Originally Posted by
Obilisk18
For instance, if we're used to biking 50 miles in 4 hours once a week, how much harder will biking 60 miles per day for 4 days be? We're not in any special hurry. We'll probably spend 8 hours a day covering those sixty miles, stopping along the way to check out sites, eat, etc. But how much of a difference will the slower pace make in terms of fatigue?
It all depends on how much weight you're going to carry and how many hills you have to climb.
I found that once I could ride 50 miles in four hours, that I could ride pretty much all day for as many days as I wanted... on an
unloaded bicycle. But when you tie 50lbs of camping gear to the bike and then throw in some hills things start to get pretty difficult again! Especially true if you're trying to make your regular road or commute bike do double-duty as a touring bike and it doesn't have the right (read: low) gearing. My first rides on my loaded touring bike were pretty darn tough, and I was only carrying about 20lbs of gear for my credit card tour. Glad those rides were 6 weeks before leaving and I had time to sort out both fitness and the bike (read: gearing). Being in shape makes touring much more fun, I'd say...