The 5 best fitness exercise to prepare you for your bike tour
In essence, multi-day cycle touring only requires a semi-decent baseline level of fitness. Baseline is the key word here.
Many people assume they need to train for hours on the bike and in the gym before a big tour—something resembling a Tour de France-style schedule. In reality, if your goal is to properly tour (with or without electric assistance), take a steady approach, and fully experience the journey rather than chase records, then a handful of pre-tour rides and some basic conditioning exercises are more than enough.
In fact, we’ve seen it first-hand: riders arriving underprepared, building fitness as they go, and completing the tour with a smile on their face. Our tours typically cover around 400km over the course of a week. They’re self-carry, meaning you’ll have panniers on your bike with everything you need. Naturally, this makes climbs more demanding—but it’s all part of the adventure.
That’s why we offer guidance and support to help our guests feel confident before they set off. Because confidence on the bike comes down to two things: handling skills and fitness.
Why Fitness Still Matters
Fitness has been a big part of our core ethos since the inception of Eurocycle Adventures. When we started this venture back in 2018, our three founders Alex, James and Kelvin were heavily entrenched in the health, fitness and wellbeing industry, having a collective working experience of more than 50 years. In fact, these tours were initially born out of serving our health and fitness clients rather than the travel industry - so health and fitness was always at the forefront of our minds and is something that we have firmly engrain into our tours. We think it’s a key component to self growth and a pivotal factor to getting the most out of your tour. While you don’t need elite-level conditioning, a bit of preparation goes a long way in making your experience more enjoyable—and that’s what it’s all about.
A unique aspect of Eurocycle Adventures is our background in the health, fitness, and wellbeing industry, spanning over 25 years. These tours were born from a desire to combine that expertise with travel—because the two complement each other perfectly.
There’s no better feeling than being physically and mentally strong, and no better way to travel than by bike.
Start with a Simple Plan: The FITT Principle
Before jumping into any training, it helps to have a bit of structure. Without it, you’re just guessing. A great place to start is the FITT principle: Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type.
Frequency
How often will you train—and for how many weeks?
Recommendation:
Aim for 3–8 weeks of preparation, with 2–3 sessions per week. That said, anything is better than nothing—even one session per week will help.
Intensity
How hard are you working?
On a tour, you’ll experience a mix of low, moderate, and occasional high intensity—especially on climbs.
Recommendation:
Stick mostly to low-to-moderate intensity rides, and moderate-intensity strength work. You should feel your muscles working by the end of each session—that familiar “burn” is a good sign.
Time
How long are your sessions? This could mean the duration of a ride or the number of sets and reps in strength training.
Recommendation:
Build up gradually. Start with 30-minute rides and work towards longer sessions—eventually a few hours if possible.
For strength exercises, 2–3 sets of 10–15 reps is a great starting point, depending on your current fitness level.
Type
What kind of training are you doing?
For cycle touring, your focus should be on:
Cardiovascular fitness (riding)
Muscular strength (especially legs and core)
Cycling involves repetitive, low-force movements with occasional bursts of effort—mainly when climbing.
Recommendation:
You don’t need to spend hours in the gym. A few longer rides will build your cardio naturally.
Where you’ll see the biggest benefit is in strengthening your legs and core. Stronger legs make climbs easier, and a strong core improves stability and comfort on the bike.
Keep It Simple
The reality is, you’ll continue building fitness while you’re on tour.
But if you want a head start, a small amount of structured preparation can make a big difference to how you feel day to day.
In our video, we share five simple, no-equipment exercises to help you prepare for your next multi-day ride. Nothing fancy—just a bit of consistency and determination to make your journey that much more enjoyable.
The 5 Key Exercises (Quick Overview)
To help you prepare for your tour, we focus on five simple, no-equipment exercises that target the muscles you’ll rely on most during long days in the saddle:
Hamstring Hip Raise (Alternating Leg Bridge)
Strengthens the hamstrings and glutes—key for sustained pedalling power and protecting the lower backSide-Lying Leg Raises
Builds hip stability and strengthens the outer glutes, helping with balance and knee alignmentSit-Ups
Develop core strength to support posture and reduce fatigue on longer ridesSingle-Leg Bulgarian Split Squat
Improves leg strength, balance, and control—closely mimicking the demands of cyclingProne Superman
Strengthens the lower back and posterior chain to support a more comfortable riding position
