Fatigue is an issue for the long term bikepacker or cycletourer and at times, I’ve needed a good rest of more than just a day or two. I think the key is to listen to your body and react accordingly. I’ve spoken to other long term tourers who will take a month or three off to rest, but that’s not always possible.
I’ll usually have a rest day every four or five days depending where I am. However, if I don’t find a place where I’d like to spend a spare day, then I’ll keep going. I once rode everyday for a couple of weeks but managed this by taking it as easily as I could.
These days, I find there’s no need to hurry and I’ll enjoy the day more if I take it easy. I’m used to the weight of my bike and gear and can happily sit and spin up most hills. Depending on how far I’ve gone, I’ll usually get off and push if the gradient goes much above 12-13%. I find grinding up a steep hill more tiring than walking at a similar pace.
Riding day in, day out reduces the need to hurry. There’s no point arriving ten minutes earlier if I’m going to be knackered when I get there. I find I can sit on a good cadence for long periods now. Realising that there’s no rush makes me sit up and enjoy the surroundings far more. It also makes hills less daunting and easier to cope with. (I’m definitely not a climber).
Each day, I’ll try and spend time stretching. This, along with rehydrating, is important for me to avoid cramp which I occasionally suffered from in South East Asia. Hamstrings and adductors are the worst for cramp so I try and stretch them out regularly.
My quads and hip flexors a get tight as well and affect my lower back if I don’t stretch them. That being said, I find it hard to get into a routine of stretching because there’s always something else to get done – eat, drink, wash, wash clothes, unpack, set up, cook etc. Stretching then gets dropped down the to do list, and I’ll suffer as a result.
Fatigue for me isn’t just physical. I also get tired of working out exactly where to go, what to see, where I can eat, where I can get water, where I can stay etc. There’s always something else to consider or think about and there are few times that I simply switch off. I realise that I’m lucky to be doing this so I shouldn’t complain, but all of these things need to be addressed every single day.
Weather also plays a part. Really cold or wet weather affects me more and puts more urgency on where I’m going, how I’ll dry out etc.
In the end these things aren’t worth worrying about too much but they are always in the back of my mind.