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Chargement…
Chargement…
Why the long ride is THE session that decides your triathlon, how to scale by target format, and how to find partners to avoid going solo.
The long bike ride is the weekly session where you accumulate the most aerobic volume at moderate pace. For a triathlete, it lasts from 1h30 (Sprint prep) to 7h (Ironman prep). It's done at fundamental endurance (zone 2), about 70% of max HR or 65-75% of FTP if you measure power.
It's the session yielding the most physiological benefits: aerobic capacity, fat oxidation, pedalling economy, muscular and mental endurance to saddle time. It's also the most neglected session by beginners — too short, too intense, too irregular.
The specific benefits only volume on the bike can give.
+ It's the session that most pushes your heart to be efficient at low frequency. An hour in zone 2 = a half-hour of intervals for base aerobic capacity, and you can do 3-5h in one block.
− Without regular long rides, your aerobic ceiling stays low — you'll plateau quickly on long-distance races.
+ Eating 40-90g carbs/hour while pedalling is a skill. Long rides are the only place to train it in conditions. Without it, on race day your stomach refuses gels and you crack.
− Many Ironmans are won or lost in race nutrition — impossible to train without long rides.
+ Muscles, tendons, ligaments and nervous system adapt to saddle time, aero position, pressure points. Without it, you'll discover pains (neck, back, glutes) on race day.
− Doing Ironmans without ever riding 5h+ in training = guaranteed muscle injuries at 80%.
+ You concretely learn what your tri pace feels like. On 5h zone 2, you see where you saturate, push, crack. No theory replaces this experience.
− A triathlete who's only done 1h-2h sessions doesn't know how their body reacts at 4h+ — exactly where the race is decided.
On TriMates, create a 'Bike' session with start point, planned duration, target pace and estimated distance. Other triathletes see all parameters before joining.
Indicate in the description if you're prepping Sprint, Olympic, Half or Ironman. Triathletes targeting the same format see it on your profile and naturally align on similar duration/intensity goals.
Nearby triathletes who configured their zone and availability automatically get notified when your session matches. The bigger the French triathlon community on TriMates, the more partners you'll find.
Once signed up, participants use the session chat: precise meeting point, refuel stops, group pace, weather check.
Don't exceed +10% volume vs previous long ride. Golden anti-injury rule.
Eat 40-60g carbs per hour from 1h30 of riding. Train this. It's a skill.
Pick a loop route over out-and-back: you can adjust duration to your form without ending exhausted far from home.
Hydrate consistently (1 bottle/hour minimum, salt tabs in heat). >3h sessions require solid nutrition alongside gels.
NEVER do your long ride the day before a hard session. Place it Sunday with Monday rest or recovery.
Create your free TriMates account and post your long bike ride to nearby triathletes.