Endurance Training
In preparation for your Coast 2 Coast, End 2 End, Trans American or RTW ride perhaps .........

Wise words from experienced endurance cyclists and British Cycling Coaches ..

Long distance tour training programme courtesy of and © Colin Langdon (http://www.cyclingsolutions.co.uk)

We recommend this programme to those who plan to participate in a long distance tour, by this we mean anything over 10 days and 50 miles or more per day touring.

If you are confident you can meet the fitness (and we mean cycling fitness) standards for such a tour then read no further. For those of you still reading, we outline what has worked for many people in the past. The programme cannot cover everybody's starting level of fitness so you may feel able to start halfway through.

If you are not a regular cyclist doing reasonably long distances, you will need to find time to train. As the tours we run have few, if any, rest days in them, you need to be able to recover from your exertions each day. This level of stamina needs practice - so please don't fall into the 'I only need to ride once a week' trap unless you know you are fit enough.

The rides we recommend have distance criteria, but please note that you also need to spend time on the bike. You need to be completely comfortable on your bike. There is nothing worse than getting sore after a few days with a long way ahead and no relief in sight. If you can't get comfortable you need to change things in the early stages of your training programme until you can.

You have choices .. Colin Langdon's outline of minimum training for the trip which is great for the amateurs amongst us but for those looking to complete things like Etapes, might one propose Steve Robert's more in depth training schedule., Steve kindly sent it to me when he learned of my own E2E that I was planning and is a British Cycling Coach so knows his onions ..

To download Steve's more in depth training programme click here [it will open in a new window]
To download Steve's accompanying training notes and advice click here [and that will open in a new window too]

Both the programmes assume that you will train on the bike as you intend to use it on tour. So, if you plan to do a supported tour, such as the one Cycling Solutions run, you need to do the programme using your bike carrying only what you need for the day. If you plan to do a camping tour, you should do the programme with your bike loaded with your camping gear. This means you may need to start with a day's luggage and work up to cycling with a full load before starting the programme.

For more sound advice go to http://www.endtoenders.co.uk/index.php

Why not use the Kellogg's Cycle10 as a starting point., you can also download cycle maps for the UK and Ireland (in conjunction with Sustrans) as well.  Try and make one of the weekends towards the end of your training last for three days, we find people who only manage to do two days at a time get sore on the third, and it helps if you have already experienced this.

During your training you should practice being able to eat, drink and blow your nose without having to stop, this will save you a lot of time when you are touring.  You should also consider doing some of your training in inclement weather, you want to know your clothing works for you when it is raining hard or it's very windy.  On tour is the wrong time to find out that your lovely warm waterproof jacket is just too warm to cycle in.

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Nutritional and training advice can also be found on the Bikes For All website at http://www.bikeforall.net/linkcat.php?cid=118

As one British Cycling Coach says, the following principals hold true:

1.  When you train, you train your body to do whatever it needs to do in the race you are training for - i.e. if you are riding a ten mile commute twice a day at an average of 15 miles per hour, that is what you are training your body to do in a race or event.

2.  Conversely, if you identify what you wish to achieve in an event or race, then you can identify what you need to do in terms of training so if you set yourself a goal of riding twenty miles at average of 20mph then training aiming to do just that gradually building up your training routine, going into progressive overload.

As far as planning is concerned, you need to build a base of miles/ fitness before you start training in high intensity to increase speed/ power etc.

For more info about the alternative End 2 End, golooksee at http://www.manxe2e.org/categories/view/3

Meanwhile there are some websites that I've found to use as reference:-

1. For information about a shorter but more difficult ride (C2C) go to http://www.c2c-guide.co.uk/

2. For details and links for a gentle 1000 mile ride (E2E) initially go to http://www.endtoenders.co.uk/index.php

3. Advice on different bikes from Why Cycle at http://www.whycycle.co.uk/bike_styles/road_racing_bikes/

4. Training information for cyclists, cycling equipment reviews and how to get started at http://www.road-bike.co.uk/

5. Touring and Racing cyclists advice at http://www.cobr.co.uk/e-cobr_information/t_and_r_section/introduction.shtml

DISCLAIMER:  Whilst every reasonable care has been taken to ensure accuracy of information provided on both this page and the website, we cannot be held responsible for any errors in
or omissions from the given text or external websites