Pre-preparation: General fitness and getting used to the saddle.

First things first. If it’s been a while since you’ve done any meaningful cycling, take a month or two to build up your familiarity with the saddle and working on your general fitness.

Whether you’re dusting off the bike in the garage for a few family rides or cycle commutes, or getting on the static bike/exercise bike at the gym - refamiliarise yourself and start building your cycle fitness back up.

Any cross training (other exercise) to help build your general fitness is valuable and helps shake up the cycle training.

Gear, routes and what to focus on.

We’ll be using Diamondback mountain bikes in Kenya. They are entry level, robust machines perfect for tackling the varied terrain. When training, make sure you are used to and comfortable cycling distances on a heavier bike (i.e. not just a road bike). You can rent mountain bikes/hybrid bikes from most bike rental shops/trail centres.

Vary your training so that you have experience on trails (trail centres, parks) as well as tarmac. A list of trail centres in the UK can be found here. Entry level trails (greens and blues) will be perfect prep.

Other gear: get used to cycling with a water bottle and practise reaching down to pick it up, drink, and return. Learn what you are comfortable riding in and with (favourite snacks, electrolytes and gels). We’ll brief you on nutrition and hydration, and how to prepare for the heat.

Make your training work for you.

We all have busy lives. The key to nailing your training for Ride Africa is to make it work for you.

Our suggestion: map out the 12 week lead-up to Ride Africa and timetable in your training rides. If you have a busy week, a holiday, work events - don’t panic. Work around them - you can start the plan earlier and have a fallow week (you won’t lose fitness).

Make the most of it: rope in friends/family for some adventurous long cycles, consider spin classes, or set up a static bike/turbo trainer at home and pedal while you watch Netflix!

July 2019 rider Cat Cubie follows our Ride Africa training plan!

Your 12 week training plan

Our expert Ride Africa cycling guides have put together this training plan to help you build up to Ride Africa distances.

You can play around with some of the earlier weeks, but don’t miss out those longer rides - knowing you can ride more than 100km over a couple of days will help you mentally as much as it will physically during the ride.

Week 1 20-30KM over 2 sessions

Long rides are banned during the first week on your bike. You need to get to know your gear, your bike and build up your confidence. We advise you start out on good, tarmac surfaces for now and get out for approx. 20-30km at the very most in one or even two sessions on week 1. It is vital that you enjoy this week and are left asking for more. You need to get off the bike on a high and look forward to week 2!

Week 2 Short cycles (1-2); 40KM long ride

You’re going to crank your training up a gear this week, quite literally. You should aim to cover 40km in one go. Start looking at your hydration when cycling and listening to your body. Try to take note of what you eat and how it affects you on the bike when you eat it.

Ensure you eat a good breakfast before cycling and bring some snacks along with you for your cycle. Cereal bars, wine gums or jelly sweets are always nice snacks to bring with you. Make sure you drink plenty of water before heading off and carry a bottle with you. You need to get comfortable drinking whilst cycling. Whilst this may seem obvious and easy, it’s very much a skill that may be taken for granted!

Week 3 50KM long ride

This will be a noticeable step up, so do it all on a good surface. Getting comfortable with a 50km long ride will get you ready for the standard distances you will be cycling in Africa. Take a break halfway through for about 10 minutes max. No longer though, as you do not want to cool down all together. When in Kenya you will need to do this sort of distance in one go without a break, so try to get yourself ready for that, both physically and mentally. Spending 3 hours on the bike at one time is where you are headed…even though you might not be there yet!

Factor in 1-2 short rides/cycling sessions (gym/spin) to keep the legs ticking over throughout the week.

Week 4 60KM long ride

Take last week’s ride and experience and start adding in some mixed surfaces. Plan a route that takes you through parks, trails and some traffic too. Get used to the fact that you may cycle on a silent track for a while and suddenly find yourself on a busy road with hazards everywhere. This week should be about learning that even when you are tired you have to think, look and listen to stay safe.

Factor in 1-2 short rides/cycling sessions (gym/spin), or cross training, to keep the legs ticking over throughout the week.

Week 5 70KM long ride.

This will be getting close to a typical day’s distance to travel whilst in Kenya. Remember you are getting into longer distances now and will need to set the time aside in your schedule to complete the cycle and especially more in the weeks ahead.

Factor in 1-2 short rides (10-15km) or swap a ride for a cross training session - this could be a hike, a swim, a climb… the key is to make sure to keep your legs and body moving mid-week.

Week 6 90KM long ride

Week 6 is quite simply about stepping it up a notch. Mixed surfaces, make sure you are eating and drinking properly, and just fit the time in (roughly 4 -5 hours needed).

You’ll be tackling our longest ride “in one go” but don’t forget to keep the legs ticking over during the week. Plan in 1-2 shorter cycles and/or cross training sessions.

Week 7 90KM long ride

Repeat week 6! Let your body get used to the longer distances and factoring in the “long ride” time into your week. If you can’t squeeze a long ride in during one of these “middle weeks” - substitute with a shorter ride and make sure you are keeping up with cross training!

Week 8 110KM 2 back-to-back rides

This distance should now be done over two consecutive days. We would recommend you push yourself hard on the first day, followed by getting up and cycling straight after breakfast on the next. Each ride should be c. 60KM long (3-3.5 hrs).

The next two weeks of your training will be about getting familiar with the routine, getting up tired and cycling again. This training will not only be physical but a form of mental training.

Week 9 130KM back-to-back rides

This is the second of your back-to-back blocks and again, its about increasing mileage and getting used to cycling with tired legs.

Remember to factor in a couple of shakeout sessions throughout the week (shorter cycles or cross training).

Week 10 150KM back-to-back rides

This should be done over two consecutive days as with the last two sessions. You’re reaching your training peak now!

Week 11 - 180KM over 2 long rides

This should be done over two consecutive days (average 90km per day). Push yourself harder on the first day so your body will struggle that little bit more when you finish the distance on the second. This is your final long ride(s) so focus on enjoying it.

Make sure you have a good shakout during the week: an easy 10km on an exercise bike/ride around the park, and some cross training that helps you stretch out (swim, yoga, pilates).

Week 12 0KM

Week 12 is all about rest and taper. Your fitness is there and you’re ready to ride. If you’re anxious, try some gentle cross-training to keep you ticking over.

Training kit

Here’s the kit we recommend for your Ride Africa training…

An entry level Mountain Bike (MTB)

We will be cycling on entry-level mountain bikes in Kenya so it’s best that you use one to train on in the UK. If you’re not in possession of one, perhaps a friend or neighbour would have one you could borrow? They are pretty common in family sheds. If this is not an option, they are widely available to hire in trail centres, parks and other such facilities.

A helmet

Safety first, always. Whether you are cycling in a field, in a car park or on the dirt roads of Africa, a helmet is a must.

Please don’t neglect to wear your helmet.

Cycling shorts

Baggy or tight, it doesn’t matter. It’s best you get comfortable in cycling shorts as early as possible in your training so you can get used to wearing them. Padded shorts can get sweaty in Kenyan heat, so you might want to opt for un-padded shorts and bring a gel seat cover, or embrace the sweat! (We’ll be washing kit between days).

Cycling Gloves

Whether you use them or not in the UK, they are definitely advised in Africa as the road vibrations can be severe. Get used to wearing them in training, you want everything to feel as familiar as possible once you’re riding in Kenya.

Water bottle and cage

If it’s not something you’re already used to, it’s a good idea to practice grabbing your water bottle and drinking whilst riding. It can be trickier than you think - and it’s worth investing in a cage and bottle for your training rides so you can be a drinking pro in Kenya.

Cycling Shoes

Whether to go for clip in shoes or not is down to your personal preference. They are optional but certainly help a lot on climbs. Once you get them, you really won't go back and like the other gear listed here it’s advised to get used to them before the trip. You can bring your pedals with you and we’ll fit them to your bike.