Indoor cycling for beginners: Complete getting started guide

Why indoor cycling is perfect for beginners

Indoor cycling removes many of the barriers that stop one from exercising consistently.

You do not need traffic awareness. You do not need perfect weather. You do not need advanced skills. You just need a compatible trainer and your bike, a bit of space, and the willingness to start gently.

For many athletes, especially beginners, indoor cycling offers three big advantages.

1. First, it feels safe and predictable. Resistance is controlled automatically in SIM (on routes) and ERG mode (in workouts). Cadence is measurable (higher revs are better). No hills are sneaking up on you unless you choose them.

2. Second, it is low impact. Your joints stay supported, which makes it ideal if you are returning to exercise, carrying extra weight, or easing back after time off.

3. Third, it fits real life. A 30 minute ride before work or after dinner is suddenly realistic. No packing. No commuting. Just ride and enjoy.

For results to count, consistency matters a lot and indoors makes consistency easier. So let’s take a look at how this can be made easier.

How to prepare: Gear, setup and safety basics

You do not need expensive equipment to start, but you do need a setup that feels comfortable, is compatible and also stable.

What you actually need

At a minimum:

• A compatible indoor trainer (classic or smart)
• Comfortable and breathable cycling shorts with a shammy for men or women.
• A water bottle within reach.
• A towel to prevent a swimming pool from forming below you.
• A fan or two will make the ride easier and more pleasant.

Optional but helpful:

• Cycling shoes with cleats, as you’ll need to pull up on the climbs, not just stomp downwards.
• A heart rate monitor or smartwatch.

Before your first ride, take five minutes to set your bike up properly. Poor setup causes most beginner discomfort and nearly all early injuries.

We cover this in detail in our step-by-step indoor cycling setup guide. Going for a professional bike fit can also prevent injuries caused by incorrect initial set-up from the start.

Quick setup cues to remember

• Seat height: When the pedal is at the bottom, your knee should be slightly bent.
• Seat fore and aft: Kneecap roughly above the ball of your foot.
• Handlebars: High enough that your back feels relaxed, not folded.

If something hurts sharply or feels unstable, stop and adjust. Discomfort fades, but any ongoing pain should not be ignored. A proper bike fit is then highly recommended.

Proper indoor cycling posture and technique

Good technique makes riding feel smoother and more efficient. It also protects your knees, back, and shoulders.

Upper body position

Your hands rest lightly on the bars. Not clenched or locked. Engage your core muscles for stability.

• Elbows should be relaxed.
• Shoulders should be down and relaxed.
• Keep the chest open to breathe easier.
• Look forward, not down.
• You should feel strong and steady, not tense.

Lower body movement

Pedalling should feel circular, not choppy.

• Push down through the ball of your foot.
• Pull lightly through the bottom of the stroke.
• Keep knees tracking straight, not pointing outward.

A good cadence for beginners sits between 80 and 90 RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) most of the time. Slower gives more resistance. Faster spins with less load. You will find your rhythm quickly. A higher cadence takes practice, so the sooner you get into the habit, the sooner your legs will adapt.

Starting to use the app can feel strange at first. The bike or trainer isn’t moving, yet your legs suddenly perform movements they haven’t done in a while, or perhaps never, as your avatar rolls off the start line. You see metrics and riders overlaid on beautiful scenery, and then the immersion and addiction kick in.

Once you settle in, indoor cycling is one of the most accessible ways to build fitness. It offers controlled training that is surprisingly addictive. It becomes habit-forming, too, before you know it!

You can follow a useful How To Start Guide here.

Beginner workout structure

You don’t need complicated plans to get results, just a structure that makes sense.

A simple beginner ride template

Warm up

• 5 to 10 minutes.
• Choose a route and ride it in Zones 1 and 2, gradually increasing cadence.
• You’ll know which zones these are, as you should be able to speak in full sentences.

Main set

• Pedal for 15 to 25 minutes
• Short efforts with recovery Example:
• 2 minutes steady
• 1 minute slightly harder
• Repeat 5 to 8 times

Cool down

• 5 minutes
• Light spinning to bring heart rate down.

That’s it. Keeping it simple works.

If you want guided sessions, virtual rides, or structured plans, ROUVY makes it easier to stay focused without overthinking. Beginner friendly routes, like the Italian or Swiss lakes and starter workouts help you learn pacing naturally while staying engaged.

Above: Take a ride along one of the Italian lakes, Lago di Garda, on an easy route to start.

Above: Choosing a route from the vast route library is easy using the filters.

Indoor cycling benefits for beginners

Personal improvements often show up faster than expected. Within the first few weeks, most beginners start noticing changes in how they feel day to day, not just how they look. Riding becomes smoother, effort feels more manageable, and confidence on the bike grows.

Cardiovascular fitness

Indoor cycling strengthens your heart and lungs in a very practical way. Breathing starts to settle more quickly during effort, recovery feels easier, and everyday tasks like walking up stairs get easier. Many beginners also notice a general lift in daily energy, especially once riding becomes part of a regular routine.

Strength and muscle endurance

Indoor cycling builds functional, useful strength, not bulk. The muscles you rely on most during daily movement gradually become stronger and more resilient. This includes the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and the core stabilisers that help keep your posture steady on and off the bike. Over time, this strength translates into better control, smoother pedalling, and less fatigue during longer rides.

Calorie burn and weight management

Cycling burns a meaningful number of calories while remaining gentle on your joints, which makes it easier to ride consistently. When combined with regular effort and sensible nutrition, indoor cycling supports sustainable weight loss without placing unnecessary strain on your body. That balance is one reason many beginners find it easier to stick with it over the long term.

Mental benefits

This part often comes as a surprise. Riding indoors creates structure, a sense of routine, and a clear marker of progress. Showing up, even for a short ride, can reduce stress and provide a noticeable mood lift and stress relief. Over time, that feeling of steady forward movement becomes just as motivating as the physical results.

Tracking progress without getting obsessed

You do not need every metric on day one. In fact, too much data early on often creates more confusion than motivation. A few simple numbers are enough to help you understand your effort and stay engaged as fitness develops.

Cadence

Cadence, measured in RPM, shows how fast you are pedalling. You’ll feel comfortable between 80 and 90 RPM during steady efforts, where the movement feels smooth and controlled rather than forced. As fitness improves, holding a steady cadence usually becomes easier and more natural.

Heart rate

On easy rides, you should be able to hold a conversation without feeling short of breath. Moderate efforts challenge your breathing but still feel sustainable for several minutes. Hard efforts feel focused and brief, with recovery needed soon after.

If every ride leaves you exhausted, it is usually a sign that intensity is too high. Progress comes from mixing easy and harder sessions, not from pushing at the limit each time.

In this article, you can read about some interesting myths about heart rate training.

Power

Power reflects how much work you produce at a given moment, measured in watts. For beginners, it works best as a trend over time, not a target to chase each ride. Early improvements often show up as higher average power at the same perceived effort, rather than sudden jumps in peak numbers.

Day to day variation is normal. Fatigue, sleep, hydration, and stress all influence power output. A flatter ride does not mean lost fitness. Over several weeks of consistent riding, average power typically increases as efficiency and muscular endurance improve.

Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them

Most beginner mistakes come from good intentions. You feel really motivated, your progress feels exciting, and suddenly every ride turns into a hard one. The trick is learning when to ease off.

Going too hard too often

It’s tempting to push every session, but more effort does not always lead to more progress. Easy rides build aerobic fitness, improve recovery, and make harder sessions more effective. If every ride feels hard, your body never gets the chance to adapt.

Ignoring bike fit

Small discomforts are easy to ignore at first. A sore knee. Tight shoulders. Numb hands. Left unchecked, those little issues often grow into injury. Take time to adjust your saddle height, reach, and handlebar position early on. Comfort makes consistency possible.

Comparing yourself to others

Indoor cycling makes comparison easy. Power numbers and leaderboards can distract from your own goals. Everyone starts at a different place, with various fitness goals. Your progress only needs to make sense for you. Focus on how your own riding feels from week to week and what it’s doing for you.

Skipping recovery

Rest days can feel unproductive, especially when motivation is high. In reality, recovery is where fitness actually happens. During recovery, muscles repair, energy systems adapt, and fatigue is cleared. Skipping rest often leads to plateaus or overtraining. Taking a day off is part of your progress and improvement.

How to choose a smart bike or trainer

If you are still deciding on indoor cycling equipment, keep it simple.

Ask yourself:

• Do I want a standalone smart bike or to use my own bike indoors?
• Do I value quiet riding?
• Do I prefer to program my own gears (on a smartbike) or use the mechanical gears I have on my bike?

You do not need top end gear to start. You need something stable, adjustable, and reliable.