READY FOR YOUR LONGEST RIDE ?

The days are long, the sun is shining, and it's time for an epic summer cycling adventure. Tom Couzens guides you through the essential preparations to conquer your longest ride of the year

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It's midsummer and for most of us in the UK the sun will rise at around 4.45am and not set until around 9.20pm more than 16 hours of daylight. And there's a very good chance that most of those hours will be warm and dry. In other words, now is the perfect time for ticking off your longest ride of the year.

Whether to explore new roads and scenery, challenge your limits, or just for a sense of accomplishment and adventure, there is something very special about pulling an all-dayer. Right from the moment you decide to do it, heading into the unknown, both in terms of distance and physical endurance, is incredibly exciting. Of course, this bigger-than-usual ride requires some careful planning and preparation and that's the purpose of this feature. We'll break down the challenge into manageable chunks so that you can head out feeling confident and ready to make the most of every moment.

Planning and preparing

How far is too far?

The first and most important question is, how far? This must be tailored to your experience and current fitness. "Consider what you've done before, and make the goal further than that," suggests coach Amira Mellor (edgecoaching.cc). "If you have only ever ridden 100km, don't go attempting 360km." Perhaps you're ready for your first century - 100 miles or 160km but be realistic and don't try to add more than about 20% on top of the distance you've achieved before.

How much training is needed?