90-Minute Hilly Outdoor Ride: Structured Climbing Efforts

Session Overview

This 90-minute outdoor ride targets the specific strength and endurance needed for hilly triathlon bike courses — events like IRONMAN 70.3 Weymouth and IRONMAN 70.3 Bolton that feature significant climbing. You will need a local route with at least 2–3 repeatable climbs of 3–6 minutes each. If your area is flat, a turbo trainer with resistance simulation can substitute.

What You’ll Need

• Road bike or tri bike — tri bikes are acceptable but climbing in an aggressive aero position is harder; consider riding on the base bars for climbs
• Heart rate monitor or power meter
• Route with repeatable climbs of 3–6 minutes each
• 2 x bidons — aim for 500–750ml per hour
• One energy bar or gel for a 90-minute ride — consume around the 45-minute mark

Warm-Up (15 minutes)

Ride easy at Zone 2 for the first 15 minutes to warm the legs and loosen the joints. Keep cadence at 85–95rpm on flat sections. Use this time to reach your chosen climb and assess conditions — wind, road surface and gradient all influence pacing strategy.

Main Set (60 minutes)

The main set alternates between hard climbing efforts at Zone 4 (80–85% max HR or sweet-spot power) and recovery descents and flat riding at Zone 2. Each climb should feel hard but controlled — not all-out, but uncomfortable enough that you would not want to hold a conversation.

• 5 x full climb at Zone 4 effort (3–6 minutes per climb depending on route), 4–6 minutes easy recovery between each
• If your route has one long climb only: 3 x the full climb turning around at the top, with 6–8 minutes easy recovery at the base between each effort
• After the final climb: 10 minutes at Zone 2 to transition into cool-down

Cool-Down (15 minutes)

Ride home at Zone 2 easy effort. Descend carefully — fatigued legs slow reactions on technical descents. After dismounting, stretch the glutes, hip flexors and calves — all three muscle groups take significant load during repeated hill climbing and benefit from deliberate post-ride mobility work.

Coaching Notes

• Maintain a seated position on climbs to build glute and quad strength — standing uses significantly more energy and is less efficient for triathlon endurance events
• Common mistake: going anaerobic on the first climb — establish a sustainable effort in the first 30 seconds and hold it throughout
• Easier option: reduce climbing efforts to 3 repeats, extend recovery to 8 minutes between
• RPE target on each climb: 7–8 out of 10 — hard and sustained, not maximal