The Bike - The Long Ride.

Whether you're training for a sprint triathlon in the South Island, an Olympic in the Cotswolds, or an Ironman in the States, one thing remains true: the long ride is a cornerstone of triathlon success. But it’s not just about racking up miles.

Build Year-Round Endurance and Race-Ready Resilience

To truly progress on the bike year round, your training must be structured, purposeful, and adapted to the season. That’s where smart periodisation - and a consistent commitment to your long ride makes the difference between plateauing and peaking on race day. Let’s break down how to use your long ride effectively across the triathlon season.

Why the Long Ride Matters – From Sprint to Ironman

The long ride isn't about intensity or flashy numbers. It's about building aerobic endurance, improving fuel efficiency, and learning to stay mentally focused for extended periods.

Key Goals of the Long Ride:

• Aerobic Conditioning: Stay mostly in Zone 2 (easy/moderate effort) to train your body to burn fat efficiently and go further with less fatigue.

• Fuel & Hydration Strategy: Practise eating and drinking regularly - ideally every 15–20 minutes, and observe how your gut and energy levels respond.

• Practice Pacing: Learn to hold a steady, controlled output so you don’t burn too many matches too early.

• Race-Day Rehearsal: Use long rides to simulate event conditions, test your kit, and practise mental strategies.

  
  

Coach’s Tip: Add a short run (10–20 minutes) straight off the bike to turn it into a brick session-perfect for training your legs to transition smoothly from cycling to running.

Year-Round Structure - Periodise to Progress

Your body thrives on structure - especially when building cycling endurance. That’s why following a periodised training approach, and adjusting focus through the season helps to avoid burnout and unlock sustainable gains.

Off-Season

• Focus: Recovery, strength, and technique.

• Bike Sessions: Easy Zone 2 rides, low-cadence drills, single-leg work, and basic endurance building

• Goal: Rebuild your base, work on climbing or descending, and enjoy low-pressure riding.

Coach’s Tip: Use indoor trainers or spin classes to stay consistent when daylight is limited. Off-season is perfect for refining pedalling technique and posture.

Pre-Season

• Focus: Build volume and introduce moderate intensity.

• Bike Sessions: Longer outdoor rides, sweet spot intervals, and weekly bricks.

• Goal: Strengthen your aerobic engine and begin sharpening race-specific skills.

Coach’s Tip: Begin extending your long ride duration gradually - aim for a weekly increase of 5–10% max. Use familiar, quiet routes to stay focused.

Race Season

• Focus: Race specificity, sharpening, pacing.

• Bike Sessions: Race-pace efforts, course simulation, group rides, and targeted brick workouts.

• Goal: Fine-tune your fitness, taper wisely, and stay sharp without overtraining.

Coach’s Tip: By race season, your long rides should feel purposeful, not reactive. Stick to your plan and avoid last-minute panic training.

Indoor vs Outdoor – Mixing Environments for Progress

Long rides don’t have to be outdoors every week. In winter, you could use a smart trainer or turbo to log a quality 90-minute indoor endurance session if weather or time is tight.

Indoor Benefits: Controlled effort, no coasting, time-efficient

Outdoor Benefits: Road skills, real-world fuelling, mental toughness

Coach’s Tip: If you’re indoors, simulate long-ride fuelling and hydration. Treat it like race prep, not just a workout.

The long ride is your foundation - your chance to build not just fitness, but resilience, confidence, and consistency. By combining structured endurance rides with a smart, year round cycling plan, you'll avoid the dreaded plateau and arrive at race day knowing your legs can go the distance - and then some.

Whether you’re based in NZ, the UK or the USA, you can develop a sustainable, race-ready approach to endurance riding that fits your lifestyle, goals, and training experience.