Evening all,
I’m doing a charity ride - London to Amsterdam September 2025.
I have just started FTP builder, currently 177FTP.
Can anyone recommend a training plan to work on after the 6-weeks FTP builder on Zwift please.
Thanks
The answer depends on how much time you have - how many hours each day, how many days each week - and what sort of training volume you have been doing up to now. You have enough time to do one of the longer training plans like Build Me Up, but you could also spend some time increasing your hours on the bike if that’s needed when you think about what you’ve been doing vs the event time. Personally I would be looking at the longest hardest day of the trip and thinking about whether I can do something pretty close to that effort. That’s not strictly required but it can help get the legs ready, avoid cramping on the day, sort out nutrition and hydration, etc.
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Focus on time on the bike - doing similar big rides to match what you’ll do each day. You need the endurance.
Most of the workouts are fairly short per day so probably not applicable.
What I did going from 90 minutes relatively hard in Zwift to 50 miles per day for a week trip:
Started riding outside and targeted 2 hrs at 2 mph/3-4 kph above anticipated tour speed. I rode with my Brother-in-Law and the target was 10 mph (I know…not fast but he is 83 and I am 100 kg and have the VO2max of a granite pebble due to lifelong asthma). We are in the slow-twitch diesel realm so steady speed was the target.
Only issues were saddle issues so get more saddle time. Legs were great but it was a tour with planned stops.
Work on nutrition. Find food that will not upset the stomach. I use Luchos bars which are Guava/other Fruit sugar bombs. Wrapping is dried leaves so toss as you go. Really good.
Summary:
Train for what you are going to do.
Saddle time to break in the fanny.
Figure out the food.
Good Luck! Sounds like a great ride.
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I would also suggest looking at pressure mapping for anyone with bad saddle problems.
I had this after my 2022 accident and subsequent body being quite out of balance. I got through HR Alps 2023 with decent enough speed on the hills but after longer amounts of time really bad saddle pain.
Getting pressure mapping pointed out what was going wrong and then it was relatively easy to find the right saddle and set the position in the right way. If I’d done that earlier… sigh.
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Good day, @simon_ralph and folks!
Thank you all for posting in our forums! Alejandra here from Zwift.
I just want to add that we have some articles that can help you see the options for a training plan. Feel free to check our Training Plans for Cycling and Training Plan FAQ.
I hope this suggestion can also help you, Simon. Feel free to post if you have any more questions.
Have a nice day, all!