From April into May, I biked from Copenhagen to Florence with my fiance. I had never done a long bike ride like this before, here are some tips for someone in a similar situation.
Alignment
My biggest tip is to align with your trip mates on what kind of trip you are having. If one of you thinks the trip is a fun vacation and the other thinks it is a teeth-gritting adventure, neither of you will be happy. Make sure you talk about how much the trip will be fun compared to hard and how much money you are willing to spend on comfort. It is easier to align before the trip starts, but alignment is a continual process as well.
Water
Humans have defective thirst signals. By the time you are thirsty, you are dehydrated. I recommend setting a timer to drink a small amount every 30 minutes whether you feel like it or not.
In some places, free water is easy to find. Italy has public fountains you can drink out of. Sweden has water taps attached to most churches. Cemeteries are also a reasonable place to check for water taps. If all else fails, fast food restaurants can be used to fill up as well.
Food
Even if it doesn’t feel hard, being active all day burns a lot of calories. I recommend snacking every 30 minutes in addition to three large meals a day.
Remember that grocery stores are closed on certain days depending on the region. A quick Google search can reveal that you need to buy enough food for more days than you expected. Usually, restaurants will be open on days that grocery stores are not, but in some places, everything will be closed on national holidays.
Navigation
We met several bikers on our trip and everyone used Komoot. Komoot is better than Google Maps for bike trip planning, but it is relatively difficult to use. There could be better options out there, but if you are not sure what to use you should start with Komoot.
Comfort
Prioritize comfort over speed. A long bike trip isn’t a race and you should arrange bail options if you run out of time before getting to the end. Long bike trips are about the experience and you can lose yourself in it much more easily if you are comfortable. I recommend taking a bike whose handlebars are above the seat to have a more relaxed biking posture.
It is easy to get a tight neck and back from biking all day. Swallowing relaxes your neck and shrugging relaxes your upper back. Any time your neck or back are feeling locked up or tight, take a moment to relax them or they may compound to become a problem. I also recommend getting off the bike every 30 minutes to move around as well as taking a rest day with minimal biking at least every week.
Bring the minimum gear to start with except for warm clothes. Bring more warm clothes than you think you will need. But start with extra space so you can pick up items to improve your comfort as the trip progresses. I ended up carrying a bar of soap, anti-dandruff shampoo, and laundry detergent sheets although I started with none of these items.
Camping
Even if you don’t like camping I recommend it on long bike trips because that is where you will meet the most interesting people. Although we traveled through a lot of cool and interesting places, the people we met may prove to be the most memorable parts of the trip. Have fun and safe biking!
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