CoachingAnswer

HOW DO I MAINTAIN CYCLING FITNESS ON HOLIDAY?

By Anthony WalshRoadman CyclingUpdated 9 July 2026

WHO THIS IS FOR

IS THIS YOU?

The competitive amateur going on holiday mid-season

You have a target event and worry about losing fitness during a break.

The anxious trainer

You struggle to take time off the bike and need reassurance that a break is not catastrophic.

THE ROADMAN VIEW

Anthony's view on this is refreshingly blunt: take the holiday. A week or two off the bike is not going to destroy your season, and the psychological refresh from actually switching off is often worth more than the small physiological dip. He has seen riders come back from a two-week break and test better than before they left, because accumulated fatigue finally clears and the body supercompensates.

If you want to do something — and you should, because movement on holiday feels good — keep it short, easy, and varied. A 30-minute hotel gym spin, a morning run, a swim, bodyweight circuits by the pool. None of these need to be structured interval sessions. The goal is maintaining stimulus, not executing a training block. Two or three sessions per week of 20-40 minutes is plenty to hold the line.

The trap is turning the holiday into a training camp with poor equipment and resentful family members. If you find yourself at 5am on a rusty hotel gym bike doing sweet-spot intervals while your partner eats breakfast alone, you have lost the plot. The fitness loss from a genuine two-week rest is 3-5% of FTP at worst. That comes back in a week. The relationship damage from being a training obsessive on holiday does not.

EXPERT EVIDENCE

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

Detraining researchExercise physiology — as discussed on the Roadman podcast
Trained athletes retain most of their fitness for 2-3 weeks of reduced training. VO2max declines approximately 1% per week initially, and FTP drops slightly faster due to neuromuscular detraining. Both recover rapidly on return to structured training — typically within one to two weeks.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

DO THIS WEEK

Plan 2-3 short sessions per week
A 30-minute spin, a 20-minute run, bodyweight circuits (press-ups, squats, lunges, core), or a swim. Anything that elevates your heart rate for 20+ minutes. Do not worry about zones or power — just move.
Use the hotel gym if available
Most hotel gyms have a spin bike or exercise bike. Thirty minutes of moderate spinning twice during a two-week holiday is enough to maintain neuromuscular patterns. It does not need to be a quality session.
Accept a small dip and plan the return
Schedule an easy week when you get home, then a build week. The fitness gap closes in 7-10 days. Planning the return in advance stops post-holiday panic from driving a too-hard first week back.
Treat the break as a deload
If you have been training hard, a holiday is a forced deload week. The rest may produce a supercompensation effect — you could test higher after the break than before it. Let the body recover.

COMMON MISTAKES

WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG

MISTAKEPanicking about fitness loss and over-training on holiday.
FIXTwo weeks of reduced training costs 3-5% FTP at most. That recovers in a week. The anxiety costs more than the actual fitness loss.
MISTAKEDoing nothing at all for two weeks.
FIXA small amount of activity (2-3 short sessions per week) maintains fitness significantly better than complete rest. Movement of any kind helps.
MISTAKEHammering the first ride back to prove fitness is intact.
FIXEase back in with an easy week. The body needs 3-5 days to readapt to cycling-specific load after a break. A hero ride on day one risks injury.

FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How much fitness do I lose in one week off the bike?

Very little. One week of rest for a trained athlete produces a drop of perhaps 1-2% in VO2max and a similar dip in FTP. Many riders actually feel stronger after a week off because accumulated fatigue clears. This is supercompensation.

Can running maintain cycling fitness?

Partially. Running maintains cardiovascular fitness and VO2max well. It does not maintain cycling-specific muscle patterns or power output. Two to three runs per week on holiday will preserve your aerobic engine while you are off the bike.

Should I train before or after the holiday?

Train normally in the week before. In the week after, ease back in with easy rides before resuming structured training. Do not try to pre-compensate by training extra hard before the break — that adds fatigue, not insurance.

What about a three-week holiday?

Three weeks is the point where fitness losses become more noticeable — roughly 5-10% FTP decline. If the break is this long, try to maintain 2-3 sessions per week of any modality. Return to structured training gradually over 10-14 days.

Should I hire a bike on holiday?

If cycling is available and your family is happy with it, one or two rides during a two-week holiday is a great way to maintain fitness and explore the area. Do not make it a training ride — ride for enjoyment.

Will I gain weight on holiday and lose performance?

Possibly — a few pounds of water retention and dietary change is normal and reverses within a week. It does not represent real body composition change and will not meaningfully affect performance. Do not restrict food on holiday to protect a W/kg number.