second addition to your routine is to include some speed intervals (or sprints) as well as climbs into your rides with the goal of increasing your heart rate. Look for some decent hills that can be incorporated into your rides. But be careful not to overdo it or risk injury. You don’t want to interrupt your training program by doing too much on a single ride and then put yourslef on the sideline for days or even weeks with a self-inflicted injury. Your weekly outings should continue at a steady and consistent pace with a view to building your overall strength and preparing yourself for the endurance training that will follow in Stage 3.

Stage 3 (first half): Endurance Training (the next 10 days)

Weekly Riding Goals
Rides: 4-6
Time: 12-18 hours
Distance: 60-100 km per ride
Avg. Speed: 20-25+ kph

During the fist half of Stage 3, you will shift your focus from building your strength to building your endurance. You will begin by taking longer rides of at least three hours (or 60-80 kms) per ride. You should do this at least four, and ideally six, times per week. You should aim to crack 100 km on a single ride as your end goal. If you’re just starting out, this may sound impossible or even terrifying or both, but don’t worry, by the time you get to this stage of your training, it should feel like the natural next step. We’re not saying that your goal should be to crack 100 km on every ride – your aim should be to crack this goal at least once. (You may find that once you do this, you will want to do it again.)

You should focus on maintaining your average speed that you achieved in Stage 2 of 20-25 km per hour and aim to increase it as much as possible while keeping your ride enjoyable. Extend your ride accordingly in bite-sized increments. One good way of increasing your distance and endurance is to plan your training routes so that the furthest point on the route is half-way to your desired distance goal and keep moving that point outward from your starting point. This way you will be forced to complete ever-increasing rides. Take breaks when necessary, bring some food (power bars are a good idea) and enough water (two bottles may be required) with you, and be sure to drink it. Take your time and don’t rush or overdo it – the journey is the goal. Try riding different routes and seeing new places, and enjoy the scenery and the journey along the way. This is what cycle touring and bikepacking is all about. Remember that training is both physical and emotional – so treat your senses to the uncertainty and excitement of new destinations and new routes. Above all else, have fun!

Stage 3 (second half): Riding with Weight (the final 10 days)

During the final 10 days of your training program, begin to carry weight on your bike as you ride, especially on the long rides. Increase your load incrementally. Start by carrying 10 kgs. With each ride add a kg or two per ride with a view to working your way up to carrying all of your gear at least three times before you depart on your trip. Be sure to maintain your average speed of 20-25 kph or faster from Stage 2. You’ll need this time and practice to build your strength and endurance, especially in your legs and lower back.

Training with loaded panniers is essential practice for your trip. You’ll be putting substantially more stress on your body than it’s accustomed to. Your climbs will become more challenging. Your ability to achieve your speed and distance goals may be diminished. Your stamina will be tested. You need to get used to this and understand the impact added weight has on your performance. You may even need to adjust the itinerary for your trip based on this (i.e., you may need to dial back your daily distance estimates). Also, your bike will ride differently with all of this added weight. Steering will be impacted, wind resistance will be increased, and the handling and performance of your bike will be completely different. It’s absolutely essential for you to get a good feel for your fully weighted bike and how it rides before you set out on your trip.

All this may sound a bit daunting at first. But don’t worry. Take your time, progress slowly, methodically, and consistently through the three stages of our (your) training program. Be assured, you will come out of this program stronger than ever and physically and mentally ready to go on your cycleventure!