Easy riding essentials

High North Performance’s Emma Wilkins shares her easy-riding essentials

Pay attention to your breathing. You should be able to speak or even sing comfortably, and not in broken sentences. This is a good indication that you’re below your first lactate or ventilatory threshold.

Dial in on what it feels like to push the pedals at a low wattage or intensity. Think about how much pressure you’re applying to the pedals and learn that feeling. This can help when riding on undulating terrain to keep your effort level under control and avoid power surges when you hit an incline.

Riding easy can be mentally challenging, as it can be frustrating, and there’s often a temptation to chase other riders or Strava segments. Keep in mind the purpose of your session, and know that you’re riding easy today so that you can ride or race hard another day.

Shorter easy rides (<60 mins) work well as a recovery day before a hard interval session the next day. Longer easy rides (>90 mins) can be planned the day after a harder ride since the fatigue from the harder ride will generally not impact your ability to ride at a low intensity.

A good way to track progress from your low-intensity rides is to monitor the highest wattage you can hold while breathing through your nose. You should see your wattage increasing as your aerobic fitness improves. If you don’t have a power meter, you can also consider how tired you feel at the end of a longer ride, how quickly you recover, and how much you need to eat during a long ride.