Indoor cycling workouts give every session a purpose, even when you only have half an hour. A well-chosen workout can build endurance, improve your FTP, prepare your legs for long climbs or sharpen the short bursts needed to close a gap. ROUVY pairs structured power targets with real-world route video, so you can complete the work while watching an actual road unfold ahead of you. These eight workouts cover a useful range of durations and training goals, helping you choose a session that fits both your available time and what you want to improve.
TL;DR
Eight structured workouts on ROUVY cover endurance, tempo, threshold, VO2 max, climbing strength and sprint power, and each one can be ridden on a real-world route:
First Pyramid Workout – introduction to intervals, 31 min, for riders new to structured training
Rolling Hills – aerobic endurance, 55 min, for base fitness and steadier riding
Tempo Cruisin – tempo and pacing, 47 min 30 sec, for sustaining a brisk, controlled effort
Cherry on Top – tempo and sweet spot, 53 min 30 sec, for climbing stamina and stronger finishes
Mountain Strength – low-cadence strength, 1 hr 5 min, for preparing for longer climbs
Six Thresholds Lite – threshold and FTP, approx. 58 min, for raising sustainable power
Blink Bursts – sprint power, 57 min, for accelerations and short climbs
8 indoor cycling workouts to try on ROUVY
Each session serves a different training purpose. Start with the result you want, then choose the workout that trains it.
Before choosing a workout, make sure the FTP saved in ROUVY is current. Every power block is calculated as a percentage of that figure, so an inaccurate setting can make a well-designed workout feel far too difficult or much too easy. Complete ROUVY’s Ramp Test first if you have not tested your FTP recently.
Above: Choose a ROUVY workout based on your available time and training goal.
1. First Pyramid Workout: a manageable introduction to intervals
Above: First Pyramid Workout builds towards 90% of FTP before easing back down.
Duration: 31 minutes Focus: Changing intensity and learning how structured workouts feel
First Pyramid Workout moves through three power zones, gradually increasing the effort before bringing it back down. Its highest point reaches 90% of FTP, so it gives you a taste of harder work without sending you straight into an all-out interval session.
This is a good starting point if you are new to structured indoor bike workouts or returning after time away. ERG mode takes care of the changes in resistance, leaving you to concentrate on holding a steady cadence as the target rises. It is short enough for a busy day but still includes a warm-up, useful work and a cool-down.
The gradual rise makes the change between zones easy to recognise. The highest step should feel purposeful but controlled, and once you are over it, each reduction in resistance is very welcome.
2. Rolling Hills: varied endurance without the monotony
Above: Rolling Hills varies power while keeping you in the aerobic endurance range.
Duration: 55 minutes Focus: Aerobic endurance and controlled power
Rolling Hills keeps the intensity between 55% and 75% of FTP, with an average of 66%. It stays in the endurance range, but the changes in power stop it feeling like one uninterrupted block.
Choose it when you want to build aerobic fitness without adding heavy fatigue. It can sit between harder sessions or provide a purposeful weekday ride during base training. Keep your cadence steady and let ERG mode manage the small changes in resistance.
Endurance workouts require a different kind of discipline from intervals. After 15 minutes, your legs may wonder when the workout is going to start. It already has. Staying patient and holding the prescribed intensity is part of the work.
3. Tempo Cruisin: practise holding a brisk pace
Above: Tempo Cruisin builds sustained power at a controlled tempo.
Tempo Cruisin averages 75% of FTP and rises as high as 89%. It suits riders who can complete steady aerobic sessions and want to become more comfortable at a purposeful pace that requires concentration but remains controlled.
Tempo work develops the sustained pressure needed for long climbs, fast group rides, sportives and triathlon bike legs. At under 50 minutes, this session works well when an easy spin feels too light but VO2 max intervals would take too much out of you.
Aim to finish feeling worked rather than emptied. Tempo is most useful when you hold back just enough to keep the power consistent from beginning to end.
4. Cherry on Top: sweet spot with a final sting
Above: Cherry on Top builds tempo and sweet-spot power.
Cherry on Top alternates intervals at approximately 80% and 90% of FTP before adding a short harder effort at the end. It develops sustained power and pacing when your legs are already carrying some fatigue.
It suits preparation for rolling routes and longer climbs. The sweet-spot blocks bring you close enough to threshold to make concentration matter. That final effort resembles the moment near the top of a climb when the road steepens, or a group lifts the pace just as you thought everyone had settled.
Focus on a steady cadence, engage your core muscles and keep a relaxed hold on the bars throughout.
Find your next structured ride
Choose one that matches your current goal and ride it on a real-world route.
5. Mountain Strength: build strength for sustained climbs
Above: Mountain Strength uses low-cadence intervals to prepare for sustained climbs.
Duration: 1 hour 5 minutes Focus: Low-cadence strength and climbing-specific power
Mountain Strength reaches 108% of FTP and uses harder intervals at approximately 55 to 65 rpm. The low cadence increases muscular demand, making this a specific session for long climbs or sections where keeping momentum is difficult.
Low-cadence work should feel controlled and steady. Keep your upper body stable and stop if the effort causes knee discomfort. Riders with sensitive knees may prefer a higher cadence or lower intensity.
Use it alongside normal-cadence riding rather than replacing it. One well-placed strength workout is more useful than repeatedly grinding through tired legs.
6. Six Thresholds Lite: learn to work around FTP
Above: Six Thresholds Lite includes six four-minute intervals around FTP.
Duration: approximately 58 minutes Focus: Threshold power and lactate clearance
Six Thresholds Lite contains six four-minute intervals that move above and below FTP, separated by easier aerobic recovery. It trains you to keep producing power as the effort crosses your threshold.
It is a good choice for time trials, long climbs and harder group rides. The word “Lite” may look friendly on the screen, but six repetitions around FTP still add up. Each four-minute interval should be manageable on its own; the challenge is maintaining the same control as fatigue gradually accumulates.
An accurate FTP matters here. Set it too high and the session becomes an unintended test; set it too low and you miss the intended work. ROUVY’s Ramp Test can establish a useful starting value.
7. HIIT 60/60: repeat hard efforts without fading
Above: HIIT 60/60 alternates hard efforts with equal recovery periods.
Duration: 1 hour 1 minute Focus: VO2 max and recovery between efforts
HIIT 60/60 alternates 60 seconds of hard work with 60 seconds of recovery. It looks reassuringly straightforward on the workout profile. A few repetitions later, that recovery minute has developed an unfortunate habit of passing much faster than the working one.
The session targets repeated high-intensity efforts and recovery between them, useful for short climbs, changes of pace and closing gaps. The recovery minutes matter as much as the hard ones. Keep pedalling and use the easy recovery in Zone 1 to prepare for the next effort.
Avoid it when you are carrying heavy fatigue. High-intensity training depends on quality. If the fatigue is already there, move the workout to another day and do it properly.
8. Blink Bursts: sharpen acceleration and sprint power
Above: Blink Bursts includes two sets of five eight-second efforts.
Duration: 57 minutes Focus: Neuromuscular power and short accelerations
Blink Bursts includes two sets of five eight-second efforts, with recovery around the short bursts. These are brief, explosive accelerations rather than long anaerobic intervals, so the priority is producing a strong, controlled effort each time.
It suits riders who want more snap for a sprint, short rise or acceleration out of a corner. Short sprints can be over before your breathing catches up, but your legs know what happened.
Tip: Build up cadence just before each interval. Some riders switch ERG mode off for very short bursts so resistance does not rise too abruptly.
How do structured workouts work on ROUVY?
ROUVY adjusts each workout to your fitness level and guides you through every interval. Here is what you need to know before starting:
FTP sets the difficulty. FTP is the power number ROUVY uses to calculate your workout targets. Check that yours is current or complete the Ramp Test first.
ERG mode controls resistance. With a compatible smart trainer paired as Controllable, resistance changes automatically to match each interval.
Cadence is your pedalling speed. Aim for around 90 to 100 rpm unless the workout gives you a different target. Strength workouts usually use a lower cadence.
You choose the route. The workout controls the effort while you ride any real-world ROUVY route you prefer.
5 tips for fitting indoor bike workouts into your week
Start with one or two demanding workouts. You do not need to complete all eight sessions in quick succession. One or two harder workouts per week may be enough, depending on your training history.
Leave recovery between hard sessions. Avoid placing threshold, sprint or HIIT workouts on consecutive days. Add an easy endurance ride or rest day between them.
Match the workout to your goal. A simple week could include Rolling Hills on Tuesday, Cherry on Top or Six Thresholds Lite on Thursday and an easy weekend ride. For climbing preparation, replace Thursday’s session with Mountain Strength.
Know the difference between reluctance and fatigue. Persistent tiredness, unusually heavy legs or a higher than usual resting heart rate are better reasons to choose recovery.
Increase your training gradually. Choose workouts you can recover from and repeat consistently before adding more intensity or another hard session.
Give your next indoor ride a purpose
Good indoor cycling workouts do not need to be complicated. Decide what you want from the session, choose the workout that addresses it and complete the targets with enough control to train again. The eight sessions above cover a broad range of useful work, from a first pyramid to threshold intervals and eight-second sprints.
Try an indoor cycling workout on ROUVY
Choose one workout from the list and pair it with a real-world route.
With a background spanning 30 years in the creative and writing industries, Lauren brings her love of storytelling and cycling together in her work for ROUVY. A lifelong athlete with almost 40 years of racing experience, she spent a couple of years riding with a semi-professional road racing team and went on to achieve podiums at National Championships and UCI World Masters events. She also completed the gruelling 2005 Cape Epic and earned triathlon medals back in the early ’90s. Lauren has trained on ROUVY year-round since 2016 and writes passionately to inspire others to ride and explore.
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