From BikeRadar.com
By Jack Evans
With all its terminology and techniques, road cycling training can seem complicated.
But there are only a handful of areas of road bike training you need to focus on, whether you want to complete a sportive or increase your average speed.
In this guide, we identify the key areas of road cycling training
- Endurance
- Climbing
- Sustained efforts
- Sprinting
- Recovery
We explain why they matter and suggest workouts to improve your ability in each area.
We’ve spoken to coaches Matt Clinton and Pav Bryan, and Wahoo sport scientist Mac Cassin, to simplify road cycling training for you.
5 keys areas of road cycling training
1. Endurance
Cycling is an endurance sport. Even track cyclists will do base training when they’re not competing to improve their endurance and receive the additional benefits of long, slow rides.
Zone 2 riding increases the amount of oxygen you can deliver to your muscles, which helps you ride at higher intensities for longer, and enhances your ability to use fat for fuel, reducing your risk of bonking.
Therefore Bryan, of Coach Pav Cycle Coaching, says almost every rider, not just those targeting ultra-endurance cycling events, will gain from working on their stamina.
Suggested workout
Bryan recommends spending as much time in zone 2 as possible for multiple hours: four to five hours is a good target for amateurs to build towards.
It’s easiest to stay in zone 2 by training with power and tracking watts on your bike computer.
But if you don’t have a power meter, Bryan suggests using a heart rate monitor or rating of perceived exertion while applying steady force to the pedals.
Photo by Coen van de Broek on Unsplash
