A nine-week plan for cyclists preparing for a 20 km time trial. Suitable for riders who already tolerate four rides per week and a comfortable 60-minute easy ride. Level 0 describes this plan’s workload; it is not a start-from-zero programme.
Four cycling sessions per week, approximately 2 hours 46 minutes to 4 hours before taper, with a longest ride of 90 minutes. Week 8 reduces cycling to 3 hours 4 minutes. Week 9 contains 1 hour 34 minutes of cycling before the event. Optional gentle off-bike movement is additional and may be omitted for recovery.
Use a reliable heart-rate monitor and a current, validated cycling lactate-threshold heart rate (LTHR). Heart-rate percentages in the structured builder refer to cycling LTHR, not maximum heart rate or a running threshold. They are working targets rather than universal zone boundaries. Easy riding stays conversational. Short quality sessions use the builder’s 1–10 RPE ranges because heart rate lags; never accelerate to force a heart-rate target. A safe route or trainer, airflow, fluids and a suitable bicycle are required. A power meter is not required for these workouts.
Training builds aerobic endurance and controlled effort, then reduces volume before the event. Use the Endurance Lab RPE and Training Zones reference PDFs attached to the entries. Choose either the 20 km time trial or a separate appropriate threshold assessment; do not combine maximal tests. Heart rate alone does not measure FTP.
Adjust or shorten sessions when recovery is incomplete. Do not catch up missed hard work. Stop for unusual pain or concerning symptoms and seek assessment where appropriate. This generic plan does not include individual monitoring and cannot guarantee a result or freedom from injury.
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