Bicycle touring in Europe 26-27 weeks pregnant

[BeadyEyes]

Maybe I should be posting on a cycling forum, but hopefully there are some other keen cyclists out there!

DH and I are thinking of cycling from Vienna to Budapest next month - total distance about 300km. We would take it easy and do about 60km a day and maybe stay in hotels rather than camping (normally we would do 80km a day on a cycle tour). It is mainly along an off-road path by a river. I will be 26-27 weeks. He will carry more than his share of our gear on his bike. We are both pretty fit and strong London bike commuters.

Has anyone else done something like this - does this seem like a good idea and do the distances seem ok? Any other tips for cycle touring while pregnant?

Thanks!

40miles a day should be fine if you're generally fit. Is it along the Danube path (so mostly flat?).

Get some super duper travel insurance, the one that evacuates you home and baby if born prematurely. This story comes to mind.

I'll be following this with interest as I'm going to be going on a cycling holiday at 18-20 weeks. We're camping but not doing the same miles as you, maybe about 30 miles max a day.

Out of nosiness - what kind of bike will you be taking? I'm dithering between my mountain bike with slicks or my drop bar bike I use for commuting.

I'm going to vote MTB, not that you asked, but my drop bars would give me backache never mind a rather harder ride.

I ride a MTB with road tyres - about to get a longer stem as my knees are already hitting the bump! I have never liked riding road bikes, pregnant or not!

Thanks for the replies. I am going to do a 100km ride this Saturday to see how I feel and then make a decision.

PS - yes, the Danube path, so hopefully not many hills!

I'm jealous! I'd love to do the Danube path.

I have found hills near impossible whilst pregnant. We went camping in January when I was about 20 weeks, and although we did really small distances- I think the most we did was about 22 miles- I struggled on every hill - not just with energy, but shortness of breath and prickly skin as well. It was near Cheltenham and rolling rather than properly hilly. My husband carried the heavier things. We did have a lovely weekend though! I was planning to be camping last weekend, but I'm in hospital because my waters broke.

As someone who was cycling 20-35 miles every weekday and 40 plus most weekend days pre pregnancy, it shocked me how much I have struggled and how fast it became impossible. I have ridden about 20 miles since February. I think doing a 100k to see how you do is a good plan. Some people sail through pregnancy doing the same as usual and some don't. (I am 42, which might have something to do with it!) In January I was on my tourer, but since then I have used my mountain bike. At Christmas we used the tandem which can have an upright position and would have been much better, if it weren't for my husband having a serious chest infection with his asthma which made it impossible to drag my weight around as well as his.

Have a lovely time anyway.

how much are you cycling at the moment?

pre-preg i could ride around 50-75km of really tough off-road single track with around 1500m ascent in a day.

now (22wks) i'm down to around 20-30km of very gentle landrover track or well-surfaced path mountain biking before i start to get a bit uncomfortable in my posture due to the way my pelvis has changed shape and position. i could ride up to 50k i think but it wouldn't be comfortable towards the end.

I think if you're used to cycling that should be fine. Just be prepared to take it nice and slow. Do you have the option to cut down the daily distance if need be?
I cycled up until the day I went into labour at 42 weeks and was fine. In fact I found cycling much easier than walking.
Am currently not pregnant, but thinking of planning a cycle tour for september when hopefully I will be. DH will pull DD behind him in a trailer.

By the way, www.yacf.co.uk is a very friendly cycling forum with quite a few women cyclists and campers and a camping board.