Welcome back Tracy from All Things Fashionating! Last month she shared the swim portion of this 8 week sprint triathlon training plan. She’s back with part two of the three part training series. Get those bikes out and get ready to ride!
Now that we covered swim training, it is time to put pedals to the medal with cycling. I wasn’t too worried about this event in my training since I am an avid spinner. However, I soon learned that cycling in a spin class is vastly different than road riding. But cycling does offer some pretty rad health benefits such as firming up your core and derrière; improved cardiovascular fitness. Plus, riding faster burns more calories and fine tunes coordination skills.
Before you get started on your bike training:
- First and foremost – confirm your bike is in good condition. Get a basic tune-up and adjust the seat and handlebars to fit your body to avoid glitches and injuries.
- It is important to review the course map in advance so you know your terrain. If it’s hilly make sure to train accordingly, and then you will be ready to roll.
8-Week Training: Bike Portion
Week 1: Tuesday –Bike 30 min. and Saturday – Bike 45 min.
Week 2: Tuesday –Bike 40 min., Thursday – Bike 30 min. and Saturday – Bike 50 min.
Week 3: Tuesday –Bike 35 min. and Saturday – Bike 1 hour
Week 4: Tuesday –Bike 30 min., Thursday – Bike 30 min. and Saturday – Bike 45 min.
Week 5: Tuesday –Bike 30 min., Thursday – Bike 50 min. and Saturday – Bike 1 hour, 10 min.
Week 6: Tuesday –Bike 40 min., Thursday – Bike 45 min. and Saturday – Bike 1 hour, 15 min.
Week 7: Tuesday –Bike 40 min., Thursday – Bike 40 min. and Saturday – Bike 50 min.
Week 8: Tuesday –Bike 30 min., Thursday – Bike 30 min. and Saturday – Bike 10 min
Essential Gear for Biking
- A bike; an uncomplicated road or mountain bike will suffice.
- A helmet is mandatory due to USAT regulations and must include a Consumer Product Safety Commission sticker.
- Sunglasses will keep your eyes protected from the wind and safe from any flying debris.
Strategize for Efficient Transitions
Another important aspect to triathlons is the transitions. That’s the period between the swim to bike to run events, where where you change clothes and equipment. Each racer is assigned a small “setup” space within the transition area to prep for each event. Transition times count toward your overall race time so it is important to be organized for efficiency.
To avoid wasting time, follow these tips:
- Mark your territory: use sidewalk chalk to tag the setup location within the transition area. It is easy to get disoriented when returning from the swim and bike, so a little personalized writings can lead the way.
- Organize setup so clothing and equipment are laid out in the order that it will be used.
- Wear water-resistant tri clothing for the whole race so you don’t have to change during transitions.
- Clip cycling shoes onto pedals so you just slip your feet in and away you go.
The most important thing while training for the bike portion of a sprint triathlon: make sure to feel the road beneath you and enjoy the ride!

2 Comments
Run Away With Me
Great tips! I just completed my first sprint tri and it was tough finding an 8 week plan for newbies. This is basically what I did so it’s good to know I made some good training choices! 🙂
Teresa
Congratulations on your race!! Tris are not easy and I’m glad you had good training! Maybe this series will come in handy for your next one 😉