Training Tips For An Epic Bikepacking Trip

Getting ready for an epic touring adventure is a daunting task. I’ve been dreaming of riding the Great Divide for 5 years — it’s part of what has kept me working in the outdoor industry, made biking my primary passion, and taught me determination and planning. Speaking of planning, well, that’s the most important piece for tackling a trip like this. So what have I been up to in order to get ready? I’ve broken things down to a few general categories.

Physical Fitness (off the Bike)

Exercise classes

I aimed to exercise 4 to 5 days a week, with different workouts to focus on my core, glutes, and shoulders. Breathing through strenuous movements and improving flexibility is key to prepare for long days in the saddle. Remember, fitness off the bike is fitness on the bike — having a good routine for exercise and stretching off the bike will help you out enormously over the long run.

Reducing indulgences (like alcohol & weed)

You won’t always have access to your favorite vice while out. Readjusting your relationship with it can be a good idea if it "helps you sleep" or is a part of your unwinding ritual.

Avoid Burnout

If you feel burnt out while training, it's okay to take a break for a few days — your body builds while it's at rest. You're most likely doing this ride for fun. Training can be hard, and in the moment seem like more trouble than its worth. If your training starts to take away the joy from your riding, give it a rest. Do something different for a little bit.

Physical Fitness (on the Bike)

Don’t be afraid to bite off more than you think you can chew

Your legs and willpower will surprise you, given the opportunity; you're most likely stronger and more capable than you think! This is probably the hardest thing to do on this list, because it requires you to be honest. You’ll probably hurt, and be grumpy at some point, but finishing these kinds of long, hard, rides — or trying and coming up short and needing to bail — can be extremely rewarding to your knowledge of yourself.

Ride nearly every day

Not just gravel riding, but mountain biking and commuting, too, while wearing different clothing. Anything that gets you on the bike and puts a smile on your face

Identify potential injuries ahead of time

While training, try and identify areas that could become nagging injuries. For me, my left knee seems to like to give me trouble if I'm not on top of my pedaling form and don’t stretch it at the end of the day or in the morning. Keeping an eye on your potential trouble spots and working to mitigate what's causing them will hopefully stop you from being caught off guard. If you're having doubts out of the gate, do as Nathan Doneen put it in his book about riding it solo: "Just give it a week."

Set a daily mileage goal

It helps to work towards a mileage goal that you feel comfortable about accomplishing. While I generally try to avoid number-based goals, having an expected mileage helps you plan your days and stops on long tours much more effectively. It's also nice to smash those numbers on good days.

Understand the type of ride you are doing

I'm not racing on the Great Divide, so I'll want to take in the sights and enjoy myself. If you're going on a long tour, remember that you don’t need to stick exactly to the route — feel free to make stops at interesting places, or detour to see a friend, or grab a bite to eat. This is your ride, so do it how you want to.

Nerding Out

I do enjoy a good number crunch and a pivot table.

Spreadsheets

Over the winter, I started a spreadsheet to organize my thoughts and requirements. It was very helpful in identifying problems, collating things that I needed or wanted to think about, and to endlessly tweak my packing list. I highly recommend starting your own as part of any trip planning process.

Do some overnighters

Dial in your camping kit and on-bike comfort with some overnighters and shorter trips. You can also take the opportunity to learn your local areas and roads. If getting out on some shorter trips isn't possible due to a lack of natural areas in your vicinity, try doing long loops with your gear loaded and then "camp out" at a friend's place.

Dial the bike in

Before your trip, you'll need to figure out what on your bike needs to change, what works, and what will make the ride the most comfortable — this is paramount. Your bike is your lifeline to civilization: it requires maintenance, care, and maybe a little affection (if you're the sentimental type).

Figure out your Basic Needs

Get an understanding of how to approach food, and what a good reward food is, during your trip. For me, I won’t usually eat a big breakfast, and I love jolly ranchers or other hard candies as a sweet treat after a long climb or to have at camp. Eating can be hard, but you’ll be burning significantly more calories than you're used to eating in a given day, and I've found that catching up on hydration and food is a lot harder than staying on top of it. Most importantly, have a plan for carrying extra water and food. You’ll probably need it. Establishing an off-the-bike routine is important for getting your camp set up with minimal effort and time. You’ll forget less things and you’ll be able to internalize the process, so it won’t be as difficult to do when you're tired. Your body is important to maintain as well: saddle sores hurt, sunburns sap your energy (and hurt), bloody, cracked, and chapped lips hurt, toothaches — you guessed it — hurt. So take care of yourself and have a plan for dealing with these things before they add up and derail your trip.

Summing Up

That’s the brief outline of my planning and training that I’ve been sticking to to prepare for biking the Great Divide. As my launch date approaches, tying up loose ends and getting in the right headspace are one and the same — a good plan and being prepared can make or break a trip! Skyler left on his trip to bike the Great Divide at the beginning of August. Follow his travels on Instagram: @sky_veselis