There’s nothing like going on a bikepacking adventure, escaping day-to-day life, and going into the unknown with your bike is a feeling like no other. It’s incredibly empowering and something I feel everyone should do at least once, but how do you train for bikepacking?

Bikepacking, although it can be very relaxing, it’s not always easy on the body. It requires a lot of effort from the muscles, and the cardiovascular system is not just exercising for an hour a day but multiple hours. 

As an expert bikepacker and personal trainer for ultra cyclists, I often get asked how to train for bikepacking or ultra cycling events. In this article, I will tell you how to prepare for bikepacking so you can get the best experience out of your adventure. We will be discussing:

• Why Train For Bikepacking?
• Physical Preparation For Bikepacking
• Example Training Plans
• Mental Preparation For Bikepacking
• Building Bikepacking Experience

Why Train For Bikepacking?

When it comes to bikepacking, it’s a good idea to do some training beforehand. That’s how you get the best out of a bikepacking adventure. Although many riders jump on the bike and go bikepacking, I personally don’t recommend it. Here’s why you should train for bikepacking:

To Make It Easier

If you put some time into training, you will find riding the bike much easier. The hills will feel less effort on the body, you’re going to be able to maintain a higher speed for less effort, and the pedaling movement is going to feel much more natural on the body. 

To Prevent Injuries

Injuries are probably the biggest cause of bikepacking trips ending early. When they are very avoidable with some training. Training for bikepacking is a great way to prevent injuries and safely prepare the body for the load. 

For Comfort

For many riders who want to take up bikepacking, staying comfortable is often challenging. The good news is comfort is trainable, and the more you can train and prepare, the less discomfort you’ll be in when on an adventure. Of course, a bike fit helps too.

For Enjoyment

When you properly train and prepare for an event, not only are you physically ready but also mentally ready. This gives you much more confidence and really adds to the experience you have. If you don’t train, it can make you feel nervous and worry a lot.

To Avoid Fatigue

Bikepacking isn’t easy on the body, and if you haven’t trained, fatigue can easily get the better of you. This not only makes you weaker day after day, but it makes the riding much harder. We highly recommend training to stop the onset of fatigue.

Everyone Is Different

Before we get into telling you how to train, it’s important to understand that everyone is different. What works for one person might not work for another. Training loads will differ depending on abilities, and some will require more rest than others.

 You need to take this advice and tailor it to your personal training. If you have any worries or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact a medical professional for a discussion before taking on a training plan. 

Physical Preparation For Bikepacking

The first place we need to start is physical preparation. This prepares the body for big miles, heavy bags, and steep climbs. The stronger you can get, the less fatigue you can take on an adventure. When it comes to physically preparing, here’s what I feel is required to get you ready for bikepacking. 

Low-Intensity Long Sessions

The first thing I recommend for bikepackers is to get some long rides in with very low intensity. For me, this would be a 4 to 8 hour ride with a heart rate of around 60% – 70% of my maximum heart rate. 

On these rides, I focus on just keeping the intensity low and getting used to being in the saddle for long periods. These are vital for conditioning your body to ride for hour after hour and are great for teaching you how to ride at a low pace, which is challenging for many riders.

These rides are also excellent for getting used to your bikepacking bikes. If you are using a mountain bike or gravel bike it helps you get used to the position and practice off road skills. 

Medium Intensity Endurance Sessions

Next, we have medium-intensity endurance sessions. These are 2 to 4 hour long sessions and designed to be at a medium intensity. I aim to be around 70% – 80% of my maximum heart rate. 

These sessions are designed to build cardiovascular fitness and also strength at the same time. 

These are the most valuable sessions when it comes to getting ready for bikepacking. They heavily build endurance, strength, and pedaling efficiency. 

High-Intensity Power Sessions

Then, we have high-intensity power sessions. These will typically last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and will require you to be around 80% – 95% of your maximum heart rate. Although you might not think this training would be valuable for bikepacking, it is.

By doing power sessions, we are building strength. They come in many forms. It could be a strong effort for 20 minutes or to make it more exciting you could do interval sessions. 

This means you can take less fatigue riding at slower paces, and it also gives you more ability when climbing steep hills and pushing into headwinds.

High power sessions will help you improve your average speed and also if you’re using power meters will boost your figures. If you’re going into an ultra endurance bikepacking race instead of just bike touring these sessions will help you keep a high pace you need to compete.

Functional Training

Finally, we have functional training, often known as cross training. This could be doing some strength and conditioning or having a session of stretching. Bikepackers often neglect these but have the ability to increase flexibility, comfort, power, and hugely reduce injuries. 

A 30-minute session once a week of doing some strength training, such as squats, lunges, bicycle kicks, and planking, alongside some general stretching, is a good example of a functional session and can be done at home with no equipment. 

Example Training Plans

So, what does that look like in the real world? Well, here are some training plans to prepare for bikepacking. Here you will see all the types of sessions we have spoken about and also ensured enough rest. 

 I will also include a plan for a beginner looking to go into bikepacking, someone training for an ultra endurance bikepacking event, and also a person who only has little time for training volume in their training schedule.

Race Ready

Monday	Endurance 3 Hours
Tuesday	Rest
Wednesday	Endurance 3 Hours
Thursday	Power Session 1 Hour
Friday	Rest
Saturday	Low Intensity 6 Hours
Sunday	Functional 30 Minutes

Beginner Adventure Preparation

Monday	Endurance 2 Hours
Tuesday	Rest
Wednesday	Endurance 2 Hours
Thursday	Functional 30 Minutes
Friday	Power Session 30 minutes
Saturday	Rest
Sunday	Low Intensity 4 Hours

Weekend Warrior Training

Monday	Rest
Tuesday	Endurance 2 Hours
Wednesday	Functional 30 Minutes
Thursday	Rest
Friday	Power Session 30 minutes
Saturday	Low Intensity 6 Hours
Sunday	Low Intensity 3 Hours

Obviously, your training plan will differ depending on your experience, the trip you’re going on, and the time you have available. These training plans could change if you feel they were getting too hard or too easy after a few weeks. When it comes to how to train for bikepacking you need to tailor a program.

If you want to take your bikepacking to a new level, start training with a coach to tailor something unique for your riding style. We also think it’s a good idea to learn about what muscles are used, what cadence is, and the bikepacking basics. This information will really help throughout your training.

Mental Preparation For Bikepacking

A big part of bikepacking that is overlooked by many is getting prepared mentally. This is what I personally call mindset training, and for me, it made all the difference in helping me improve my bikepacking skills, especially when racing. 

Positive Mindset

Practicing a positive mindset is very important for bikepacking. You will have days where it’s going to storm, you might have awful headwinds, and you could even get 15 punctures. You can’t be in control of that, but you can be in control of how you react. 

You have to always be positive, and even though you might have some very tough times, never opt for a negative attitude. Although this can be challenging at times, it’s easy to defeat yourself and have an awful time with a poor attitude. 

A positive mindset helps control perceived exertion while you’re on a bikepacking trip helping your state of mind.

Practice Problem Solving

Next, we have practicing problem-solving. It wouldn’t be an adventure if something didn’t challenge you. Learning how to reroute navigation, fix your bike, and solve personal problems such as being saddle sore is important. 

Practice finding solutions and always think clearly. Out of food and water? Focus energy on finding a shop. Navigation broke? Find a way to use your phone until you can fix it or find a replacement. Don’t stress, find solutions. 

Breaking Down A Challenge

Learning how to break down a challenge is a great technique and an excellent mind tool for bikepacking. Don’t see it as 1000 miles but as 10 trips of 100 miles or 100 trips of 10 miles. Learn how to break down challenges into small chunks and take little steps. 

I have always found using this technique vital when it comes to planning routes. I like to break my route down into sections and just focus on the section I’m on. I put the rest of the sections out of my mind until I am on them.

Building Bikepacking Experience

It’s not all about powerful muscles and a strong mindset. Sometimes, the most valuable training for bikepacking is to build experience to help you. Some of the best bikepackers I have ridden with are not super-powerful riders. They just have a huge amount of experience. Here’s what I recommend:

Micro Adventures

Before going on some epic bikepacking adventures, it’s a good idea to do some micro-adventures. When I first started, I used to go riding and camping locally with all my kit to get used to carrying gear and sleeping rough. This is a great way to train for bikepacking.

Day Challenges

If you want to build strong experience, do some long days out on the bike. Set yourself some big challenges and go out and ride far. Big mile days really set you up for knowing how the legs will feel when bikepacking and are great for mental strength. These long rides come with huge benefits. Find out more here.

Adventure With Others

Another great way to get experience is to ride with some other great bikepackers. The amount I was able to learn from other racers when I first started helped me so much along my journey, and I highly recommend asking experts you know if they want company. 

A Final Note

Bikepacking is an amazing way to adventure and stay in shape. As an expert bikepacker, the best adventures I have been on, and the most successful results were from training beforehand and being ready. We hope you’re now ready for your first bikepacking adventure and search at bikepacking routes ready.

Now you know how to train for bikepacking! Thanks for taking the time to read this article. If you enjoyed this, you will like 20 Bikepacking Tips For Beginners, How To Deal With Dogs When Bikepacking, and Do I Need A Bike Fit For Bikepacking?