Gran Fondo Training Plan
Twelve weeks and five rides a week for a long, hilly event: endurance volume, sweet spot and threshold power, and dedicated low-cadence climbing work.
← Training plansW1Torque first
W2Threshold enters
W3Add the ceiling
W4Recovery week
W5Force and velocity
W6Peak load
W7First timed effort
W8The timed climb
Specialty · 12 weeks · 5 rides a week Build · 8 weeks · 4 rides a week
Specialty phase · intermediate · 8 weeks
8-week hill climb training plan
Climbing is threshold power divided by weight. This is the numerator. Climbing speed comes down to sustainable power divided by weight. Weight is a nutrition question this plan will not pretend to answer; power is a training question, and it is the one every session here works on.
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.
Weeks8
Rides a week4
Typical week5:13
Biggest week7:02
Week by week
EnduranceTempoThresholdVO2 max● Key session
W1Torque first205
Week 1: low-cadence intervals and 2×20 sweet spot. Stay seated in the torque work — standing changes the exercise.
W2Threshold enters230
Week 2: four low-cadence intervals and 2×15 at threshold. Two hard days, well separated.
W3Add the ceiling286
Week 3: five low-cadence intervals and 4×8 VO2. The hardest week before the break.
W4Recovery week131
Week 4: recovery. The second block is heavier — take this one properly.
W5Force and velocity277
Week 5: the force and velocity mix, plus the full threshold builder. Two very different kinds of hard.
W6Peak load319
Week 6: five low-cadence intervals, 5×5 VO2, and a three-hour ride. The biggest week of the plan.
W7First timed effort251
Week 7: a 20-minute climb simulation early in the week, 4×5 VO2 later. Pace the simulation like a real climb.
W8The timed climb143
Week 8: openers midweek, then the 30-minute climb simulation. This is the number you are chasing.
Every session is a real workout you can open and ride now. Starting the plan schedules all 32 from your chosen date, on the days you pick.
Start Hill Climb PlanRide this plan if
- You have a hill climb event, a mountain sportive, or a local climb you want to beat.
- You can ride four times a week for six to eight hours.
- You have a base block behind you — this is not an entry-level plan.
What you get out of it
- Higher sustained power on climbs lasting 10–40 minutes.
- Muscular endurance for long seated efforts at low cadence.
- A timed climb simulation to measure yourself against next time.
How the plan is built
The mix is deliberate. Low-cadence torque work builds the muscular endurance that long seated climbs demand. Threshold intervals raise the power you can hold for the length of a real climb. VO2 max work lifts the ceiling those threshold efforts sit under, which matters on steep pitches and repeated climbs.
The plan finishes with a timed climb simulation. Ride the shorter version in week seven and the longer one in week eight, and you finish with a number you can chase next season.
- A low-cadence or force session every week — the specific part.
- Threshold work as the backbone, VO2 max layered in from week three.
- One recovery week at the midpoint, then a build straight into the timed effort.
Hill Climb Plan: common questions
How do you train to climb faster on a bike?
By raising the power you can sustain for the length of the climb. For a 20-minute climb that means threshold work; for a 5-minute climb, VO2 max work. Low-cadence torque intervals add the muscular endurance that long seated climbs demand.
Does low-cadence training make you a better climber?
It builds the muscular side of climbing — the ability to keep producing force when cadence drops on a steep pitch. It works best alongside threshold and VO2 work rather than instead of it, which is how this plan uses it.
Can I train for climbing on an indoor trainer?
Yes. A smart trainer in ERG mode holds the exact power a climb would demand, which is arguably better practice than a road climb where gradient changes push your power around. Raising the front wheel changes the position but not the training.
What to ride after this
Training works in blocks. These plans pick up where this one leaves off.
Sustained Power Build
The build block that follows base: threshold intervals and VO2 max work, holding onto the aerobic volume that made them possible.