Data Driven Athlete | Cycling Workout Guide 2.0

RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion)

RPE captures how difficult an interval or training session felt by taking into account all variables of life. Sleep, nutrition, family, and work stress; all impact how hard training feels.

RPE’s greatest strength is condensing our perception of physical and psychological stress into one number.

Naturally, our perceptions of training are subjective, and that’s precisely why RPE is so valuable.

Our RPE scale uses a one through ten system. One is extremely easy, and ten is extremely hard.

For a deeper dive into how you might utilize RPE in your training, check out our RPE for Cycling Guide.

You can dig into our second training language of power by clicking on page three.

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Zone 1 – Recovery

Active recovery (AC) rides aren’t about training, they’re about recovering. How do you ensure you’re recovering on an AC ride? Here are a few basics.

Zone 2 – Endurance

Everybody knows that building “endurance” should be a primary objective for every serious cyclist. The best way to do that is to do a bunch of long rides at an “endurance” pace, right? Well, maybe.

Zone 3 – Tempo

“Tempo” might be the most worthless description for a general training intensity, but its widespread usage in cycling circles means we’re stuck with it. What does “tempo” mean exactly? Let’s jump in.

If you’ve spent any time doing formal cycling workouts, then you’re probably familiar with zone 4, or “threshold” type workouts. So what is the point of a threshold workout, and are there better ways to do them?

Zone 5 – VO2

Your VO2max is the maximal amount of oxygen consumed during progressive all-out exercise. In the weight conscious world of cycling, VO2max is most commonly discussed in relative terms scaled to a riders weight as milliliters of oxygen, per kilogram of weight, per minute of exercise mL/kg/min.

Zone 6 – ATP-PCr and Glycolytic

Most cyclists are familiar with the difference between “aerobic” and “anaerobic” exercise. Aerobic exercises is primarily supported via the oxidative energy system. “Oxidative” means that oxygen is required to produce energy during the break down of energy (from either carbs, fats, or protein).