Spring is just around the corner, and you probably have a target in sight, whether it’s achieving a time trial PB, completing an epic summer event, or just meting out some punishment on the group ride. The common thread is the desire to get the best out of yourself.
While intending to train hard, many of us hinder our progress by making mistakes. As a coach, I’ve worked with cyclists who found their fitness plateauing or even declining, despite putting in consistent effort. A closer look at their training often reveals a few common errors that are easy to make but also easy to correct.
If your performance isn’t where you’d like it to be, take a step back and see if you’re falling into any of these avoidable training traps. Below are the most frequently encountered training mistakes – and how to fix them.
RIDING TOO HARD ON LONG, ‘EASY’ RIDES
This one is a very common mistake, made in two different ways: either riding to an average speed target, rather than relative intensity, or riding at the upper end of Zone 2 all the time. Easy rides are meant to be easy – allowing you to go long without inflicting excessive fatigue. Riding beyond this lower intensity impairs some training adaptations, as well as making you too tired for key sessions where higher power is the goal.
DO THIS INSTEAD: The fix is easy: slow down and take it steady. Wide-range gearing helps on hillier routes, while heart rate (HR) is a better indicator of intensity than power or speed, as it shows how hard your body is working. If you know your Zone 2 HR is 130- 140bpm, keep it primarily in this zone.
USING SUMMER POWER ZONES FOR WINTER TRAINING
Fitness and power zones don’t follow a simple linear progression. Instead, they fluctuate, with peaks and troughs over time, even as overall performance improves. Many riders achieve their best power test results during the race season, when they are at peak fitness. However, they often continue using these same numbers throughout the winter, despite having lost some conditioning after an off-season break. This leads to training at an intensity that is too high for their current fitness. Over time, even a small but consistent overload increases fatigue and can impair training and hinder progression.
DO THIS INSTEAD: It’s perfectly normal to see a drop in power at the start of winter training. Anyway, you should be testing your power zones every 12-16 weeks or after specific training blocks. A good rule of thumb as you start your winter training period is to gradually build up in the first couple of weeks before re-testing your power zones.
UNDER-FUELLING LONG RIDES
I’ve made this mistake myself after receiving poor advice that “at low intensities, you only burn fat, so there’s no need to eat carbs.” This is completely wrong – the body always burns both fat and carbohydrates simultaneously, just at varying rates depending on intensity. Despite this, many riders under-fuel their long rides, consuming very little – perhaps just a small bar with 20g of carbs per hour. This approach can compromise performance, limit adaptations, and lead to unnecessary fatigue.
DO THIS INSTEAD: We certainly don’t need to be eating 120g/hr of carbs for these sessions, but 40-60g/hr is a sensible intake. Doing so will result in better recovery, enhanced training adaptations, and reduce cravings and snacking after these rides, helping to maintain optimal body composition.
TRAINING THROUGH ILLNESS
It’s common for riders to rush back into training too soon after illness, or even try to make up for lost time. This is a major mistake, often leading to prolonged illness or repeated setbacks. I once worked with a rider whose previous coach advised them to ‘catch up’ on missed training after being unwell. They were given an intense training week while still recovering, only to fall ill again – proof that pushing too hard, too soon, can do more harm than good.
DO THIS INSTEAD: For the long-term benefits of your performance and training, it is important to wait until symptoms have subsided, plus an extra day. If you have been ill mid-training block, reduce the intensity of the first week back before picking up on efforts again or – depending where you are in your season – move on to the next phase.
NEGLECTING STRENGTH WORK
Strength training is a brilliant tool for adding an extra training stimulus, improving bone mineral density and reducing the likelihood or injury.
DO THIS INSTEAD: You don’t need a fully equipped gym. There are benefits to be had from home sessions with bodyweight exercises. Some useful bodyweight exercises are single-leg squats, hip bridges with single-leg raise, shoulder taps, and jumps. If you have some basic weights like a kettle bell you can add standard squats, Romanian deadlifts, and kettlebell swings. The correct weight depends on your strength and what progressive phase you are in. Strength phases use heavier weights lifted slowly, Power phases use lighter weights lifted with more speed and acceleration.
The key is remaining consistent with strength training year round, which will help reduce DOMS. Two sessions a week is a suitable workload for most people, even during events season. Setting yourself a progressive and varied strength plan helps, and remember to avoid high-rep work. Keep cardio and strength work separate, and focus on strength and power with lower repetitions and more force or speed while maintaining good technique. Many riders I’ve worked with have seen significant improvements through the inclusion of even basic strength programmes.
GRINDING TOO SLOW A CADENCE
High-torque intervals are used to develop force production. For example, a rider producing 300W at 90rpm generates 31.8Nm, whereas at 60rpm, they generate 47.7Nm. At the WorldTour level, sustained high-torque training targets are 1Nm/kg for men and 0.88Nm/kg for women. Where low cadence becomes problematic is when it’s habitually used during steady endurance rides. This can lead to excessive muscular fatigue, limiting performance and overall fitness gains.
DO THIS INSTEAD: A key objective of endurance training is muscle capillarisation – developing more capillaries to increase the supply of blood and oxygen to muscles. One of the mechanisms for this is the release of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which some studies have found aligns with the number of muscle contractions, not their intensity – more revolutions may mean greater gains. Of course, spinning at 110rpm for four hours won’t do you any favours. While an average cadence of 80-100rpm is often the most appropriate, some riders are comfortable closer to the 80rpm range, while others prefer close to 100rpm.
ALWAYS TRAINING INDOORS OR OUT
Riding either exclusively indoors or outdoors can be limiting, though there are valid reasons to favour the former at times, such as high winds, icy roads or only having time to ride in the evenings and preferring not to cycle in the dark. However, when riders have the option but consistently stick to just one, they may miss out on key training benefits. A balanced approach, leveraging the control and efficiency of indoor training alongside the technical skills and varied conditions of outdoor riding, leads to better overall performance and adaptability.
DO THIS INSTEAD: Only riding indoors can be limiting if your goals involve outdoor cycling, as it reduces time spent developing bike-handling skills including cornering, descending and out-of-saddle efforts – all essential for riding safely and confidently. Conversely, riding exclusively outdoors can mean training in unsafe conditions or struggling with session specificity, as some intervals are easier and safer indoors depending on road conditions. The key is finding a balance between the two.
MAKING NO ALLOWANCE FOR STRESS
Training is about managing total stress load. As a coach, my role is essentially stress management. Cycling stress is just one factor. Work, life, exams, and other pressures all contribute. To maintain progress, there must be a balance between stress and rest. When external stress increases, keeping training intensity unchanged can lead to burnout. Sometimes, the best approach is to reduce cycling load to ensure optimal adaptation and long-term gains.
DO THIS INSTEAD: During times of high life stress, be realistic and reduce your training load. Be mindful of your stress-to-rest balance. Keeping track of RPE, fatigue levels, mood and sleep can help give you an idea of where the tipping point lies.
OVERDOING IT ON ZWIFT
Zwift racing can be fun and a great way to stay motivated, especially for adding higher-intensity efforts over the winter. Many of the riders I coach find that occasional eRacing helps keep them engaged, whether as a one-off challenge or as part of a league. The problem arises when these races are done too frequently. Since they typically last around an hour at near-maximal intensity, racing more than once a week can lead to excessive fatigue. It can also mean missing key sessions designed to target specific fitness adaptations, ultimately limiting long-term progression.
DO THIS INSTEAD: The solution is easy: limit yourself to one Zwift race a week, at most, or do them in small blocks with easier riding and plenty of recovery scheduled in between. Consider how they fit in with your bigger goals. If Zwift races keep your motivation high, keep doing them, but be aware that doing too many may limit or slow your long-term development.
The bottom line...
Avoiding common training mistakes can make a significant difference in achieving your cycling goals, making sure you’re maximising gains while avoiding self-sabotage. While it’s important to enjoy the process, the most effective training balances structured progression with sustainable effort. By recognising and correcting errors – whether in intensity, recovery or session selection – riders can train smarter, reduce fatigue and improve long-term fitness. With the right approach, progress becomes more consistent, effective, and rewarding. Erase these mistakes from your cycling and you’ll go from strength to strength.
