Workouts
Workout
Training focus · Zone 3 · 76–87% FTP
Tempo cycling workouts
Comfortably hard. Emphasis on both.
Tempo is the zone between endurance and sweet spot — roughly 76–87% of FTP. It is "comfortably hard": sustainable for long stretches, but with clear pressure on the legs. Tempo builds muscular endurance and is a natural stepping stone when sweet spot still feels like too much.
43
free sessions
20–250
minutes
76–87%
of FTP
Free to ride No account needed to start Works with Bluetooth smart trainers ERG mode holds the watts
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Three ways in
Don’t scroll all 43 sessions on day one. Pick the one that fits the time you have, press start, and the trainer does the pacing.
The way in
High Power Tempo With Short Sprints!
Shortest session in the set. Ride it today.
20
min
0.56
intensity
The staple
Basic Foundation 6
The session you will come back to every week.
50
min
0.74
intensity
The long haul
Long Ride Zone 2 (4hr) + Fatigue Resistance
Block out the time. This one builds depth.
250
min
0.65
intensity
Why it works
The physiology, briefly
Tempo blocks of 15–40 minutes inside an otherwise steady ride mimic the demands of fast group rides and rolling terrain, where you sit at this effort for long periods without true recovery.
The sessions below are free to ride with ERG mode or power targets. They pair well with a base block: swap one weekly endurance ride for a tempo session as your fitness builds.
How to run it
Pressure on the legs, conversation in short sentences.
- 01Treat tempo blocks as one continuous effort — no soft pedaling mid-block.
- 02Hold a natural cadence, 80–95 rpm, the way you would ride a long climb.
- 03Swap one weekly endurance ride for tempo as your base block matures.
- 04If you drift toward sweet spot, ease back — duration is the point here.
The full set
All 43 tempo sessions
Under 40 minutes
8 sessionsHIIT
High Power Tempo With Short Sprints!
A quick, 20-minute cycling HIIT workout to improve your tempo pace with short, high-power sprints.
20 minIF 0.56
tempo
sprint
HIIT
+4 more
HIIT
Wake Up And Smell The Lactic!
A 25-minute session with a slow build and a heavy punch at the end, designed to get your lactate levels high and improve your fitness on the bike.
25 minIF 0.71
GCN
Sprint
Lactate
+4 more
HIIT
Wake Up And Smell The Lactic! | 25 Minute Sprint Bike Session
Today's bike session on GCN Training is slow build with a heavy punch at the end. Guaranteed to get your lactate levels high and improve your fitness on the bike.
25 minIF 0.70
Sprint
Lactate
Tempo
+4 more
Interval
Tempo Efforts With Sprint Finishes
This workout focuses on building fatigue through tempo intervals, each finishing with a powerful sprint.
29 minIF 0.52
Tempo
Sprint
Intervals
+3 more
FastFitness
Commuter Special – 30 Minute Tempo
Thirty minutes with a 20-minute tempo core at 82% FTP. Rides like a brisk commute: honest work, quick shower, on with your day.
30 minIF 0.71
Tempo
Time-crunched
Commute
HIIT
Intense High Tempo Bike Workout | 30 Minute HIIT Session
A 30 minute session focussed on intense intervals and keeping the RPM high to the beat of the music.
30 minIF 0.73
HIIT
Intervals
High Cadence
+3 more
Interval
Tempo Threshold Repeats
Build your sustainable power with this 30-minute session. After a progressive warm-up, tackle four sets of tempo and threshold intervals.
30 minIF 0.79
Intervals
Threshold
Tempo
+2 more
HIIT
The Climb | 30 Minute HIIT Indoor Cycling Workout
An increasingly challenging half-hour spin session with tempo, sweet spot, and over-FTP work. The session increases in difficulty with each effort getting increasingly longer.
30 minIF 0.54
HIIT
Indoor Cycling
Tempo
+4 more
40 to 70 minutes
20 sessionsHIIT
40 Minute HIIT Indoor Cycling Workout
This session starts with a longer threshold section including some cadence work before a really tough finish with some longer sprints!
40 minIF 0.83
HIIT
Threshold
Tempo
+4 more
Basics
Basic Foundation 1
Steady state foundation ride with some tempo efforts.
40 minIF 0.69
Tempo
Foundation
Basics
Basic Foundation 2
Steady state foundation ride with some tempo efforts.
42 minIF 0.70
Tempo
Foundation
Basics
Basic Foundation 3
Steady state foundation ride with some tempo efforts.
44 minIF 0.71
Tempo
Foundation
Basics
Basic Foundation 4
Steady state foundation ride with some tempo efforts.
46 minIF 0.72
Tempo
Foundation
Basics
Basic Foundation 5
Steady state foundation ride with some tempo efforts.
48 minIF 0.73
Tempo
Foundation
Basics
Basic Foundation 6
Steady state foundation ride with some tempo efforts.
50 minIF 0.74
Tempo
Foundation
Basics
Basic Foundation 7
Steady state foundation ride with some tempo efforts.
52 minIF 0.75
Tempo
Foundation
Basics
Basic Foundation 8
Steady state foundation ride with some tempo efforts.
54 minIF 0.76
Tempo
Foundation
Interval
55 Minute Cycling Training Ramp Session
This session is a longer session going through the gears from long tempo efforts all the way to flat out sprints. This will really help build endurance and power as well as fatigue resistance.
55 minIF 0.82
Ramp
Endurance
Power
+5 more
Basics
Basic Foundation 9
Steady state foundation ride with some tempo efforts.
56 minIF 0.77
Tempo
Foundation
Basics
Basic Foundation 10
Steady state foundation ride with some tempo efforts.
58 minIF 0.78
Tempo
Foundation
Basics
Basic Foundation 11
Steady state foundation ride with some tempo efforts.
60 minIF 0.79
Tempo
Foundation
Strength
Big Gear Tempo 2×15 – Strength Endurance
Two 15-minute tempo blocks at 80% FTP with cadence held at 60 rpm. A gentler entry into torque training that still builds real climbing strength.
60 minIF 0.63
Big Gear
Tempo
Low Cadence
Basics
Basic Foundation 12
Steady state foundation ride with some tempo efforts.
62 minIF 0.80
Tempo
Foundation
Basics
Basic Foundation 13
Steady state foundation ride with some tempo efforts.
64 minIF 0.81
Tempo
Foundation
Basics
Basic Foundation 14
Steady state foundation ride with some tempo efforts.
66 minIF 0.82
Tempo
Foundation
Basics
Basic Foundation 15
Steady state foundation ride with some tempo efforts.
68 minIF 0.83
Tempo
Foundation
Basics
Low-Cadence Tempo 3×12 – Torque Endurance
Three 12-minute tempo efforts at 82% FTP ridden at 60–65 rpm. Builds pedaling torque and climbing-specific strength without high-intensity stress.
69 minIF 0.62
Tempo
Low Cadence
Climbing
+1 more
Basics
Tempo 2×20 – Aerobic Strength Intervals
Two 20-minute tempo blocks at 82% FTP. The bridge between endurance and sweet spot: meaningful aerobic stress you can absorb several times a week.
70 minIF 0.65
Tempo
Zone 3
Aerobic
Over 70 minutes
15 sessionsBasics
Tempo 3×15 – Steady State Builder
Three 15-minute tempo intervals at 83% FTP. Time-efficient aerobic development for riders stepping up from pure Zone 2 riding.
78 minIF 0.64
Tempo
Zone 3
Base
Endurance
Endurance + Tempo Finish 10m
Zone 2 ride finishing with controlled tempo, mimicking fatigue resistance demands of real rides.
80 minIF 0.64
Zone 2
Tempo Finish
Endurance
Endurance + Tempo Finish 12m
Zone 2 ride finishing with controlled tempo, mimicking fatigue resistance demands of real rides.
82 minIF 0.64
Zone 2
Tempo Finish
Basics
Sustained Tempo – 60 Minutes Continuous
A full hour of continuous riding at 80% FTP. Old-school aerobic strength: one long, unbroken effort that builds deep steady-state fitness and mental focus.
82 minIF 0.72
Tempo
Sustained
Mental Toughness
Endurance
Endurance + Tempo Finish 14m
Zone 2 ride finishing with controlled tempo, mimicking fatigue resistance demands of real rides.
84 minIF 0.65
Zone 2
Tempo Finish
Endurance
Tempo Continuous 60min
Thursday Option A: 60 minutes continuous Tempo at 76-85% FTP (Zone 3). No breaks. Lactate clearance. For when feeling fresh.
85 minIF 0.71
Tempo
Zone 3
Lactate Clearance
+2 more
Endurance
Endurance + Tempo Finish 16m
Zone 2 ride finishing with controlled tempo, mimicking fatigue resistance demands of real rides.
86 minIF 0.65
Zone 2
Tempo Finish
Endurance
Endurance + Tempo Finish 18m
Zone 2 ride finishing with controlled tempo, mimicking fatigue resistance demands of real rides.
88 minIF 0.65
Zone 2
Tempo Finish
Basics
Tempo Sandwich – 90 Minute Endurance/Tempo Mix
Endurance riding wrapped around a 30-minute tempo core. A 90-minute session that adds aerbic quality to base volume without demanding recovery days.
90 minIF 0.68
Tempo
Zone 2
Mixed
Endurance
Endurance + 3×10 Tempo – 105 Minutes
A 105-minute aerobic session weaving three 10-minute tempo blocks into Zone 2 riding. More stimulating than steady Z2, still fully recoverable.
105 minIF 0.64
Zone 2
Tempo
Base
Basics
Tempo Staircase 3×(6/8/10m)
Tempo staircase session that gradually lengthens efforts while staying below threshold.
110 minIF 0.66
Tempo
Sub-threshold
Interval
Tempo/Group Ride (2hr)
2 hours with 3x15min Tempo intervals (76-90% FTP). Glycogen storage. Or replace with disciplined group ride.
125 minIF 0.65
Tempo
Group Ride
Glycogen
+1 more
Interval
Tempo/Group Ride (3hr)
3 hours with 3x15min Tempo intervals (76-90% FTP). Glycogen storage. Or replace with disciplined group ride.
155 minIF 0.65
Tempo
Group Ride
Glycogen
+1 more
Endurance
Long Ride Zone 2 (4hr) + Fatigue Resistance
4 hours total: 3.5hr Zone 2 + 20min Tempo at end. Fatigue resistance training. Mimics race demands.
250 minIF 0.65
Long Ride
Zone 2
Tempo
+2 more
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Tempo training FAQ
What is tempo in cycling training?
Tempo is Zone 3 riding at roughly 76–87% of FTP. It is harder than endurance pace but below sweet spot and threshold, and it can be sustained in long blocks of 15–40 minutes or more.
Is tempo riding useful or a "grey zone"?
Tempo earned the grey-zone label only when it replaces both easy rides and hard intervals. Used deliberately — as muscular endurance work in a structured week — it is a productive zone, especially for long-distance and gravel riders.
Tempo vs sweet spot — what is the difference?
Sweet spot (88–94% of FTP) is closer to threshold and more fatiguing per minute; tempo (76–87%) lets you accumulate more total time. Riders often progress from tempo to sweet spot as a training block develops.
Go deeper
Reading for the rest day
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