Bike strength training can be an effective way to improve your cycling power and prepare for the upcoming triathlon season. Winter is an ideal time to focus on strength while rebuilding your aerobic base after some off-season downtime.

During the Base 1 training phase, some athletes choose to work hard in the gym. However, age-group triathletes are often time poor, and gym-built leg strength does not always transfer directly to cycling performance.

For that reason, I recommend completing the majority of your bike-specific strength work on the bike. Gym work can still be useful if a qualified coach or practitioner has identified specific weaknesses, imbalances or movement issues that need to be addressed.

Bike Strength Training Sessions

Below are several sessions that can help build cycling-specific strength and improve your ability to produce force through the pedals.

These sessions can be demanding and may place additional stress on the knees. Monitor how your body responds and stop if you experience pain or discomfort. Build the number and duration of the repeats gradually over several weeks rather than doing too much too soon.

Patience and consistency are important. Progressive overload will usually produce better results than trying to complete excessive volume early in the training block.

Bike Strength Training with Big Gear Repeats

On a flat course or indoor trainer, pedal in a large gear at a cadence of approximately 50–60 rpm for five minutes. Your heart rate should remain controlled, generally within heart rate zones 1–3 or around 60–75% of maximum heart rate.

The aim of this session is to stress the muscular system rather than the aerobic system. Begin with five-minute repeats and gradually build toward longer efforts of up to 20 minutes.

Remain seated throughout the repeat and keep your upper body quiet. Focus on applying smooth, controlled pressure through the pedals.

Big Gear Hill Repeats

Once you have progressed to longer big gear repeats on flat terrain, you can introduce the same type of session on a hill. The additional resistance can help develop greater cycling-specific strength.

Remain seated in the saddle, keep your upper body controlled and focus on producing steady force through each pedal stroke.

Force Repeats for Cycling Strength

This workout is similar in principle to lifting weights in the gym, but the resistance is applied directly on the bike.

On a flat course or indoor trainer, select a gear that limits your cadence to approximately 50–60 rpm. While remaining seated, drive the pedals firmly for 15–20 revolutions of the cranks.

Complete six to ten repeats, starting a new effort every three to five minutes. Between repeats, spin easily at 85 rpm or higher with light pressure on the pedals.

90-Second Hill Strength Repeats

On an indoor trainer with a relatively high resistance setting, pedal for 30 seconds at 70–80 rpm with your heart rate in zones 1–2. Then shift up one gear and maintain the same cadence for another 30 seconds.

Shift up once more and maintain cadence for a final 30 seconds. Your heart rate will increase, but the effort should generally remain below lactate threshold, around zones 3–4.

Recover for 90 seconds by spinning easily at 85 rpm or higher with light pressure on the pedals. Complete approximately eight to twelve repeats depending on your experience and training level.

For additional guidance on cycling strength and conditioning, you can also refer to the AusCycling website for broader cycling training and development resources.

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