Tempo
Tempo Starter 4 x 6 min
4 × (6 min at 76-82% FTP, 3 min easy spin)
Tempo Cycling Workouts
Tempo cycling workouts at 76 to 87% of FTP, from short starter blocks to 2 x 20 min, continuous hours and long road rides with tempo.
Workouts
10 workouts
Tempo
30 min Tempo Session 2 x 8 min
8 min at 80-85% FTP, 3 min easy spin, 8 min at 80-85% FTP
Tempo
Tempo 3 x 10 min
3 × (10 min at 78-85% FTP, 5 min easy spin)
Tempo
Tempo 2 x 20 min
20 min at 80-85% FTP, 5 min easy spin, 20 min at 80-85% FTP
Tempo
Tempo 3 x 12 min with Cadence Changes
2 × (3 min at 78-84% FTP, 3 min at 78-84% FTP), 5 min easy spin, 2 × (3 min at 78-84% FTP, 3 min at 78-84% FTP), 5 min easy spin, 2 × (3 min at 78-84% FTP, 3 min at 78-84% FTP)
Tempo
Tempo with Surges 3 x 12 min
4 × (2:40 min at 80-85% FTP, 20 s at 120-130% FTP), 5 min easy spin, 4 × (2:40 min at 80-85% FTP, 20 s at 120-130% FTP), 5 min easy spin, 4 × (2:40 min at 80-85% FTP, 20 s at 120-130% FTP)
Tempo
Tempo Criss-Cross 3 x 10 min
3 min at 80-85% FTP, 1 min at 95-100% FTP, 4 min at 80-85% FTP, 1 min at 95-100% FTP, 1 min at 80-85% FTP, 6 min easy spin, 3 min at 80-85% FTP, 1 min at 95-100% FTP, 4 min at 80-85% FTP, 1 min at 95-100% FTP, 1 min at 80-85% FTP, 6 min easy spin, 3 min at 80-85% FTP, 1 min at 95-100% FTP, 4 min at 80-85% FTP, 1 min at 95-100% FTP, 1 min at 80-85% FTP
Tempo
Half-Distance Triathlon Tempo 3 x 20 min
3 × (20 min at 78-84% FTP, 5 min easy spin)
Tempo
60 min Continuous Tempo
2 × 30 min at 76-82% FTP
Tempo
2.5 Hour Road Ride with 3 x 20 min Tempo
15 min at 62-72% FTP, 3 × (20 min at 78-85% FTP, 10 min easy spin), 20 min at 62-72% FTP
Tempo Workouts
Tempo is the zone between endurance riding and threshold, roughly 76 to 87% of FTP in this library. Breathing is deeper than on an endurance ride, talking is limited to short sentences, and the legs know they are working. It is the effort of a steady climb, a firm group ride or the bike leg of a half-distance triathlon.
Tempo builds aerobic power and muscular endurance at a cost you can recover from by the next day. That makes it a common choice in the base phase, often added to a week of Zone 2 rides, and a useful bridge to sweet spot and threshold work later. Riders with limited time get more aerobic work per hour from tempo than from easy riding alone.
A typical progression starts with two or three blocks of six to ten minutes and grows to 20 or 30 minute blocks, up to about an hour of total tempo. One or two tempo sessions per week fit well alongside easy endurance rides and one harder interval day. Expect the heart rate to drift up a few beats during long blocks, even when the power stays the same.
To pick a workout, start with the total time at tempo you already handle and add a little. Beginners start with short blocks. Intermediate riders can add surges, cadence changes or criss-cross blocks for variety. Advanced riders ride continuous hours or put tempo into long outdoor rides.
Questions about Tempo Workouts
What is tempo pace in cycling?
Tempo is a moderately hard, steady effort, about 76 to 87% of FTP or roughly 78 to 85% of maximum heart rate. It feels comfortably hard. You can still speak in short sentences, but you would rather not hold a long conversation. Many riders know it as the pace of a steady group ride or a long climb ridden at a firm effort.
Is tempo training a waste of time?
No, but it is easy to overdo. Tempo adds a solid aerobic stimulus that you can recover from quickly, which suits time-limited riders and the base phase. The risk is that every ride drifts into tempo, leaving easy days too hard and hard days too easy. Plan tempo sessions deliberately and keep the other rides clearly easy.
What is the difference between tempo and sweet spot?
Sweet spot sits just above tempo, at about 88 to 94% of FTP, and feels clearly harder. Talking is down to a few words and the recovery cost is higher. Tempo, at 76 to 87%, lets you ride longer blocks and train again the next day. Many plans use tempo in base and move to sweet spot as the season progresses.