Bikepacking is an incredible way to go on an adventure, but it’s good to train for it. The traditional way of training involves getting lots of miles in and a huge amount of practice packing and unpacking your bags. In recent times, we have seen a lot more bikepacking cross training.

Bikepacking cross training is a great way to improve not just how fit you are when riding a bike but also the overall experience. In this article, we will tell you all about bikepacking cross training and what many bikepackers are doing. 

• What Is Bikepacking Cross Training?
• 5 Ways Of Bikepacking Cross Training
• Is Bikepacking Cross Training For You?

My Experience Bikepacking

I have been lucky enough to have been regularly bikepacking for the past decade. I love it so much, and it has turned into a career in many ways. At the height of it all, I was ultra cycling all over the world in races and even broke world records. 

I have been lucky enough to train many other long-distance cyclists, and as a qualified personal trainer for cyclists, I understand what works and what doesn’t. I write these articles to help advise others and also keep people clear of bad advice online. 

What Is Bikepacking Cross Training?

Cross training is quite simply doing other forms of exercise to become better on the bike. You would be surprised at the amount of success people have from this, and for me personally, I spend a fair chunk of my training week, not just cycling. 

Riding alone can get you adventure ready, but it can also cause complications elsewhere. A great example is that by just using cycling as a sport, you can get tighter hamstrings, which can lead to poor posture and flexibility, eventually making cycling tougher in ways. 

Cross training not only increases overall fitness but also has many benefits and very few disadvantages. Here’s what you need to know!

Pros Of Bikepacking Cross Training

• Improved Overall Fitness
• Helps You Work More Muscles That Cycling Neglects
• Keeps Training Exciting
• Long-Term Injury Prevention
• Great For Working In Different Cardiovascular Zones
• Amazing For Core Strength

Cons Of Bikepacking Cross Training

• Less Time Riding Your Bike
• Not Always Easy To Into When Starting

3 Ways Of Bikepacking Cross Training

Now for the exciting part! Now, I will tell you five ways of cross-training for bikepacking. These are what I choose to do personally but there’s so many other options which I will discuss later.

Running

Cycling and running go hand in hand when it comes to triathlon but what a lot of people don’t know is that running has some huge benefits when it comes to bikepacking. It is very common for mountain bikers to use it for cross training, and for bikepacking, it’s in my top three!

The first reason I like running for cross training is that it has the ability to open up the rear of the legs and the hamstrings more. You also find the core gets engaged in different positions and it’s fantastic for correcting the back posture from being leant over. 

On the cardiovascular side, it can also stimulate your cardiovascular system to a very high intensity and raise your heart rate through the roof. It’s not like riding a bike, where you can stop and coast. 

Benefits Of Running For Cross Training

• Great For The Rear Of The Legs
• Cost Effective And Easy To Learn
• Great For Pushing The Cardiovascular System To High Intensity
• Good For Posture
• Promotes Great Core Strength
• It’s a Great Value For Time Exercise

Yoga Or Pilates

One of the biggest benefits to your bikepacking is becoming more flexible, and Yoga or Pilates is a great way of achieving this. This doesn’t have to be done in a class or in the gym, but there are many fantastic applications that can get you started. 

Yoga and Pilates are fantastic for building core strength and increasing flexibility. When it comes to bikepacking, not only is this going to make you ride more efficiently, but it’s going to heavily increase your comfort. 

Also, it’s one of the best ways to help reduce injuries to the body. It goes a very long way to prevent stretching muscles and can even help you sleep better on those rough nights while hiding away in a tent. 

Benefits Of Yoga And Pilates For Cross Training

• Hugely Increases Flexibility
• Amazing For Injury Prevention
• Very Relaxing
• Increases Comfort On The Bike
• Can Be Done Anywhere
• Cheap And Requires No Equipment

Strength Training

Strength training is the best way to improve your bikepacking while off the bike. You could do some squats and lunges at home or even go to the gym and use machines such as a chest or leg press. 

Not only does it greatly increase strength, but it also prevents injuries, is fantastic for mobility and flexibility, and can even increase metabolism. The beauty of strength training means you can also target certain places you struggle and increase them alone.

It doesn’t take up much time. Literally, a couple of hours a week could see huge improvements in your bikepacking. It can be done at home with a basic home strength training plan or in a gym with a machine based strength training plan.

Benefits Of Strength Training For Cross Training

• Increases Strength
• Supports Joint Health
• Better Mobility 
• Injury Reduction
• Metabolism Increasing
• Can Be Done At Home Without Equipment

Swimming

Surprisingly, many professional cyclists turn to swimming in the off-season. It’s an incredible way to fill in the gaps in fitness and also heavily work the cardiovascular system. Yes, it requires a pool, but the benefits are incredible. 

Firstly, it’s good for working all the supporting muscles and is incredibly low-impact. Not only is it great for cardiovascular work, but it also helps you control your breathing and can train the lungs to take in more capacity.

You can also improve the health of your joints because it’s a low-impact exercise. It opens you up to better mobility and is a very refreshing exercise. 

Benefits Of Swimming For Cross Training

• Great Cardiovascular Exercise
• Trains Breathing Well
• Good For Mobility
• Very Refreshing
• Low Impact On The Joints
• Increases Flexibility

HIIT Training

Finally, we have HIIT Training. HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. This comes in many forms, but the way I like to see it when it comes to being cross-compatible with bikepacking would be a HIIT circuit class. 

This is where you will do exercises one after the other with minimal rest in between. One minute, you could be doing star jumps, the next running on the spot, and then straight into push-ups. It not only allows you to increase strength, but it’s amazing for cardiovascular fitness. 

I am a big fan of HIIT training, and an instructor used to teach it. Classes like MetaFit and Les Mills really helped me build core strength and become a much more dynamic cyclist.

Benefits Of HIIT For Cross Training

• Great Cardiovascular Exercise
• Promotes Strength
• Good For Mobility
• Short Sharp Sessions
• Can Be Done At Home Or In A Class

Is Bikepacking Cross Training For You?

The benefits of cross-training for bikepacking are huge, and it’s easy to get stuck into a routine of just going out on the bike a few times a week. It has given me so much more ability over the years and made my adventure experiences so much better. 

It has also helped by offsetting the negatives that often come from doing a lot of bikepacking, such as poor posture, tight hamstrings, reduced flexibility, and even the blues after you get back from a trip. 

Do I recommend it? 100%!!! Thanks for taking the time to read this article! If you enjoyed this, make sure to check out The Ultimate Bikepacking Kit List, What To Eat When Bikepacking, and Bikepacking Gearing!