"Best Cycling in the French Pyrenees"

Unique & Custom Pyrenees Bicycle Tours!

Riding mountain passes is particularly challenging in the Pyrénées: flat roads are practically nonexistent; climbs are steep and long; and to cover any distance, you’ll typically have to combine two or three climbs in one day. Cyclists of all levels will find routes that will challenge them in my guidebook, but to fully enjoy your cycling holiday in the Pyrénées, it is best to train properly prior to your trip, and to ride conservatively during your stay.

Fitness

Any cyclist able to ride a 50 miles on the flat, regardless of speed, should be able to ride all 21 climbs in my book. The level of challenge will depend upon the pace you choose rather than your experience or fitness, but your fitness level will determine what that speed is, and thus how long and how far you can ride in the Pyrénées at a given pace. Remember: the fitter you are, the more of the guidebook routes you’ll be able to enjoy!

The best way to become a fit cyclist is to ride properly, ride frequently and put on a lot of miles. Because each individual’s ability is unique, it is impossible to say what the minimum recommended base mileage is for one route or another. In general, I recommend that you have ridden at least 1,500 base miles before you challenge the mountains of the Pyrénées.

Training

Nothing replaces proper training and the old school of just riding as many miles as possible in the year doesn’t always yield the best results. Fortunately, there are a multitude of books available about correct training from simple guides to complex medical and physical encyclopedias. The most crucial first step is always ensuring that you are riding a well-maintained bicycle that fits you properly so you can ride at peak efficiency. Bike fitting can be done by most local bicycle shops or by a few select sports physical therapists.

Training begins with base building, a process that helps develop your endurance, muscles and circulatory system prior to proceeding with intense or prolonged efforts. High cadence, low intensity riding for a period of time varying from a few weeks to a few months is fundamental. During this time, special exercises can be added to improve the efficiency of your pedal stroke and your bike handling skills. Intensive workouts are kept to a minimum and only added progressively into the base building plan. Various books have been written on the subject: I recommend "Base Building for Cyclists" by Thomas Chappel.

Once you have a good base, you are ready to start specific training appropriate for your level and physical abilities. This should be focused on your riding goals, in this case, climbing and long distance riding. These books can help you train successfully.