Can you really build cycling endurance when you can only ride 2 days a week?

It’s an honest question many people have. You have a busy schedule. You have limited days to ride.

However, you want to build your stamina through cycling. I totally get it.

Here’s the thing. You can build cycling endurance when you can only ride 2 days a week. I said it. Quote me on it. Because I do it all the time, and I’m getting better and better at cycling because of it.

This guide is for you, beginners, returning riders, and time-crunched cyclists out there who want to actually get something out of what little cycling efforts they can afford each week.

What “Build Cycling Endurance” Means on a Bike

There are two types of bike rides, aerobic and performance-based riding types.

Aerobic rides are comfortable. You can talk in full sentences without having labored breathing. You can go longer because you’re at such a low fitness level when you ride like this.

Performance-based riding is when you push it. You’ll have that heavy leg and gasping for air feeling because you’re truly working your body out. This type of riding builds muscle, stamina, and increases your cycling skills.

It’s a good idea to consistently do both aerobic and performance-based bike riding for the best results.

The biggest problem for most beginner cyclists in terms of their ability to build cycling endurance is with pacing. You’re either pacing too hard or you’re pacing too often. There is a fine line you need to consistently get into, and the rest gets a lot easier from there.

The 2-Day Endurance Strategy

If you’re crunched for time to build cycling endurance, you still have plenty of options available to become a better cyclist.

In this strategy, I’m going to give you a 2-day plan for building your endurance on the bike. Two days shouldn’t be that challenging if you’re serious about wanting to get into cycling. Devote at least two days to this, and I promise you will see results.

One day is going to be a long and easy ride (aerobic), while the other day will be shorter but a lot harder than the easy day (performance).

This combination is going to be your best bet if you only have a few days to spare. Two medium-hard days are only going to bring pain and fatigue. An aerobic and performance hybrid schedule is going to allow you to consistently train yourself into a better cyclist.

Day 1 Ride: The Long Easy Endurance Builder

Your goal for this ride is to build your endurance base so that longer rides become easier and you are able to recover more quickly.

When riding, you want to focus on the talk test and your perceived effort. You need to ride in a way where you can easily talk in full sentences without gasping for air. You’ll also want to feel like you’re working, but at a very sustainable level.

As a beginner, start with 30-45 minutes of riding. As you build fitness, go for 45-75 minutes. Once you’re used to riding for a while, try going for up to 120 minutes.

Add 10-15 minutes to your longer rides each week as a way to progress. However, on the last week of the month, cut your ride down about 20% to 30% to give yourself some recovery. This will help prevent you from stalling out because you’ve lost your energy.

Pacing should start out as easily as possible. Remember, you want to be able to talk in full sentences normally. Keep a steady effort on hills going down to your easiest gear, and don’t try to chase others in a group ride.

Day 2 Ride: The “Quality” Session That Builds Stamina Fast

Let’s take a look at 3 beginner-friendly options for you to build cycling endurance through performance riding.

Option A: Tempo Intervals.

Do an easy effort to warm up and then pick a set. Set 1 is 3 x 6 min tempos. Go for a 2 x 10 min tempo. Do an easy 8-10 minute spin.

You should feel like you’re working, but it’s under control. Your breathing should be getting deeper. However, you should still be able to talk in shorter sentences.

Don’t turn the tempo into a race, as it will become too hard. Don’t start off going too fast and then slowing down later. Don’t skip a cool-down ride unless you like sore legs the next day.

Option B: Hill Repeats.

Warm up on the flats in an easy spin for 10-15 minutes, doing gradual gear changes. Find a steady hill that is 1-3 minutes long. Do 5-8 repeats up hill in an easy gear, stay in your saddle, and recover by spinning as you go downhill.

Your legs should feel loaded. However, you shouldn’t feel like you’re redlining or getting ready to bonk. You should ultimately feel like you could do one more repeat at the end of the set.

Don’t grind in your big gear; you’re going to be in pain. Don’t stand up and ride because it will wear you out. Don’t go full gas on the first rep and kill the rest of your effort.

Option C: Short Intervals.

Warm up for 12-15 minutes with an easy spin. Do 8 x 13 seconds hard or 10 x 14 seconds if you’re starting to build cycling endurance enough to push it a little more. Do a 10-minute easy cool-down spin to help recover.

This should feel hard but still repeatable. You should never feel like you’re dying. You should end this performance-based ride saying to yourself that you could do it again.

Don’t go on all-out sprints as the hardest parts of your ride. Don’t cut your recovery short unless you are fine with being uncomfortable and in pain. Make sure you warm up before you do a harder interval training set.

A Simple 8-Week Progression Plan

Plan ahead for 8 weeks if you want to build cycling endurance, but you only have 2 days a week to do it.

1. Week 1-2: Establish your baseline and learn how to pace on your bike.
2. Week 3-5: Add time to your longer rides and add an interval block to your routine.
3. Week 6-7: Do your longest ride and increase your interval times (slightly).
4. Week 8: Do your benchmark ride on the same route but try for an easier effort.

The thing about exercise and fitness is to mix things up so that your body can’t get used to a specific routine.

What to Do on Non-Riding Days (So You Still Improve)

If you can squeeze in some non-cycling activity for the rest of the week, try to do it to help further build cycling endurance.

Do some 10 to 20-minute easy wins for your fitness. Go for a brisk walk or hike. Do some basic strength training at home, focusing on your legs and more.

Rest is a form of training, too. If you’re totally cooked from your riding efforts, then get some rest. The last thing you want to do is injure yourself.

Fueling + Hydration to Build Cycling Endurance

Make sure you fuel and hydrate as you build cycling endurance.

Before you start riding, try to eat a small carb-focused snack. The carbs will act as fuel for your ride. Make sure you choose something healthy and try to avoid unnecessary fats.

While riding, you need calories because you’ll be actively burning them. The calories will help you stay energized during your riding routine. You’ll need to bring enough calories for your ride length, so go with bars, gels, and chews.

After your ride, you should focus on carbs such as pasta or something like that. You also want to take in some protein to help with muscle development. Lastly and most importantly, you should be focusing on hydration and electrolyte replenishment.

Under-fueling and improper hydration, especially during longer rides, will kill your cycling endurance.

Recovery Rules When You Only Ride 2 Days

Even though you’re only riding 2 days a week, recovery is still important if you want to properly build cycling endurance.

You need to make sure you get plenty of sleep. There will be some soreness that will be recovered by getting a good night’s rest. You should always take an easy rest day the day after a hard bike ride.

Space out your rides. Don’t try to do them back-to-back just to get them in for the week unless you absolutely have to. Try to do one on a Tuesday and the other on a Thursday or something like that if possible.

Don’t hesitate to dial back your riding levels if you start to experience problems. Fatigue is going to happen, but it shouldn’t make you really irritable. If your legs feel dead, then it’s time you put a little more effort into your recovery and rest.

Common Mistakes (and Fixes)

Don’t make these common mistakes when trying to build cycling endurance when you only have a few days a week.

• Mistake: Doing two hard rides every week. Fix: Do one easy ride and one quality but challenging ride.
• Mistake: Turning your long ride into a race. Fix: Slow down and extend the time you ride instead.
• Mistake: Skipping recovery. Fix: Schedule your rest as you would during your workouts.
• Mistake: Doing too much too soon. Fix: Progress in a gradual way.

Final Considerations

Remember, do one easy ride a week, one challenging but quality longer ride a week, and try to throw in some walking, strength training, and good rest days in between.

It doesn’t take much to build cycling endurance, even if you only have a few days a week to spare.

If you’ve found this article to be useful, consider giving me a small one-time donation to help support my efforts, time, and energy into writing these free posts.

I’d also like to invite you to my online community, Bike Southern Illinois. We even have a general cycling section in case you’re not from Southern Illinois but still wish to participate in the forum. It’s free, and there are no ads.