- Ensure That You Are Fit Enough
It is highly important that you do some bit of extra training before your biking holiday. This is especially so if your normal cycling sessions are far between and limited to a few miles around your neighbourhood. Keep in mind that your biking holiday will mostly involve riding back to back days and for much longer distances than what you are used to in your cycling exploits. Trying to fit in some extra training sessions in your rather busy schedule can be a bit tricky. However, taking advantage of every opportunity you get to hop on your bike and hit the out outdoors will go a long way in preparing you for your holiday.
- Establish Your Budget
Depending on your financial situation, there are several options to consider when it comes to planning your holiday. For instance, there is the choice between bringing your own bike and hiring one. Here, you need to weigh the costs of transporting your own bike against the costs of hiring one. You also need to decide on where to stay during your holiday. You can choose to spend your nights in hotels, campsites, hostels, or a combination of all these options. This will all depend on your finances and preference. Countries like Scotland and select places in England and Wales permit wild camping, which can significantly help to keep your accommodation costs down. If camping isn’t your thing look at these great My Hotel Break deals in Chester.
You can also opt for a guided cycling holiday but this comes at an additional cost. Here, your overnight accommodations are pre-planned for you with some of your luggage being delivered ahead to your next stop by a minibus. Once you’ve determined how much you want to spend, ensure that you stick to your budget.
- Prepare Your Bike
As with your physical fitness, you also need to ensure that your bike is fit for the task and won’t fail you. Ideally, have it thoroughly checked and serviced by a professional before leaving. The brakes, cables, gears, and chain are some of the most crucial parts that need to be checked. As you will be covering a lot of extra miles, ensure that your tyres are in good enough condition. Given that you will be engaged in a week or more of daily riding, make sure to have your bike well-lubricated, tightened and adjusted. This will go a long way in minimizing the risks of an accident.
- Share Your Goals
When going on a solo biking holiday, it is much easier to set expectations and change your plans on the fly. However, things are much different when going with a spouse, friend, or as a group. You will all need to be in agreement on the kind of holiday you want. You have to make sure that everyone is on board if, for example, you are planning on having chill-out days for other activities such as sightseeing or swimming, or are planning to make frequent stops along the way. By discussing your goals for the holiday with everyone involved early enough, you will be able to minimize the chances of arguments and falling out which can ruin your holiday.
- Plan Your Route
Besides deciding on the area you want to explore during your holiday, before planning your route, you also need to identify your start and finish points. Rather than having to constantly go back to your car, an airport, or a ferry port, you can consider planning a one-way ride and return by train.
Once you get to the planning phase, you will need to decide where to make your overnight stops. This will mainly depend on the distance you are planning to travel every day and what you want to see. Ensure that you leave some room for unexpected changes and don’t overstretch yourself. Perhaps there will be days that you won’t want to ride as far or you may identify an awesome place where you’d want to spend some more time in. And after all, it’s a holiday, and it’s all about having fun.
- Travel Light
While a package holiday allows you to carry as much luggage as you want, when it comes to cycling holidays, it is in your best interest to carry the bear minimum. When arranging for your overnight stops, consider places with laundry facilities. Since you will be able to wash your most comfortable cycling gear along the way and also keep some clothes for the evening, you won’t need to keep a lot of clothes for the holiday. If wild camping, you can wash the clothes yourself in a river or lake. But avoid using soaps or detergents, even the eco-friendly ones as they have been found to be harmful to the environment.