>>195302My personal strategy is more or less your first suggestion. I ride at the fastest pace I feel like I can sustain indefinitely. My priority is not miles per hour, it's miles per day, and I think that comfortable pacing is integral to riding centuries with a touring load.
One guy I rode with in the second half of the trip used a different tactic. He would push himself hard over 15-20 mile intervals, and then take a break while he waited for the rest of us to catch up.
I think pushing yourself can have its place in touring cycling, but there are situations in which it's detrimental to do so. For instance, if you need to ride 30 miles and then climb 3000 feet, I sure as hell wouldn't want to fatigue myself before the climb, where I'll need to push myself.
In land without any significant climbs (read: Kansas) I was comfortable pushing myself during the day, and I rode with the faster rider, and shared the work of breaking the headwind. I was also riding shorter days than I would have on my own, at a slower pace.
>>195313Another one from the same area.
