How long should I cycle to get a good workout?

For most people, 30 to 60 minutes at a steady effort is the right ride length, done 2 to 4 times a week. That's enough to build fitness, and it's short enough that you'll actually do it.

If you're new, 20 minutes counts. Start there and add 5 to 10 minutes a week once it feels easy.

Time versus effort

Ride length and effort trade off against each other. A hard 30 minutes can do about as much for your fitness as an easy 60.

• Easy ride: you can hold a full conversation. Aim for 45 to 90 minutes.
• Moderate ride: you can speak in short sentences. 30 to 60 minutes is plenty.
• Hard intervals: you can only say a word or two. 20 to 40 minutes total including the warm-up is enough.

The WHO guideline is 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity. Riding counts toward either.

A simple week

Here's one way to fit it together for someone who wants to improve:

1. Tuesday: 30 minutes moderate
2. Thursday: 30 minutes with 4 hard efforts of 3 minutes each
3. Saturday: one longer easy ride, 60 to 90 minutes

That's about 2 to 2.5 hours in total, which is more than most people need for general health. If you only have time for two rides, keep the Saturday one and one of the weekday ones.

Rides sync automatically from Apple Health into League of Fitness and are scored by heart rate zones, so a hard 30 minutes and an easy 60 each count for the effort you put in, not just the time on the bike.

When longer is the point

If you're training for a century ride or a long event, you'll need long rides of 2 to 5 hours. But that's training for a specific goal. For general fitness, going past 90 minutes a ride doesn't give you much extra, and it adds a lot of time on the saddle.

Don't skip the warm-up

Spend the first 5 to 10 minutes riding easy. Your legs will feel heavy early on, and that usually fades once you're warm. Stop and see a doctor if you get chest pain, unusual shortness of breath or dizziness during a ride.