A cycling training camp is a multi-day block of riding, travel, recovery and group logistics. On a first camp, the biggest unknown is rarely your FTP. It is whether the operator's routes, pace policy, support and inclusions match the rider you actually are.
The short answer is: expect breakfast and a route briefing, several hours on the bike, planned regrouping or pace groups, food and recovery after the ride, and a briefing for the next day. The exact distance, climbing, coaching, vehicle support and meal package vary. There is no single format that makes a camp “proper”.
This page owns first-time cycling training camp expectations and booking questions. If you have already booked, use the training-camp preparation guide. If you are designing the training week itself, use the camp adaptation and structure guide. Current Roadman dates, prices and availability live on the Girona camp booking hub.
What to ask before booking
Do not rely on “all levels welcome” or “no drop” without definitions. Ask the operator for this information in writing:
| Decision | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Route load | Longest day, typical day, total climbing, surface and technical difficulty |
| Pace | Expected moving-speed range on flat roads and climbs; power or FTP only if genuinely used |
| Groups | Number and size of groups, guide ratio, how placement changes during the week |
| Regrouping | Where the group waits, maximum gap, and whether descents are neutralised |
| Support | Follow vehicle or sag, mechanic access, emergency transport, carried spares and water |
| Food | Included meals, on-bike fuel, dietary requirements and opportunities to buy extras |
| Bike | Own-bike assembly help, hire fleet, pedals, fit measurements and damage policy |
| Travel | Airport transfers, arrival window, bike-box storage and departure arrangements |
| Rooms | Shared or single, supplement, bathroom arrangements and quiet-room options |
| Protection | Insurance requirement, cancellation terms, medical process and emergency contact |
A good operator can answer these without selling harder. If the answers remain vague, the uncertainty transfers to you on the road.
A sample camp day
One common rhythm is:
- breakfast and a route/weather briefing;
- bikes checked and bottles filled;
- groups leave together or at staggered times;
- a multi-hour route with planned regrouping and food stops;
- lunch or a recovery meal after the ride;
- bike maintenance, rest and optional mobility or coaching;
- dinner and the next-day briefing.
That is an example, not a standard. A performance-focused camp may include structured efforts and data review. A supported cycling holiday may prioritise sightseeing and flexible distances. A gravel camp can require more technical briefing, route changes and repair equipment than a road camp.
Ask for the sample itinerary and the purpose of each day. “Five rides” tells you less than the distance, climbing, surface, pace and support plan for those rides.
Pace groups and “no drop”
Multiple groups can make a camp more inclusive, but the number of groups alone proves nothing. Two groups of eight with a guide in each are different from two nominal routes served by one guide and no support vehicle.
Before booking, ask:
- how the operator estimates placement;
- whether day-one placement is provisional;
- whether riders can move groups;
- whether groups wait on climbs or only at summits;
- whether descents are ridden together;
- what happens after a mechanical or a bad day;
- whether a rider can take a shorter route or the support vehicle.
“No drop” can mean the guide waits at every junction, the whole group regroups at named points, or a support vehicle collects a rider. Those are not interchangeable. The useful promise is the exact process.
How fit do you need to be?
There is no evidence-based rule that every camp rider needs six months of training, a comfortable 90km ride or a particular FTP. Operators offer very different products.
Use the hardest published day as your comparison:
- Find its distance, climbing, surface and expected moving pace.
- Find a recent ride that best resembles it.
- Consider whether you can ride again the following day, not only finish once.
- Account for heat, altitude, travel fatigue and technical terrain.
- Send that ride to the operator and ask which group or route fits.
Be accurate rather than optimistic. A recent file, moving time, elevation and how you felt the next day are more useful than a best-ever FTP.
If you have unexplained chest pain, fainting, marked breathlessness, an acute injury or a health condition affected by prolonged exercise, get appropriate clinical advice before using a holiday booking as a fitness test.
Food and drink across successive days
Repeated long rides make fuelling more important, but one number does not fit every day or rider. The 2016 joint sports-nutrition position statement recommends matching intake to the exercise, the athlete and practical tolerance (Thomas, Erdman and Burke, PMID 26891166).
For prolonged higher-intensity exercise, published guidance commonly uses 30–60g of carbohydrate per hour for roughly 1–2.5 hours and up to 90g per hour beyond 2.5 hours for trained athletes using and tolerating multiple transportable carbohydrates (Beelen, Cermak and van Loon, PMID 25970669). “Up to” is not “start here”. Gut training, intensity, body size, food preference and the opportunity to eat all matter.
Before camp:
- practise the products and quantities on comparable rides;
- ask what the operator supplies and whether brands can change;
- carry familiar backup food;
- disclose allergies and dietary requirements;
- start eating and drinking before a deficit becomes obvious;
- replace food and fluid after the ride so the following day does not begin behind.
A camp is not the place for an aggressive weight-loss experiment or the first attempt at a professional-level carbohydrate intake. A sports dietitian can personalise a plan when medical, gastrointestinal or energy-availability issues are present.
Sleep and the hours off the bike
The adult sleep consensus recommends seven or more hours per night on a regular basis, while recognising that individual needs vary and longer sleep may be appropriate during recovery (AASM/SRS consensus). It does not establish one mandatory 8.5-hour number for every cyclist.
Travel, a shared room, late meals, alcohol, heat and early roll-outs can all reduce sleep opportunity. Ask about room sharing and start times before booking. Bring earplugs and an eye mask if they help you, and protect the nights before the hardest routes.
Time off the bike is part of the camp load decision. Optional activities are optional. A walk, gym session or late dinner still consumes time and recovery capacity.
What to pack
Use the operator's list and the forecast, then check five categories.
Bike and fit
- a serviced bicycle or confirmed hire reservation;
- saddle-height, setback, reach and drop measurements;
- pedals and cleats that match the hire arrangement;
- suitable gearing, tyres and brake condition for the routes;
- hanger, quick links, tubes or tubeless repair items specified by the operator;
- torque information and the correct assembly tools if travelling with your bike.
Do not arrive with untested shoes, shorts, saddle, cleats or a newly built bicycle. Use several normal rides to find problems while home support is available.
Clothing
- enough tested shorts and jerseys for the laundry plan;
- base layers, warmers and a packable rain layer;
- full-finger or warmer gloves if the route includes cold descents;
- clear and tinted eye protection where appropriate;
- comfortable off-bike clothing and shoes.
Food and electronics
- familiar ride food for at least the first day;
- bottles and any personal hydration mix;
- head unit with offline routes if supplied;
- charging cables, adapters and a power bank if needed.
Documents and health
- passport or identification;
- emergency contact and operator details;
- travel-insurance policy and assistance number;
- EHIC or GHIC where applicable, remembering it is not a substitute for insurance;
- prescribed medication in original packaging and any relevant medical information;
- sun protection.
Do not use a generic camp packing list as a reason to start painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, supplements or high-strength topical products. Personal medication questions belong with a clinician or pharmacist who knows your history.
Travel insurance and emergencies
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advises travellers to Spain to arrange insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation and notes that EHIC or GHIC may not cover every cost (Spain health advice).
Ask the insurer—not only the camp—whether the policy covers:
- recreational cycling at the route distances and elevations involved;
- organised training or competition, if applicable;
- gravel or off-road riding;
- pre-existing conditions;
- bike damage or theft;
- rescue, evacuation and repatriation.
Save the local emergency number and insurer assistance number offline. In Spain, the general emergency number is 112.
Bring your bike or hire one?
Your own bike preserves a familiar position and controls, but airline handling, assembly and transfer storage add risk. A hire bike reduces luggage but introduces fit, availability and damage-policy questions.
For a hire bike, send:
- rider height and the operator's requested sizing information;
- saddle height measured from a named reference;
- saddle setback, reach and drop;
- crank length and preferred gearing;
- pedal system;
- any saddle or fit item you plan to bring.
Confirm what can be changed and whether a mechanic is available. Test shifting, brakes, tyre pressure, bolt security and position before the first long day.
Going solo and fitting into the group
Many camps accept solo riders, but “you will definitely make friends by Tuesday” is a promise no article can make. Ask how many riders usually arrive solo, how rooms are allocated, whether dinners are communal, and how the operator handles different goals within a group.
The same honesty applies to speed. Nobody can promise you will not be the slowest. The operator can promise a placement process, suitable published pace, regrouping and a route home. Those systems matter more than reassurance.
What does the price include?
Camp prices are not comparable until the inclusions are normalised. Check:
- number of nights and room type;
- guided-ride days and guide ratio;
- vehicle or sag support;
- airport transfers and bike-box storage;
- breakfast, lunch, dinner and on-bike food;
- mechanical labour and whether parts are extra;
- bike hire;
- laundry;
- single-room supplement;
- local taxes;
- deposit, cancellation and transfer terms.
Avoid generic claims about what a “serious” European camp should cost. Location, accommodation, staffing, food and support change the comparison. Use the live product page and written booking terms.
The current Roadman Girona format
Roadman's live 2026 pages describe two six-day/five-night camps based at a private Catalan farmhouse, with two pace groups and follow-car support. The routes, difficulty, inclusions and booking status differ by format.
As checked on 25 August 2026:
- the Girona Road Camp is marked sold out;
- the Girona Gravel Camp is listed for 16–21 October 2026 at €995, with availability handled on its live page.
Those booking pages—not this editorial article—are the source of truth if availability, dates or price change.
The first-timer decision
You are not looking for proof that you are “camp level”. You are looking for a match between a published week and your recent riding.
Before paying, you should be able to answer:
- What is the hardest day?
- Which group fits my current riding?
- Where do groups regroup?
- What happens if I cannot finish?
- What is supported and what is self-sufficient?
- What is included in the price?
- Is my bike plan tested?
- Does my insurance cover the actual activity?
If those answers are clear, the week becomes much easier to picture. Then the next job is preparation: use Roadman's camp preparation guide to compare the planned load with your current week, and use the training-camp structure guide to understand how hard and easy days can be organised.
