CoachingAnswer

HOW DO I IMPROVE REPEATED HARD EFFORTS ON THE BIKE?

By Anthony WalshRoadman CyclingUpdated 26 May 2026

ANSWER

Repeated efforts improve when you build three things: a bigger aerobic base so you recover faster between surges, a larger anaerobic reserve (your W') for each hard effort, and the specific ability to clear and refill that reserve quickly. Train it with over-unders and short, repeated above-threshold reps off a strong Zone 2 foundation. The rider who recovers fastest between efforts — not the one with the single biggest sprint — wins the repeat-surge battle.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Repeatability is mostly aerobic — the engine that refills your reserve between efforts.
Your anaerobic reserve (W') is finite; the skill is refilling it fast, not just spending it.
Over-unders and short repeated above-threshold reps train surge recovery directly.
A bigger Zone 2 base is what lets you back up surge after surge late in a ride.

WHO THIS IS FOR

IS THIS YOU?

The racer who fades on repeated surges

Your first few accelerations feel fine, then you're cooked and off the back.

The punchy-course rider

You ride rolling, attacking terrain and need to back up effort after effort.

THE ROADMAN VIEW

Most riders train their repeated-effort ability by accident, then wonder why they blow up the fourth time the pace surges. The thing to understand is that each hard effort spends a finite battery — your anaerobic reserve, what coaches call W' — and the race isn't decided by how big that battery is so much as how fast you refill it between efforts. And the refilling is aerobic.

Alex Welburn's work on critical power and W' makes this concrete on the podcast: above your critical power you're draining a fixed tank, and below it you're refilling. A rider with a strong aerobic engine recovers the tank quickly in the lulls between surges, so they can go again. A rider with a small engine spends the same battery once and spends the rest of the race in survival mode. That's why John Wakefield's emphasis on building deep endurance underpins everything punchy — durability and repeatability are the same coin.

So the training is two-sided. Keep building the Zone 2 base that does the refilling, then add sessions that specifically rehearse the spend-recover-spend pattern: over-unders that dip above and below threshold, and sets of short hard reps with short recoveries. Done off a real aerobic foundation, that's how you become the rider still there when the accelerations come thick and fast.

EXPERT EVIDENCE

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

Alex WelburnCycling coach and physiologist (critical power / W' researcher)
Above critical power you deplete a finite anaerobic reserve (W'); below it you replenish it. Repeated-effort performance depends heavily on how quickly you can refill that reserve between surges — which is an aerobic quality.
Hear it: Why Your CTL Is Wrong | Roadman Cycling Podcast
John WakefieldWorld Tour coach, Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe
Deep aerobic endurance is what lets a rider back up hard efforts late in a race. Durability and repeatability come from the size and resilience of the aerobic base, not just from top-end power.
Hear it: How Team Bora Build Endurance: John Wakefield on Ultra Cycling Training

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

DO THIS WEEK

Build the aerobic base that refills the tank
Keep a big block of Zone 2 in your week. The bigger your aerobic engine, the faster you replenish your anaerobic reserve between surges — this is the foundation of repeatability.
Do over-unders
Sessions like 3×(2 min at 105% FTP / 2 min at 90% FTP) train your body to clear and tolerate the by-products of repeated hard efforts without fully stopping.
Train short repeats with short recovery
Sets of 30s–60s hard efforts (above threshold) with equal or shorter easy recovery rehearse the spend-recover-spend pattern of racing. Build the number of reps over weeks.
Practise on race-like terrain
If you race rolling or punchy courses, do some of this work outdoors on similar terrain, surging over rises and recovering on descents, to make the adaptation specific.

COMMON MISTAKES

WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG

MISTAKEOnly training single, fully-recovered hard efforts.
FIXRaces demand repeated surges with little recovery. Train sets with short rest so you rehearse refilling the reserve, not just one big effort.
MISTAKENeglecting the aerobic base while chasing top-end.
FIXRecovery between efforts is aerobic. A small engine means you spend your reserve once; keep building Zone 2 underneath the intensity.
MISTAKEGoing maximal on every rep until you blow up.
FIXPace the set so you can complete all reps at target. Repeatability is trained by finishing the work, not by detonating on rep three.

FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is W' (W prime) in cycling?

W' is your finite anaerobic work capacity above critical power — the battery you drain during hard efforts. The faster you replenish it between efforts, the more repeated surges you can produce, which is why a strong aerobic base matters for punchy racing.

Why do I fade after a few hard efforts?

Usually because your aerobic engine is refilling your anaerobic reserve too slowly between surges. Each effort spends the battery; if you can't recharge it in the lulls, you run out. The fix is a bigger base plus repeated-effort training.

What sessions improve repeated efforts best?

Over-unders (alternating just above and below threshold) and sets of short, repeated above-threshold reps with short recovery. Both rehearse the clear-and-refill pattern of racing, and both work best built on a solid Zone 2 base.

Is repeatability more important than peak power?

For most road and group racing, yes. The rider who can back up surge after surge usually beats the one with a single bigger effort. Peak power matters in a final sprint; repeatability decides whether you're there for it.

How long does it take to improve repeated-effort ability?

You can feel improvements within a 4–6 week block of dedicated over-under and repeat work, provided the aerobic base is in place. The base itself takes longer to build, so the best gains come from running this work on top of consistent Zone 2.

Can I train repeated efforts indoors?

Yes — over-unders and short repeats are well suited to the trainer, where you can hold targets precisely. Just do some work outdoors on race-like terrain too, so the adaptation transfers to the surging, stochastic demands of real racing.

RELATED EPISODES

HEAR THE CONVERSATIONS

Why Your CTL Is Wrong | Roadman Cycling Podcast

How Team Bora Build Endurance: John Wakefield on Ultra Cycling Training

How To Ride Faster Than 98% Of People | John Archibald