For most of our Great Bike Tours you will experience Very Easy to Moderate Levels of Difficulty. Each of these tours requires minimal conditioning. That being said though, when Preparing for your Great Bike Tour the more you ride before, the more you’ll enjoy it!
Sample Levels of Difficulty from 3 of our upcoming tours:
Very Easy – 15-30 miles/day, with total mileage of 105-165. Expect flat terrain, tailwinds, lots of bike paths. Cycle at your own pace. Get a lift in the van whenever you like. E-bikes available (limited supply)
Easy – 20-37 miles/day, with total mileage of 95-135 miles. Flat terrain and lots of paved bike paths. Cycle at your own pace. Get a lift in the van whenever you like. E-bikes available (limited supply).
Easy to moderate – 20-45 miles/day, with total mileage of 210-380. Rail trails and road riding, with some optional hills. Cycle at your own pace. Get a lift in the van whenever you like.
While on your Great Bike Tour you will have:
- Full van support throughout your stay (15-passenger vans, with AC)
- The services of 2-3 professional bike tour guides
- Ride with GPS navigation (using your own device) or paper route notes
Ride more now and your butt will thank you later. There is nothing that will prepare you more for your Great Bike Tour than “time in the saddle.” Do your best to get in a regular series of riding before your tour to tune in your muscles to riding. You use a lot of different muscles cycling!
Remember that you will be on vacation and you will be peddling at a slower pace to enjoy the scenery and make a few stops along the way. Don’t be surprised if you get in half the miles that you are accustomed to in a day. Enjoy the scenery, take it all in!
Preparing for your Great Bike Tour – Suggested Pre-Trip Conditioning Schedule
The earlier you start conditioning for your Great Bike Tour, the better shape you’ll be in for your trip.
We suggest starting your conditioning about 12 weeks before your trip and slowly increase your rides. Do not worry about being the fastest cycler, your vacation is not about speed. Relax, train at a comfortable pace and enjoy the ride—just like you will during your bike tour.
- 8 weeks before, your goal should be to cycle the average distance of your daily tour twice per week. Keeping in mind if you do not have the elevation changes to train on that you will experience on your trip just add a bit more to your distances.
- 6 weeks before, your goal should be to cycle the average distance of your daily tour three times per week, with two rides on consecutive days for best results.
- 4 weeks before, now is the time to add at one or two shorter rides to your existing conditioning per week.
- 2 weeks before, your goal should be to cycle the average distance of your daily tour three times per week adding in one shorter ride.
- During the week before your Great Bike Tour concentrate on keeping your muscles loose. Take a couple short, relaxed rides and save your best efforts for your vacation.
These are just suggestions to help you set your own personal goals to condition yourself for your vacation. You could combine miles and cycle 2 times a week. Maybe you can only get free on weekends, then train when you can on your schedule. The purpose of pre- trip conditioning is so that you will have a more enjoyable time while touring with us!
Two Vans Supporting Your Every Move
Whenever you choose you can take a rest and ride along in our support van. Each of our trips is supported by two 15-passenger vans. Two vehicles makes it easier for us to cater to everyone’s needs and desires – we have enough room in our air-conditioned vans for everyone on the tour – no waiting by the side of the road because the van is full.
The vast majority of our trips will have three leaders and two vans. We may even add a 4th guide if it will benefit the tour. On some of our smaller trips (13 people or less), we might opt for two leaders and one van, as long as we can still guarantee everyone a seat in the van while maintaining our exemplary level of service.
Why Travel With GBT
We are a family owned and operated bike tour company that treats you like royalty. We offer very personal bike vacations, with small groups of people (18 max). Our guides are professional, patient, friendly, and fun, and we all have a genuine desire to make each person’s trip special and memorable. We will go above-and-beyond what you’ve experienced before. You’ve traveled with the rest; now travel with the best – Great Bike Tours.
Have questions? Contact us! (802) 777-2009 [email protected]
