CoachingAnswer

HOW DO I START CYCLING AGAIN AFTER WINTER?

By Anthony WalshRoadman CyclingUpdated 9 July 2026

ANSWER

Start cycling again after winter with 4-6 weeks of easy riding at a lower volume than where you finished the previous season — typically 60-70% of your autumn hours. Keep all rides in zone 2 for the first two to three weeks, then reintroduce one moderate-intensity session per week. Do not test FTP or chase last season's numbers until week six at the earliest. Your aerobic base decays less than you think over winter, but your muscles, tendons and bike-specific conditioning need time to readapt.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Start at 60-70% of your pre-winter volume. Do not jump back to where you left off.
Weeks 1-3: all easy riding. Rebuild bike-specific conditioning and tissue tolerance.
Week 4-6: add one moderate session per week (tempo or short sweet-spot efforts).
Do not test FTP until week 6. Your body needs time to express winter fitness losses honestly.

WHO THIS IS FOR

IS THIS YOU?

The rider who has been off the bike all winter

You stopped riding in November and want to restart in March without getting injured.

The indoor-only winter rider

You trained indoors all winter and want to transition back to outdoor riding safely.

THE ROADMAN VIEW

The spring restart is where ambition meets reality. You remember your September fitness, you see the sunny forecast, and you go out and hammer a 100 km ride at last year's pace. Then your knees ache for a week, your back is stiff, and you are too sore to ride again until Thursday. Anthony has done this himself and watched hundreds of Roadman community members do it every March.

The fix is boring but it works. Treat the first month back as a base-building phase. Ride easy, ride short, and let your body remember what the bike feels like. Your cardiovascular fitness decays slowly over winter — your VO2max drops maybe 5-10% in three months — but your bike-specific conditioning (saddle tolerance, hand comfort, back endurance, tendon resilience) decays faster because it is use-dependent. Those tissues need gradual reloading, not a shock.

After three weeks of easy riding, add one session per week with some tempo or sweet-spot effort. Nothing heroic — 15-20 minutes of moderate intensity to start waking up the energy systems above zone 2. By week six you are ready to test FTP and build a proper spring training block. Rush this process and you lose April to an injury. Respect it and April becomes productive.

EXPERT EVIDENCE

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

Joe FrielAuthor of The Cyclist's Training Bible
The transition from off-season to in-season needs to be gradual. Jumping straight into structured training after a break leads to injury and illness. Build volume first, add intensity later, and give connective tissues 3-4 weeks to readapt to cycling-specific load.
Hear it: Joe Friel's Cycling Training Plan Structure | Roadman Cycling

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

DO THIS WEEK

Start at 60-70% of your autumn volume
If you were riding 8 hours a week in October, start with 5-6 hours in March. All easy. If you were on the turbo all winter, start outdoor rides shorter than indoor ones — outdoor riding loads the body differently.
Keep weeks 1-3 properly easy
Zone 2 only. Conversational pace. No Strava segments, no group ride surges. You are rebuilding tissue tolerance and relearning bike handling after months off.
Add one tempo session from week 4
Two blocks of 10-15 minutes at a pace that feels comfortably hard — breathing noticeably but not gasping. This wakes up the energy systems above zone 2 without burying you.
Test FTP at week 6-8
After a short easy week, run an FTP test. This gives you an honest spring starting point to set zones from. Do not use last season's FTP — it will be too high and every session will be mis-targeted.

COMMON MISTAKES

WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG

MISTAKEDoing a hero ride in the first week because the weather is good.
FIXKeep the first two weeks short and easy. Your cardiovascular system can handle the effort; your tendons, saddle contact, and back cannot.
MISTAKEUsing last season's FTP for spring training.
FIXFTP decays over winter. Training off an old number means every session is too hard. Retest at week 6-8 and set fresh zones.
MISTAKEJumping straight into a structured plan without a transition phase.
FIXSpend 4-6 weeks rebuilding before starting a structured block. The transition phase is not wasted time — it is injury prevention.

FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How much fitness do I lose over winter?

Aerobic fitness (VO2max) declines about 5-10% in 3-4 months of reduced training. FTP drops more — typically 10-20% depending on how active you were. The good news is that fitness rebuilds faster than it was originally built, so the spring ramp-up is quicker than starting from scratch.

Should I get a bike fit before restarting?

If your body has changed over winter (weight gain, loss of flexibility, or new aches), a spring refit is worthwhile. Otherwise, check that your saddle height and position match last season's settings before the first ride.

How long before I am back to last season's fitness?

Typically 8-12 weeks of consistent training to regain what was lost over a 3-4 month winter break. Riders who maintained some indoor training will be faster; those who did nothing will take the full 12 weeks.

Is indoor winter training enough to maintain fitness?

It maintains cardiovascular fitness well. FTP held on the turbo through winter is genuine. What it does not maintain is bike handling, outdoor endurance, and the positional tolerance of sitting on a road bike for 3+ hours. Those need outdoor miles to rebuild.

Should I do a spring training camp?

Only after 3-4 weeks of riding. A training camp in the first week back is a recipe for injury. After a month of rebuilding, a week of higher volume in good weather can be a productive fitness stimulus.

What about strength training in the spring restart?

If you lifted through winter, continue at maintenance volume (one to two sessions per week). If you did not, start with light sessions and build load gradually alongside the riding restart. Do not start both heavy lifting and hard riding in the same week.

RELATED EPISODES

HEAR THE CONVERSATIONS

Joe Friel's Cycling Training Plan Structure | Roadman Cycling