Week 16 of the British Cycling Sportive Training Plans for beginners and week 11 for intermediate and advanced riders starts on Monday - download yours today.

BEGINNERS
The sixteenth of 25 weeks of prescribed training sessions designed to get you to your first sportive in the best possible shape.

With your big ride last week, you’ve definitely earned this recovery week. As well as letting your body recover, give your bike some love too and either service it yourself or book it into your local bike shop. With an extra day off to fill, think about what sportive to enter if you haven’t already done so and, if you have, sort out accommodation and travel.

Download Beginner Training Plans

INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
Week eleven of the intermediate and advanced plans are a continuation of a foundation phase of training, suitable for riders of any discipline. Alongside prescribed rides in training zones, which include efforts at intensity, each week includes cross training and strength and conditioning sessions.

Late January often sees the worst weather of the British winter. Although modern clothing can keep you comfortable in atrocious conditions, sometimes it can just become too unpleasant and dangerous to ride on the roads. If you can’t get out for your long weekend rides, use your indoor trainer but, for the sake of your sanity and backside, rather than attempting the whole session in one go, split it into a morning and afternoon workout. If you can get out, practice pacing climbs. Always aim to be riding strongest at the top of the climb. Use your gears and don’t go too hard too early.

Download Intermediate/Advanced Training Plans

By following the plans, British Cycling members will benefit from the same expert knowhow that has propelled Britain to the top of World cycling.

Developed by British Cycling’s expert coaches and using sessions ridden by the top riders; it’s a structured, scientific and proven route to cycling success which, together with advice from British Cycling’s Insight Zone, forms a powerful cycling knowledgebase.

FOLLOW THE PLAN
British Cycling members can start following our training plans at any time – match the plans to the date of your event and your ability level and see your cycling improve.

If you’re new to cycling or it has been a while since you were last in the saddle, the British Cycling Sportive Training Plan for beginners is the ideal way for you to train for and complete up to a 60-mile sportive. Using heart rate to gauge intensity, you’ll always be training at the right level and ensuring you’re riding and recovering optimally to make maximum fitness gains.

If you’re an experienced sportive rider, looking to take your cycling to the next level and maybe start hitting some gold standards, the British Cycling Sportive intermediate and advanced training plans are for you. With a less prescriptive, user-driven four-week rolling structure, you get expert coaching and proven British Cycling training sessions, but it’s more flexible and easier to mould round your target events. Whether you train using heart rate or power, you can guarantee every pedal stroke will be propelling you effectively towards your cycling goals.

Whether you’re a sportive regular or aspiring to take part in your first ever event, British Cycling’s sportive tips and advice pages have all the information you’ll need.

With your big ride last week, you’ve definitely earned this recovery week. As well as letting your body recover, give your bike some love too and either service it yourself or book it into your local bike shop.

If you can’t get out for your long weekend rides, use your indoor trainer but, for the sake of your sanity and backside, rather than attempting the whole session in one go, split it into a morning and afternoon workout.

Access training plans here.