Must-know tips for your first cycle tour
You’ve taken the bold step of entering the Cape Town Cycle Tour for the first time. Most likely this will be your first long-distance race. The route does measure 109 kilometres after all.
Even if it won’t be the first, it will most definitely be the biggest. As many as 35 000 cyclists from all over the world have competed in past Tours.
While there are those individuals who get on their bike on race day with minimum preparation, most people would probably only feel completely at ease knowing that they’ve done all the necessary training and planning.
Trying to get to bottom of what exactly it is you should be doing in the months leading up to race day could be overwhelming however, as there is a no shortage of information to be found.
To help you make a start, we’ve rounded up the most important advice from those in the know:
Training
You know you need to train and get fit; that’s a given. But as important as this, is getting to know your bike. If you’re looking to buy a new bicycle for the tour, shop around for bikes for sale well before the race, so that you can get used to riding it.
New or old, however, learn how your bike rides most comfortably, learn how to fix minor niggles, learn how to tell when something is just not right. Schedule a service for your bicycle at least a month ahead of the race, so that you have time to test it out.
If you’re flying from other parts of the country or are driving down to Cape Town, take your bicycle for a spin before race day to check that cables, handlebars and seats are all still in the correct positions.
Nutrition
Say ‘ultra cycle race’ and most people think ‘carbo loading’. If only nutrition was that simple. But it’s not, so read up on exactly how you should prepare your body for race day. As with all other dietary plans, there are good carbs and bad carbs, and it’s not just down to carbs either. Proper hydration is crucial too.
You definitely need to know that you should not try new supplements on race day. There is no way of telling how your body would react to a gel or liquid. Stick to what you know instead or you could run the risk of becoming ill and being unable to complete the race.
Logistics
There is no way around it – you will have a check-list as long as your arm for race day. From your race number, to your snacks and a repair kit, to sunscreen and safety pins – it all has to be remembered. Miss out on just one necessity and your race could be off to a very bad start.
This would all of course be futile should you not be able to make it to Cape Town, so book your flights and accommodation well in advance. Seats and beds will fill up fast, especially around the time of the Cycle Tour, and you don’t want to miss your first Tour because your procrastination got the better of you.
Finally, one simple piece of advice that’ll put the joy back into race day when the going gets tough – don’t forget to enjoy the views. The Cape Town Cycle Tour is known as one of the most beautiful races in the world for good reason.
www.cwcycles.co.za