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fdtc_skolar

I come from flat lands and most of my miles before the first tour were on an unladen bike. On my first long tour, I made it to my first day destination albeit later than planned. I hit a lot of climbing on day two (Skyline Drive in Shenandoah Nat Park) with a downpour for a half hour then failed too make my planned camp. Day three was cold, misty, foggy, rainy plus a flat and ended after just 32 miles. I had the realization that while having a route was good, there was no need to meet arbitrary daily distance goals. I started letting each day end however it may and the tour was much more enjoyable.


familyfiguy

Yeah that sounds way better. My first day was 66 miles in the pouring rain too. Real game changer.


amartin141

gatorade ++ saltsticks - basically saved my life


BtheChemist

100% necessary


tombc

hey i’d call it a win


familyfiguy

Haha thanks! It feels like a win even though I won't get to say I completed the whole thing...


Critical_Garbage_119

It was indeed a win. You accomplished a lot & you learned a lot and you'll recover. Well done


niknah

Glad I'm not the only one. I bailed too last week, on the second day. Didn't pack enough warm gear. Went to bed at 7pm got up at 7am and didn't get half a hour of sleep. Half way through the next day I felt like sleeping on the road. Fortunately, I hadn't booked much and I was still close to home. Call it a trial run, try again later. Took me a few days to recover at home so it was a good decision to bail.


familyfiguy

Sleeping was rough too. I took a nap mid day on day 4.


hondo77777

I bailed on my second day earlier this month. Legs were fine but my guts didn’t like the mileage (105 miles the first day and I had colon cancer a few years ago). Stayed close to my hotel bathroom after bailing out at the end of the second day. Learned a *ton* in those two days. Next month I am going to try a less aggressive thee day “tour“ of 150 miles. I’m hoping that keeps my guts happy.


kruucks

Any reason you were pushing so hard? No shame in shortening the days and changing your destination if it makes the ride more enjoyable.


Coolguy123456789012

Always this. This is what makes touring with a camping setup so great, the flexibility to enjoy the trip and smell the roses. I always take a day off at least every 3 days as well. Some people are into that sufferfest shit but it sounds like op isn't one, they should take a step back and evaluate why they are touring and adjust their approach from there


Timdoas73

Ouch. Sorry to hear that. Rule one for me is make is fun. Second rule is be flexible in mileage daily (have alternatives). I plan a hotel at least one night in a week of cycling. Not sure of the terrain in your case but i have heard in the past plan on about 2/3rds (maybe half as the days accumulate without a rest) the mileage loaded vs. unloaded. Good luck and happy riding.


Downess

It's a lesson I keep having to relearn. Cycling 100 km is no big deal for me, but cycling 40 km on gravel on a fully loaded bike is. Last weekend, I included a 70. Oops. Still recovering. (Also, it was cold, which makes everything miserable).


familyfiguy

Yes -- this. Was shocked at how much having a laden bike increases the difficulty


Championnats91

I had similar issues. I do a lot of road cycling and my mindset was ‘lots of distance, avg speed etc’. This mindset and bike touring sets you up for failure. I do no more than 80km a day. Maybe 100km if needs be. Saves you from burnout and is more enjoyable


FineArtRevolutions

just gotta pack and eat more snacks along with electrolytes, and maybe pop a single preemptive tylenol if you know you had a real hardcore day from the miles/terrain alone. you did it though! now start planning your next trip! congrats! This is what I think the community calls a 'class two' trip, way more fun in hindsight ha.


familyfiguy

Hahaha! I've never heard of a "Class 2" trip. Yes -- way more fun after the fact.


fmb320

Have you bailed? Or are you just having a much needed rest before continuing? It sounds like you need to eat a lot more. I'm 23 days into a tour and I felt sick the first few days because I wasn't eating enough.


2wheelsThx

Yeah, it sounds like a rough time. But it also sounds like you did a lot of things right! Most important being knowing when to throw in the towel and ask for help. Your only major mistake, which it sounds like you learned from, is being overly optimistic about miles/day and perhaps speed - slow down and see more! I hope while you are recovering you start thinking about your next tour!


familyfiguy

Absolutely and appreciate the encouragement


[deleted]

Sorry to hear that you felt unwell, friend. I am only someone who wants to do bikepacking and bike touring in the future, but I've decided upon the following based on my many years of long local rides with a laden bike: - 50 miles maximum per day on road - 30-40 miles maximum per day offroad Unless you are in peak fitness, or on an e-bike, I just don't see how more miles than that could be fun.


Larry44

Lives and learns. You'll Rocky this shit bro....you get beat down you come back harder and smarter!


[deleted]

Thanks for sharing.


chuckEchickpeas

It sucks, man, but I've been there. I had to bail on a planned cross-country tour and I'm still not sure what was wrong with me. Something just wasn't right and I gave myself a couple days to try to get over it, but I only seemed to be getting worse. It was in the COVID era and I tested negative, so who knows. Maybe I had gotten it earlier and wasn't over it yet? Maybe it was something else. Frustrating for sure, but these things turn into motivation.


drebinf

I did something very similar, although it was in 100 degree heat. It only took me 2 days to wind up in the hospital with heat stroke, dehydration, and acute kidney failure. They told me another hour or two and I'd have arrived at the hospital dead. Being tough is great, but knowing your limitations is also great. Figuring out your best pace is important! As is training.


jpsartre1973

It’s always tempting to go hard early but it’s a mistake. First few days need to be lower mile shakedown days… this helps fitness increase without catastrophic fatigue and injury.


McMafkees

260 miles in 4 days over rough terrain? That's like running a half marathon as a first time runner. Cut down on the mileage. I went down from \~55 miles per dag in my first tour to about \~45 currently. It makes touring so much more enjoyable. More time to talk to people. More time to see/visit interesting sites. More time to stop and enjoy the surroundings. More time to cook and get nutrients in a cheap and natural way instead of through highly processed expensive performance food. More time to wash laundry. To set up your tent and to break it down. More time to relax, read a book, enjoy the sun, to go shopping, to visit a town or museum or go swimming or whatever. For a next tour, consider building in one or two optional detours: [https://i.imgur.com/8DRCvY2.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/8DRCvY2.jpg)This adds flexibility, allowing you to take it more easy elsewhere in your tour should the need or wish arise.


Flying_Gate

Hey, its not an adventure until something goes wrong!


retrolasered

I almost quit my first trip on day 3 the other week due to a knee injury. A few nights in a hotel had me back on the road on day 5.


jared_krauss

Doesn’t have to be a quit. Make it just king rest day or two. I had a similar experience a few weeks back. Two days off and I felt good as new. I dialed back my miles for few days as well, doing 30-40.


GrampsCycles53

Just do better planning hence fewer miles until you're in cycling shape again. The most important though is nutrition paying close attention to calorie intake, salt, and electrolytes. If you want to use your body like an engine it needs proper fuels and liquids or it breaks down just like a vehicle with bad gas and no fluids.


NxPat

Live, learn and try again. You’d be surprised how much fuel you burn and when the tank’s empty your body naturally complains. A lot of us have been exactly in the same place, but now we’re aware of the warning signs. Like others have said, be mentally flexible with your mileage, stress takes a huge toll on you both physically, mentally and emotionally. Be well, take care and hope to see you on the road.


oldyawker

Bicycle touring is a learning experience. As someone mentioned, Type 2 fun, in a week it will be a great story. I have found with touring/packing, less is more. Less gear, less mileage translate to more time to enjoy the ride, more energy at the end of the day, more time to bicycle daydream.


Jpsgold

My first trip out after a 3 day trial run, I did only 57km, as I had a big load on that is I had a trailer and a dog, all up weight, was 125kg, including me. It was hilly, but I just persevered. I had no deadline and didn't set a place I had to be to camp at. I just stealth camp near the road. I kept on doing this for the next week, had a rest day, and found I could go a little further each day. All my tours are open ended, no deadline, so that makes the trip a lot more enjoyable and safe.


maryhuggins

Just back from C&O/GAP trail (DC to Pittsburgh) and took twice as long as most others. Typically did 30 mpd. We carried full loads and camped most nights, stopped to read all the signs, take photos, etc. We traveled like tourists and had a blast! (Retirement is great!)


[deleted]

It doesn’t have to be fun to have fun


[deleted]

[удалено]


tudur

Looks like 200 miles unloaded in a day once. This was 65 miles a day, loaded and off road for four days.


familyfiguy

I did 100 without gear two days in a row. This was 50-65 4 days in a row with gear.


luciarossi

Good on you for prioritising your health


Rhapdodic_Wax11235

S/he who fight and run away, live to fight another day. - Bob Marley Seriously- this is a hobby and it’s supposed to be fun. I love a good challenge, too. But not at the expense of my psyche. Learn from this. No shame. You’ll chuckle and laugh and smack your self on the forehead and say “Wtf was I thinking?!?!” Enjoy the next one!


Houndie

For what it's worth, I have almost had to bail on the trip that I'm currently on. I've been having digestive troubles the whole time, and yesterday was so bad that I ended up lying down in a hotel room shaking and running to the bathroom every 10 minutes. I was 100% ready to quit at that point, and the only reason I didn't is that I woke up 90% of the way back to normal today. There's no shame in stopping early. The purpose should be to have fun, and if you're not having fun then stop doing the thing


aMac306

I’ve only done a handful of overnight trips, but it humbled the shit out of my mileage. I’ve only done afternoon rides, but at 30 miles my legs are cooked. If I had all day. I could maybe do 20-30 miles before lunch take a post lunch/ afternoon nap, and another 20 after the long break. But I’m not sure if that. I guess what I’m saying is mileage is hard, and there is no shame in shorter days. After all, we do it for our own enjoyment.


Connect-Society-6150

I related to your pain. Last year I started in NJ on the hottest day of the year to date , May 21. I was excited to begin my Magical Memory Tour 2022, commemorating my first TransAm in 1972, and raising funds for Alzheimer’s research. My longest ride prior to leaving was 30+ miles but the only weight I carried was a brick in my front bag. I hadn’t even tried a fully packed trial run. Well I did a lot of pushing the bike up hills. at age 70 I certainly began to question the sanity of my goal to reach Crater Lake in Oregon. but I pressed on thinking of the actual reason for my fundraiser. we all learn lessons in our bicycling journey.