Maybe that's the problem...we are in 'training' mode and waking up, having breakfast and then biking 20-25 miles and then back in the house by 9:30 AM, before it gets too hot and really not taking breaks, along the way......It seems to me my body doesn't like stop and go and stop and go and stop and go.....I might need an attitude adjustment
I think this is significant.
I always cringe a little when people talk of training for a bike tour, because it normally means following a training regime that is all about mileage.
I prefer to think in terms of practising. Doing the things I will be doing on tour, only some of which is cycling.
To me cycle touring is not about the distances - it's about what happens in between.
In my experience the part of the body that needs to be most prepared is not the butt or the leg muscles (although it obviously helps if they're road ready), but the brain.
I think on some level you're recognising this. Yes, you probably do need an attitude adjustment simply because for the few weeks of your tour, your normal life, and it constraints are very different. That deserves a different attitude to make the most of it.
Instead of getting up early and clocking up 25 miles, take breakfast with you and cycle somewhere specifically to have a nice picnic breakfast. Or in the evening. Or overnight to an inn or a friend. It might mean less "cycle" training, but more "tour" practising.
I refer to it as my "touring head". When my "touring head" is on, everything is different. The differences is particularly noticeable in the decisions made with my "Touring head" on as opposed to off.
As to your original question, I've never been bored when away on the bike. There is always something to do, even if that is nothing except taking a moment to appreciate where I am. Some people find that very hard to do.
Travelling with a Significant Other can be great when you are both on the same wavelength. I've had wonderful days cycling with someone - sometimes long, hard days, other very short where the afternoon was spent having a few drinks and playing cards.
Time on the bike varies. I stop every hour, hour and a half. That might be 5 minutes, it might be an hour or longer. It all depends on what I want to do at that time. I reckon my average "riding time" in a day is probably 5-6 hours, but I'm en route for maybe 8-10 hours. That works for me. The trick is to find what works for you.
Good luck!
Exactly!!! For me, being in 'touring mode' changes the bike from the object of the activity, i.e. training, to the locomotive means of experiencing life outside of my daily routines. Many people focus on their daily distances, the number of hours they typically ride, or how much they've climbed. I stopped using a cycling computer decades ago and it changed my focus to
everything else that was happening, the sights, sounds and people I met along the way.
This has worked for me but it won't for everyone. There is no 'right' way to go on a tour, only 'your' way. As Hobbs so eloquently stated, spend your training time focusing on all of the other activities of a tour as much as the bike riding. I'd bet you'll end up enjoying your trips more and boredom won't even creep into your thoughts.
That said, it's also important to choose your routes in such a way that you won't likely to be bored at all. I've spent a week or two following large rivers along beautifully maintained bike routes and couldn't wait to get back into the mountains. Those that have ridden for hours or days into a headwind across endless flat terrain can imagine the same. Each of us has our own likes and dislikes and I'd recommend planning your first tours to maximize the types of terrain and off-bike activities you'll most likely not be bored with.
Enjoy whatever riding you do but don't forget about taking in all that your tour can offer you.
Jay
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