How many miles per day is sensible to aim for on a biking holiday? Say you decided to cycle to Rome tomorrow, staying in O/N accommodation, so not excessively laden, and sticking to the roads. Just trying to get a feel for some benchmarks, how would you rate 50 miles a day, say, relative to 100 miles a day?

Also, can you go much further per day on a tandem?

100 miles a day = **** hard work, you could do the Greate Divide Race at that sort of pace.

50 miles a day = doable and you might still be freinds at the end.

We try and keep between 50 & 70, but I’d say that I was relatively unfit compared to alot on here

I could do 50 road miles a day easily, and I’m not mega fit. It depends on how you want to do it I suppose, at a relaxed pace with some sightseeing, or a bit faster, as a ‘ride’ if you see what I mean.

I like the idea of Rome, though!
🙂

stats from our Pompino tour accross Spain & France:

5,000 km
73 kph top speed (45mph)
0 punctures
0 mechanicals
Average speed about 21 kph
Average distance about 80 km per riding day.
65 days riding out of 75 ish.

We normally manage 60-70 miles a day on the tandem. I could happily do more, but SWMBO gets tired quicker than me. That’s including a relatively leisurely lunch and time for sightseeing – <4 hours in the saddle at the speed we average. Relative to a single bike it really depends what the speed difference is – despite going slower on normal rides, I find we tour faster on the tandem than I do solo (though that may be down to the difference in routes – tandem touring is usually planned to avoid the worst hills).

Not sure I’d fancy 100 miles as a day as a holiday – maybe if you need to get somewhere.

we certainly planned the route to avoid the worst hills on the pompinos 🙂

biggest days we did was 500km in 4 days.

50-90 with 2 panniers, the wife did Lejog at this pace on a moderately heavy steel tourer. it really depends on terrain, it’s the climbs that’ll get you

What wwaswas said.

50 miles (80 kms) seems like a good average figure for planning – allows time for rest days and sightseeing. But obviously it depends on how hilly it is.

73 kph top speed (45mph)

I dread to think how fast the pedals must have been going round.

How long is a piece of string?

I would say 50-75 miles if you are on road. Last summers easy offraod tour on the tandem the longest day we did was 55 miles – that was hard going. we averaged about 35 miles a day but as I said it was offroad – double track mainly and we were fully laden with camping kit

12-15 mph is a decent tour pace for an unfit old man like me. so 60 miles is only 4- 5hrs riding. You want the odd day off as well and you want time to enjoy it. I plan for 300 miles a week max for road touring

It also depends how hilly the terrain is.

Comfy with about 60, medium load, judging by what you see out and about. Heavy steel tourer. 80 is quite doable now and again, but not as everyday mileage. 50 is ample if you want to explore the overnight destinations and have diversions during the day.

I dread to think how fast the pedals must have been going round

it’s why god invented freewheels.

50-60 miles allows time for sightseeing, cakes etc.

It must be my age, but I’m more drawn to threads about touring than any other tyoe of riding.

Shame Mrs North doesn’t have the same desire….

Oh, and I reckon 50ish is a good average – you need time to do stuff without the constant nagging fear that you can’t waste time off the bike.