Cycling training tips
Cycling rewards volume, but only if most of it is easy. Ride endurance pace on most days, add one or two structured interval sessions, keep one longer ride for the weekend, and use the trainer when weather or daylight would otherwise cost you the session.
Lire en françaisEndurance first, intervals second
On the bike you can accumulate hours with very little impact, which is why the sport rewards patience. Endurance rides — steady, conversational, no surges out of every corner — build the engine that makes intervals productive. If you ride three times a week and every ride is a fight, you are training your ability to suffer rather than your ability to go fast.
Use effort or power, not speed. Wind and gradient make speed a meaningless training target.
Weekly structure by available hours
With fewer hours, intensity matters more. With more hours, easy volume matters more. Both cases keep the same rule: no more than two hard days per week for most riders.
| Hours per week | Structure | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 2 x 1h intervals, 1 x 2h endurance | Efficiency: intensity does the work |
| 5-6 | 1 interval, 1 tempo, 1 long ride | Balance intensity and volume |
| 7-9 | 2 interval, 2 endurance, 1 long ride | Real base plus quality |
| 10+ | 2 interval, rest endurance | Volume becomes the main driver |
Three interval sessions worth repeating
Pick one, repeat it for three or four weeks, and try to add a little power or one repeat rather than switching workouts every week.
- 4 x 8 minutes hard (roughly the effort you could hold for an hour), 4 minutes easy between — the best return per minute.
- 5 x 3 minutes very hard, 3 minutes easy — for punchy climbs and race surges.
- 2 x 20 minutes tempo, comfortably hard, 5 minutes easy between — the workhorse for long-event fitness.
Cadence, climbing and position
Most riders self-select 80-95 rpm on the flat and drop 10 rpm climbing; that is fine. Rather than chasing a number, train both ends: some low-cadence strength efforts seated on a climb, some high-cadence spinning to smooth the pedal stroke. On climbs, start slower than feels right — the first two minutes of a climb decide whether the last five are enjoyable.
Indoor training without hating it
- Indoor time is worth roughly 1.5x outdoor time — an hour on the trainer is rarely wasted.
- Put your intervals indoors, where there are no junctions or descents, and your endurance outdoors.
- Use a fan. Overheating, not fitness, ends most indoor sessions early.
Fuel and recovery
Anything past 90 minutes needs carbohydrate on the bike — 30-60 g per hour is a sane starting range, and long-event riders train higher. Drink to thirst plus a little more in heat. After hard rides, eat a real meal with protein within a couple of hours.
Persistent numbness, knee pain or lower back pain is a bike-fit or load problem, not something to ride through. Sudden chest symptoms or sharp joint pain means stop and see a doctor.
Frequently asked questions
- How many hours a week do I need to improve on the bike?
- Three to four focused hours are enough to progress if two of them contain structured intervals. Beyond six hours, easy volume becomes the main driver.
- Is indoor training as good as riding outside?
- For intervals, often better — no junctions, no descents, no coasting. Keep endurance rides outdoors when you can, and always use a fan indoors.
- Do I need a power meter?
- No. Effort and heart rate work fine, and FitPal plans by effort. A power meter mostly makes pacing intervals easier.
- How much should I eat on a long ride?
- Past 90 minutes, 30-60 g of carbohydrate per hour is a sensible starting range, and long-event riders go higher. Practise it in training, not on event day.