Bike riding season is here! Even if you aren't training for a specific race or event, most of us want to ride faster, keep up with friends, and enjoy our time on the bike. Whether you prefer mountain, gravel, or road cycling, these five tips will help you build speed this summer. Even if you aren't a cyclist, keep reading—these principles apply to almost any athletic pursuit.

1.        Consistency – Riding at least three times a week forces the body to perpetually adapt, building a stronger aerobic base and more efficient muscle memory. While a big ride on the weekend feels like a big accomplishment, our bodies prefer smaller bouts of effort over time.

2.        Variety – Adding variety forces your body and mind out of a "plateau" by introducing different types of physical stress. Instead of doing the same ride at the same pace each week, change it up. Switching up your terrain, cadence, and intensity, forces your body out of its comfort zone and opens new levels of speed and power that a steady pace alone can’t provide.

3.        Intervals – Riding faster than you normally do forces your body to work at intensities you couldn't sustain for a long, steady ride. Over time, this training makes your previous "fast" pace feel much easier and more sustainable.

4.        Rest - Real gains happen during recovery, not during the workout itself. To become a faster rider, you must balance high-intensity training with intentional rest to allow your body to rebuild and return stronger after every hard session.

5.        Journal - A journal keeps your goals front and center. Instead of just riding aimlessly and guessing what you should be doing, you can designate specific goals for each week—such as "improve hill climb time by 10 seconds" or "complete two interval sessions." This focus ensures that every ride has a purpose, which is the fastest way to see results.

Here is an example training week you can use for your routine. It has two interval sessions, one endurance ride, 2 strength training days, and 2 rest and recovery days.

Monday- Rest Day (no exercise)

Tuesday- Full Body Strength Training

Wednesday- Bike Intervals – 15-20 minute progressive warm-up, then ride much harder and faster than you usually do for 45 seconds. Slow down, ride easy (this is important) and recover for 2 minutes. Repeat this 3 more times for a total of 4 x 45 seconds very hard, 2 minutes easy.

Thursday- Active Recovery- 30-40 min easy walk

Friday- Full Body Strength Training

Saturday- Bike Intervals – 15-20 minute progressive warm-up, then ride harder and faster up a climb than you usually do for 8 minutes. Slow down, ride easy and recover for 8 minutes. Repeat this 2 more times for a total of 3 x 8 minutes hard, 8 minutes easy

Sunday- Ride! Just ride and enjoy your bike today. No specific pace or length.

Becoming a faster rider isn't about one single "magic" workout, but rather the cumulative effect of these small, intentional habits. By balancing consistency, high-intensity intervals and varied terrain with disciplined rest, you force your body to break through plateaus and return stronger. As your fitness improves, you’ll find that you aren't just faster, you also recover more quickly and are able to truly enjoy the scenery on every mile of the road or trail.