Tempo cycling workouts
Comfortably hard. Emphasis on both. Tempo is the zone between endurance and sweet spot — roughly 76–87% of FTP. It is "comfortably hard": sustainable for long stretches, but with clear pressure on the legs. Tempo builds muscular endurance and is a natural stepping stone when sweet spot still feels like too much. Every workout here rides in ERG in your browser, free, no account.
The full set
Under 40 minutes · 7 sessions
40 to 70 minutes · 17 sessions
Over 70 minutes · 11 sessions
Why it works
Tempo blocks of 15–40 minutes inside an otherwise steady ride mimic the demands of fast group rides and rolling terrain, where you sit at this effort for long periods without true recovery.
The sessions below are free to ride with ERG mode or power targets. They pair well with a base block: swap one weekly endurance ride for a tempo session as your fitness builds.
How to run it
Pressure on the legs, conversation in short sentences.
- Treat tempo blocks as one continuous effort — no soft pedaling mid-block.
- Hold a natural cadence, 80–95 rpm, the way you would ride a long climb.
- Swap one weekly endurance ride for tempo as your base block matures.
- If you drift toward sweet spot, ease back — duration is the point here.
Tempo training FAQ
What is tempo in cycling training?
Tempo is Zone 3 riding at roughly 76–87% of FTP. It is harder than endurance pace but below sweet spot and threshold, and it can be sustained in long blocks of 15–40 minutes or more.
Is tempo riding useful or a "grey zone"?
Tempo earned the grey-zone label only when it replaces both easy rides and hard intervals. Used deliberately — as muscular endurance work in a structured week — it is a productive zone, especially for long-distance and gravel riders.
Tempo vs sweet spot — what is the difference?
Sweet spot (88–94% of FTP) is closer to threshold and more fatiguing per minute; tempo (76–87%) lets you accumulate more total time. Riders often progress from tempo to sweet spot as a training block develops.