For me it all depends on how many things there are to see and do in a particular place. I've had days from 45km up to 168km on tours. I had a day of 183km in Scotland, but that was an out-and-back ride where I left the load at the campground, so that probably doesn't count.

My preferred distance is normally in the 80-100km range, but I might do a little less if it's a day where I'm off the bike a lot to take photos, visit other attractions and so on. Other days where there's less to see, and I'll put the head down and rack up some more kilometres -- especially if I have a tailwind.

I think the key is to prepare yourself to do a lot of miles, but also be prepared to shorten a day should such a reason arise. I've had days where I've only planned on doing 85km or so, and ended up with 120 simply because things weren't where my map said they would be. If you're having problems after 35 miles, follow Machka's advice and check your saddle and bike fit. Do some longish rides before setting off on a tour to ensure your position is a comfortable one. There's nothing worse than discovering a problem after you've started.

I like Valygrl's response the best (60 +/- 40). I've cycled anything from as much as 140km's (85-90 miles) (very gentle uphill all the way) from Rabat, Morocco to Meknes; 120km's (70 miles) across the Atlas Mountains from Ouarzazate, Morocco including 80km's (50 miles) uphill, only to coast 30km's (20 miles) downhill into Marakesh the next day. I've cycled as little as 25km's (15 miles) from Lake Louise, Alberta to the next hostel at Castle Mountain. We took about 1/2 day for that even though it was generally downhill and there were no headwinds. We just wanted to drag out the trip as long as possible since we didn't want to go home. The next day was another 25km day into Banff.

For me the idea while on tour is to enjoy the scenery; make lots of stops for exploring and photos; talk to the local people, especially in third world countries. In other words, have some fun and not just focus on the pavement/gravel ahead all day long.

We generally build a schedule around 60 miles per day on non mountainous tours of less than a week. We try to enjoy the moment and take short breaks hourly or as the view dictates, although some folks do better with almost no breaks. You obviously need to find what works for you. BUT...most importantly get your bike comfortable for you no matter what it takes!! A bike that causes you pain will kill the joy of touring more each day. good luck and enjoy the ride.
Bill J.

These numbers are presumably for days within a longer tour. Is there any difference for a single long day? Would you go for more like 150 miles if you just had one day of riding with long rests before and after?

--Joe

I've been there and done that.
And although the body didn't seem to care, my mind sure did.
Setting up camp and cooking in the dark is no fun.
It seemed like working shift work. Get up, ride, go to bed.
I won't tour that way anymore.

What I'm thinking of is not a tour at all, but just a single ride, for example 150 miles from your home to a friend's house in another city.

Well of course ... as a Randonneur I've done single rides of distances like that and more every year for the past 7 years.

The PacTour crowd do that sort of distance every day for, I think, 17 days to cross the US.

I find that above 80 km's my happiness and distance are inversely proportional. I can 'push myself' and do 125 km's, but then at the end I feel rushed and like I didn't really get a 'feel' for where I was.

I find that riding with partners slows me down significantly, but that's the beauty of it. They tend to remind that it's not a race to get from point A to point B ASAP, but that's it's all about enjoying each moment!

I'd think most of my touring days end up being 90 km +/- 20 km. In hilly (Alps, Pyrenees, Croatian coast, ...) terrain the average tend to end up at 70-80, and in flatter (Netherlands, western France, ...) terrain it's closer to 100. In time spent riding, 4-6 hours is a good average regardless of terrain.

Yes, it's a very different case if you have somewhere definite to stay that night and don't need to go anywhere the next day! although probably best in summer when there are enough daylight hours for that (if you're bothered about that kind of thing...)