What to Bring

For cycling:

• Helmet (we can rent you one if needed).

• Comfortable shorts (kit or padded shorts can be helpful, but not necessary).

• Shirts, technical is great since you will be sweating but t-shirts work fine.

• Socks

• Underwear (if not wearing kit!)

• Cycling shoes if you clip in,

• Sunglasses

• 1 or 2 Water bottles.

• Frame or touring bag for:

  • Snacks

  • Bathing suit

  • Small towel

  • Sunscreen.

You won’t need to carry too many snacks as there are a lot of towns along the way, except for day 3, and we will stock up prior.

For touring Merida and evening meals:

• Casual clothes for the day.

• Comfortable walking shoes.

• For the evening meal “smart casual” or “resort casual” is preferred (collared shirt, shorts ok, casual skirt/dress).

• Toiletries

Conditioning

How strong a rider do I need to be?

The average mileage is under 35 miles per day, and the terrain is reasonably flat, except for some moderate hills on day 3 and a big hill on day 4, so this tour is what we’d call easy to moderate. We will be riding between 10mph and 12mph, except on the hills.

If you have never cycled 35 miles at once, then let’s chat about whether you can handle this trip.

How should I train for the trip?

The following will get you in fantastic shape for the trip.

Weekly Training Structure (8–10 Weeks Before Tour)

Base Mileage (Weeks 1–3)

• Ride 3–4 times a week.

• Aim for 10–20 miles per ride to build aerobic endurance.

• Focus on steady pacing and good form.

Build Phase (Weeks 4–7)

• Increase to 4–5 rides per week.

• Add one longer ride per week: Start at 25 miles and gradually reach 40.

• Include 1–2 rides at your planned touring pace for 35 miles.

• Sprinkle in short recovery rides (10–15 miles) to aid muscle adaptation.

Peak & Taper (Weeks 8–10)

• Week 8: Do a 3-day back-to-back ride simulation (e.g., 30–35 miles daily).

• Week 9: Keep mileage but reduce intensity slightly.

• Week 10: Taper—cut volume to 50% but keep frequency to stay sharp.