Originally Posted by
KC8QVO
My reference to "touring" in the thread is multi-day extended tours. To that point - I have not done any so there is no answer to your question. That is where my questions come in from others. All of my riding has been across a single day (not necessarily a calendar day, but no sleeping/camping between start and finish even though the start/finish may have been on a different day - except for my last ride).
About the last time I "trained" for a tour was in 2003 (see Solo Without Pie in the sig). I progressively added weight (using beans and rice) over about 6 weeks before setting out on a month long tour. It helped but the next time I decided to do a long tour, I just skipped the training. I, like many others, ride a lot anyway and found that the training just wasn't necessary. As I've done more tours, the training becomes even less necessary.
Part of the reason for "training" is to help first timers get used to the whole idea of riding a bike a lot with a lot of weight. It was more mental training for me than physical training. For most people who would like to tour but never have, the mental issues are probably more difficult to surmount than any physical limitations. The "what ifs" or, as Pee Wee Herman says "the big buts" ("
But what? Everyone I know has a big but. C'mon, Simone, let's talk about *your* big but.") play through your head and make you feel like a bicycle tour is just too much of an undertaking. If you haven't toured before, "training" kind of helps you prepare because you've put in a lot of time and effort so you are committed.
Once you done a few tours, the physical training isn't needed and you got enough experience to get past the mental part of it. The doubts are still there...I feel like just going home in the first 1 to 3 days of any tour...but you are better prepared to deal with them than your first time.