Is Bike Touring For You?

If you own a bike and ride it frequently, it’s not a stretch to say you have an adventurous spirit. In fact, you probably can’t wait to get on that bike again, head out into the wind, and see where the wheels take you. These types of adventurers are also frequent travelers, always seeking new experiences with new people. But if you love traveling while only considering yourself a “motor person,” is combining bicycles and travel really for you?

The combination occurs in a phenomenon known as bike touring, which is essentially a way for you to travel around an area and “tour” it, only on bike, and usually with a group of fellow travelers. If this sounds like a casual jaunt around a few miles of a French town, you have another thing coming. Bicycle touring can actually run around 20-40 miles a day, and you might end up looking more like the Tour de France than your average tourist. So how much can you handle?

Bike novices: The person who hasn’t been bicycling in a while and isn’t in great shape should be able to handle longer distances than you’d normally think – special medical conditions excluded, of course. Depending on the quality of your terrain, you should be able to handle double-digit miles without much of a problem – if you’re already in decent shape. If you don’t have a basic level of fitness, now is the time to start developing it.

Intermediate bicyclists: If you have a decent level of fitness and experience on the bicycle, there’s a possibility you still might find yourself challenged by the pace of your bicycle tour. To prepare for it, try to go bicycling while maintaining consistent gears (try not to change your gears when going uphill) and a consistent, healthy rate of speed over different types of terrain. Your legs – specifically, your quadriceps – should be able to handle the demand.

Advanced bicyclists: If you’re out on your bicycle every day and can’t wait to strap on the helmet again, you’re probably ready for a bicycle tour. Great! Enjoy the scenery and the travel.

Bicycling tours are a great way to kill three birds with one stone: stay in shape, meet new people, and travel to new locations. If you think this might be the kind of activity for you, there’s only one thing to do. Get on that bike and start pedaling!

Photo Credits: hans s

Originally posted 2010-01-05 03:12:43.

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adventurers, adventurous spirit, bicycle tour, bicycle touring, bicycles, bicyclists, bike touring, decent shape, fellow travelers, french town, frequent travelers, great shape, medical conditions, new experiences, tour de france

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Posted by Bike Swim Run on May 31, 2010 in Biking. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.