5 top tips to get ready for your cycle tour

For any cyclist who is considering or preparing for a week on the bike, our cycle tour guides, David and Susan, share their tips to help you avoid getting too tired, stay comfortable whilst riding and make the most of your cycling holiday in France!

A little time spent preparing physically for your vacation will help you feel at ease during the morning and afternoon rides, and not be working so hard that you forget to enjoy yourself (as well as reducing the risk of injury!) 

Here at French Cycling Holidays, helping you get the most out of your much-anticipated vacation is what's important to us.

"Our aim is that all our riders have a good time, admiring the scenery, chatting comfortably as they ride," says our cycle guide, David, "so spending time in the saddle is the best way to prepare for your cycling holiday."

Our five minute guide explains how to prepare yourself for your next cycling adventure in France...

Cycle guides in front of a French chateau

How to get fit ready for your cycling holiday

1. Spend time in the saddle

“It is easy to think that leg strength or aerobic exercise is the most important thing you can do before your cycling holiday,” says Susan, “but the very first thing I’d say, is: ‘spend time in the saddle if you don't want a sore butt’!”

She explains that riding 2-3 times per week is ideal, because, “it’s your butt that you notice most when you’re riding every day!” Susan recommends that in the final few weeks before your depart, you should ideally try to ride most days to make sure that your derrière is accustomed to being in the saddle. (She does fully acknowledge that this is also her own personal aim, which she does not always achieve!) “I can tell the people who have been riding frequently as they don’t really mention their backsides when we’re on the road!”

(We should point out that David has been known to interpret this advice as placing a bike saddle on a stool on his balcony whilst he sips rosé in the sunshine, but for maximum effect, your legs should also be working, so actually riding a real bike is a more efficient way to accomplish this goal!) 

Female cyclist rides along a road in France

2. Build up endurance with longer rides

David emphasises that a few longer trips of 2-4 hours on the bike before your cycling holiday starts will mean that you can maintain longer periods of effort more easily during the week. “You don’t need to go hard or fast,” he explains, “a conversational pace is fine, and of course you can include coffee or lunch stops as that is what we’ll be doing during your holiday!” (David is well known for his enduring loyalty to the caffeine bean!)

Building up aerobic endurance before your vacation will mean that your heart rate is used to being raised for half days at a time (not just from coffee!), and you can enjoy the ride and make sure you are taking in the sights, sounds and smells of la belle France!

3. Strengthen your leg muscles

"As well as sitting in a bike saddle, building up your leg muscles will help you during any hills - we don't want you to feel uncomfortable when we arrive at our picnic stop or hotel!" says Susan.

Building leg strength reduces fatigue and can help prevent any injuries.

Here are some ways you could work your quads, glutes, calves and hamstrings with repeated sets of exercises, resting between sets:

  • Work your calf muscles: at the gym, opt for the leg press machine. At home, stand with your toes on a step, with your heel off at the back, then raise and lower heels.
  • Lunges for all round cycling strength: do them with or without weights as you prefer. Stand with legs shoulder-width apart, then step forward with one foot. Bend this knee to 90 degrees to lower your back knee towards the floor.  
  • Do squats correctly: with feet slightly wider apart than your shoulders, stick out your bum (or backside, bottom, posterior... whichever you prefer to say!) and squat as if you’re going to sit down (rather than leaning your torso forwards). Try to keep your back straight, head forward, and squeeze your glutes for maximum effect, whilst keeping your feet flat and firmly planted for balance.

Group of people strengthening legs in a pilates class

4. Support your posture with core strength

Whether you take a pilates class or try some exercises at home, building core strength is always helpful for cyclists.

Susan is an advocate: “People think that cycling is just about legs, but actually your core helps stabilise your posture, which is good for cyclists.” When at home, Susan takes a pilates class followed by yoga (although David thinks that this is an excuse to lie down on a mat for two hours!)

Whether trying pilates exercises with a coach, in a class, or from online videos, building core strength takes time. If you are already a cyclist, regular pilates is a good way to keep you agile and stable, so keep up with the exercises all year round to maintain the benefits.

David helpfully adds, “If you don’t have a stretchy band for pilates, you can always use an old inner tube!”

5. Practise riding hills for our more challenging tours

If you are choosing a cycle tour which offers a bit of a challenge compared to your normal rides, any effort you make practising hills will benefit you on your holiday.

By dedicating a ride per week to a more hilly area, you will quite quickly build up your endurance when it comes to a week long ride because you will be working your legs as well as your cardiovascular fitness.

David explains: “The more you can practise hills, the more comfortable you will be on your biking holiday. Just focus on the coffee and cake at the top!”

Cycle guide pedalling up a hill in the French Alps
Susan in the French Alps, earning her dessert at dinnertime!

When to start training for your cycle trip?

If you are looking ahead to a cycling holiday in five to six months' time, you have plenty of opportunity to get yourself well-prepared for the ride, by building muscle  strength and cardiovascular fitness, plus getting plenty of riding time in before your arrival.

If your holiday is more of a last minute option, or you are not already a regular cyclist, you should look to spend as much time in the saddle as you can in the weeks leading up to your trip, because the best way to get fit for cycling is to ride a bike! 

What level of cyclist do I need to be to go on a bike tour in France?

We have put together our tour itineraries to offer wonderful experiences for different levels of cyclist, so there are more leisurely rides, more challenging destinations, and some tougher holidays for people who are ready to take on the famous French mountain rides. 

Not sure how to choose your cycling holiday?

French Cycling Holidays guides with a rider in front of a castle in France