Ive cycled all over 177 000 as a vegan, Ive trained with all the recent household names in cycling: Contador, Armstrong, Evans, IGG, Valverde, Ogrady etc and asked em all the same questions. I have cycled all over the globe and am currently racing Div 1 and my advise is:

*Drink a litre of water before breakfast each morning.

*Drink enough water during the day so our urine is clear and at least 10times a day. If its yellow or straw, we need to drink more.

*Eat unlimited amounts of your fav carb sources. Be it rice, potatoe, corn, millet,pasta etc. Snack every hour or 2 on something high carb, low fat like butter/marg free jam sandwichs, dried fruit, fresh fruit. Carb up to keep up. Many people undereat carbs and get heaps of fatty stuff and then wonder why motivation drops. Its all about keeping daily glycogen stocks high. Real high! I find that fruit is the ultimate fuel before, during and after exercise so thats my staple everyday of the year.

*Eat 10g of carbs per kg of bodyweight as a daily minimum. Even on recovery days. When exercising for over 1hr, eat 1g of carbs per kg of bodyweight per hour.

*Keep fatty greasy food away and keep high carb meals in bucket sized bowls to stay.

High carb,low fat vegan/fruit based raw vegan diets best serve athletic function.

*Set up camp before sundown so you can make sure your not camping on an ants nest and get a wake in fright response at 2am. I like to sleep in really natural settings away from drunks. Ive talked with Heinz Stucke in Belgium 2003 and in 23 years of cycle touring he has never had one issue camping out. He says 'I camp where nobody goes..'.

*Mark your seat post and handle bars to make sure they dont slip over time and give you knee/back issues. Use a white out pen.

*Get fitted up before you go by a good bike fitter. Use the white out pen again. Mark your cleats too if your using clip less pedals.

*If your riding a mountain bike, get some 'ergon grips'.

* Slap a mirror your bike. I use my uber light race bike with a bob trailer or carradice 'slim' depending on the trip. Mirrors are handy when you are wearing ear phones and listening to tony robbins over and over. It aint aero but its safe.

*Get out the saddle every few minutes for a few seconds to let blood flow be proper. I learnt this riding from Adelaide to Perth. Its 2800km and virtually flat for 2100km of it.

Your gonna have moments when you want to scream. 99% of the time this is cos we are undercarbed/dehydrated/underslept. So when we want to freak out, just carb/drink and rest up for an hour. Cry if you have too, but dont let it get in the way of eating more carbs, drinking more water or having a nap.

*Remember that they call head winds head winds cos its just in your head how you decide to feel about them. I see a stiff head wind as a fitness builder vs a day wrecker . Its just a choice in the moment.

*Remember that the journey is the gift, not the destination.

*Remember that happieness is ONLY experienced in the present moment. Not when you get some food, not when the rain stops, not when stop for the day..happieness is just a choice in the moment and only experienced NOW!

*Get heaps of rest. Eat lots of carbs before your hungry, drink water before your thirsty. Take lots of photos. Talk to lots of people. Make days to remember the rest of your life. Be in the moment. Be nowhere on the road to nowhere.