Is 800km on a bicycle in 5 days with pack and tent etc doable

**vtec** · 28th March 2009, 12:46

HMB San Fran to Orange County LA

Will I survive. Will document it. Want to leave Monday morning and get there friday so I can hit the piss with a mate on saturday night. Am I too ambitious? It's only 160km per day average. Will try to start with closer to 200km in the first couple of days. Will have to see.

P.S. My plan is to cycle back aswell after a few days rest.

EDIT
DONE AND REPORT IS HERE: http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=98306
Took 6 days, made it much more pleasant, and didn't bother cycling back the bike wouldn't have made it.

**BMWST?** · 28th March 2009, 13:08

how fit are you....160 k a day thats the same as round the lake(taupo)I trained for months and did that in five hours.obviuosly no luggage and lots of other riders to draft.Not sure i could do that for a few days running.

**want-a-harley** · 28th March 2009, 13:38

How much do you cycle? I used to cycle 30k a day commuting (ie 15 in morning, 15 in evening). From that I would do weekend rides occasionally of 1 or 2 days. I'd be shattered after that.

The fact your asking makes me think you haven't done something like this before which makes me think it'll be way too much. It is definately doable, if your fit enough and your body and legs are used to cycling long distances, people do much longer (but train beforehand to do it)

**want-a-harley** · 28th March 2009, 13:41

Originally Posted by want-a-harley

From that I would do weekend rides occasionally of 1 or 2 days. I'd be shattered after that.

whoops sposed to say, those rides would be 150-200km on day 1 and 100-150km on day 2

**alanzs** · 28th March 2009, 13:48

It's doable. But, everything depends on your level of fitness. I have a few friends who have ridden that route and they trained for months before doing it.

The good part of the huge hills you'll climb will be upon your return, you'll be going downhill.

**Warr** · 28th March 2009, 13:58

Check the bus timetables and see if you can stash a pushbike in their luggage compartments.
Then getting to destination is always achievable

**vtec** · 28th March 2009, 14:08

I've worked as a bicycle courier for a couple of years in Auckland. I was pretty hardcore. If I was on the bicycle I was always going hard 8 hours a day. I fractured my wrist in January, so I've had plenty of time off the bike, but I don't seem to have lost too much fitness. I think my biggest concern will be food and drink supplies. Not really looking forward to maybe having to take a dump in the wilderness either.

I haven't done any massive rides. I was always so tired when working as a bike courier, cause it was day in day out, going hard all day so I never really had the energy to do any big events since I got into bicycles. I've probably only done up to 100km in freakish courier days. The last day I worked as a courier in early March. I cycled from McLaren park over 20k's to town. Then cycled around for 8 hours doing deliveries in bursts at pace, then cycled over 20k's home and that was after a month without exercise and I was fine, just shattered. Still it was probably only a 100km day. But courier km's in Auckland central are freaking hard work.

P.S. Don't get a Harley, if you're a cyclist, you'd be better off on a motard, and way cooler in my opnion.

**munterk6** · 28th March 2009, 14:20

must be mad.

good luck

**vtec** · 28th March 2009, 15:28

Giving it a thorough going over on Google earth, and it's looking crazy long for 5 days. Still I love a challenge. Will post up a vid when I'm done.

**Drunken Monkey** · 28th March 2009, 15:52

Taupo is a race though, when you're trying to push it around in 5 hours or less, it's quite demanding. If you were to knock that back to 7-8 hours it becomes a lot easier. If I'm training and trying to keep my average pace as close to 30 as possible, I find even 60kms can leave you feeling knackered. Stretch that out to dawdling around and regular stops over 4-5 hours, I don't even notice it as a work out. Hills make a big difference as well, and the surface. The 42nd traverse turned my knees to rubber, I think we only did about 40 something kms that day.
I think it's too hard to call without knowing your cycle fitness level and knowing the route.

**want-a-harley** · 28th March 2009, 15:54

when do you head off? do a practice run in nz, do 400km in 2 days and see how you feel, if you're fucked maybe re plan chuck a rest day in.

**vtec** · 28th March 2009, 16:52

Well I'm here in the States. I've just about got everything organised. It's still Friday night here, and I want to leave on Monday morning. The prevailing wind will be behind me on the way there so I might be Ok. Will try to maintain 20kph. May have to catch a bus back or something or it may take me twice as long. I'll be rooted all right, but when couriering Friday was always the hardest day and you start it out rooted, you can ride through it if you've had sleep and have had enough calories. Will see how she goes, may well require a rest day, but I'm going to try really hard not to.