How to train for a cross-country bicycle tour

How to train for a cross-country bicycle tour

Woman is exercising in her living room with dumbbells and stability ball.
Training for a cross-country bike tour will help you enjoy the ride all the more.

Is a cross-country bike tour still on your bucket list? Maybe what’s holding you back is the daunting task of training for such a monumental challenge. Take a deep breath. With time, consistency and a good plan, you can absolutely start your big adventure as your best cycling self possible.

Why train for a cross-country bike tour at all?

Even if you are in reasonably good shape, training that is specific to long-distance bicycling has a big payoff. Not only will it help you avoid injuries and minimize mental fatigue, but you will also start to enjoy the tour all the sooner since you won’t be spending time and energy on building strength and stamina, or worse, recovering from an overuse injury. In other words, you’ll get in the zone much faster and have more time to truly enjoy the ride.

How early should I start to train for a big bicycle tour? 

The earlier the better. For one of our cross-country bike tours (such as Cross-Country: Atlantic Coast Bike Tour April 21-June 15, 2025 or Cross-Country Southern Tier Tour March 4-April 30, 2026), we recommend allowing 12-18 weeks to get ready. If you are new to bicycling, it’s a good idea to check in with your doctor first to make sure all systems are a go.

What kind of training plan is best for long-distance bike tour training?

Most experts would agree that a good training plan is tailored to your individual circumstances, but should contain these three components:

  1. cycling and other exercises that build cardio endurance and stamina
  2. strength training that focuses not only on your legs and glutes, but also your core, arms and back
  3. stretching to increase the flexibility and range of motion in your hips, hamstrings, shoulders, back and neck.

If you are a beginner, we have this 6-week training schedule for beginners that incorporates all three components. Intermediate and advanced cyclists should check out the Advanced Training section on this schedule to flesh out a training plan for longer tours.

The remainder of this blog has some additional information on these and other components that you may find helpful in putting together your own training program. 

How to build cardio endurance and stamina for your bike tour

Nothing beats time in the bike saddle for increasing your capacity to ride longer, faster and more efficiently. Aim to do at least 4 bike rides a week, with one or two of those rides being longer than the others. Some people like to go by miles, but our experience has found that measuring your rides in time is easier and just as effective. Each week, build a little extra time onto your weekly rides, so that by the last few weeks, you are spending as much time on the bike as you will likely do during the tour.

If you are an intermediate cyclist who wants to reach an advanced level, here is an example of how your week-by-week schedule could go for an 18-week schedule.

Weeks 1 & 2: 3 rides lasting 1 hour each, 1 ride lasting 1.5 hours. Total for week: 4.5 hours

Weeks 3 & 4: 3 rides lasting 1.25 hours each, 1 ride lasting 2 hours. Total for week: 5.75 hours

Weeks 5 & 6: 3 rides lasting 1.50 hours each, 1 ride lasting 2.5 hours. Total for week: 7 hours

Weeks 7 & 8: 2 rides lasting 2 hours each each, 2 rides lasting 3 hours each. Total for week: 10 hours

Weeks 9 & 10: 2 rides lasting 2 hours each, 1 ride lasting 3 hours, 1 ride lasting 5 hours. Total for week: 12 hours

Weeks 11 & 12: 3 rides 2. 5 hours each, 1 ride lasting 6 hours. Total for week: 13.5

Weeks 13 & 14: 2 rides lasting 3 hours each, 2 rides lasting 5 hours each (try to do the 5-hour rides consecutively). Total for week: 16 hours

Weeks 15, 16 & 17: 2 rides lasting 3 hours each, 3 rides lasting 5-6 hours each. Total for the week: 18-24 hours

Week 18: This is a recovery week before you start in earnest, so 3-4 rides of 1-2 hours each. Total for the week: 3-8 hours

What about hills?

Incorporating hills into your training rides once or twice a week will help you prepare for the elevation gains you’re bound to face on our Moderate and Advanced tours. You'll build strength, power and stamina. Don’t worry about being speedy going uphill, but instead focus on finding a low gear that allows you to climb at a steady, even, comfortable pace. 

If you live in an area that has limited hills, practice riding up and down the same hill several times. If there are no hills where you live, then plan your training rides on windy days and map your ride so you cycle a good portion of it into a headwind. If you can’t count on wind, then make friends with interval sprints. After you’re warmed up on the bike for 10-15 minutes, cycle as fast as you can for 30-60 seconds, then return to normal speed while you recover. Repeat several times, allowing enough time at the tail end of your training ride to recover at your normal speed for 10-15 minutes.

What if the weather doesn’t allow me to ride a bike outside?

A lot of us live in parts of the country where winter can last six months or longer, and the roads are simply too icy or snowy for safe cycling. Indoor cycling counts! Sign up for spinning classes, hop on an exercise bike at your gym, or bring your bike inside and put it on a trainer. You can invest in a Zwift virtual indoor cycling subscription to keep it interesting, or look around YouTube for free virtual rides, such as those posted on Indoor Cycling Videos.

What about cardio training off the bike?

There are other activities and sports that can be substituted for one or two bike rides a week and will definitely build your cardio fitness. This will help when the weather is bad, as well as when you simply want to diversify your workouts. Jogging or running is one example, and has the added benefit of helping with bone density. Swimming is another, and has the added benefit of increasing upper body and core strength. Tennis, pickleball, soccer and basketball work up a great sweat, and also help build power. All of these activities use different muscle groups, making it less likely that you’ll become susceptible to overuse injuries.  

What kind of strength training is best for long-distance bike touring?

While bicycling is obviously taxing on your legs and glutes, the sport also requires good support in your back, core and arms. A solid total body strength training regimen will not only get all those areas in shape, but will also help build bone density, which cycling does not. Consider doing 2 to 3 strength training sessions of 20-40 minutes each per week to help build muscles. Start light and slow and build up gradually.

Of course, weight machines or dumbbells are a great way to strength train. If you are new to this type of exercise, work with a fitness trainer to learn proper technique. Group exercise classes in TRX, barre, Pilates, CrossFit, yoga or kettlebells are also a fantastic way to get stronger.

Don’t have the budget for a gym membership? Consider following these free YouTube.com workout gurus. Many call for dumbbells but all offer equipment-free workouts that use your body weight only:

Jessica Smith TV: Good beginner workouts, many of them incorporating yoga- and Pilates-style movements. https://www.youtube.com/@Jessicasmithtv

Joanna Soh: Great variety of strength training, yoga, kickboxing, stretching and more. https://www.youtube.com/user/joannasohofficial 

Heather Robertson: Basic total body workouts that are easy to do at home. https://www.youtube.com/@Heatherrobertsoncom    

Dansique Fitness: Pilates, yoga, barre and more from a professional dancer. No equipment necessary. https://www.youtube.com/@DansiqueFitness

Charlie Follows: Variety of yoga workouts for all levels.   https://www.youtube.com/@CharlieFollows

Caroline Girvan: For more challenging strength workouts, try one of Caroline’s EPIC series. https://www.youtube.com/@CarolineGirvan

What about stretching?

We can’t recommend stretching enough. Not only will it increase your range of motion and improve your flexibility, but it also lessens muscle soreness and stiffness. Plus, it just feels really good and relaxing, and the next best thing to a massage. Try to fit in 5-10 minutes of stretches for your legs, hips, shoulders, neck and wrists after each ride. Bonus points if you can manage one or two longer stretching sessions per week as well. Need some ideas for helpful stretches? Here are three follow-along videos to get you going:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOLGLM-qDnI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pve8C_wPux4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRXXGA6XLeY

A word about the other stuff: bikes, clothing, shoes, fuel, etc.

Keep in mind that your bike and cycling garments should be as ready as you are for your upcoming tour. Plan to do most of your training on the bike you plan to ride for the tour. If you are renting a bike from WomanTours for the bike tour, then train on the kind of bike you plan to use (either a road bike with curved handlebars, a hybrid with straight handlebars or an e-bike).

If you are buying a new bike for the tour, give yourself plenty of time to get comfortable with that bike and its shifting, and make any adjustments necessary so it fits well and doesn’t cause any pain or distress. Similarly, wear the jerseys, helmet, cycling shoes and jackets you plan to take on tour to make sure they are comfortable. Making sure your saddle and crotch get along is especially important, as most cyclists find their bottoms feel sore and out of sorts long before their legs get tired. Padded shorts or leggings (no underwear, please) and anti-chafing cream will do wonders to minimize skin irritation and hot spots. If problems persist, look into getting a more comfortable saddle. 

Your training rides are also an opportunity to learn how to stay hydrated and well-nourished, so always bring along plenty of water and healthy snacks. Drink before you feel thirsty, and eat before you are hungry. If you aren’t urinating every few hours or if your urine is very dark, you need to drink more water.

Get used to riding in all kinds of weather

Perfect weather is great but never a guarantee on a cross-country bike tour. Learn how to dress for the types of weather you may encounter on your tour, and don’t be afraid to train in bad weather as well. If you are dressed appropriately, you will find that rainy rides can be exhilarating and beautiful in their own way.

Can’t decide on an epic or cross-country bike tour?

It’s not too late to sign up and train for these tours in 2025 and 2026:

Cross-Country: Atlantic Coast Bike Tour April 21-June 15, 2025

Cross-Country Southern Tier Tour March 4-April 30, 2026

How about some other 2025 bike tours for Advanced cyclists?

Still want a challenging bike tour that is not quite as long? Here are some options:

Big Sky of Montana Epic Bike Tour June 14-28, 2025

Big Bend National Park Epic Bike Tour April 1-10, 2025

Texas Wildflowers April 13-19, 2025

Portugal: Along the Atlantic Coast - Porto to Lisbon May 17-26, 2025 (sign up for both this tour and Portugal: Along the Atlantic Coast – Lisbon to Lagos May 27-June 4, 2025 and save 5% of the tour cost on the second tour)

Balkan Quartet: Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Montenegro May 30-June 13, 2025

Spain: Camino de Santiago Sept. 14-21, 2025

Chile: Lake & Volcano District Dec. 7-15, 2025

 

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