Originally Posted by Machka
On your tours, approx. how many kms a day will you plan to ride?
How many days per week? How many rest days do you take?
Does that vary depending on the terrian, or your mood, or other factors? Or do you stick to the plan pretty closely?
Hello,
On my last tour, I planned to ride 55-65 miles per day, but averaged about 50 miles per day. The terrain was a factor due to the steep Virginia mountains. I was 51 years old at the time, and not in great shape.
Typically, I like to start each day's ride as the sun comes up, and finish my riding day no later than 2:00 PM, roughly. This provides me with ample time after the ride to rest, nap, eat, shower, do laundry, get my gear ready for the next day, and then walk a bit through town, read, or whatever.
Generally, I only take one rest day per week, and usually do not plan it before-hand. Instead, I try to save my time-off for very rainy days. Sometimes I like to ride six full days, and on the 7th day ride only about 20 miles. This allows me to make headway in my journey but still have many hours of rest.
Overall, I leave my plan wide open to accommodate any unforeseen circumstances, both good and bad, that my crop-up. Although I enjoy the physical and mental challenge of a tour, I (almost) never condemn myself because the day's mileage is less than planned. I want to see and experience everything possible on the tour, and not be controlled nor pressured by the number of miles I "must" do each day.
Wolfy