The fact that you’ve clicked onto Cyclingnews when, as of November 2022, there were an estimated two-billion websites on the internet suggests that you’re either a cyclist or misspelt Sileage News, the home for pickled-pasture partisans all around the world. But for the purposes of this feature, we’ll assume you’re a cyclist. But what sort of cyclist? In other words, do you train or just ride? And when it comes to your end goal, does it matter?
“They’re quite different,” says coach Pav Bryan (coachpav.com (opens in new tab)). “Training has a purpose and might be structured in a manner to see progress towards a goal. That goal might be both in the future as an overall objective, such as an event like a Gran Fondo, or for the session/workout itself.”
That differs to ‘just riding’ that’s a little more freeform. Yes, you might plan to ride for, say, two hours or to a destination and back, but it’s all about getting time on the bike and racking up the miles rather than pre-planned intensities and efforts.
This might be intuitive but it’s important as it begs the question: what are the benefits (and potential downsides) of both just riding and training? “When I coach, I try to find the right balance for my riders,” says Bryan. “While we will almost certainly see better physical improvements from training versus just riding, the latter tends to be more fun, thus increasing enjoyment, mental focus and motivation.
“You see, some people just don’t like to train. Training can be quite serious and isn’t for everyone; that said, just riding won’t give you the best physiological adaptations. There’s a balance that’s unique to most people, which might change as they get more serious about achieving goals and improving their cycling.”
Both forms of riding are clearly valid. But it’s clear that while training delivers greater physical improvements, just riding is arguably more enjoyable. Vis-à-vis, training is clearly an oft-used tool to reach the sportive finish line, whether you’re a competer or a completer. But what about just riding? Can you just ride and still reach the sportive finish line?
“It depends on how well you want to do,” says Bryan. “I always say that coaching is the difference between completing a sportive and completing it with a smile! The same goes for the…
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