11/06/2026
Most cyclists come back from a cycling trip either fitter than they’ve ever been or completely broken.
Same trip. Same roads. Completely different outcomes.
And after years of coaching cyclists through this, I can tell you it almost never comes down to fitness.
It comes down to three decisions made before they even left home.
Decision 1 — Strength
Most cyclists drop their gym work the moment a trip appears on the calendar. Big mistake. When your glutes, hamstrings and posterior chain aren’t conditioned for back-to-back long days, the fatigue accumulates fast and by day 3 your lower back and knees are taking the hit instead.
Decision 2 — Mobility
One long ride is manageable. Five consecutive days of 5+ hours is a completely different demand on your hips and thoracic spine. Arrive with locked hips and a stiff upper back and your body is already fighting the position before the climbing starts.
Decision 3 — Fuelling
This is where most trips fall apart. You’re doing 5–6 hours on the bike. Your body needs 60–90g of carbohydrate per hour just to sustain the effort. Most cyclists are hitting half that — and carrying a growing energy deficit from day 1 that compounds across the week. By day 3 the legs are gone and they have no idea why.
Miss one of these, it’s just about manageable.
Miss all three — you’re in trouble.
The good news? All three are fixable before your next trip. You just need to ask the right questions early enough.
I’ve put together a free Pre-Trip Training Audit. 5 questions covering your strength base, mobility readiness and fuelling plan that take 10 minutes to work through and could change the entire outcome of your next cycling trip
DM me the word TRIP and I’ll send it straight over.
Already got a trip booked and want a full personalised plan built around it? DM me READY and let’s talk