What’s the best cycling goal for you? That depends on your cycling history

Are you ready to set new cycling goals but haven’t settled on one yet?

Should you…

Ride 1,000 miles this year?

Commute to work by bike twice a week?

Participate in a charity ride?

How do you choose a cycling goal? And what is a good cycling goal for you?

A good cycling goal will depend on your personal preferences (Do you want to ride for fun? Or competition?), fitness level (Are you new to cycling? Or have you been a cyclist for years? Are you returning to cycling from an injury?), and your schedule. 

So in this post, we’ll talk about the cycling goal to aim for whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced cyclist.

Let’s get started. 

Affiliate Disclosure: I’m here to help you grow as a rider and runner. So to keep things running smoothly and the content free, I participate in the Amazon Services program and select affiliate networks. So, when you click on those affiliate links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

---

CYCLING GOAL FOR BEGINNERS

YOU MAY BE A BEGINNER CYCLIST IF YOU: Just bought your first bike and have been going on a few short bike rides. 

CYCLING GOAL: The best cycling goal for beginners is to focus on regular bike riding—ideally, three times a week, every other day.

CYCLING GOALS EXAMPLES:

• Cycle three times a week for 4 weeks
• Explore one new bike trail every week
• Do three 20-minute bike rides every week

Riding your bike three times a week is the ultimate goal when you’re a new cyclist. 

But showing up for a bike ride is almost impossible and unsustainable if you don’t already have an established fitness habit. 

So while your cycling goal is to get going three times a week, first, we need to lay the foundation that’ll set you up to ride consistently. 

For a few weeks, I recommend that you ease yourself into a routine by scheduling time in your day to show up for a bike ride (without actually riding your bike). 

What we’re doing here is getting used to having that part of your day set aside for a workout before you begin to ride your bike. 

Thinking of cycling alone for some of your rides? Come on over to brush up on the perks and safety tips of cycling alone. It’ll be the perfect partner as you set your cycling goals for a well-rounded biking experience.

CYCLING GOAL FOR INTERMEDIATE CYCLISTS

YOU MAY BE AN INTERMEDIATE CYCLIST IF YOU: Have been cycling off and on for 2 to 3 years and you’re ready for a new challenge.

CYCLING GOAL: Ride more miles

CYCLING GOALS EXAMPLES: 

• Cycle between 50 and 100 miles a week
• Cycle between 75 and 125 miles a week
• Train for a century (100-mile) ride

You’re probably ready for a new challenge if you’ve been riding your bike for a couple of years. 

And one way to build on what you’ve done so far is to ride more miles. 

Your cycling distance goals may be to ride 50 miles during the week and 35 miles on the weekend. 

Or, it may be one-hour rides during the week and 2 to 3 hour rides on the weekends to extend your endurance. (Here’s how to dial in your nutrition for long rides.)

But what is a good distance to cycle every day? Is there a ‘right’ amount of cycling? 

Your weekly mileage depends on you—how much you’ve ridden before, the amount of time you have for cycling, and your injury risk. (If you are returning to cycling after an injury, re-build your mileage slowly to avoid reinjury.)

Here are a few questions to consider:

• What was your weekly mileage this past year? Was that amount of mileage manageable?
• Let’s look at the next several months: How much time can you devote to cycling without disrupting the rest of your life? 
• Have you been injured recently? Or are you prone to cycling injuries?

NEXT STEPS: Get stronger legs for cycling and build your mental strength

CYCLING GOAL FOR ADVANCED CYCLISTS

YOU MAY BE AN ADVANCED CYCLIST IF YOU: Have been cycling consistently for a few years and you’re ready to push yourself to new speeds.

CYCLING GOAL: Ride faster

CYCLING GOALS EXAMPLES:

• Do one interval session a week
• Upgrade your race category
• Ride your bike five times a week
• Find a nutrition strategy that works for long rides
• Do strength and mobility sessions twice a week

You’re probably no stranger to structured training plans, which is a good thing because you’ll need one if your goal is to improve your cycling speed.

Your training plan will also help you:

• Stack and progress your workouts so that you can balance hard days followed by easy, recovery days
• Prevent injury, especially if you write notes about your bike ride, such as how you felt and whether you had tired legs from cycling. This can help you adjust your workouts in the following days so you don’t overdo it or get hurt.
• Spot patterns on what’s working (or not)

Boosting your cycling speed is only one part of the equation—you’ll also need to support your ability to move fast—and that will include speed workouts, strength training for cyclists, cycling recovery rides, and fueling throughout your rides. 

NEXT STEPS: Try racing against yourself or updating a race category.

One last thing about cycling goals: You might face barriers to reaching your cycling goals—hectic schedules, boredom, less-than-ideal weather—but it doesn’t have to derail your plans.  

The next time you feel less than motivated to work up a sweat, try shaking things up. Do a 30-minute ride when you’re short on time. Do an indoor ride if you usually go outside. 

And finally, you’re never stuck with one cycling goal—if it causes too much stress, change it. Cycling is a fun endeavor, not a stressful one.