Pacing a long-distance bike ride, start slower than feels right
Save your energy for the last hours, not the first.
- Answers
- How do you pace yourself on a long-distance bike ride?
- Topics
- Amsterdam · Hegelsom · bike · data · health · heart · lifestyle · nature
- Full article on willem.com
- https://willem.com/en/2023-04-20_tips-for-long-distance-cycling/
Summary
Start slow: if you can comfortably ride 30 km/h, begin at 25. Energy spent in the fresh first hours is what you will miss at the end, so find a speed you can hold for hours.
Full text
Train with a heart rate monitor beforehand to learn where your limits are, then look for an optimal speed you can comfortably maintain for hours. That optimum shifts with conditions such as the weather and how well you slept, so listen to your body and only gradually increase your effort as you go. Plan the route in advance and memorise the major waypoints and towns; during the ride you will be busy enough, and a sense of orientation helps you dose your effort. Check the bike, bring spare tires and tools, and pick clothing that is neither too cold nor too hot. Sharing a Garmin live tracking link with about a dozen friends relayed their messages to my Edge display, which helps enormously during the inevitable "why did I want this" phase.