Touring on a mountain bike

[Al3xx]

So I've been training for this Mountain bike tour and it's going good but I don't know if I am on track or if I should be doing something different or using different equipment. I am riding a 26x1.95 mountain bike with a 21in frame. I have been training for a little over a month and a half. I've gone from strouglijg to get 5 miles to being able to ride about 15 in an hour and not feeling exausted. I ride about 10-15 in an hour for about 2-3 days in a row then maybe 3-4 days of the week I usually do 3-5 miles of pure sprints. I was wondering if anyone had done any training for a mountain bike tour and if they had any advice on hour to train better and more efficiently.

 

[psychbi]

every time i hear about mountain cycling , i start to think about frightening scene that have seen before, Montreal osteopath always suggest me to be a professional in a sport major but i really hesitated between a majority types!

 

[vikesh92]

what can be best place for touring . Its seems so interesting.........

 

[Al3xx]

Any place can be good for touring. It just depends on how much riding you do and what you are used to.

 

[alfeng]

Originally Posted by Al3xx

So I've been training for this Mountain bike tour and it's going good but I don't know if I am on track or if I should be doing something different or using different equipment.

I am riding a 26x1.95 mountain bike with a 21in frame. I have been training for a little over a month and a half. I've gone from strouglijg to get 5 miles to being able to ride about 15 in an hour and not feeling exausted.

I ride about 10-15 in an hour for about 2-3 days in a row then maybe 3-4 days of the week I usually do 3-5 miles of pure sprints.

I was wondering if anyone had done any training for a mountain bike tour and if they had any advice on hour to train better and more efficiently.

FWIW. You can probably tour on any type of bike ...

While some people have successfully toured with FLAT handlebars, you may want to consider DROP handlebars ...

One day (~10 years ago), while I was off-the-road, I saw a guy who was touring OFF road with a BOB trailer ... I only glanced at his bike while I briefly spoke to him & my failing memory is going to say that he as touring with a Hardtail with Flat handlebars BUT it might have been a full suspension bike ...

I don't recall the chainrings which he had on his RaceFace crankset (that is, the crankset was probably either an aftermarket upgrade or the bike had been cobbled together from scratch).

I'm sure he walked the bike in some locations because I doubt he would have wanted to subject his trailer to some of the obstacles on the trail he had been on OR was going to be on.

BTW. Here is an unfinished 26er which was retrofitted with Drop handlebars + Road Double (because it was NOT being set up for Touring) ...

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With Drop handlebars you should probably EITHER opt for BAR END shifters OR (my recommendation) a set of CAMPAGNOLO shifters:

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Long distance bicycle tourists often use BROOKS B17 saddles, or similar leather saddles ...

Some people find traditional leather saddles to be impossibly uncomfortable, but I think that it due to how they set up the saddle OR how they sit on it ...

How much break in is actually required is debatable ...

An obvious penalty is that traditional leather saddles typically weigh over 400g ...

Periodic maintenance is required.

The reason that a traditional leather saddle (like a Brooks) is often preferred by long distance riders is because the leather will dissipate heat more readily than a foam covered plastic saddle (regardless of the top covering).

 

[StephenKJohnson]

Training tips: I'd work on riding longer distances at a relatively slow pace rather than working on higher speeds. The objective would be to: a) build up the aerobic system and b) train the body to get used to long days in the saddle (feet, hands, butt, neck and shoulders).

The equipment you describe sounds great for touring!