The Breakdown: The biggest obstacle for most people is self-doubt, not age or fitness.
Bike touring is possible at almost any age: riders in their 70s and 80s regularly complete long-distance tours.
Consistency and commitment matter more than speed or athleticism: being comfortable riding 3–4 hours a day is often enough to tour.
Bike tours are highly flexible: you can choose shorter mileage, frequent breaks, motels instead of camping, or e-bikes for extra support.
Gradual preparation is key: build base mileage before your trip, start with easier days, and schedule regular rest days.
Dear Having Doubts About Getting Off the Couch,
You’re not alone in having these concerns. Many people ask themselves these same questions about physical preparedness. Some are able to push through these doubts and find their way down the road. Others end up choosing the path of least resistance and decide not to start at all. If you’re pretty sure you don’t want the latter, let’s see what’s realistic for you, starting with age.
There is something to be said for age being just a number. I have toured with folks in their 70s and even 80s, and I never doubted their ability or commitment. Granted, these are folks who have been active, sometimes very active, their entire lives. Many of them would even argue that bike touring is what has helped keep them in great shape. They were also doing camping tours, so it wasn’t just cycling they’d committed to, but also sleeping in tents and communal cooking.
But let’s be honest: Would I think less of anyone in their 70s or 80s who said that sleeping on the ground didn’t appeal to them anymore? Absolutely not! Would I want to sleep on the ground when I’m 75? Hard to say! The great thing about bike touring, however, is that you can easily adapt it to your desires and needs. Don’t want to pitch a tent anymore? Sharing rooms in basic motels or staying with Warmshowers hosts can keep a tour economical without having to fall asleep on an air mattress each night.
So if you’re younger than your 70s or 80s and were debating whether you missed the age cutoff for a bike tour, hopefully that makes you feel more confident. For a little more assurance, though, I’d say that the fifth and sixth decades of life are actually a very typical age to get enthusiastic about touring. For one thing, you may have a bit more time on your hands. Those with traditional careers and vacation constraints can absolutely make time for cycling adventures, but what a gift it is when you don’t have to squeeze those adventures into a week or two. Now the door is really open for an epic adventure (maybe a month or more) which could mean a tour with more miles or more relaxed days.
If the average person on the street tries to dissuade you from bike touring, feel free to brush their opinions aside.
To give you an example of a typical tour cohort, on my first epic bike tour, 15 of us pedaled 1,100 miles through Washington state, Canada’s Yukon, and Alaska. I was the youngest at age 40. The next person closest to my age was 59. A few folks were just past 70. This was a remote tour that didn’t include many easy days, but this group was more than up to the challenge.
Now that we’ve dispelled any concerns about age, how about physical fitness. I’ll start by saying, if the average person on the street tries to dissuade you from bike touring, feel free to brush their opinions aside. If you have a medical condition, however, you should talk to your doctor about your anticipated adventure. If they raise concerns, that’s something you should work through together, and it’s important to be aware of what services are available along your desired route since many places you may want to ride will have limited access to medical care.
So, what does “in shape” really mean when it comes to a cycling tour? At the minimum, you will want to feel comfortable pedaling your bike for three to four hours per day. Do you need to be fast? No. Even 9 to 10 miles per hour will get you 25 to 40 miles down the road each day.
When you’re crushing 70-plus-mile days several weeks later, 50 will feel like a breeze.
You don’t even have to ride non-stop. You could break camp or leave your motel at 8 AM, pedal for an hour, stop for a coffee or second breakfast, pedal another two hours, enjoy lunch or a nap in the park, pedal another hour or two and voila! You’re done for the day. Time to enjoy some of the local sights and cuisine and feel good about what you accomplished. This schedule might not be everyone’s idea of a typical touring day, but there’s no reason that it can’t be your typical touring day.
I wouldn’t advise going straight into a bike tour without working up to your anticipated daily mileage, however. In addition to the risk of injury, you’re less likely to enjoy the tour due to fatigue, aches, and pains. Still, with a good number of base miles in the saddle, it is reasonable to start a tour with some shorter, get-in-the-groove days, and anticipate that you’ll get stronger as the tour goes on. On a multi-week tour, a 50-mile day at the beginning could feel like a big accomplishment, but then when you’re crushing 70-plus-mile days several weeks later, 50 will feel like a breeze. Make sure to build in a rest day every seven days or so to keep yourself feeling strong.
I’d be remiss not to mention e-bikes as an option for touring. There are a number of tour operators, including Adventure Cycling, that offer e-bike-friendly tours, and the interest in these tours is increasing. If you’re traveling without support, you’ll want to carefully research your anticipated daily mileage and compare it to your battery range when fully loaded. You’ll also want to ensure you can recharge at the end of each day, especially if you’re camping. I know several couples and friend groups where some tour with e-bikes and others ride with just their legs for power. A tour planned with this in mind is a great way to continue enjoying trips together.
So, if you were looking for someone to say your touring days have passed, you’re not going to find them here. There isn’t a wrong way to go on a bike tour, and whether it’s a tour of 50 miles or 500, you’re going to come away with a unique experience. Happy touring!
The post Ask an Adventure Cycling Tour Leader: Am I Too Old or Out of Shape for a Bike Tour? appeared first on Adventure Cycling Association.
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