| Re: What To Do About Bolloxed Vacation?
50 km/31 miles is not that far, espedially on good flat roads and bike
paths. You just might surprise yourself by completing the distance with
little or no difficulty. Most of these organised tours have support vehicles
that follow the cyclists and provide them with snacks and liquid
refreshment, so you won't have to worry about staying fed and hydrated
during the day. If worst comes to worst, you could always load your bike in
the support vehicle when you get too tired to ride any further. OTOH, maybe
the perceived ignominy of riding in the support vehicle will provide you
with the motivation you need to keep cycling and finish the 50 km...
If this group deals with a lot of American customers then I'm sure that they
are very accustomed to unfit guests who cannot ride 50 km in a day, and
have found ways to accommodate the less fit members of the group.
People who signed up for the 50 km/day tour probably aren't that much fitter
than the 25 km/day group, they're just willing to spend a little more time
on their bikes. If being a little slow on your bike is going to make it
difficult for you to fit in socially, then you probably don't want to know
those people anyway.
If the 50 km/day tour turns out to be extremely demanding for you, try not
to think of it as "an ordeal". Exercising yourself into exhaustion can be
fun, and it can be quite satisfying. Just ask anyone who's ever cycled a
century ride or a long Audax ride, or run a marathon. There's a real feeling
of accomplishment that goes with all those aching muscles, and there are a
lot of long term benefits as well. By the end of the 50 km/day tour you
should be distinctly fitter than you are now, and that gain in fitness will
make all your subsequent cycling activity much more enjoyable.
Out of curiousity, which company are you touring with?
--
mark
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