You do need to be prepared for a London to Paris bike ride, and the Arch to Arc is no different. It's no use just popping down to the shops on your bike every now and then and expecting to be fit enough for the challenge. However, conversely, you don't have to be a fitness fanatic to successfully complete the ride. Many of the riders in last year's event just attained a general level of fitness and nobody was left behind or had to drop out at any point.
A detailed training plan will be provided for those wishing to follow a routine but here are some ideas to get you started
- Build yourself up slowly. Gradually build up your mileage to a point where you could comfortably ride 80 - 100 miles in a session.
- Make sure you have plenty of fluid with you whilst training, and if you're on a long ride take protein bars or some form of sustenance to keep you going.
- Train at a pace that suits you. Make sure that you are not so breathless that you can't talk. Training with somebody else can help with this.
- Don’t worry too much about speed as this will come with time and endurance.
- Towards the end of your training and closer to the event make sure that you are able to do a distance of around 50 miles a day, 3 or 4 consecutive days in a row. This will ensure that you are used to being in the saddle.
- If you can join a local cycling club that will help a lot. Learning how to ride in a group is great fun and you will soon naturally increase your pace at the same time. Most clubs split groups into ability so don’t feel you need to be Lance Amstrong to join in.
- Sign up for some of the Sportives if you have time, again they are a great way of learning and good mini challenges to help you along the way.
We do have a qualified Personal Fitness Instructor as part of the team so feel free to contact us and we'll do our level best to answer any of your questions.
- Check out this article and the comments from a previous Arch to Arc rider if you want an unbiased opinion
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