Cycling Training Library

Every guide we've written on cycling training, zones, recovery, fueling, strength and AI coaching — organised by topic. Browse by category or jump straight to what you need.

LeCoach Vision & Features AI Cycling Coach Training Plans Training Zones & Power Calculators and tools Training Structure Recovery & Fatigue Fueling & Hydration Strength & Body Training for Different Goals

LeCoach Vision & Features

The ideas and features that shape how LeCoach coaches.

Plan Health Score

LeCoach's measure of whether your plan is actually working.

Structured & Adaptive Training

Why structure and adaptation must coexist in a good plan.

Training Day Overview

Recovery, workouts and training load in one daily coaching dashboard.

AI Cycling Coach

How an AI cycling coach works and how it compares to traditional coaching.

Visit the AI Cycling Coach hub →

AI Cycling Coach

The hub for AI-powered cycling coaching with LeCoach.

What is an AI Cycling Coach?

How AI coaching actually works and what to expect from it.

Best AI Cycling Coach

What to look for when choosing an AI cycling coach.

AI Cycling Coach App

The mobile + web experience of training with an AI coach.

AI Coach for Busy Cyclists

How AI coaching works when you have limited training time.

AI Coach vs Human Coach

Strengths, trade-offs and when each makes sense.

Training Plans

Structured plans for every goal, event, and constraint.

Visit the Training Plans hub →

Cycling Training Plans

Overview of structured plans, periodization and adaptive planning.

Cycling Training Plan

What a good cycling training plan looks like, week by week.

Adaptive Cycling Training Plan

Plans that adjust to your fitness, recovery and life.

Personalized Cycling Training Plan

Plans tailored to your athlete profile and constraints.

FTP Improvement Plan

Targeted block to raise your functional threshold power.

Time-Crunched Training Plan

Get fitter on limited hours per week.

Gran Fondo Training Plan

Build the endurance and pacing for a long sportive.

Climbing Training Plan

Train for hilly events and sustained climbing power.

Century Ride Training Plan

Prepare for your first or fastest 100-mile ride.

Mountain Bike Training Plan

MTB-specific fitness, skills and event prep.

Cyclocross Training Plan

Plan for a cyclocross season — power, repeatability, skills.

Beginner Cycling Training Plan

A first structured plan to build fitness and confidence.

Masters Cycling Training Plan

Smart training for cyclists 40+ focused on longevity.

Training Zones & Power

Power zones, FTP, and the workout intensities that build fitness.

Visit the Training Zones & Power hub →

Cycling Training Zones

The full zone model and how each zone builds fitness.

Zone 2 Cycling

Endurance zone — the engine of aerobic fitness.

Tempo Training

Sustained moderate efforts that build durability.

Sweet Spot Training

High-return work just below threshold.

Threshold Training

Raise your FTP with sustained at-threshold work.

VO2max Training

Hard intervals to lift your aerobic ceiling.

FTP for Cyclists

What functional threshold power is and why it matters.

FTP Tests for Cyclists

Different ways to estimate FTP and when to test.

Power-to-Weight Ratio

Why W/kg matters and how to improve it.

Training With a Power Meter

Use power data to train smarter and measure progress.

Cycling Workout Library

A library of structured workouts by zone and goal.

Calculators and tools

Free calculators for power, zones, pacing, tire pressure, fueling, recovery and bike maintenance.

Visit the Calculators and tools hub →

All cycling calculators

Every free LeCoach cycling calculator in one place.

All running calculators

Every free LeCoach running calculator in one place.

FTP calculator

Estimate FTP from a 20-minute, 2 × 8-minute, ramp or 60-minute test and get your 7 power zones in watts.

Watts per kg (W/kg)

Your power-to-weight ratio for sprint, punch, climbing and FTP efforts, placed on LeCoach’s eight power levels.

VO2 max calculator

Estimate VO2max from a 5-minute power test or your heart rate, and see how it compares for your age.

Åstrand-Ryhming test

Estimate VO2max from one 6-minute submaximal ride at a fixed wattage and your steady heart rate.

Heart rate zones

Cycling heart rate zones from lactate threshold heart rate, max heart rate or heart rate reserve.

TSS calculator

Training Stress Score and Intensity Factor from power, heart rate or run pace.

Weekly volume planner

A periodized week-by-week hours plan to your event: base, build, peak, taper and recovery weeks.

1RM and strength loads

Estimate your one-rep max from any set and get gym loads for each phase of a cyclist strength plan.

Cycling speed and power

How fast you ride at a given power, or the watts you need for a target speed, on any gradient.

Running pace calculator

Pace, time or distance for any run, converted between min/km, min/mile, km/h and mph.

Race time predictor

Predict 5K to marathon times from one recent race, with Riegel and VDOT side by side.

VDOT calculator

Your VDOT from a recent race, with easy, marathon, threshold, interval and repetition paces.

Triathlon pace and splits

Swim pace, bike speed, run pace and transitions turned into splits and a finish time, sprint to full distance.

Race nutrition

Carbs, fluid and sodium per hour for your event, with totals and a simple feeding rhythm.

Sweat rate

Weigh in before and after a ride to find your sweat rate per hour and how much to drink.

Ideal cycling weight

A healthy race weight range from your body composition, and what it does to your W/kg.

Race day checklist

A printable packing list for road, gran fondo, TT, gravel, MTB, running and triathlon races.

Tire pressure

Front and rear tyre pressure for road, gravel and MTB from your weight, tyre width and surface.

Road tire pressure

Road tyre pressure for 23 to 35 mm tyres, tubeless or tubes, with the hookless 72.5 psi limit built in.

Gravel tire pressure

Gravel tyre pressure for 35 to 50 mm tyres, from hardpack to rough, chunky gravel.

MTB tire pressure

MTB tyre pressure for 2.2 to 2.6 inch tyres by trail type, casing and inserts.

Gear ratios

Gear ratio, gear inches and speed at any cadence for every chainring and cog combination.

Bike size

Road, gravel and mountain bike frame size from your height and inseam.

Saddle height

Starting saddle height from your inseam with the LeMond and 109 % methods, plus the knee-angle check.

What to wear

The right layers for today’s ride from temperature, rain, wind and how hard you will ride.

Max heart rate

Your estimated maximum heart rate from five age formulas, and how to find your real one.

Zone 2

Your Zone 2 in heart rate and watts, from threshold heart rate, max heart rate or FTP.

Critical power and W′

Critical power and W′ from two or three all-out efforts, and how long you can hold any wattage.

RPE scale

Rate of perceived exertion from 1 to 10, matched to zones and the talk test, plus session load.

How long to train

Weeks you need for a 5K, 10K, half marathon or marathon, from where you are now.

Climb calculator

Gradient, difficulty score, time at your watts and VAM for any climb.

Ride time

How long a ride takes from distance, climbing, your level and stops, plus average speed benchmarks.

Marathon pace

Goal marathon or half marathon time into pace, 5 km splits and a negative-split plan.

Calories burned cycling

Calories burned on a ride from power (most accurate), heart rate or speed.

Protein

Daily protein and per-meal amounts from your weight, training load, goal and age.

Caffeine

A safe, effective pre-race caffeine dose from your weight, with timing and the sleep cut-off.

Carb loading

Grams of carbohydrate per day before a long race, split into meals with food examples.

Resting heart rate

Normal resting heart rate by age and sex, and whether today’s reading is normal for you.

HRV by age

Typical HRV (RMSSD) for your age and sex, and whether today’s HRV is normal for you.

Rest day check

A quick check of sleep, heart rate, legs and mood that says train, go easy or rest.

Fitness loss

How much fitness you lose during a break, and how long it takes to get it back.

Training with a cold

The neck check: when easy training is fine, when to rest and when to see a doctor.

Running shoes

How long running shoes last, the signs they are done, and a kilometre estimate for your pair.

Bike chain

The 0.5 % and 0.75 % wear rules, how to measure, and a kilometre estimate for your chain.

Cassette and chainrings

How many chains a cassette and chainring last, the signs of wear and an estimate for yours.

Bike tires

How long road, gravel and MTB tyres last, the wear signs and a kilometre estimate.

Bike helmet

Replace after any crash and after about five years. Check yours in seconds.

Brake pads

Disc and rim pad wear limits, warning signs and an estimate for your pads.

Chain lube

How often to lube and clean your chain for your lube type, weather and weekly kilometres.

Maintenance schedule

Your personal maintenance schedule, from chain lube to brake bleeds, based on how much you ride.

Training Structure

Periodization, progressive overload, and how to organise a season.

Visit the Training Structure hub →

Cycling Training

The hub for how to organise cycling training.

How to Structure Cycling Training

Turn random rides into a coherent training week.

Base, Build, Peak, Taper

The classic four-phase season model explained.

Periodization for Cyclists

How to plan blocks, weeks and recovery across a year.

Progressive Overload

Apply progressive overload without overcooking yourself.

Polarized Training

Mostly easy, occasionally very hard — what the model means.

Time-Crunched Cycling Training

High-quality training when hours are scarce.

Indoor vs Outdoor Training

When to ride indoors vs outside and how to blend both.

Recovery & Fatigue

Sleep, HRV, rest days and managing fatigue across a training block.

Visit the Recovery & Fatigue hub →

Cycling Recovery & Fatigue

The hub for recovery, fatigue and readiness.

Cycling Recovery

Everyday recovery habits that actually move the needle.

HRV for Cyclists

Use heart-rate variability to track readiness.

Fatigue Management

Spot accumulating fatigue before it becomes overtraining.

Rest Day vs Recovery Ride

When a day off beats easy spinning — and vice versa.

Sleep & Recovery

Sleep is the most powerful recovery tool you have.

Training After Illness or Time Off

How to ramp back in safely after a break.

Fueling & Hydration

Daily nutrition, in-ride fueling, hydration and gut training.

Visit the Fueling & Hydration hub →

Cycling Fueling & Hydration

The hub for nutrition, fueling and hydration.

Daily Nutrition

Everyday eating that supports training and recovery.

Fueling Cycling Workouts

How and what to eat before, during and after rides.

Race Fueling

Carbs-per-hour, pacing intake and avoiding bonks.

Hydration & Electrolytes

Fluid and sodium needs across conditions.

Gut Training

Train the gut to absorb more carbs without distress.

Strength & Body

Strength, mobility and core work that supports cycling performance.

Visit the Strength & Body hub →

Strength Training for Cyclists

The hub for strength work that improves cycling.

Strength Training Plan for Cyclists

A structured strength plan to run alongside cycling.

Core Training for Cyclists

Core work that translates into a stable, powerful pedal stroke.

Mobility Training for Cyclists

Mobility work that supports comfort and performance on the bike.

Training for Different Goals

Cycling for weight loss, beginners, masters, busy riders, comebacks.

Visit the Training for Different Goals hub →

Training for Different Goals

The hub for goal-specific training approaches.

Cycling for Weight Loss

Train to lose weight without losing performance.

Cycling Training for Beginners

A first guide to structured cycling training.

Cycling Training for Masters

Training principles for cyclists 40+.

Cycling Training for Busy Cyclists

Get fitter on a tight, unpredictable schedule.

Returning to Cycling

Coming back after a long break — safely and progressively.

Ready to put the theory into practice?

LeCoach turns these principles into a structured, adaptive plan built around your goals, schedule and recovery.

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