Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Biking 1500 miles in 3 weeks?

Me and my friends have a crazy idea to bike for 1500 miles in about 3 weeks... I am in very good shape as a runner but a total noob when cycling. We have mentors to help us out for things and am picking up a Trek 2.1 along with new biking shoes and the whole nine yards. The big question is though is it possible for someone to cover this length of time. We are camping out most of the time with a few scheduled maintance stops (shower so on and so forth.) I need help with avoiding possible pitfalls of the adventure.

ALso will the trek 2.1 2008 be a good bike to do this in. I am hoping to average 17-20 mph is that a reasonable pace for someone with as little biking experience? (i can do a marathon in like 3:30 with little training if that is a gauge of being inshape?) I am in very good cardiovascular shape and have biked for exercise plenty of times.

1500 miles in 3 weeks shouldn't be a problem ... that's only 71 miles a day.

Go for a ride and see what you can do now in the way of distance. Then gradually improve on it.

If you're doing this as a tour (camping?) ... you should probably post this in the touring forum.

Definately more as a tour as in we will be camping. and it is in more like 2.5 weeks. I just didn't know if that was a ridiculous goal.

As Machka points out you might want some more responses from bike tourists. While I agree with her that a 70 mile/day average is not overly excessive for touring it does mean 70 mile/day every day for 3 weeks. That means weather, mechanical issues, physical issues, that cool place you'd like to spend an extra day- all of that can make 70/day a more challenging goal.

Regarding your fitness. Your marathon time indicates a high level of fitness but general fitness and fitness specific to biking are two different things. A mistake runners often make when they start cycling is a strong emphasis on the pedal downstroke and pedaling at too low a cadence. If this tour is in a hilly or mountainous region your most likely downfall, if there is one, will be knee issues. The way to avoid this is #1- have your bike fitted to you by a professional (some bike shops have experts at this and it would be worth it in your case to find one). If you can't afford that read up on how to fit your self to the bike, make sure your cleats are appropriately positioned and your seat height perfect. #2- Spin keep the pedals going around 90 rpms most of the time. #3- Relax when climbing. Avoid muscling your way up a hill, grinding and mashing away on the pedals until you get to the top- take your time and keep spinning- you more than likely won't be able to spin up a mountain at 90 rpms but at least keep it above 60 rpms.

Then your seat- your butt is going to hurt if you haven't had a lot of time to get used to it. Choose the best possible saddle you can. These forums are full of info about saddles. IMO, and I am certainly not alone in this opinion, the Brooks B-17 works really well for long riding. If you choose a saddle like a Brooks, give it some time to break it in before you start the tour- you'll be glad you did.

Finally, technical stuff- learn some basic bike repair and how to check and double check your bike- and the bikes of your companions- you'll see things from your perspective they can't- like hanging bungee cords that can get caught in a wheel or that open pannier pocket that allowed the camera or wallet to fall out that you have to ride 40 miles back to try to find. Practice fixing flats- other wise you'll eat up precious riding time fixing stuff.

For new bike tourists the first 2 weeks of a bike tour are the most challenging as you work the bugs out- after that- the third week- will be a piece of cake.

Good luck! and Have Fun!:thumb:

Me and my friends have a crazy idea to bike for 1500 miles in about 3 weeks... I am in very good shape as a runner but a total noob when cycling. We have mentors to help us out for things and am picking up a Trek 2.1 along with new biking shoes and the whole nine yards. The big question is though is it possible for someone to cover this length of time. We are camping out most of the time with a few scheduled maintance stops (shower so on and so forth.) I need help with avoiding possible pitfalls of the adventure.

It depends on how much time you have before you want to do this, and how much time you're willing to spend on the bike to train. Your cardiovascular endurance will be useful, but without a lot of time in the saddle, you aren't going to have the bicycle-specific leg muscles to be able to do that sort of mileage day after day. The rest of your body is likely to be very very tired.

As for speed, unless you are a genetic freak, you aren't going to be averaging 17 MPH for that period of time, much less 20MPH, unless the course is pretty flat and you train hard. Most recreational riders that I know would be looking at 15-16MPH on a course that is medium hilly. Remember that effort goes up with the square of the speed, so to go from a 15MPH average to a 20MPH average requires nearly double the average power output.

My advice:

* Get a bike
* Get it fit to you professionally
* Find a saddle that works for you
* Try a back-to-back 75 mile ride, and see what you think.

In my opinion, you have recieved some great advice from the last 2 posts, "Xcrunner08" & "ericqu",as I have done many 3 week or more trips of the type you are asking about. I earlier posted in "touring" that I rode from vancouver canada to san fransico california with a young workmate who also was a good long distance runner. He had limited experience travelling full days on a bike but thought he was in shape to go. We had to stop in san francisco because his knees and achilies tendons were so swollen he could barely walk. The next trip that he went with me was down the alaskan hwy., but he practiced a lot before the trip and had no problems this time at all, (except a sore butt). On most of my 3 week trips, from start to finish each day, and that's including all stops during each day, average was 75-85 mi./day, but I never took any full days off, maybe a couple half days, which were included.

ALso will the trek 2.1 2008 be a good bike to do this in...

To address this part of the question: This is not a particularly touring-oriented bike. You say you will be camping, so how do you intend to carry your gear?

If you are camping and carrying your own gear, your speed/mileage goals will be very challenging, depending on terrain and wind.

Another thing of which to be aware, is that fueling and hydration will be key. You won't have days to recover between rides and any dehydration and/or fueling deficiency can carry over to the next day. I did a cross country ride and for several weeks beforehand ensured that I rode 300-500 miles per week. I found that I was eating and drinking constantly -- on and off the bike -- during training and even more so, while riding. On that ride we averaged 105 miles per day. It was completely supported. On another ride with much less support -- 1300 miles over 10 days and extra gear to carry due to cold wet weather, the days were much harder. Those extra miles and extra time due to carrying more gear dramatically reduced our available recovery time between days.

The big question is [though is] it possible for someone to cover this length of time. No, I don't think that's the big question.

I think the big question is whether or not you'll just be "lucky enough" to avoid any common pitfalls that go with any two or three weeks of "outdoor" life.

While you focus attention on the the obvious issues relating to general fatigue and bicycling skills other impediments such chafing or saddle-sores, or a gastronomic bug acquired from multiple water supplies is likely to befall you.

Failing these issues, one general rule of athletes with developed cardiovascular abilities is their potential to endure lengthy activities at intensities severe enough to weaken, stress and damage tendons and muscles not previously developed in a more prudent time-frame.

All that aside, good luck, listen carefully to your body and have a good time.

Failing these issues, one general rule of athletes with developed cardiovascular abilities is their potential to endure lengthy activities at intensities severe enough to weaken, stress and damage tendons and muscles not previously developed in a more prudent time-frame.


Amen to that. I've been in great cardiovascular shape all of my adult life, mostly as a long-distance runner. Now that I'm relegated to a bike (ruptured disk), I'm still learning this lesson, but not well. My lung and legs far exceed my knees. Seems like I'm always having to ease up in a ride to avoid exacerbating the knees even more.

Be especialy wary your first few days on the trip. Once your knees start throbbing, it's too late. They'll stay that way until you finally give them the rest they need. Slow acclimation to a new motion is best, but that's nearly impossible for one who considers himself a well-conditioned athlete.

I'm a great preacher, but lousy practitioner. :)