October 2, 2024 
matthewmace 
Build cycling endurance by implementing these three underused tips.
Are you struggling to increase the distance or time spent riding on the bike? Or maybe you just want to increase your aerobic fitness so you can keep up with your local group?
When you improve your cycling endurance, you can ride further with less fatigue. Why? You’ll be increasing slow twitch fibers, improving mitochondrial efficiency and volume, and stretching the left ventral so you can pump more blood to the working muscles. Thus, you’ll achieve the necessary aerobic training adaptations, which will likely increase your FTP and watts per kilo (w/kg). So what’s the best way to do it?
It’s no secret that to improve your endurance, you need to ride more. The bread and butter of your training should be done at zone 2—this is approximately 55-75% of your FTP or 60-70% of your max heart rate.
However, there are also a few other things you can do to improve your cycling endurance to help you ride longer. That’s what we explain in this article.
In this article, we cover:
- How and why to apply constant pressure to the cranks
- The importance of progressive overload and how to do it
- Why you should reduce time spent stopping on rides
Ready to commit a minimum of 6-9 hours a week and want to improve your cycling endurance? View our catalog of 4 and 12-week science-based cycling training plans and start building your endurance today.
How to build cycling endurance
There are numerous ways to build cycling endurance. But most training philosophies boil down to increasing ride length, riding in the correct zones, and throwing in the odd interval or zone 4 training effort.
For now, we’ll assume you know the basics. Below, we highlight three unconventional and underutilised methods to help you improve your endurance.
Apply constant pressure
Constant pressure has become somewhat of a motto here at the RCA.
If you’re not already doing it, applying constant pressure to the cranks will drastically help improve your cycling endurance. You’re leaving lots of endurance on the table if not.
Let’s use the example of rolling terrain. Your existing approach is likely to pedal hard on the steep slopes, and back off on the slight downhill and flats. You’re not applying constant pressure to the cranks, and you’re dipping in and out of the training zones.
If your goal is to build endurance, you need to produce even pressure, or as close to even pressure on the cranks, regardless of the terrain and elevation changes. Where practical, applying constant pressure ensures you remain in the correct zone and apply the right amount of pressure to get the necessary physiological and musculoskeletal adaptations to improve.
On your next ride, try to apply constant pressure for the entire duration of your ride. Obviously, stop for traffic lights and potential hazards, but make a conscious effort to keep pedaling.
Constant pressure is a skill—it might feel weird at first. But stick with it, and we promise you’ll see some great adaptations.
You may find it easier to practise constant pressure on an indoor trainer using ERG mode.
As an example, your power graph should stay consistent—it should look like you’re using ERG mode, even when riding outside.
If you’ve never done it before, you’ll quickly realise just how fatigued you become so quickly. This is a sign you’re doing it right!
Progressively overload on the weekends
If you’ve ever lifted weights, you’re likely familiar with the term “progressive overload.”
Progressive overload is a training technique where you gradually increase the intensity of your training week by week.
For example, if you bench press 80kg one week for 10 reps, the following week, you would try to get 11-12 reps. Progressive overload adds stress to the muscle, breaking the muscle fibres down and allowing them to grow stronger and thicker.
You can also apply progressive overload to cycling. However, instead of growing visibly bigger and stronger muscles, the main adaptations you will get are primarily aerobic.
So, how do you apply progressive overload to your rides?
Most people have extra time on the weekends. Maybe you can squeeze in 2-3 rides at zone 2 intensity during the week (see the below chart for the correct training zones), but on the weekends, 1-2 longer rides.
You can use the extra time to extend your rides, say riding 3 hours on Sunday one week, 3.5 hours the next, and 4 hours the following week. You can apply progressive overload by increasing the duration of your ride to facilitate the necessary physiological training adaptations to improve your aerobic endurance.
You might even increase in time increments by 15 mins, as opposed to 30 mins. Once you start hitting 3 hours (at constant pressure), you will notice the difficulty levels rise sharply.
If you can ride on Saturday and Sunday, you can split this up—instead of working up to, say, 5 hours on a Sunday, you could do 3 hours on both days, equaling 6 hours of total training time spent on the weekend.
Start by increasing your rides by no more than 20-30 minutes at a time. The longer the duration, the more difficult it will be to keep adding time. Add a recovery week if needed, or back off the intensity every third or fourth week to prevent overtraining, burnout, and excessive fatigue.
Reduce time spent not riding
During most training sessions, especially social outings, you may be guilty of stopping for too long at cafes or shops to refuel.
Again, if you’re training for fun, perhaps more for the social aspect, then you can ignore this advice. But if you’re wanting to improve your cycling endurance on the bike, aim for minimal stopping time on your rides.
Let’s say you regularly ride for 4 hours on a Sunday. You might ride 1.5 hours to a coffee shop, stop for 1 hour, then ride 1.5 hours home. And while you completed 3 hours of total training, you achieved this practically as two rides, not one.
The problem with this is that you miss out on training adaptations. By stopping for extended periods, your body recovers and recuperates—your system is no longer as stressed and, therefore doesn’t need to adapt to cope with the additional stress placed upon it.
Most people find this out the hard way. They book an event, say a 5-6 hour endurance race, but during their training, they frequently stop for upwards of 1-2 hours. Then, when race day arrives, you practically need to ride for 5-6 hours without stopping—minus a quick break to fill up your bottles or to grab a few extra energy gels.
Riding with minimal stopping is tiring, especially if you’re also applying constant pressure—which we recommend!
If you’re struggling to reduce stopping time, here are a few tips:
- Pack extra gels, snacks, and fluids before setting off
- Set a timer when stopping and stick to it
- Start by gradually reducing stopping time
- Aim for the social coffee at the end or the start of the ride. Or both! Just not in the middle.
Key takeaways
- Apply constant pressure to increase time spent in the correct training zone and to facilitate necessary physiological adaptations
- Progressively overload your weekend zone 2 rides by adding 20-30 minutes weekly
- Reduce time spent stopping to prevent wasted time spent training and to increase training adaptations
For a more personalised approach, talk to us today to inquire about one-to-one coaching.
