30 cycling goals for distance, climbing and speed

Cycling goals for beginners

A first cycling goal should be about riding often, not riding far.

• Ride 3 times a week for a month.
• Ride 20 km without stopping.
• Ride for 60 minutes without a break.
• Climb one local hill without putting a foot down.
• Ride to work or to the shops once a week for 8 weeks.
• Learn to fix a flat tyre in under 15 minutes.

Cycling distance goals

A distance goal is a total, so every ride adds to it and a rest day takes nothing away.

• Ride 50 km in one go.
• Ride 100 km in one go.
• Ride a century: 100 miles, or 161 km, in a day.
• Ride 500 km in a month.
• Ride 1,000 km over one summer.
• Ride 5,000 km in a year. That is about 100 km a week.

Cycling climbing goals

Climbing goals count metres gained, not distance covered. If you like going up more than going fast, hiking goals count the same metres on foot.

• Climb 1,000 m in one ride.
• Climb 10,000 m in a month.
• Ride the same hill 5 times in one session.
• Take 1 minute off your time up a local climb.
• Climb 8,848 m, the height of Everest, over one season.
• Ride one famous climb you have only seen on television.

Cycling speed goals

A speed goal is a time or an average on one route you repeat, so the wind and the hills stay about the same.

• Average 25 km/h over a 40 km ride.
• Ride 20 km in under 45 minutes.
• Hold a cadence of 90 pedal turns a minute for one hour.
• Do one interval session a week for 8 weeks.
• Ride a 16 km time trial, then beat it a month later.
• Raise your best 20 minute effort by 5 percent in 12 weeks.

30 day cycling challenges and event goals

A day-count challenge works when the rule is simply to ride. Add a swim and a run and the same plan becomes triathlon goals.

• Ride on 20 days out of 30.
• Ride on 12 weekends this season.
• Commute by bike 50 times this year.
• Finish a first organised ride or gran fondo.
• Ride 200 km in a single day.
• Do a 3 day trip carrying your own bags.

What is a good cycling goal?

A good cycling goal is specific and a bit of a stretch. A review of 35 years of goal research found that specific, hard goals lead to higher performance than being told to do your best. "Ride more" is a wish. "Ride 500 km in May" is a goal.

Pick one unit and stay with it. Distance suits flat country, metres climbed suit hills, and hours suit a busy week. The famous extreme is Everesting: climbing 8,848 m in one activity with no sleep. You do not need that. The same number spread over a season is a real goal for a normal rider.

Big totals are easier as small ones. A 5,000 km year is 100 km a week, and breaking a goal into smaller steps is what makes it feel possible in February.

How to track cycling goals

Write the number down the day you ride. A review of 138 studies found that people who monitored their progress reached their goals more often, and that recording it beat keeping it in your head.

Kilometres and metres climbed are amounts: each ride adds to a total. Rides and commutes are a day count: you tick the day. It is the same choice as with a running distance goal.

Then put the total where you will see it. A goal you can watch fill up is harder to forget than a number in a ride log.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good cycling goal for a beginner?

Riding 3 times a week for a month, at any distance. Once that is easy, aim for 20 km without stopping, then 50 km. Riding often comes before riding far.

What is a century ride?

A ride of 100 miles in one day, which is 161 km. A metric century is 100 km. Both are common first big goals because the number is easy to remember.

How much cycling do I need each week?

For general health, the CDC says adults need 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. Three rides of 50 minutes cover it. Any goal beyond that is for fun or for fitness.