Originally Posted by
indyfabz
+1. I went to southern Spain for 7 weeks one March. While I rode my bike around town a lot during the winter and frequented the gym, I did not ride hills and didn't do intervals on the bike at the gym. The first riding day in Spain was 62 miles. Maybe 8 of them were flat. I was completely spent at the end of the day and took the next day off. It took me a while to find my legs on the hills that followed day after day.
I think most people will agree that trying to get into shape while crossing a mountain range is not for everybody. I've heard though that the rolling hills on the east coast are more discouraging as there never seems to be a flat spot where you can recover.
As indicated by others, planning the route will make or break your tour if you aren't in top shape.