Training Plans

Pedal Britain’s tours have been designed to be accessible, but still require a reasonably good level of physical fitness and with the right preparation will be an experience to cherish.   However, the right preparation isn’t simply riding your bike at weekends and “putting in the miles”; while you will undoubtedly improve your fitness, your improvements will inevitably plateau, and motivation may wane, and let's face it, you want to enjoy not endure your adventure.  

An important part of the Pedal Britain experience is the social bonding, riding together as a mutually supportive Team, so the ability to ride for over 7 hours at a pace of between 11 and 13 mph is important.  Some days you will ride a little faster, some days a little slower, and you will always have the support of the Guide/Chaperone, you'll never be alone, unless of course you wish some personal space.     

You will also encounter hills, from the short, but steep lanes of Cornwall, the climb to Dartmoor and The Mendips, the climbs across the valleys and peaks of Wales, to the long but potentially fatiguing hills of the Lake District and the Scottish Highlands. 

The good news is that Pedal Britain has carefully selected routes where none of the climbs in themselves are insurmountable, but cumulatively over the days they can take their toll if you are unprepared for hills. 

Preparation for the long days and climbs is therefore important for your enjoyment of these iconic challenges. 

We understand that you are busy people, your training needs to take into account family and work commitments and focus on what might hold you. back, whether that is long days in the saddle or elevation needs to be climbed each day.   

With that in mind, and from our own experience of tours and as Pedal Britain guides ourselves, we have designed plans exclusive to the challenge, taking the principle of gaining the most for the least effort, no more junk miles or wasted training rides, every session has a purpose and an achievable objective that we monitor on a regular basis to ensure you are progressing accordingly.   

We divide the plans into three:

1. If you are new to cycling, or struggle to maintain a pace of between 11-13mph over 6 hours, then the 3 month "Go to Distance" plan is for you. 
2. If you are generally fit but still worried about your ability to handle the hills, then choose the  3 month "Mastering the Climbs" plan
3. Or as a bolt-on, or you need extra help, choose the "Raise Your Game" monthly subscription plan 

We realise that is maybe a lot of take in at once, so why not book time for a 30 minute free, no-obligation consultation call with our head coach, Grant Goodman (seen below)  

We will discuss your goals and concerns, provide advice how to prepare for your adventure in terms of kit and equipment, and based on your current fitness level and experience, what training you may require to get to into the best shape you can.     

1. Go The Distance

This is a 12 week foundation plan to build depth of fitness.  The plan includes indoor- and road-based workouts to help you build resilience (what we call “aerobic fitness”) and stamina, plus skill-based exercises to help you become highly efficient on the bike. 

With this plan you will achieve significant benefits to your endurance levels; you will be fitter with greater stamina and confident to cope with whatever the day’s ride has in store. Once completed, a natural progression is to the "Master the Climbs" plan.

Whats Included: 

• An initial consultation to discuss goals, concerns, equipment and technical bits (see below).
• Baseline test and key limiter assessment.
• Smartphone App Workout Scheduler (TrainingPeaks) linked to the Coach and sync'd to your cycling computer, indoor training such as Zwift or Wattbike.
• Midweek Workouts to build the depth of your fitness, helping you cope with long days in the saddle
• Session that improve your efficiency and effectiveness on the bike, building speed and technique.
• Weekend rides to build endurance and resistance to fatigue. 
• Scheduled Recovery periods to maintain freshness and avoid chronic fatigue from overtraining. 
• Monthly reviews to check progress against key limiters such as aerobic fitness. 
• Access to the coach via email/WhatsApp/Zoom/FaceTime. 
• Transition plan to build hill climbing as required.
• Strava Group for online community support. 
• Optional subscription to online yoga for cyclists to improve performance, flexibility and mobility.
• Can be extended for additional months (see Raise Your Game Plan).

2. Master The Climbs 

This plan prepares you for the climbs you will meet, helping you savour their challenge.You do not have to live in a hilly part of the world for this plan as we combine indoor sessions that improve your ability to climb steep hills, plus sessions that build muscular endurance and resistance to fatigue for the longer hills. 

Note that if you have any doubt to the depth of your fitness, for example there is a significant decrease in your pace or power in relation to your heart rate over a training ride, or have yet to do a four hour ride, we would encourage you to prioritise the "Go the Distance" Plan.

 Whats Included: 

• An initial consultation to discuss goals, concerns, equipment and technical bits (see below). 
• Baseline test and key limiter assessment. 
• Smartphone App Workout Scheduler (TrainingPeaks) linked to the Coach and sync'd to your cycling computer, indoor training such as Zwift or Wattbike. 
• Workouts to build that build hill climbing capacity and endurance for the gradual but longer hills. 
• Rides to build muscular strength and power for the shorter but steeper hills 
• Scheduled Recovery periods to maintain freshness and avoid chronic fatigue from overtraining. 
• Advice on the correct use of gears, cadence and climbing technique.
• Monthly reviews to check progress against key limiters such as power and endurance.
• Access to the coach via email/WhatsApp/Zoom/FaceTime. 
• Strava Group for online community support.
• Optional subscription to online yoga for cyclists to improve performance, flexibility and mobility.
• Can be extended for additional months (see Monthly Subscription Plan). 

3. Raise Your Game

This is a monthly subscription based plan that builds on your fitness with three incremental training blocks leading up to your Pedal Britain ride.  

Either for individuals who:

1. Need extra help beyond the "Go the Distance" and "Mastering the Climbs" plans and need more time to prepare, or 
2. Have a reasonably good level of fitness, but feel they need to add structure to their training or the extra guidance and motivation that a cycling coach offers. 

In each instance, each month's plan builds upon the previous month, ensuring continuous improvement and progression.     

Whats Included: 

• A three to six month plan building on depth of fitness
• Continuous progression based on duration and/or intensity 
• Baseline test and key limiter assessment to define your Phenotype 
• Workouts that build hill climbing capacity and power. 
• Longer rides that build muscular strength and muscular endurance 
• Guidance to improve effectiveness of your cycling technique (more efficiently for less effort) 
• Scheduled Recovery periods to maintain freshness and avoid chronic fatigue from overtraining
• Monthly reviews to check progress against key limiters
• Access to the coach via email/WhatsApp/Zoom/FaceTime
• Optional online yoga sessions to include performance, mobility and flexibilty.
• Limited to a 6 months term, then jointly reviewed to ensure suitability to continue until your tour has been completed. 

How do I book a Training Package? 

If you've decided to purchase a package, you can book this using this link Pedal Britain Training Packages - Book Online Here This will take you to an exclusive area of our trusted partner cycleforfitness.com where you can then book your chosen course.

However if you wanted to talk through the course and what it entails, then please email: training@pedalbritain.com and we'll put you in touch with Grant to discuss what is best for you.

To take advantage of our training packages we recommend the following:

•  Cycling Computer (Garmin Edge or Wahoo recommended) or SmartPhone (IOS or Android)
•  Chest strap heart rate monitor (Wahoo TickR recommended)
•  Strava account (basic/free is sufficient)
•  TrainingPeaks account (free)