Winter Indoor Base
Twelve weeks of indoor base. Four rides a week, none longer than two hours, built so a whole winter of trainer riding actually adds up to something.
← Training plansW1Find the rhythm
W2Add a little length
W3First intervals
W4Test week
Base · 12 weeks · 4 rides a week Base · 8 weeks · 4 rides a week
Base phase · beginner · 4 weeks
4-week beginner cycling training plan
Four weeks. Three rides a week. One number at the end. Most beginner cycling plans fail for the same reason: they ask for more time than a new rider has, and they never tell you whether it worked. This one asks for three rides a week, none longer than 75 minutes, and it finishes with a ramp test so the last session tells you exactly what the first three weeks bought you.
Free, with no trial. Pick a start date and your training days; the sessions land on your own calendar. Switch or stop at any point. Every workout in it can be ridden without an account.
Weeks4
Rides a week3
Typical week2:41
Biggest week3:08
Week by week
EnduranceTempoThresholdVO2 max● Key session
W1Find the rhythm89
Week 1: pure aerobic. Ride at a pace where you could hold a conversation. If in doubt, go easier.
W2Add a little length120
Week 2: same intensity, slightly more time. The spin-ups teach your legs to turn over smoothly.
W3First intervals112
Week 3: your first sweet spot work — 8 minutes at a time. Hard but finishable. Sit up and breathe between efforts.
W4Test week88
Week 4: one slightly longer interval session, then the ramp test. Sleep well the night before and eat properly beforehand.
Every session is a real workout you can open and ride now. Starting the plan schedules all 12 from your chosen date, on the days you pick.
Start Beginner Cyclist KickstartRide this plan if
- You have a smart trainer and have never followed a structured plan.
- You can commit three sessions a week, around 45–75 minutes each.
- You are coming back to cycling after time off the bike.
What you get out of it
- A measured FTP you can build every later plan on.
- A comfortable hour of Zone 2 riding without watching the clock.
- A first taste of sweet spot work, at a length you can finish.
How the plan is built
Everything here is ridden in ERG mode. The trainer holds the target watts and you hold the cadence, which removes the hardest part of early structured training — pacing an interval you have never done before.
You do not need an FTP number to start. Ride the first week at the default targets, and the ramp test in week four sets your real zones for whatever you do next.
- Weeks 1–2 are pure aerobic riding, so the habit lands before the intensity does.
- Week 3 adds short sweet spot intervals — 8 minutes at a time, not 20.
- Week 4 ends with a ramp test, the shortest honest way to find your FTP.
Beginner Cyclist Kickstart: common questions
How many hours a week is this beginner cycling plan?
Between two and three hours across three rides. The longest single session is 75 minutes, in weeks two and three.
Do I need to know my FTP before I start?
No. Ride the first weeks at the default targets and take the ramp test in week four. That number then sets your zones for every plan after this one.
What should I do after four weeks?
Move to a base plan. The 12-week winter indoor base plan is the natural next step if you are training indoors, or sweet spot base if you already have a few months of riding behind you.
What to ride after this
Training works in blocks. These plans pick up where this one leaves off.
Sweet Spot Base
Eight weeks of sweet spot work at 88–94% of FTP, progressing 2×15 → 3×20 minutes, wrapped in enough Zone 2 to keep it sustainable.