How To Train For Long Rides

In association with Scott.
Here are our tips for improving your endurance without spending more time training.

Very few of us have the time to do 20 hour training weeks or to spend hours recovering. So, this video has a few tips that will help you to get fitter and ride for longer without increasing the amount of time that you spend training.

Consistency is key. It's far better to ride 5 times a week for 1 hour rather than do one 5 hour ride. Consistency of training will help you to improve your endurance.

Pre-breakfast training is great; you can use it as your pre-work commute - just make sure that you have a good breakfast afterwards.

'Sweet spot' training is a popular term, but what does it mean? Dan got some big gains in his pro career from using sweet spot, so, in this video, he shares one of his favourite sessions.

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[PeowPeowPeowLasers]

I train myself to ride longer by putting a big piece of cake on some string, suspended from the end of a stick, which I glue to the top of my helmet.

[TechnicFlow]

I just got into cycling this year out of necessity when I didn't have a car and needed to get to work. I was commuting 32 miles a day 5 days a week on a Granite Peak Roadmaster until about 4 months ago when I bought an Allez (at the suggestion of GCN). Now I'm riding the same in half the time and just rode my first 70 mile ride completely shocking myself that I maintained power throughout. Riding a lot, consistently got me there for sure.

[siptersucks]

I've been a subscriber for quite a few months now, and I am really impressed by the consistency of the high-quality videos you guys pump out every week. Just want to say thank you GCN, I learned a lot more about the sport ever since I became a subscriber, and I sure had a lot of good laughs along the way as well.

[NoreenHoltzen]

The location of this film looks seriously like col de le Madone which I ride up every week or so, living in Monaco. I could be wrong but it looks extremely similar. The roundabout at 50:00 looks like Roquebrune (with Menton further in background just before they start climbing towards Monaco). Monaco is arguably the best cycling spot in the world, and includes the 2, 500m accumulative climbing loop to col de Turini (1, 600m at summit but requires climbing col de Castelon before and after). Cafes everywhere so can so a long wide but with long and truly pleasant recovery cafe stops, extremely good for fitness. Actually I see at 3:05 the village of St Agnes briefly in the background so I am now 100% the footage during all the climbing is col de Madone, all of it in the final one third of the climb and final 15% when the toad becomes thinner.

[ethanhorsfall]

Just started training done 6 miles with a 641ft elevation climb, Did well for timing too, Going for 10 miles next

[FatGourmand]

Superb videos!! I been watching for a year or so now and always so informative for newbies like me. I particularly liked on this video the sweet spot intervals graphic on the right of the screen, it just spent out in laymans language what to do. Thank you so very much for the hard work.  

[rref_bike]

The filming and editing in this video were phenomenal!

[jbaillie]

Suddenly everyone in Scott helmets? Shoes? Riding Scott disk-brake road bikes most of the show? Looks like someone has an incognito major sponsor.

[whatsdougupto]

Thanks for the video guys!! Great info

[lppedd]

Global Cycling Network Since 3 weeks I started commuting to work by bike (40km + 40km) two times per week, and I can really feel the difference on the weekend! One thing to keep in mind, is that you need to be organized (I plan everything for the week on sunday) and you need to eat a lot (good eating), or you'll end up feeling like crap (happend twice to me) especially after 8-9 hours of work... I do not know how long I'll keep going, riding alone at 7 a.m and 7 p.m trying to maintain a good pace (30-35km/h) is mentally hard.

[methunshow]

It's definitely nice finding that sweet spot for yourself, where you can have a consistent pace and still feel like you have sprints left in you.

[ladytradiej]

Bloody good advise about the sugar. Thanks! 😁

[hightechhighlander]

1:25 Dan is sitting in his how to motorboat like a Boss video caption position.

[darrent]

Unless you're on an indoor trainer, how do you build these suggested intervals into a ride? It's a bit hard when you're with a group to speed up and slow down, unless everyone is on exactly the same program (unlikely). And what happens if you get to a big hill (like in the vid)? Do you stop and start? I think not. How do you build the local terrain and group rides that are available into your program?

[gayebrinkman]

This is a good one, very important!
JGSB

[swites]

 Just a question on fasted training. My commute is basically an hr one way, but has over 500m of climbing in it. Would this be too arduous in the fasted training state?

Thanks for the great tips btw!

[WheelersAtLarge]

Just a minute, I've always used an upcoming long ride as an excuse to spend more time on my bike... Thanks to this video I now need a new excuse 😁

[tattooedclimber]

I did a 20 minute ftp test this week and my ftp is 210 watts. Can you give me any idea if this is a good number and how I improve, cheers.

[griffgriffo]

Great tips.I notice the bikes have disc brakes..Is it sign that discs are starting to become more mainstream even being allowed in racing

[paulfrankgravel]

Excellent videos the guys are very entertaining, can we get a subtitle that shows us where they are ? some of the vistas are amazing, it would be nice to know where they were