Bike touring: preparing your first all-day ride

Going from the usual Sunday loop to a full day on the bike is the finest leap in cycling: you leave in the morning, you're back in the evening, and in between there's only you, your bike and whatever you planned. Nothing insurmountable — as long as you handle the three things that spoil a first big day: distance, refuelling and the route.

1. Think in hours in the saddle, not kilometres

The instinct is to aim for a round number: 100 km. It's a poor benchmark, because it says nothing about the time actually spent riding. If your longest ride so far is 40 km, a first day of 70 or 80 km is a step you can take; 120 km, far less so. And be generous with your estimate: at an average of 18 km/h on rolling flat terrain, 80 km already means 4.5 hours in the saddle, plus stops, photos, lunch and traffic lights. A 6 to 7 hour day door-to-door is an honest target for a first attempt.

2. Plan a forgiving route

The best first route isn't the most spectacular one, it's the one that leaves you a way out. In the VéloCore planner, start from the Touring profile for a good balance between rolling comfort and quiet roads, or from the Safe profile if you'd rather the route stayed well clear of major roads. A loop beats an out-and-back: it spares you riding the same road in reverse, tired, when you already know every metre of it.

3. Elevation multiplies everything else

The same distance doesn't cost the same depending on the terrain. Before you commit, look at the total elevation gain and the climbing profile of the route: for a first day, staying under 800 to 1,000 m over 80 km keeps the ride enjoyable. Also check where the hills are. A long climb sitting at kilometre 65, when your legs are empty and the light is fading, costs far more than the same climb at kilometre 20.

4. Scout water and lunch before you leave

This is the one you always discover too late: on a Sunday, in a lot of villages, everything is shut. Turn on the points of interest on the map to spot fountains, shops and bike cafés along the route, and decide in advance where you'll refill the bottles and where you'll eat. Two full bottles at the start and one identified resupply halfway, and you'll never have to improvise on empty. What to eat, and at what rate, is covered in our article on nutrition for a long ride.

5. The bag: light, but complete

A day out isn't a self-supported tour. The goal is to be able to fix a puncture and not get cold when you stop, nothing more:

• two inner tubes, tyre levers, a pump or CO2 cartridges;
• a multi-tool and a quick link for the chain;
• a packable windproof jacket and arm warmers or light gloves;
• sunscreen, some cash, an ID;
• a small power bank: your navigation and your emergency phone both depend on it.

6. Ride slower than you'd like to

The first hour is a trap: the legs are fresh, the route is new, and you set off too fast. Hold a conversational pace, the one where you can still speak in full sentences. Plan a proper break roughly every two hours, short but seated, and eat before you're hungry rather than after. A successful day is rarely won on power: it's won on consistency.

7. Tell someone where you're going

On a 25 km loop, a breakdown is an annoyance. Sixty kilometres from home, in an area with no signal, it's something else. Fill in your emergency contacts in the app before you leave, and keep fall detection on: in the event of an impact, VéloCore starts a countdown and alerts your contacts with your position if you don't cancel it. The full tour of those settings is on the Features page.

8. And when you get back

Save the ride: distance, elevation, real time in the saddle. That's what will tell you, concretely, what distance to aim for next time — a first big day is as much a benchmark as an adventure. And if the light was good, you'll have something to tell.

Read also: Cycling nutrition: what to eat on a long ride · Riding safely with geolocated SOS