THE PROBLEM MOST RIDERS IN THIS SPOT FACE.
The cycling internet is overwhelming. Sweet spot, polarised, FTP, w/kg, Zone 2, Zwift races, intervals, structured plans — and somewhere in there is the actual question: what do I do this Tuesday?
Most new cyclists default to one of two patterns. Either they ride hard every time they go out (because slow feels like wasted time) or they buy a 12-week training plan and lose interest by week four because nothing in it is built around them.
Neither builds the engine that lasts. The right way to spend your first two years on the bike is genuinely simple — and exactly what we coach beginners through.
WHAT CHANGES IN THE COACHING
- ✓Time spent learning Zone 2 properly — most beginners never learn what easy actually feels like
- ✓Skill work integrated early: pedal stroke, cadence, descending, group riding
- ✓Slower introduction to high-intensity work — base before sharpening
- ✓Plain-English plan structure with the why explained, not just the workout
- ✓Equipment guidance built in — power meters, computers, what to actually buy and when
- ✓Realistic progression — beginner gains are big, but only if you don't burn the engine before it builds
BEGINNER
HOW THE COACHING WORKS
The five pillars adapted for this segment. Same system — periodised differently to fit what you actually need.
AEROBIC BASE FIRST
12-16 weeks of mostly Zone 2 with a clear HR or power cap. This is the work that builds the engine. Skip it and you'll plateau in 18 months no matter what comes next.
SKILLS BEFORE WATTS
Cadence, pedal stroke, climbing position, descending lines, group riding. The riders who go furthest are the ones who learn to ride before they learn to suffer.
CONFIDENCE THROUGH STRUCTURE
Every session has a purpose written in plain English. You stop second-guessing whether you're doing the right thing — because you know what each ride is for.
HONEST PROGRESSION
Threshold and VO2max sessions added when you're ready, not before. Your plan progresses based on what you can actually absorb — not what looks impressive on Strava.
RIDERS TO LEAN ON
Inside Not Done Yet, you train alongside other riders going through the same learning curve. Questions answered fast, accountability built in.
FIXABLE MISTAKES
MISTAKES TO AVOID
The patterns that hold this segment back the most. Each one is fixable — that's the whole point.
01. RIDING EVERY RIDE HARD
If you only have one speed and that speed is uncomfortable, you're not building anything that lasts. The aerobic base only grows from rides that feel almost suspiciously easy. Slow is not wasted — slow is the work.
02. BUYING A 12-WEEK RACE PLAN AS YOUR FIRST PLAN
Generic race plans assume you've already built the base. Doing one in your first six months is like starting marathon training without ever having jogged. The plan doesn't fail — your body just isn't ready yet.
03. OBSESSING OVER STRAVA SEGMENTS
Strava segments turn every ride into a race. That's fine occasionally. As your default? It's the fastest route to plateau because you never do real endurance and never recover properly. The PRs come when the engine is built.
04. COMPARING YOUR WATTS TO OTHER PEOPLE'S
Your year-one wattage means nothing. The trajectory matters. Riders who progress fastest are the ones who track their own changes — FTP up 15% in 12 weeks is enormous, even if it's still well below the rider next to you.
05. ADDING INTENSITY BEFORE BUILDING BASE
VO2max intervals at 6 months in feel productive but you'll plateau in a year because the engine underneath them is too small. Build the base, then sharpen it. Not the other way around.
IS THIS COACHING RIGHT FOR YOU?
YES, IF YOU...
- ✓Are in your first 24 months of cycling and want to do it properly
- ✓Ride 4-8 hours a week and want structure that fits your life
- ✓Get overwhelmed by conflicting cycling advice online
- ✓Want to avoid the mistakes that plateau most riders by year three
- ✓Have a goal — a sportive, a fitness target, a category — but no plan to get there
- ✓Prefer learning the why, not just being told the workout
NOT IF YOU...
- ×Have never ridden a bike at all (start with a few months of just riding for fun)
- ×Want a one-size-fits-all PDF plan instead of personalised coaching
- ×Are looking for race coaching at Cat 1-2 level (we coach beginners through to advanced — start with our main coaching page)
FREE COMPANIONS
TOOLS & READING FOR THIS SEGMENT
Practical companions to the coaching — built around the same principles, free to use.
FTP ZONES CALCULATOR
Generate disciplined training zones from your current FTP. The Zone 2 cap that stops grey-zone drift starts here.
HR ZONES CALCULATOR
Build heart-rate zones if you're starting on HR alone — workable structure before a power meter is worth the spend.
CYCLING BASE TRAINING GUIDE
What real Zone 2 base actually looks like, why most beginners skip it, and how the engine you build here decides the next two years.
CYCLING COACHING FOR BEGINNERS — WHEN READY
When structured coaching is worth it as a beginner, when self-coaching with a plan is enough, and how to tell which side of the line you're on.
CYCLING INTERVAL TRAINING FOR BEGINNERS
Plain-English entry to structured intervals — what each session does, why it works, when to add it to your week.
BEGINNER CYCLIST TOPIC HUB
Long-form library of beginner-focused training, fuelling, and equipment guides — the curated path through the first 24 months.
COACHING FOR OTHER SEGMENTS
Same five pillars. Different periodisation depending on who you are and what you're training for.
MASTERS RIDERS
40+ — preserve power, manage recovery
OVER 50
Deeper recovery, targeted strength, joint-aware
WOMEN
Female-specific physiology and benchmarks
BUSY PROFESSIONALS
6-8 hrs/week — every hour earning its keep
TIME-CRUNCHED
Under 6 hrs/week — maximum return per hour
EVENT PREP
Targeting a specific event — periodised peak
YOUR COACHING STARTS HERE.
7-day free trial. Five pillars. Personalised to your goals, your schedule, and your life. Cancel anytime.
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