Training tips

The guilt and FOMO used to hit me like a brick every time I would turn down an outdoor ride in favour of my smart trainer. But sometimes, climbing aboard my trainer makes a lot more sense than meandering the rolling hills in my rural hometown.

Interval training for cyclists is a structured way of alternating harder efforts with easier recovery periods to improve specific areas of fitness, such as endurance, threshold power, VO2 max, sprinting and race repeatability. Put simply, intervals give each workout a clear job.

Cycling and weight lifting can work well together when you manage timing, volume and recovery. The goal isn't to train like two different athletes at once, but to build one joined-up programme where the gym supports the bike and the bike doesn't ruin the gym. Riders usually get into trouble for three reasons: they lift too heavy too soon, they place hard gym work too close to key rides, or they treat soreness as proof that the session worked. That's how a sensible strength plan turns into a Zone 2 ride that feels like dragging a fridge through wet grass.

Challenge Roth sits high up on the list of races long-distance triathletes talk about for years before they finally stand on the start line. The roads are lined six and seven deep in places, the Solarer Berg climb turns into a tunnel of noise and the finish stadium in Roth stays full long after dark. Even riders who have raced Kona, Nice or Hamburg still talk about Roth in a different tone.

Strength training for triathletes is functional resistance training that improves force production, posture, joint stability and fatigue resistance across the swim, bike and run without aiming to add unnecessary muscle mass. The goal isn’t to get bigger. It’s to become stronger, more durable and more efficient across all three disciplines.

Polarised training in cycling is an endurance training model where most riding is kept genuinely easy, a small amount is made properly hard, and the tiring middle ground is kept to a minimum.

Foot pain while cycling is common but it shouldn’t be part of your ride. Discover the causes behind burning feet, numb toes and sore arches – plus simple fixes that actually help.

RPE, or rate of perceived exertion, is a simple way to measure how hard a ride feels by rating your effort on a scale, usually from 1 to 10. For cyclists, RPE helps you judge intensity using breathing, muscle fatigue, focus and overall effort, even when power, heart rate or speed don’t tell the full story.

If you want better results from your riding, heart-rate zones are a simple place to start. Discover how to calculate yours, train with purpose and balance intensity with recovery for steady progress.