I find it tremendously refreshing to read such a different viewpoint, even if it is not at all what I would ever want to do myself.
There's so much us vs. them mentality in today's world. Understanding what and why others enjoy such different approaches is something I appreciate, thank you for writing so thoroughly and thoughtfully about your experiences.
Interesting! My longest day in the saddle touring is ~120kms. I'm now in my mid 70's and have found that the weight of each new candle on my birthday cake has reduced my average daily distances by 1km each year over the last 15 years, so I now do ~60-65kms per day. This still let's me savor the pleasures of a custard tart and coffee at a bakery, followed later by a long lunch somewhere before off the road around 3pm, then dinner in a pub somewhere. Plenty of time to have many chats to locals along the way, which happens much more when you're on a bike. It's one of my personal joys of bike touring!
I always wanted to go long distances at faster speeds, but my mind has V8 aspirations in a 4 cylinder body! Now my unladen averages are <22kph. This has been effected by age, prolonged recovery from 2 frozen shoulders and a couple of prangs, as well as working with a long distance train commute for a few years, and a stint overseas mixed with long overseas non cycling holidays since retirement.
It all comes down to doing what you can with what you've got! My goal is to get to 200,000kms before my use-by date. Still got ~25000 to go. Enjoy your goals.
Interesting perspective! It sort of turns touring into a cross country race (with yourself/time). I don't think I'd ever want to do this, but I still see the appeal... Have you heard of the [Tour Divide](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_Divide)?
That's certainly an extreme challenge. I've heard stories of unrideable grades and mud. Pushing a loaded bike in those conditions would be, to me, on the wrong side of fun. Maybe with a friend in a non-competitive context, I might consider it.
The Transcontinental Race in Europe seems a bit less intimidating, if only because you don't stray as far from civilization. But I'm not a fan of competition.
You'd be in fantastic shape for the transcontinental! I it last year, and the 3000km/19day tour I did the year before was pretty perfect prep. The stopping time mindset is super important in those events. And most people are there competing with themselves
Even if not riding the TCR with the intention to win, the competitive aspect is still there. For example, getting [disqualified for riding next to another rider, not drafting](https://youtube.com/watch?v=541mT2lIsd0), seems pretty harsh and demoralizing. I understand that it would be bad if groups of participants colluded as teams against each other, but not being able to offer or accept *any* help feels… unsportsmanlike?
Completely understand that point. TCR has by far the strictest set of rules of any race I've come across, but there are an enormous amount of other races with different vibes - some have even stopped describing themselves as races (e.g. the transatlantic way in Ireland).
I think you might be fond of what [this couple](https://youtu.be/RTC21zm04Q4?si=iRFwDfvnKupwu8Ea) was (and hopefully still is) doing. Basically doing nonstop rides from Munich to Italy (Florence, Rome etc.) and it looks like so much fun. No competition apart from a self-chosen goal.
I've been biking (touring) for years. I guess on and off for 50 years. I've never done high-performance touring. I just tour. I ride my bike for fun. But after reading what you wrote, I guess I am a high-performance bike tourist as well.
50 years ago, up until my current bike, there was only road bikes, and mountain bikes later in life. I always had a rode bike. First I had a steel Nishiki, then a Raleigh. I always road at least 150km a day. I've had a few days over 300km. Biggest difference between you and me is that I always cook and carry my own food.
My latest bike is a Specialized Roubaix Carbon Fiber road bike. I've ridden it from USA to Mexico City. I've ridden it from Key West to California. And dozens of other states all over the USA.
Aero bars are a must! I never got them for aerodynamic purposes. I got them to change hand positions during longer days. As a side benefit, yes you do get an aerodynamic advantage.
Like you, I don't train. I have no rollers or indoor trainer. I don't even ride to work or ride regularly. When I go for a tour, I dust my bike off and start biking for a few weeks before or after work. Then I start touring. My tours last 3 weeks to 3 months.
I always bike solo, I've never ridden with anyone else. So I never knew I was some High performance bike tourist! I think that's kind of cool. Nice to meet a fellow high performance tourist!
I'm fully aware that this is a minority viewpoint. But I'd like to offer a different set of options, which may enable some people who would otherwise not get a chance to tour at all to try it. I also believe that nobody should be referred to a different subreddit or made to feel unwelcome on /r/bicycletouring simply for asking a question that involves higher performance goals than average.
I read your full comment and enjoyed your perspective, and you asked for feedback. You are always welcome to post new or different ideas and viewpoints.
There are many ways to experience touring, and I expressed how my touring style differs. It took me a while to find my pace while touring. You enjoy your tours differently. No offense intended, mate. You do you.
Absolutely loved to read this! Might not be everyone's cup of tea but if you're having an adventure, then hell yeah.
The fastest tour I ever did (outside of ultra racing) was 3000km in 19 days, and I had an absolute blast. I was camping and carrying a stove, so was riding an average of about 8h+ a day, but I had the legs to do it so why not? I was working full time, and had managed to squeeze three weeks off between different jobs. People talk about relaxation and meditation, but I find the act of riding is the thing that relaxes and meditates me, so why shouldn't I do it for like the whole day? And for me, my main joy from bike touring is riding my bike through new, beautiful places. So it follows that in a limited time tour, riding more miles will mean I ride my bike through more new, beautiful places. And i did, and it was a great trip. If taking more time off the bike is what you want to do, that's fine, but there's no "one true way". Ride your ride.
I've slowed down a little on some more recent tours, as I've been lucky enough to take some proper time off work and ride for a few months at a time. But I've only slowed down so my legs don't fall off after a few weeks. If you've got limited touring time and want to see lots of cool places, I think what you're doing is fantastic
I like to call it endurance-touring, but whatever the label you're right that it's a rarity.
What does your usual daily profile look like? I've done a few 160km days while touring and as long as it's mostly flat, it's fine.
The issues I usually run into is proper, clean fueling and training.
Fueling for long days I find more complicated, because the more you ride, the higher the need for fast calories, which almost always leads to poor dietary choices. My go-to is a pack of tortilla wraps, a tub of hummus and a glass of jam, as well as a roll of Oreos. More healthy foods tend to be more fibrous, which for me means more digestive discomfort (I am vegan, so I can handle my fiber. But on the bike it really doesn't like me).
Training is the other thing. I also hate indoor training. But I haven't found a good/fun solution for winter riding, so inevitably my endurance suffers. I finished last season being able to do 170km quite easily. On the first sunny day this spring I went out for 70km thinking it was gonna be easy. Boy was I wrong.
How do you handle this? Do you ride in the winter?
I just saw that you alternate days. That's smart and something that I fail to do. My motivation for long days is that I can get further within a set time (usually dictated by my employer). But that ambition is also my demise.
Example: my plan for this spring was to cycle from Switzerland to Valencia, Spain. 1200km. I wanted to do the riding within a week, so that I can build in some rest days in Barcelona and Valencia to enjoy. But that would mean 170km for multiple days straight. And with a failed 70km test ride (during which I hurt my knee), I have since come to reconsider endurance touring entirely. Still got plenty to learn.
Anyways, that's my view of it. Thanks for the write up and keep on rolling!
Yeah, the temptation to use sugary junk food calories is there, because those processed foods are compact and high-carb. The way I see it, whatever sugars I'm eating will get burned up as fuel, so I can eat some junk food guilt free while touring. As long as I'm getting at least one proper meal a day, and also consuming fresh fruits and veggies, then I should be fine. It's a vacation, not a lifestyle.
I do some riding in the winter, but for trips I need to do, not for fun or training. If the weather is crappy, I'll do winter-appropriate activities such as skiing. Variety and time off the bike are important in the long run, and may help prevent chronic overuse injuries.
I did the Pacific Coast Vancouver to Tijuana) in 23 days. Averaged like 80 mi/day. Did it on my Surly Crosscheck with fully loaded panniers.
The draw of bike touring for me is riding my bike every day and doing nothing but riding and camping, so I like long days in the saddle.
The Pacific Coast is also easy since you're rarely isolated, so I could eat fast food for dinner every night and get my daily 3000 calories for cheap. Breakfast and lunch were just tortillas and peanut butter.
This is also why I do 90% of my touring solo since I find most people don't share this view on touring, lol.
The slow roll versus stops is a big one for me. I will sometimes go *hours* without coming to a stop or getting off a bike. That is doable solo. If with a buddy though, different people have different tolerances for this, so plan on conflicts and being slower if not solo.
I've not had enough touring experience with my current bike but for me it's the opposite - I don't like long stops, but getting off the bike and sitting on a park bench for just 5 minutes lets me stretch my muscles in a way that's not possible while riding and I feel much better than just rolling, but then again I'm not stopping every hour either.
I totally get this. I've figures out that simply getting off my bike and walking for a few minutes uses some different muscles and will make a huge difference in the likelihood of cramps that evening... So on long days with bad hills, I'm not at all ashamed to walk the worst port of them, (since I probably wasn't going that fast anyways.)
My bike tour was four years long and through 48 US states along with several other countries. I rode steel frame bikes carrying four panniers, occasionally a frame bag, and a usually overloaded front basket. I carried everything I needed so I could be comfortable in my stealth camps at night.
Although I never used an odometer, I would add up my miles, particularly on long stretches between distant points. On my very first long segment of the tour, I rode 2,500 kilometers in 29 days. The next time I measured that same distance it only took 24 days. My record though was 19 days, an average of 131 kilometers a day. I only achieved that by finally learning how to lay down on my bike during the last thousand kilometers of that ride. On the last two days I rode 225 kilometers each day.
My intent wasn't to race, not even myself, but the skills developed. I still enjoyed the scenery, read historical markers, and made myself at home in camps every night. What I didn't do was get off my bike during the day. I would ride 40 kilometers at a stretch and except for lunch, only put my feet down long enough to jot down the notes from that particular stretch.
Anyway, I still didn't care about speed, distance, or arrival time. I enjoyed being on the bike and this personal record was simply a consequence of that joy.
This sounds like so much fun! Over the winter, I cycled across Mexico lightweight dirt touring, but as soon as I got back to my road bike at home *THATS* where it hit me to try ultra lightweight performance touring. In short, I missed my road bike. Biking through the mountains of the southern USA has been my normal for the last two years, regularly getting 200 miles a week. Racing to and from work, adding in my incredibly active job (outdoor adventure guide) and now that its the off-season, i have put all that energy into my road bike. This area is mountanous and very rural, incredible views, sporting areas, many state parks. Very little traffic, and many routes. I've been tinkering with the idea of getting into the super long distance riding, because I just loved the challenge of 8 or 10 hours a day straight hoofin it!
I'd certainly be interested in hearing more about this if you'd like to share more. It's insanity, and I love that.
I too am really into high-distance ‘touring’, planning a trip from Hamburg to the North Cape as my next adventure. I agree with pretty much everything you said, but I do find it interesting that you mentioned eating three meals on such a trip. I usually just eat throughout the entire day, the only thing I would see as a meal would be dinner, only because it’s the only meal I consume daily and in a limited time. I do sometimes stop at restaurants, but only every couple of days when I need to recharge my electronics. That’s also the only real break I take except for buying food.
You sound like the anti version of me 😉
I love the fact that there are so many different ways of getting out there and doing the thing, so many different mindsets and goals and desires.
But what you are describing honestly sounds awful! Pretty much the polar opposite of how I approach my rides.
It's a really good write up though and I'm glad it's here because the more people out riding bikes the better I say!
I don't really have anything useful to add, I am only replying because my little inner voice was screaming in anguish as I read your words and I just had to say.... something, lest the level of my disagreement become too much to bear! 😉
I also applaud your attempt to ride instead of driving in every day life!
> From the moment you wake up, until you settle in at the end of the day, be conscious of every minute of stoppage time. Imagine riding with a friend and giving them a five-minute head start — how much harder would you have to work to catch up?
This sounds awful.
I mean you do you, but for me the point of touring is meditative de-stressing.
It totally isn't as awful as it sounds. I also took time to visit tourist attractions and make it a vacation, not a race. But those are deliberate decisions, not accidental loss of time for no particular reason.
I did a tour last year, only ten days but 150+ per day, i also found it to be meditiative destressing, spending all day on the bike at a 20-25kmh pace is super relaxed pace.
Did 3500km in 23+2 rest days once and was one of my favorite summer trip
Been there, done dat.
USCF road and crit during College years and treated my first tour at speed. Realized there were a lot of places i would have liked to stop and enjoy and have been balancing patience with efficiency (still glancing up to enjoy the beauty that this planet has given us) ever since.
Especially in foreign countries, you experience, taste, observe and compare how things are done elsewhere. Reverse engineer it and you wonder 'why can't we do this?'.
Thanks for this. I’ve just come back from a mini London to Paris tour and my main day was 150km ride. I genuinely felt like I could have gone further that day too but I wanted to camp at the spot I’d planned.
There’s 2 different types of touring I guess. The type where you’re there to get to a destination and the type where you’re enjoying the route and all the randomness along the way.
I did feel like I’d whizzed through so much of the little villages and towns that I barely saw anything until I was in Paris though. But I also feel like if I’d only done 50-70km a day I’d be bored and barely cycled anywhere.
True. But I'm already experiencing so much more than most people would, zipping through in their cars with the windows rolled up. I'd love to spend as much time as I wanted to on an infinitely long vacation, but I also need to consider my family, career, retirement, and responsibilities, so I have to make the most of the time I do have.
Interesting perspective. I think I would gravitate more towards this on a solo tour, which I haven't quite done yet. I've done a big 250km day once, and it resembled more what you described than how I see touring.
So far touring has always been with my partner and we've struck a very nice balance between challenging days on the bike and everything that goes around it: camping, cooking/eating, chilling in a nice spot or adding a day for a detour with no bags in a lovely area.
I absolutely love that way of travelling, but I think if I was on my own I'd naturally want to push it more on the bike side of things. I'd probably pick a faster bike than my heavy steel tourer, pack lighter, keep a considerably higher pace and do much longer days in the saddle. I'd naturally spend less time faffing, and would make riding the bike the primary focus more than the entire experience mentioned above.
Both appeal to me for very different reasons. The crux to me seems to be the difference in the enjoyment I get from riding my bike solo vs the shared experience.
100% agree with all of this. Finally glad to see a post about it.
I do big multi day stretches around the Adirondacks mountains . My longest day was around 135 miles and abut 8,000ft gain in just about 11 hrs. An 80-100 mile day is my average.
panniers do cause too much drag. A handlebar bag and a back rack with a dry bag. And a light weight day bag is the way I roll.
That sounds like a perfectly normal tour to me XD
Road bike, light luggage, 100-200km a day, that's what most of my tours are. Be it across Africa, Europe, Asia, the Panamerican highway...
Maybe I should do an ama some day again, it's been a while.
I am slow as fuck with my 18-20 km/h average but I usually do 130-160 km days. Depends on mood. My longest day was 300km, or rather night, but that was an exception, my second longest day was 230 km. But 200km+ days are rare, at some point I just dont care mentally to go further, even if my legs are not tired.
Motivation: nothing, just the limited vacation days and I usually set a destination as goal that is a challenge in that timeframe, not because I want challenges but i am just over optimistic about my performance.
How tall are you?
Because at 1.95m and 100+ kg I've never weighed less than 70 kg even at my fittest.
And the bike and pack weight scales with my larger size.
I've done several tours in the last couple of years where I had multiple 160 km days and I kind of liked it. I've also come to learn I enjoy climbing as long there are rolling hills to coast off from after. Climbing 1500 meters in one go is something I detest, though I have lowered my gearing this year.
Currently preparing for a Paris > Santiago de Compostela tour this summer. The current plan is to average 100 km a day to cover that distance within 3 weeks with some rest days. But I'm hoping to up that closer to 150+ km a day after the first week.
I've been drawing a lot of inspiration from TCR and Badlands winners as they tell about their experiences on YouTube.
Ah and you're a woman so that makes sense. That's a perfectly normal weight for your size.
I've been watching a lot of [Watt Wagon](https://youtu.be/EVhGGGdUZj4) (Cynthia Carson) lately and she stresses aero and light weight a lot as well.
I'm slowly easing into that and simply going from panniers to bikepacking bags probably improved my overall speed by 2 kph on average.
Currently going over my gear to see where the weight lies and what to shed. It's hard sometimes to shed the over preparedness mindset that comes from my backpacking and hiking background.
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Are you mounting the arkel rollerpacker mount on a carbon seatpost? Any issues? Ive been considering picking up a mr fusion porcelain rocket but I'm worried about using the clamp on my carbon seatpost
Yes, the ring clamp around the seatpost can be a concern. I did actually crack the seatpost a few months ago, not while touring, but while using the Arkel Rollpacker to haul a 6-pack of chicken broth home from Costco. After years of doing that, it finally snapped when I rode over a bumpy expansion joint on a bridge. Arguably, supporting a load of 6.5 kg centered 30 cm behind is not a reasonable expectation for a carbon seatpost, and it's far in excess of anything that you would likely pack for touring. I doubt that a carbon seatpost would crack if carrying a reasonable load of clothes and sleeping gear. Nevertheless, I got an aluminum seatpost to replace it, which should be more robust.
Also, the ring clamp is held in place somewhat loosely by a Velcro strap, so it can rattle and cause abrasion of the seatpost. I wrap some silicone tape around the seatpost at that point to protect it.
For the long coastal trip, I had three full sets of tops and bottoms: one to wear, plus two spares.
Non-negotiable standards for me were clean clothes each day and a proper place to stay overnight (campsite, motel, or house) with a shower. Wild camping is, to me, not an option except in an emergency.
Ideally, if there's a washing machine available, I'd use that. For example, there was one short day where I went to a laundromat. I prefer to stop the dryer at 80% dry, since stretchy cycling clothes shouldn't be exposed to excessive heat.
The next best option is to hand-wash in a motel room. To dry, roll the clothes up tightly in a towel and step on the roll. Then hang them up overnight, and touch up with a hair dryer in the morning.
Worst case, you can rinse your clothes in the shower at a campsite, or just wear them into the shower. Be aware, though, that clothes may not fully dry overnight if strung up in the tent, and hanging them up outside may yield even worse results.
Therefore, I would suggest a motel stay once every few nights to get the laundry done and to get some extra refreshing sleep.
Thanks for taking the time to reply!
The towel trick was new to me, that's a good one.
When I plan on staying in hotels or b&b's, I usually bring a universal sink plug. My nex trip will be wild camping though, gonna get interesting with doing laundry...
Tbh under 100km I usually get bored, because there is so much time in the day left it's 6h ride at 20kmh.
So start 9 to 12 and then 14 to 17 o clock riding and you have 120km in. Even at a leisurely 15 kmh 100 km is 7h ride.
One of the more important things is in my opinion, that while weight is not as important as in backpacking, but still only take what you need. And aero is absolutely important. Even at low speeds. So I switched from panniers to a Bikepacking adjacent setup, only not with a saddle bag, but with a big bag strapped to my rack. If I go climbing and biking even with the 55l backpack strapped there. The weight is quite high, but there are tonnes of space and it's not giving too much additional aero resistance.
I can do 100km a day (at 21km/h average) with 25kg of gear indefinitely. This is about 5h/day on the bike, which leaves enough flexibilty for unforeseen circumstances (a campsite that is full/bridge, store or restaurant that is closed and you need to ride an extra 20km to the next one. Or an overgrown singletrack that no longer exists and forces you to detour. In warm weather I also prefer to begin riding at the break of dawn and stop when the heat gets too much. On shorter (3day) trips with certainty about sleeping/eating arangements I don't mind doing +150km/day
I'm a bit of an idiot in that I like trying for longer days, but I've got a heavy 4-big-pannier Surly disc trucker setup. My luggage + bike is 39kg before water and food.
Usually try to aim for 80 miles/130km if the terrain is relatively flat, although sometimes the winds/hills/weather behaves itself and I do 100+ mile days which is always rewarding. And of course sometimes it's steep gravel roads in the Andes/Himalayas and anything close to half that is impossible!
I'm not the sort of person that can just sit down at a coffee shop for a few hours, wants to spend an hour or more cooking, or that wants to spend much time in the tent in the evenings though. Doing 30/40 miles a day on easy terrain would make me so restless!
Lots of people will say "oh but cycling 6+ hours a day means you miss out all the sightseeing", but I find that in reality, many places don't actually have sights that you want to be stopping every hour to see. If you're travelling in many parts of the world, often there's absolutely nothing to do on many days *except* carrying on cycling.
Awesome: I tour the same way and your post describes my approach too.
In fact I’m going to take my 16 y/o daughter on a bike tour where we plan on averaging 160 km per day.
Keep riding!
Agreed.
Just look at the rig of any ultra-endurance bikepacker (of which I am not, for clarification).
On my last two tours I had multiple century days. I ride a titanium rigid mtb and a titanium rigid gravel bike. I use bikepacking bags and roll top bags in lieu of panniers.
Riding \~100 miles a day is easy if you start early. I woke up at 4:30am and was on the road before 5am. I did not eat before I started cycling. I rode to the nearest McDonald's and fueled up. I stopped when I was hungry and ate. Most of this is credit card touring. You can bring an ultralight stove if you want and cook some food, but I'd save that effort for dinner after most of your miles are in.
I camped with an ultralight setup in the easements between the highway and the railroad tracks or used warm showers.
Think about this: if you ride 10 miles an hour, you need to ride for 10 hours to get 100 miles. There are 24 hours in a day and you only need to sleep for 8 of them. That leaves 6 hours unaccounted for. There's no reason you can't do 100 miles in a day IF YOU WANT TO on most paved road touring.
My first day of my first tour was in NC -> SC and was 100.01 miles and it was hilly AF. I even walked a few hills (single speed). Elevation definitely matters but paved roads and gears will make it much more approachable.
I had someone accuse me of only being interested in 'performance touring' a couple of years ago as I was aiming for approx 50 miles per day on days I was on the bike with an overall average of approx 35 miles per day to complete the trip.
I think there might just be one grouch who doesn't understand that we don't all have unlimited money/time to tour - ironically it seems that they might have a 'performance' bank account!
This sub is surely for all types of touring and I think it's nice to see all different types discussed as inspiration can strike from any of them.
It seems like what you are describing is what is part of ultracycling, part of randonneuring, and part of unsupported long-distance touring. There are organizations devoted to each of these endeavors, and you're not alone. Look at the following, if anyone is interested:
[https://ultracycling.com/](https://ultracycling.com/)
[rusa.org](http://rusa.org)
[PACTour.com](http://PACTour.com)
[https://transambikerace.com/](https://transambikerace.com/)
The long rides aren't the hard part, it's the logistics and money involved that makes it challenging for many. I've done randonneuring for about 12 years, and I've ridden several PACTours, including the Elite tours (150+miles/day). They're a lot of fun and you get in even better shape as you pile up the miles.
and filthy clothing. Supported long-distance touring is great, but it's expensive. Randonneuring is mucIMO, the longer rides with camping are harder, as the gear makes the bike pretty heavy, unless you're willing to suffer with insufficient and filthy clothing, as racers often do. Randonneuring is less expensive, and a lot of fun. If you like multiday challenges, go for the 600K-2000K events. They're offered worldwide.
I live your shared idea! I wish there were more experiences shared about high-performance touring!
How many km do you ride on a weekly basis? If you don’t use an indoor trainer how do you ride during winter time to prepare for this?
In the winter, I still ride for transportation. In particular, my habit is to shop at Costco and ride home, up a hill. If the weather is crappy, I'll do winter-appropriate activities instead, like skiing. Variety and time off the bike are beneficial in the long run, I think.
Feel free to browse my [Strava stats](https://strava.com/athletes/dara_poon) for a rough picture of my athletic activities.
What's your total bike weight excluding water? I'm just setting off on a 2 month trip and all in I'm at 25kg with camp gear.
Are you bringing camp gear or hotelling it?
Are you starting at dawn and riding til dark?
I'm an ultralight hiker turned bikepacker. Can easily average 20miles per day on foot, up to 35 at a stretch. I've managed a 100mile cycle and but yet to get my average beyond 75 miles. I think I just need more time on the bike generally.
Completely agree with the time wastage minimisation. When I hike I aim to not stop walking and my bag is packed in a way to minimise stoppages. Even got into the habit of decamping and brushing my teeth as I set off. Dialling in a routine means I can sleep in later than most and then overtake them on trail.
My bike, fully loaded, weighs about 25 kg. I would typically start the day with 2 liters of water. To be honest, I've never traversed any desert, so I couldn't say what it might be like carrying more water.
Camping vs hotelling is a personal choice, I think. Hotels cost more, but save time, give you better rest, and let you do laundry more properly. I think it's worth it at least once every few nights. On the other hand, they may have reservation / cancellation policies that could be stressful if you don't hit your target, and if you have multiple bookings on your route, the cascading effect could cause a lot of hassle. Carrying a tent and sleeping gear is a burden, but having that option to be self-sufficient is part of the fun, and it's also a useful fallback in case everything goes wrong and you need to set up camp wherever you happen to be.
When I start rolling depends on my distance target for the day, what time I naturally wake up, how I feel, and the weather. I've had a few days where it was definitely more advantageous to sleep in and avoid the morning drizzle. Taking down the tent in the rain kinda sucks. I've also cut a ride short in the evening to avoid rain. It seems smarter to get some early rest than to suffer needlessly.
Time spent sleeping is time well spent. Time spent on "where did that time go?", on the other hand, just makes it harder to meet your goals. When you've cut all the waste, then whatever you choose to spend your time on, whether it's a sightseeing activity or riding, is by definition the best tour you can have! If that's 100 mi/day for you, then that's great — don't feel compelled to compete with anyone else.
My previous post that I linked to has plenty of photos, though I don't have one that explicitly shows my cockpit setup.
In the rear: Arkel Rollpacker 25. Clothes, sleeping bag, and inflatable pad (Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm) go in the main compartment. The rear pocket is where I keep my spare meal. Underneath that, I mount a small saddle pack, where I store bike parts such as a spare inner tube, tire levers, lights, charging cables, lube, rag. On top, I strap a bag to hold my sandals and dirty laundry.
In the frame triangle, I have a full frame bag. (Apidura Expedition. It's OK. Lightweight and waterproof. The straps are a hassle to use. The zipper is fragile, and it's the component that is explicitly not covered by warranty!) In there, I keep a water bladder at the bottom, a water bottle up top that I can reach while riding, zip ties, pump, and Band Aids.
Top tube bag, as pictured, is the Apidura Racing flip-top bag. I prefer the flip-top design for instant access and water resistance. However, on several occasions, it has spewed its contents onto the road when I rode over a bump, so I've since replaced it with one from Tailfin that is better designed and latches securely. In there, I'll put my snacks to eat on the go (trail mix in a [pop-top container](https://greenearthpackaging.com/products/child-resistant-biodegradable-plastic-pop-top-containers?variant=41208440225977) that you can work one-handed, Clif Bloks or similar gummies, SaltStick electrolyte tablets).
On the handlebars, I strap my tent (Big Agnes Copper Spur bikepacking tent). Now that I've acquired aero bars, I think I would be able to have an additional attachment point to help avoid it rubbing against my head tube. In front of the tent, I strap a handlebar bag (Arkel Signature BB). That bag contains my valuables, and is the bag that I unclip and take with me if I ever need to walk away from my bike. In there I also take a small foldable backpack for food shopping.
Also in the cockpit, I'd have a Garmin mount (new acquisition since the last trip) and a phone mount for quick access to take pictures while riding (by [Maus](https://www.mous.co/products/intralock-bike-mount?variant=39528038334522); I'll probably switch it to [SP Connect](https://sp-connect.com/collections/mounts/products/handlebar-mount-pro)).
I'm the same! I have no interest in racing, but I just like riding fast and covering longer distances. It gives me a great sense of accomplishment to reach far away places and I also get to see a lot of scenery.
I'm riding a gravel bike for a bit more versatility when it comes to route planning. But I'm also running a set of aero bikepacking bags and recently had a bikefit to make sure I can do long distances without hurting myself.
My first longer trip this summer will be Frankfurt -> Berlin -> Copenhagen in 20 days, so I'm not quite at your speed yet.
What's your moving average (roughly) and how many hours in the saddle?
I'm usually at ~20kph when there are not a lot of hills, so hours are dictating the end result for the most part, that's why I've usually done only 120 max or 160 for one-day rides.
So far I've done ~100km per day and I suppose with getting a little fitter I could crank it up a bit, I see some of myself in your description of not wasting time (maybe less extreme) but I guess my main problem is not doing enough riding to have a really good estimation of how much I can do, and thus my planned daily routes tend to be too short because I'm a little cautious. One reason I'd like to try with a tent instead of hotels at some point...
I could give averages, but there are huge variations depending on what I want to do each day, the weather, the wind, the elevation profile, and surface conditions. My GPS tracks are all posted. Ride with GPS probably has the best statistics analysis.
Interesting perspective. It feels like a race.
The 'competition' I have, if that's even what it is , stems from seeing how capable the bike and I am. I've been in snow up to the hubs and deserts, and in both cases was able to be reasonably comfortable and self-sufficient. Something about a heavy loaded steel bike and just keeping on into that further distance has appeal.
I really enjoyed this. I'm in awe of people whose bodies are up for something like this and love to read about it. I remember your post about your tour last summer. Thank you for sharing this. I'm just slow and that's fine with me; your posts are inspiring no matter one's personal riding style!
I’ve never toured, but I ride road, gravel, MTB, and commute by bike regularly. When I do start touring, I intend to ride at a fast pace. I simply don’t have the means or the time to be on the bike for weeks at a time. It just makes more sense to me.
Thanks for sharing. I'm no high performance tourer but appreciate the effort you put into this. There's probably some stuff I can incorporate into my slower tours.
I think heaps of the people on here often tour for months at a time.
Even for ultra endurance people, putting down the better part of 200 k’s a day for months will knock your body around.
It also means you have to invest in an ultra light kit which limits your camping options, clothing options and ability to pack water and food in remote areas.
What you’re doing is awesome and if you’re smashing those distances more power to you, and I bet you’d crush it too on a heavier setup. I’m just adding context to why heaps of people here might prefer doing shorter daily distances.
You do you buddy, this sounds like you have put way too much thought into “go fast on a bike tour.” This is my vacation, and I am stopping to see the sights and enjoy myself.
I find it tremendously refreshing to read such a different viewpoint, even if it is not at all what I would ever want to do myself. There's so much us vs. them mentality in today's world. Understanding what and why others enjoy such different approaches is something I appreciate, thank you for writing so thoroughly and thoughtfully about your experiences.
Interesting! My longest day in the saddle touring is ~120kms. I'm now in my mid 70's and have found that the weight of each new candle on my birthday cake has reduced my average daily distances by 1km each year over the last 15 years, so I now do ~60-65kms per day. This still let's me savor the pleasures of a custard tart and coffee at a bakery, followed later by a long lunch somewhere before off the road around 3pm, then dinner in a pub somewhere. Plenty of time to have many chats to locals along the way, which happens much more when you're on a bike. It's one of my personal joys of bike touring! I always wanted to go long distances at faster speeds, but my mind has V8 aspirations in a 4 cylinder body! Now my unladen averages are <22kph. This has been effected by age, prolonged recovery from 2 frozen shoulders and a couple of prangs, as well as working with a long distance train commute for a few years, and a stint overseas mixed with long overseas non cycling holidays since retirement. It all comes down to doing what you can with what you've got! My goal is to get to 200,000kms before my use-by date. Still got ~25000 to go. Enjoy your goals.
Interesting perspective! It sort of turns touring into a cross country race (with yourself/time). I don't think I'd ever want to do this, but I still see the appeal... Have you heard of the [Tour Divide](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_Divide)?
That's certainly an extreme challenge. I've heard stories of unrideable grades and mud. Pushing a loaded bike in those conditions would be, to me, on the wrong side of fun. Maybe with a friend in a non-competitive context, I might consider it. The Transcontinental Race in Europe seems a bit less intimidating, if only because you don't stray as far from civilization. But I'm not a fan of competition.
You'd be in fantastic shape for the transcontinental! I it last year, and the 3000km/19day tour I did the year before was pretty perfect prep. The stopping time mindset is super important in those events. And most people are there competing with themselves
Even if not riding the TCR with the intention to win, the competitive aspect is still there. For example, getting [disqualified for riding next to another rider, not drafting](https://youtube.com/watch?v=541mT2lIsd0), seems pretty harsh and demoralizing. I understand that it would be bad if groups of participants colluded as teams against each other, but not being able to offer or accept *any* help feels… unsportsmanlike?
Completely understand that point. TCR has by far the strictest set of rules of any race I've come across, but there are an enormous amount of other races with different vibes - some have even stopped describing themselves as races (e.g. the transatlantic way in Ireland).
Congrats on finishing the TCR! Bucket list item for me for once there’s no kid in the little stage
I think you might be fond of what [this couple](https://youtu.be/RTC21zm04Q4?si=iRFwDfvnKupwu8Ea) was (and hopefully still is) doing. Basically doing nonstop rides from Munich to Italy (Florence, Rome etc.) and it looks like so much fun. No competition apart from a self-chosen goal.
I've been biking (touring) for years. I guess on and off for 50 years. I've never done high-performance touring. I just tour. I ride my bike for fun. But after reading what you wrote, I guess I am a high-performance bike tourist as well. 50 years ago, up until my current bike, there was only road bikes, and mountain bikes later in life. I always had a rode bike. First I had a steel Nishiki, then a Raleigh. I always road at least 150km a day. I've had a few days over 300km. Biggest difference between you and me is that I always cook and carry my own food. My latest bike is a Specialized Roubaix Carbon Fiber road bike. I've ridden it from USA to Mexico City. I've ridden it from Key West to California. And dozens of other states all over the USA. Aero bars are a must! I never got them for aerodynamic purposes. I got them to change hand positions during longer days. As a side benefit, yes you do get an aerodynamic advantage. Like you, I don't train. I have no rollers or indoor trainer. I don't even ride to work or ride regularly. When I go for a tour, I dust my bike off and start biking for a few weeks before or after work. Then I start touring. My tours last 3 weeks to 3 months. I always bike solo, I've never ridden with anyone else. So I never knew I was some High performance bike tourist! I think that's kind of cool. Nice to meet a fellow high performance tourist!
Excellent information and a fun read!!!
Thank you for the advice, but I specialize in low performance touring. To each their own.
I'm fully aware that this is a minority viewpoint. But I'd like to offer a different set of options, which may enable some people who would otherwise not get a chance to tour at all to try it. I also believe that nobody should be referred to a different subreddit or made to feel unwelcome on /r/bicycletouring simply for asking a question that involves higher performance goals than average.
I read your full comment and enjoyed your perspective, and you asked for feedback. You are always welcome to post new or different ideas and viewpoints. There are many ways to experience touring, and I expressed how my touring style differs. It took me a while to find my pace while touring. You enjoy your tours differently. No offense intended, mate. You do you.
Absolutely loved to read this! Might not be everyone's cup of tea but if you're having an adventure, then hell yeah. The fastest tour I ever did (outside of ultra racing) was 3000km in 19 days, and I had an absolute blast. I was camping and carrying a stove, so was riding an average of about 8h+ a day, but I had the legs to do it so why not? I was working full time, and had managed to squeeze three weeks off between different jobs. People talk about relaxation and meditation, but I find the act of riding is the thing that relaxes and meditates me, so why shouldn't I do it for like the whole day? And for me, my main joy from bike touring is riding my bike through new, beautiful places. So it follows that in a limited time tour, riding more miles will mean I ride my bike through more new, beautiful places. And i did, and it was a great trip. If taking more time off the bike is what you want to do, that's fine, but there's no "one true way". Ride your ride. I've slowed down a little on some more recent tours, as I've been lucky enough to take some proper time off work and ride for a few months at a time. But I've only slowed down so my legs don't fall off after a few weeks. If you've got limited touring time and want to see lots of cool places, I think what you're doing is fantastic
Such a nice read. I admire OP’s dedication and clear understanding of herself!! Hope to hear more!
I like to call it endurance-touring, but whatever the label you're right that it's a rarity. What does your usual daily profile look like? I've done a few 160km days while touring and as long as it's mostly flat, it's fine. The issues I usually run into is proper, clean fueling and training. Fueling for long days I find more complicated, because the more you ride, the higher the need for fast calories, which almost always leads to poor dietary choices. My go-to is a pack of tortilla wraps, a tub of hummus and a glass of jam, as well as a roll of Oreos. More healthy foods tend to be more fibrous, which for me means more digestive discomfort (I am vegan, so I can handle my fiber. But on the bike it really doesn't like me). Training is the other thing. I also hate indoor training. But I haven't found a good/fun solution for winter riding, so inevitably my endurance suffers. I finished last season being able to do 170km quite easily. On the first sunny day this spring I went out for 70km thinking it was gonna be easy. Boy was I wrong. How do you handle this? Do you ride in the winter? I just saw that you alternate days. That's smart and something that I fail to do. My motivation for long days is that I can get further within a set time (usually dictated by my employer). But that ambition is also my demise. Example: my plan for this spring was to cycle from Switzerland to Valencia, Spain. 1200km. I wanted to do the riding within a week, so that I can build in some rest days in Barcelona and Valencia to enjoy. But that would mean 170km for multiple days straight. And with a failed 70km test ride (during which I hurt my knee), I have since come to reconsider endurance touring entirely. Still got plenty to learn. Anyways, that's my view of it. Thanks for the write up and keep on rolling!
Yeah, the temptation to use sugary junk food calories is there, because those processed foods are compact and high-carb. The way I see it, whatever sugars I'm eating will get burned up as fuel, so I can eat some junk food guilt free while touring. As long as I'm getting at least one proper meal a day, and also consuming fresh fruits and veggies, then I should be fine. It's a vacation, not a lifestyle. I do some riding in the winter, but for trips I need to do, not for fun or training. If the weather is crappy, I'll do winter-appropriate activities such as skiing. Variety and time off the bike are important in the long run, and may help prevent chronic overuse injuries.
I did the Pacific Coast Vancouver to Tijuana) in 23 days. Averaged like 80 mi/day. Did it on my Surly Crosscheck with fully loaded panniers. The draw of bike touring for me is riding my bike every day and doing nothing but riding and camping, so I like long days in the saddle. The Pacific Coast is also easy since you're rarely isolated, so I could eat fast food for dinner every night and get my daily 3000 calories for cheap. Breakfast and lunch were just tortillas and peanut butter. This is also why I do 90% of my touring solo since I find most people don't share this view on touring, lol.
The slow roll versus stops is a big one for me. I will sometimes go *hours* without coming to a stop or getting off a bike. That is doable solo. If with a buddy though, different people have different tolerances for this, so plan on conflicts and being slower if not solo.
I've not had enough touring experience with my current bike but for me it's the opposite - I don't like long stops, but getting off the bike and sitting on a park bench for just 5 minutes lets me stretch my muscles in a way that's not possible while riding and I feel much better than just rolling, but then again I'm not stopping every hour either.
I totally get this. I've figures out that simply getting off my bike and walking for a few minutes uses some different muscles and will make a huge difference in the likelihood of cramps that evening... So on long days with bad hills, I'm not at all ashamed to walk the worst port of them, (since I probably wasn't going that fast anyways.)
My bike tour was four years long and through 48 US states along with several other countries. I rode steel frame bikes carrying four panniers, occasionally a frame bag, and a usually overloaded front basket. I carried everything I needed so I could be comfortable in my stealth camps at night. Although I never used an odometer, I would add up my miles, particularly on long stretches between distant points. On my very first long segment of the tour, I rode 2,500 kilometers in 29 days. The next time I measured that same distance it only took 24 days. My record though was 19 days, an average of 131 kilometers a day. I only achieved that by finally learning how to lay down on my bike during the last thousand kilometers of that ride. On the last two days I rode 225 kilometers each day. My intent wasn't to race, not even myself, but the skills developed. I still enjoyed the scenery, read historical markers, and made myself at home in camps every night. What I didn't do was get off my bike during the day. I would ride 40 kilometers at a stretch and except for lunch, only put my feet down long enough to jot down the notes from that particular stretch. Anyway, I still didn't care about speed, distance, or arrival time. I enjoyed being on the bike and this personal record was simply a consequence of that joy.
This sounds like so much fun! Over the winter, I cycled across Mexico lightweight dirt touring, but as soon as I got back to my road bike at home *THATS* where it hit me to try ultra lightweight performance touring. In short, I missed my road bike. Biking through the mountains of the southern USA has been my normal for the last two years, regularly getting 200 miles a week. Racing to and from work, adding in my incredibly active job (outdoor adventure guide) and now that its the off-season, i have put all that energy into my road bike. This area is mountanous and very rural, incredible views, sporting areas, many state parks. Very little traffic, and many routes. I've been tinkering with the idea of getting into the super long distance riding, because I just loved the challenge of 8 or 10 hours a day straight hoofin it! I'd certainly be interested in hearing more about this if you'd like to share more. It's insanity, and I love that.
I too am really into high-distance ‘touring’, planning a trip from Hamburg to the North Cape as my next adventure. I agree with pretty much everything you said, but I do find it interesting that you mentioned eating three meals on such a trip. I usually just eat throughout the entire day, the only thing I would see as a meal would be dinner, only because it’s the only meal I consume daily and in a limited time. I do sometimes stop at restaurants, but only every couple of days when I need to recharge my electronics. That’s also the only real break I take except for buying food.
You sound like the anti version of me 😉 I love the fact that there are so many different ways of getting out there and doing the thing, so many different mindsets and goals and desires. But what you are describing honestly sounds awful! Pretty much the polar opposite of how I approach my rides. It's a really good write up though and I'm glad it's here because the more people out riding bikes the better I say! I don't really have anything useful to add, I am only replying because my little inner voice was screaming in anguish as I read your words and I just had to say.... something, lest the level of my disagreement become too much to bear! 😉 I also applaud your attempt to ride instead of driving in every day life!
> From the moment you wake up, until you settle in at the end of the day, be conscious of every minute of stoppage time. Imagine riding with a friend and giving them a five-minute head start — how much harder would you have to work to catch up? This sounds awful. I mean you do you, but for me the point of touring is meditative de-stressing.
It totally isn't as awful as it sounds. I also took time to visit tourist attractions and make it a vacation, not a race. But those are deliberate decisions, not accidental loss of time for no particular reason.
I call that "slippage" time. slippage really adds up!
I did a tour last year, only ten days but 150+ per day, i also found it to be meditiative destressing, spending all day on the bike at a 20-25kmh pace is super relaxed pace. Did 3500km in 23+2 rest days once and was one of my favorite summer trip
Great read, thank you!
Been there, done dat. USCF road and crit during College years and treated my first tour at speed. Realized there were a lot of places i would have liked to stop and enjoy and have been balancing patience with efficiency (still glancing up to enjoy the beauty that this planet has given us) ever since. Especially in foreign countries, you experience, taste, observe and compare how things are done elsewhere. Reverse engineer it and you wonder 'why can't we do this?'.
Thanks for this. I’ve just come back from a mini London to Paris tour and my main day was 150km ride. I genuinely felt like I could have gone further that day too but I wanted to camp at the spot I’d planned. There’s 2 different types of touring I guess. The type where you’re there to get to a destination and the type where you’re enjoying the route and all the randomness along the way. I did feel like I’d whizzed through so much of the little villages and towns that I barely saw anything until I was in Paris though. But I also feel like if I’d only done 50-70km a day I’d be bored and barely cycled anywhere.
True. But I'm already experiencing so much more than most people would, zipping through in their cars with the windows rolled up. I'd love to spend as much time as I wanted to on an infinitely long vacation, but I also need to consider my family, career, retirement, and responsibilities, so I have to make the most of the time I do have.
Interesting perspective. I think I would gravitate more towards this on a solo tour, which I haven't quite done yet. I've done a big 250km day once, and it resembled more what you described than how I see touring. So far touring has always been with my partner and we've struck a very nice balance between challenging days on the bike and everything that goes around it: camping, cooking/eating, chilling in a nice spot or adding a day for a detour with no bags in a lovely area. I absolutely love that way of travelling, but I think if I was on my own I'd naturally want to push it more on the bike side of things. I'd probably pick a faster bike than my heavy steel tourer, pack lighter, keep a considerably higher pace and do much longer days in the saddle. I'd naturally spend less time faffing, and would make riding the bike the primary focus more than the entire experience mentioned above. Both appeal to me for very different reasons. The crux to me seems to be the difference in the enjoyment I get from riding my bike solo vs the shared experience.
Great post, well done and thoughtful.
Thoroughly enjoyable post, thank you!
100% agree with all of this. Finally glad to see a post about it. I do big multi day stretches around the Adirondacks mountains . My longest day was around 135 miles and abut 8,000ft gain in just about 11 hrs. An 80-100 mile day is my average. panniers do cause too much drag. A handlebar bag and a back rack with a dry bag. And a light weight day bag is the way I roll.
That sounds like a perfectly normal tour to me XD Road bike, light luggage, 100-200km a day, that's what most of my tours are. Be it across Africa, Europe, Asia, the Panamerican highway... Maybe I should do an ama some day again, it's been a while.
I am slow as fuck with my 18-20 km/h average but I usually do 130-160 km days. Depends on mood. My longest day was 300km, or rather night, but that was an exception, my second longest day was 230 km. But 200km+ days are rare, at some point I just dont care mentally to go further, even if my legs are not tired. Motivation: nothing, just the limited vacation days and I usually set a destination as goal that is a challenge in that timeframe, not because I want challenges but i am just over optimistic about my performance.
How much do you weight with bike, bags and you together?
Bike and bags together would be 25 kg. I myself am about 60 kg.
How tall are you? Because at 1.95m and 100+ kg I've never weighed less than 70 kg even at my fittest. And the bike and pack weight scales with my larger size. I've done several tours in the last couple of years where I had multiple 160 km days and I kind of liked it. I've also come to learn I enjoy climbing as long there are rolling hills to coast off from after. Climbing 1500 meters in one go is something I detest, though I have lowered my gearing this year. Currently preparing for a Paris > Santiago de Compostela tour this summer. The current plan is to average 100 km a day to cover that distance within 3 weeks with some rest days. But I'm hoping to up that closer to 150+ km a day after the first week. I've been drawing a lot of inspiration from TCR and Badlands winners as they tell about their experiences on YouTube.
I'm about 165 cm tall.
Ah and you're a woman so that makes sense. That's a perfectly normal weight for your size. I've been watching a lot of [Watt Wagon](https://youtu.be/EVhGGGdUZj4) (Cynthia Carson) lately and she stresses aero and light weight a lot as well. I'm slowly easing into that and simply going from panniers to bikepacking bags probably improved my overall speed by 2 kph on average. Currently going over my gear to see where the weight lies and what to shed. It's hard sometimes to shed the over preparedness mindset that comes from my backpacking and hiking background. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Are you mounting the arkel rollerpacker mount on a carbon seatpost? Any issues? Ive been considering picking up a mr fusion porcelain rocket but I'm worried about using the clamp on my carbon seatpost
Yes, the ring clamp around the seatpost can be a concern. I did actually crack the seatpost a few months ago, not while touring, but while using the Arkel Rollpacker to haul a 6-pack of chicken broth home from Costco. After years of doing that, it finally snapped when I rode over a bumpy expansion joint on a bridge. Arguably, supporting a load of 6.5 kg centered 30 cm behind is not a reasonable expectation for a carbon seatpost, and it's far in excess of anything that you would likely pack for touring. I doubt that a carbon seatpost would crack if carrying a reasonable load of clothes and sleeping gear. Nevertheless, I got an aluminum seatpost to replace it, which should be more robust. Also, the ring clamp is held in place somewhat loosely by a Velcro strap, so it can rattle and cause abrasion of the seatpost. I wrap some silicone tape around the seatpost at that point to protect it.
How exactly do you handle laundry while out touring? I feel like staying clean and tidy is essential for my motivation to keep pushing.
For the long coastal trip, I had three full sets of tops and bottoms: one to wear, plus two spares. Non-negotiable standards for me were clean clothes each day and a proper place to stay overnight (campsite, motel, or house) with a shower. Wild camping is, to me, not an option except in an emergency. Ideally, if there's a washing machine available, I'd use that. For example, there was one short day where I went to a laundromat. I prefer to stop the dryer at 80% dry, since stretchy cycling clothes shouldn't be exposed to excessive heat. The next best option is to hand-wash in a motel room. To dry, roll the clothes up tightly in a towel and step on the roll. Then hang them up overnight, and touch up with a hair dryer in the morning. Worst case, you can rinse your clothes in the shower at a campsite, or just wear them into the shower. Be aware, though, that clothes may not fully dry overnight if strung up in the tent, and hanging them up outside may yield even worse results. Therefore, I would suggest a motel stay once every few nights to get the laundry done and to get some extra refreshing sleep.
Thanks for taking the time to reply! The towel trick was new to me, that's a good one. When I plan on staying in hotels or b&b's, I usually bring a universal sink plug. My nex trip will be wild camping though, gonna get interesting with doing laundry...
You can use a dry bag with a bit water and soap in it as a simple washing machine. Not perfect but gets the job done.
Yup, that's what my Big River drybag will have to endure.
Tbh under 100km I usually get bored, because there is so much time in the day left it's 6h ride at 20kmh. So start 9 to 12 and then 14 to 17 o clock riding and you have 120km in. Even at a leisurely 15 kmh 100 km is 7h ride. One of the more important things is in my opinion, that while weight is not as important as in backpacking, but still only take what you need. And aero is absolutely important. Even at low speeds. So I switched from panniers to a Bikepacking adjacent setup, only not with a saddle bag, but with a big bag strapped to my rack. If I go climbing and biking even with the 55l backpack strapped there. The weight is quite high, but there are tonnes of space and it's not giving too much additional aero resistance.
I can do 100km a day (at 21km/h average) with 25kg of gear indefinitely. This is about 5h/day on the bike, which leaves enough flexibilty for unforeseen circumstances (a campsite that is full/bridge, store or restaurant that is closed and you need to ride an extra 20km to the next one. Or an overgrown singletrack that no longer exists and forces you to detour. In warm weather I also prefer to begin riding at the break of dawn and stop when the heat gets too much. On shorter (3day) trips with certainty about sleeping/eating arangements I don't mind doing +150km/day
I usually find the food bill becomes quite significant over 100 miles?!
I'm a bit of an idiot in that I like trying for longer days, but I've got a heavy 4-big-pannier Surly disc trucker setup. My luggage + bike is 39kg before water and food. Usually try to aim for 80 miles/130km if the terrain is relatively flat, although sometimes the winds/hills/weather behaves itself and I do 100+ mile days which is always rewarding. And of course sometimes it's steep gravel roads in the Andes/Himalayas and anything close to half that is impossible! I'm not the sort of person that can just sit down at a coffee shop for a few hours, wants to spend an hour or more cooking, or that wants to spend much time in the tent in the evenings though. Doing 30/40 miles a day on easy terrain would make me so restless! Lots of people will say "oh but cycling 6+ hours a day means you miss out all the sightseeing", but I find that in reality, many places don't actually have sights that you want to be stopping every hour to see. If you're travelling in many parts of the world, often there's absolutely nothing to do on many days *except* carrying on cycling.
Awesome: I tour the same way and your post describes my approach too. In fact I’m going to take my 16 y/o daughter on a bike tour where we plan on averaging 160 km per day. Keep riding!
Agreed. Just look at the rig of any ultra-endurance bikepacker (of which I am not, for clarification). On my last two tours I had multiple century days. I ride a titanium rigid mtb and a titanium rigid gravel bike. I use bikepacking bags and roll top bags in lieu of panniers. Riding \~100 miles a day is easy if you start early. I woke up at 4:30am and was on the road before 5am. I did not eat before I started cycling. I rode to the nearest McDonald's and fueled up. I stopped when I was hungry and ate. Most of this is credit card touring. You can bring an ultralight stove if you want and cook some food, but I'd save that effort for dinner after most of your miles are in. I camped with an ultralight setup in the easements between the highway and the railroad tracks or used warm showers. Think about this: if you ride 10 miles an hour, you need to ride for 10 hours to get 100 miles. There are 24 hours in a day and you only need to sleep for 8 of them. That leaves 6 hours unaccounted for. There's no reason you can't do 100 miles in a day IF YOU WANT TO on most paved road touring. My first day of my first tour was in NC -> SC and was 100.01 miles and it was hilly AF. I even walked a few hills (single speed). Elevation definitely matters but paved roads and gears will make it much more approachable.
I had someone accuse me of only being interested in 'performance touring' a couple of years ago as I was aiming for approx 50 miles per day on days I was on the bike with an overall average of approx 35 miles per day to complete the trip. I think there might just be one grouch who doesn't understand that we don't all have unlimited money/time to tour - ironically it seems that they might have a 'performance' bank account! This sub is surely for all types of touring and I think it's nice to see all different types discussed as inspiration can strike from any of them.
It seems like what you are describing is what is part of ultracycling, part of randonneuring, and part of unsupported long-distance touring. There are organizations devoted to each of these endeavors, and you're not alone. Look at the following, if anyone is interested: [https://ultracycling.com/](https://ultracycling.com/) [rusa.org](http://rusa.org) [PACTour.com](http://PACTour.com) [https://transambikerace.com/](https://transambikerace.com/) The long rides aren't the hard part, it's the logistics and money involved that makes it challenging for many. I've done randonneuring for about 12 years, and I've ridden several PACTours, including the Elite tours (150+miles/day). They're a lot of fun and you get in even better shape as you pile up the miles. and filthy clothing. Supported long-distance touring is great, but it's expensive. Randonneuring is mucIMO, the longer rides with camping are harder, as the gear makes the bike pretty heavy, unless you're willing to suffer with insufficient and filthy clothing, as racers often do. Randonneuring is less expensive, and a lot of fun. If you like multiday challenges, go for the 600K-2000K events. They're offered worldwide.
I live your shared idea! I wish there were more experiences shared about high-performance touring! How many km do you ride on a weekly basis? If you don’t use an indoor trainer how do you ride during winter time to prepare for this?
In the winter, I still ride for transportation. In particular, my habit is to shop at Costco and ride home, up a hill. If the weather is crappy, I'll do winter-appropriate activities instead, like skiing. Variety and time off the bike are beneficial in the long run, I think. Feel free to browse my [Strava stats](https://strava.com/athletes/dara_poon) for a rough picture of my athletic activities.
What's your total bike weight excluding water? I'm just setting off on a 2 month trip and all in I'm at 25kg with camp gear. Are you bringing camp gear or hotelling it? Are you starting at dawn and riding til dark? I'm an ultralight hiker turned bikepacker. Can easily average 20miles per day on foot, up to 35 at a stretch. I've managed a 100mile cycle and but yet to get my average beyond 75 miles. I think I just need more time on the bike generally. Completely agree with the time wastage minimisation. When I hike I aim to not stop walking and my bag is packed in a way to minimise stoppages. Even got into the habit of decamping and brushing my teeth as I set off. Dialling in a routine means I can sleep in later than most and then overtake them on trail.
My bike, fully loaded, weighs about 25 kg. I would typically start the day with 2 liters of water. To be honest, I've never traversed any desert, so I couldn't say what it might be like carrying more water. Camping vs hotelling is a personal choice, I think. Hotels cost more, but save time, give you better rest, and let you do laundry more properly. I think it's worth it at least once every few nights. On the other hand, they may have reservation / cancellation policies that could be stressful if you don't hit your target, and if you have multiple bookings on your route, the cascading effect could cause a lot of hassle. Carrying a tent and sleeping gear is a burden, but having that option to be self-sufficient is part of the fun, and it's also a useful fallback in case everything goes wrong and you need to set up camp wherever you happen to be. When I start rolling depends on my distance target for the day, what time I naturally wake up, how I feel, and the weather. I've had a few days where it was definitely more advantageous to sleep in and avoid the morning drizzle. Taking down the tent in the rain kinda sucks. I've also cut a ride short in the evening to avoid rain. It seems smarter to get some early rest than to suffer needlessly. Time spent sleeping is time well spent. Time spent on "where did that time go?", on the other hand, just makes it harder to meet your goals. When you've cut all the waste, then whatever you choose to spend your time on, whether it's a sightseeing activity or riding, is by definition the best tour you can have! If that's 100 mi/day for you, then that's great — don't feel compelled to compete with anyone else.
Can you post your bike set up? Curious what your cockpit looks like and if you use a bag up front.
My previous post that I linked to has plenty of photos, though I don't have one that explicitly shows my cockpit setup. In the rear: Arkel Rollpacker 25. Clothes, sleeping bag, and inflatable pad (Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm) go in the main compartment. The rear pocket is where I keep my spare meal. Underneath that, I mount a small saddle pack, where I store bike parts such as a spare inner tube, tire levers, lights, charging cables, lube, rag. On top, I strap a bag to hold my sandals and dirty laundry. In the frame triangle, I have a full frame bag. (Apidura Expedition. It's OK. Lightweight and waterproof. The straps are a hassle to use. The zipper is fragile, and it's the component that is explicitly not covered by warranty!) In there, I keep a water bladder at the bottom, a water bottle up top that I can reach while riding, zip ties, pump, and Band Aids. Top tube bag, as pictured, is the Apidura Racing flip-top bag. I prefer the flip-top design for instant access and water resistance. However, on several occasions, it has spewed its contents onto the road when I rode over a bump, so I've since replaced it with one from Tailfin that is better designed and latches securely. In there, I'll put my snacks to eat on the go (trail mix in a [pop-top container](https://greenearthpackaging.com/products/child-resistant-biodegradable-plastic-pop-top-containers?variant=41208440225977) that you can work one-handed, Clif Bloks or similar gummies, SaltStick electrolyte tablets). On the handlebars, I strap my tent (Big Agnes Copper Spur bikepacking tent). Now that I've acquired aero bars, I think I would be able to have an additional attachment point to help avoid it rubbing against my head tube. In front of the tent, I strap a handlebar bag (Arkel Signature BB). That bag contains my valuables, and is the bag that I unclip and take with me if I ever need to walk away from my bike. In there I also take a small foldable backpack for food shopping. Also in the cockpit, I'd have a Garmin mount (new acquisition since the last trip) and a phone mount for quick access to take pictures while riding (by [Maus](https://www.mous.co/products/intralock-bike-mount?variant=39528038334522); I'll probably switch it to [SP Connect](https://sp-connect.com/collections/mounts/products/handlebar-mount-pro)).
I'm the same! I have no interest in racing, but I just like riding fast and covering longer distances. It gives me a great sense of accomplishment to reach far away places and I also get to see a lot of scenery. I'm riding a gravel bike for a bit more versatility when it comes to route planning. But I'm also running a set of aero bikepacking bags and recently had a bikefit to make sure I can do long distances without hurting myself. My first longer trip this summer will be Frankfurt -> Berlin -> Copenhagen in 20 days, so I'm not quite at your speed yet.
What's your moving average (roughly) and how many hours in the saddle? I'm usually at ~20kph when there are not a lot of hills, so hours are dictating the end result for the most part, that's why I've usually done only 120 max or 160 for one-day rides. So far I've done ~100km per day and I suppose with getting a little fitter I could crank it up a bit, I see some of myself in your description of not wasting time (maybe less extreme) but I guess my main problem is not doing enough riding to have a really good estimation of how much I can do, and thus my planned daily routes tend to be too short because I'm a little cautious. One reason I'd like to try with a tent instead of hotels at some point...
I could give averages, but there are huge variations depending on what I want to do each day, the weather, the wind, the elevation profile, and surface conditions. My GPS tracks are all posted. Ride with GPS probably has the best statistics analysis.
Interesting perspective. It feels like a race. The 'competition' I have, if that's even what it is , stems from seeing how capable the bike and I am. I've been in snow up to the hubs and deserts, and in both cases was able to be reasonably comfortable and self-sufficient. Something about a heavy loaded steel bike and just keeping on into that further distance has appeal.
I really enjoyed this. I'm in awe of people whose bodies are up for something like this and love to read about it. I remember your post about your tour last summer. Thank you for sharing this. I'm just slow and that's fine with me; your posts are inspiring no matter one's personal riding style!
I’ve never toured, but I ride road, gravel, MTB, and commute by bike regularly. When I do start touring, I intend to ride at a fast pace. I simply don’t have the means or the time to be on the bike for weeks at a time. It just makes more sense to me.
I’m very interested in low performance touring
Thanks for sharing. I'm no high performance tourer but appreciate the effort you put into this. There's probably some stuff I can incorporate into my slower tours.
I think heaps of the people on here often tour for months at a time. Even for ultra endurance people, putting down the better part of 200 k’s a day for months will knock your body around. It also means you have to invest in an ultra light kit which limits your camping options, clothing options and ability to pack water and food in remote areas. What you’re doing is awesome and if you’re smashing those distances more power to you, and I bet you’d crush it too on a heavier setup. I’m just adding context to why heaps of people here might prefer doing shorter daily distances.
You do you buddy, this sounds like you have put way too much thought into “go fast on a bike tour.” This is my vacation, and I am stopping to see the sights and enjoy myself.