Training
Today
Training
Today
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.
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.
Every session below is a real workout you can open and ride right now, with or without the plan. Applying the plan puts them on your calendar on the days you choose.
| Week | Focus and sessions | Load |
|---|---|---|
1 week | Find the rhythm Week 1: pure aerobic. Ride at a pace where you could hold a conversation. If in doubt, go easier. | 2.5 hours |
2 week | Add a little length |
Between two and three hours across three rides. The longest single session is 75 minutes, in weeks two and three.
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.
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.
Training works in blocks. These plans pick up where this one leaves off.
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.
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.
Week 2: same intensity, slightly more time. The spin-ups teach your legs to turn over smoothly.
3.1 hours |
3 week | First intervals Week 3: your first sweet spot work — 8 minutes at a time. Hard but finishable. Sit up and breathe between efforts. | 2.9 hours |
|---|
4 week | Test week Week 4: one slightly longer interval session, then the ramp test. Sleep well the night before and eat properly beforehand. | 2.3 hours |
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Applying the plan schedules all 12 sessions from your chosen start date. You pick which days of the week you ride.
Start Beginner Cyclist Kickstart