Workouts

Workout

Training focus · Zone 1 · Below 55% FTP

Recovery ride workouts

The hardest part is keeping it easy.

Recovery rides are deliberately easy spins — 30–60 minutes below roughly 55% of FTP — that promote blood flow and movement without adding training stress. Their job is to make tomorrow’s session better, not to build fitness today.

Z1
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EasyThe full power spectrum — tap a zone to explore itMax
20
free sessions
20–150
minutes
Below 55%
of FTP
Pick your first rideSee every sessionTest your FTP
Free to ride No account needed to start Works with Bluetooth smart trainers ERG mode holds the watts
Start here

Three ways in

Don’t scroll all 20 sessions on day one. Pick the one that fits the time you have, press start, and the trainer does the pacing.

The way in

Recovery Spin 1 – 20m

Shortest session in the set. Ride it today.

20
min
0.48
intensity
Preview & ride
The staple

Active Recovery 45min

The session you will come back to every week.

50
min
0.48
intensity
Preview & ride
The long haul

Long Ride Zone 2 (2hr)

Block out the time. This one builds depth.

150
min
0.62
intensity
Preview & ride
Why it works
The physiology, briefly

The trainer is the perfect place for recovery rides because there is no terrain to accidentally turn the ride into work. ERG mode caps the power for you; the discipline is simply leaving it there.

The sessions below are free to ride. If your legs feel worse after a recovery ride, it was too hard — the right intensity feels almost embarrassingly easy.

How to run it
Embarrassingly light. That is the whole point.
  • 01Cap it in ERG mode and leave it capped — no “feeling good” surges.
  • 02Spin light: high-ish cadence, low force, zero strain.
  • 03Twenty to sixty minutes. Longer starts costing recovery instead of helping it.
  • 04If your legs feel worse afterwards, it was too hard. Go easier next time.
The full set

All 20 recovery sessions

Under 40 minutes

8 sessions
Recovery
Recovery Spin 1 – 20m
True recovery ride: low cardiovascular strain with light neuromuscular activation, based on current recovery guidelines.
20 minIF 0.48
Recovery
Easy
Zone 1
View Details
Recovery
Yoga For Cyclists | 20 Minute Sore Back Focus
A 20 minute yoga session to focus on easing back pain, with a mix of leg and back stretches with variations for all skill levels.
20 minIF 0.30
yoga
stretching
recovery
+4 more
View Details
Recovery
Easy riding | 20 Minute Indoor Cycling Workout
A 20-minute easy ride, ideal for recovery. Maintain a low rate of perceived exertion (RPE 1-2) or around 60% of your max heart rate.
21 minIF 0.43
gcn
gcntraining
cycling
+5 more
View Details
Recovery
30min Easy Spin
Taper easy spin. Keep it conversational and under 30 minutes.
30 minIF 0.57
taper
easy
recovery
View Details
Recovery
Recovery Spin 2 – 30m
True recovery ride: low cardiovascular strain with light neuromuscular activation, based on current recovery guidelines.
30 minIF 0.48
Recovery
Easy
Zone 1
View Details
Recovery
Saturday Opener (20min)
Optional Saturday: 20 min easy opener session or walk/stretching. Prevents feeling stale after Fri/Sat rest before Sunday long ride.
30 minIF 0.50
Opener
Recovery
Time-Crunched
+1 more
View Details
Recovery
The Ultimate Recovery Ride
This workout is a general template for a recovery ride, focusing on very low intensity to promote blood flow and aid muscle recovery without adding training stress.
30 minIF 0.48
Recovery
Low Intensity
Easy Ride
+3 more
View Details
Recovery
Recovery + Leg Openers
Light recovery session with a handful of short tempo surges to maintain readiness without adding fatigue.
36 minIF 0.48
Recovery
Leg Openers
View Details

40 to 70 minutes

7 sessions
Endurance
Recovery Spin
Active recovery ride. Keep the chain tight but minimal effort.
40 minIF 0.48
Recovery
Easy
View Details
Recovery
Recovery Spin 3 – 40m
True recovery ride: low cardiovascular strain with light neuromuscular activation, based on current recovery guidelines.
40 minIF 0.49
Recovery
Easy
Zone 1
View Details
Interval
Recovery Week: Short Sweet Spot
Short Sweet Spot session: 1x15min @ 88-92% FTP. Keep one intense session but short during recovery week.
40 minIF 0.65
Recovery
Sweet Spot
Base
View Details
Recovery
Active Recovery 45min
45 minutes very easy spin at <55% FTP. Blood flow & recovery. Or take a day off.
50 minIF 0.48
Recovery
Active Recovery
Base
View Details
Recovery
Recovery Spin 4 – 50m
True recovery ride: low cardiovascular strain with light neuromuscular activation, based on current recovery guidelines.
50 minIF 0.49
Recovery
Easy
Zone 1
View Details
Recovery
Z2 + Spin-Ups (1h)
Recovery aerobic ride with two short high-cadence spin-ups to stay sharp.
53 minIF 0.62
recovery
z2
neuromuscular
View Details
Recovery
Recovery Spin 5 – 60m
True recovery ride: low cardiovascular strain with light neuromuscular activation, based on current recovery guidelines.
60 minIF 0.49
Recovery
Easy
Zone 1
View Details

Over 70 minutes

5 sessions
Interval
Sweet Spot 2x15min (Time-Crunched)
Tuesday: Recovery week. Keep intensity but shorter - 2x15min at 88-92% FTP.
75 minIF 0.61
Sweet Spot
SST
Time-Crunched
+2 more
View Details
Recovery
Recovery Week: 1hr Zone 2
1 hour Zone 2 with 2x30sec spin-ups (high cadence, low resistance). Recovery week workout.
76 minIF 0.61
Recovery
Zone 2
Base
View Details
Endurance
Recovery Endurance 2h
Low-intensity endurance ride designed for aerobic durability. Keep the effort conversational and avoid drifting into tempo.
120 minIF 0.55
Endurance
Zone 2
Low Intensity
+3 more
View Details
Recovery
Recovery Week: 2hr Zone 2
2 hours strictly conversational pace Zone 2. Recovery week. Allow adaptation.
140 minIF 0.63
Recovery
Zone 2
Base
View Details
Endurance
Long Ride Zone 2 (2hr)
Sunday: Recovery week. Shortened to 2 hours. Still pure Zone 2 for mitochondrial benefits.
150 minIF 0.62
Long Ride
Zone 2
Mitochondrial
+3 more
View Details
No paywall between you and the pedals

Ride first. Sign up when it’s worth saving.

Open any session above, connect your trainer over Bluetooth, and ride it right in the browser — ERG mode holds every target for you. No trainer handy? Simulation mode lets you preview the whole experience. An account only matters when you want to keep the ride, sync it to Strava, and watch the fitness build.

Pick a ride Create a free account
  • Works with Wahoo, Tacx, Elite and any Bluetooth smart trainer
  • ERG mode — the trainer holds the watts, you hold the cadence
  • Simulation mode if your trainer is not nearby
  • One-tap upload to Strava when you are signed in

Recovery training FAQ

How hard should a recovery ride be?

Below about 55% of FTP, or under 60% of max heart rate — genuinely easy, with cadence light and breathing barely elevated. If you are unsure whether it is easy enough, it is not.

Is a recovery ride better than a rest day?

They serve different needs. Complete rest is right when you are deeply fatigued or short on sleep; an easy spin can aid recovery when legs are merely heavy. Most weeks have room for both.

How long should a recovery ride last?

Twenty to sixty minutes is typical. Beyond an hour the ride starts consuming recovery resources rather than supporting them.

Go deeper

Reading for the rest day

Recovery Rides for Cyclists: What They Are and What They Are Not
Understand how recovery rides work for cyclists, when they help, and how easy they need to stay to support the plan.
How to Build a Practical Cycling Training Plan
A simple approach to building a cycling training plan that balances hard sessions, endurance, recovery, and progression.
Endurance Training for Cyclists: What Easy Work Actually Builds
Learn what endurance rides do for cyclists, how they support harder sessions, and how to place them in a training week.
Keep exploring

Every zone has a job

Zone 256–75%Sweet Spot88–94%Threshold95–105%VO2 Max106–120%HIIT105–150%Endurance56–80%Tempo76–87%Sprint & Anaerobic121–200%