Cycling Base Training Pathway - Fast Talk Laboratories

The Importance of the Long Ride

Are you tempted to throw out those five-hour rides—not enough time or willpower, or maybe you find them boring? Don’t do it! Trevor Connor explores the adaptations that can only be gained from long, slow miles.

Two cyclists ride into the distance on dirt roads in North Boulder, Colorado.
North Boulder, Colorado. Photo: Chris Case

Are you tempted to throw out those five-hour rides—not enough time or willpower, or maybe you find them boring? Don’t do it! Trevor Connor explores the adaptations that can only be gained from long, slow miles.