While taking bus tours in a city or country will allow you to see and learn about famous sites, you usually don’t get very close to them. However, visiting the same area on a bicycle allows for a more intimate experience, as you can usually get closer to sites, visit local shops, and get to meet people who live in the area. If you have never travelled by bicycle before, here are four tips for taking your first cycling tour.
Consider Group Tours
Instead of embarking on your own, consider booking a group tour for companionship and support. A group cycling tour allows you to meet others and make friends who have the same interests as you. Also, a group tour will have support vehicles shadowing them, so if your bicycle tyre goes flat or you get injured in a fall, they will stop and help you get back on the road.
Start Close to Home
Instead of going out of the country on your first bicycle tour, consider staying within your area. Tour a city or the countryside in an area you have never travelled before, to see if you will enjoy it. You can also test out touring by choosing a weekend cycling holiday. Many cycling tours can last for a week or longer, which can be overwhelming for first-timers unless they are in great physical condition and are used to long-distance riding.
Train for the Trip
Most people cycle for pleasure, not for fitness, and a tour can be taxing on their bodies. To get ready for a multiple-day tour, you need to train your body to get it used to cycling for four to five hours a day. While you can stop and have a meal or shop in towns that you come across, there will be a lot of kilometres in between cities or towns, and you need to be in good shape in order to be able to travel on a bicycle.
Start training several weeks before the tour by riding your bicycle every day. Go on short rides without stopping to rest and gradually extend the distance of your rides. By training daily, your muscles will get used to the exertion and you will find cycling long distances more enjoyable.
Hire a Bicycle
Instead of trying to travel with your personal bicycle, rent one from the tour company. If you are flying or taking the train to your destination, you will usually need to pay a fee to take a bicycle with you. Along with saving money by hiring a bicycle, you won’t have to worry about lugging your own to another city or country on UK cycling holidays.
Visiting a destination within the UK can be fun while riding on a bicycle, but you need to be in shape to enjoy it. Spend time every day prior to your holiday training on a bicycle to get your body used to being on a bicycle for two to three hours at a time. Instead of travelling alone, consider taking a group tour for safety, support, and companionship.