4 Hour Long Endurance Ride
A four hour ride at 60 to 72% of FTP that builds durability and a fueling routine for gran fondos, long gravel events and multi-day tours.
- Duration
- 4 h
- Effort
- 161
- Level
- Advanced
- Focus zone
- Endurance
Your values
Targets relative to your threshold values. Enter your values to see absolute numbers.
| # | Step | Length | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warm-upEndurance Easy start, roll out gently | 15 min | 45 → 62% FTP55 → 68% HRmax |
| 2 | IntervalEndurance First hour easy, eat from minute 30 | 60 min | 60-65% FTP65-78% HRmax |
| 3 | IntervalEndurance Eat and drink every 20 minutes | 60 min | 60-72% FTP65-78% HRmax |
| 4 | IntervalEndurance Stay steady, keep eating | 60 min | 60-72% FTP65-78% HRmax |
| 5 | IntervalEndurance Last block, smooth pedaling | 30 min | 58-70% FTP65-78% HRmax |
| 6 | Cool-downRecovery Easy spin home | 15 min | 58 → 45% FTP68 → 55% HRmax |
About this workout
Four hours is long enough that fueling, pacing and comfort decide how the last hour feels. This ride is for experienced riders who already ride three hours regularly and want to prepare for a gran fondo, a long gravel event or a multi-day tour. The effort stays in Zone 2 from start to finish.
Ride the first hour at the lower end, around 60 to 65% of FTP, even if the legs want more. From then on, hold 60 to 72%. Plan for 60 to 90 g of carbohydrate per hour with a mix of drink, gels and solid food, and use the products you intend to use in your event. Ride climbs seated and steady, and avoid surges at the front of a group.
For the first ride of this length, plan a ten minute stop after two hours to refill bottles. Once a week is enough at this duration.
Tips
- Practice your event nutrition on this ride, including the products you plan to use.
- Keep the first hour easier than you think it needs to be.
- Check the power on climbs, where long rides tend to drift out of Zone 2.
Good forGran fondoGravel
Season phaseBaseBuild