Cycling 37 Miles: A Beginner’s Journey
Completing a 37-mile cycle is an exciting challenge for a new cyclist and a great opportunity to build confidence, fitness, and enjoyment on the bike. The goal is not just about reaching the finish line; it is about developing endurance, learning good riding habits, and discovering the rewards of cycling.
Riding 37 miles is a fantastic achievement, especially if you’ve never ridden that distance before. It may seem daunting, but with consistent training over the next eight weeks, it is an achievable goal.
With a structured training approach, gradual increases in distance, and consistent practice, a beginner cyclist can safely build the strength and stamina needed to complete 37 miles comfortably. The focus will be on improving fitness, gaining confidence on different types of terrain, practising pacing, and learning how to fuel and prepare for longer rides.
By following a steady progression and enjoying each stage of the journey, the 37-mile ride becomes an achievable milestone and the foundation for many more cycling adventures in the future.
Training Programme
This training programme is designed for new cyclists and focuses on gradually increasing your endurance, confidence, and fitness. You’ll start with shorter rides and build up your distance each week, allowing your body to adapt safely while reducing the risk of injury.
The most important ride each week is the long weekend ride, as this prepares you for spending more time in the saddle. The shorter rides during the week help improve fitness, pedalling efficiency, and recovery.
Remember that completing a long-distance ride isn’t just about fitness. eating and drinking regularly, pacing yourself, and getting enough rest are all key to enjoying the ride and finishing strong.
Don’t worry if your average speed isn’t fast. The goal is to ride consistently and comfortably rather than race. By following the plan, completing your long rides, and listening to your body, you’ll give yourself the best chance of successfully completing your 37-mile challenge on September 6th.
Every experienced cyclist started as a beginner. Stay consistent, trust the process, and enjoy the journey—you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve in just eight weeks.
With a long ride, I always break this down into manageable goals, first goal, 10miles, second 20miles etc, all the way to 37, this way, you’ll only looking at the next 10 miles in your head, before you know it, you’re at 30 miles, LOL, only 7 to go, happy days.
Fuelling is so important and don’t think you will be fine, fuelling for a long ride is easy to say but hard to do, something I set up years ago is, setting a reminder on my Cycling Computer/Phone to remind me to eat and drink say every 20mins, this way you won’t forget, the most important thing to remember is “little and often”, a sip and a bite to eat is all you need, but start from the get go and keep drinking/eating even from the first 20mins and keep it up there after.
Assuming when you are reading this it’s mid-July and your event is September 6th, you have about 8 weeks to prepare for a 37-mile ride. That’s enough time for a beginner if you build up gradually and ride consistently.
Goals
By September 6th, you’ll be able to:
Ride 37 miles comfortably.
Build endurance without overtraining.
Develop confidence with longer rides.
Arrive fresh for the event.
Weekly Schedule
Aim for 3 rides per week plus optional strength and mobility.
Monday | Rest |
Tuesday | Easy ride |
Wednesday | Strength (20–30 min) or rest |
Thursday | Steady ride with some hills or faster efforts |
Friday | Rest |
Saturday | Long ride |
Sunday | Recovery ride or walk/stretch |
Week 1
Tuesday: 8 miles easy
Thursday: 10 miles at a steady pace
Saturday: 14 miles
Week 2
Tuesday: 10 miles
Thursday: 12 miles
Saturday: 17 miles
Week 3
Tuesday: 10 miles easy
Thursday:
Warm up 10 min
Ride 4 × 5 minutes slightly harder
Recover 3 minutes between efforts
Total: 14 miles
Saturday: 20 miles
Week 4
Tuesday: 12 miles
Thursday: 15 miles
Saturday: 23 miles
Week 5
Tuesday: 12 miles easy
Thursday:
5 × 5-minute efforts
Total: 15 miles
Saturday: 26 miles
Week 6
Tuesday: 14 miles
Thursday: 16 miles
Saturday: 30 miles
This is your biggest training week.
Week 7
Tuesday: 12 miles easy
Thursday: 18 miles steady
Saturday: 33–35 miles
Ride at your planned event pace. Test:
Clothing
Nutrition
Water
Bike setup
Week 8 (Taper Week)
Tuesday: 10 miles easy
Thursday: 6 miles with a few short pickups
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Rest
Sunday (September 6):
37-mile event
Start slower than you think you need to. Most beginners go out too fast.
Pace
Keep most rides at a pace where you can still hold a conversation.
Approximate speed:
10–13 mph is perfectly fine for training.
Strength (Twice per Week)
Perform 2–3 sets of:
12 bodyweight squats
10 lunges per leg
30-second plank
12 glute bridges
15 calf raises
10 press-ups (or incline press-ups if needed)
Before Every Ride
Warm up for 5–10 minutes with easy pedalling.
After every ride:
Stretch your calves.
Stretch your hamstrings.
Stretch your quadriceps.
Stretch your hips.
Event Week Checklist – Very Important indeed.
✔️ Service your bike Two/Three weeks before the ride.
✔️ Check tyre pressure before setting off.
✔️ Carry a spare inner tube, tyre levers, pump, and a multi-tool and helmet is a must.
✔️ Eat a carbohydrate-rich breakfast 2–3 hours before the start.
✔️ Begin eating and drinking early during the ride rather than waiting until you feel hungry or thirsty.
Completing your first 37-mile cycling ride is a proud and memorable achievement. It was a journey that tested your endurance, determination, and confidence, while proving that every mile of training and effort was worth it. Reaching the finish line gave you a new sense of accomplishment and showed you that you capable of taking on bigger challenges. This ride marks an exciting milestone in your cycling journey, and I hope you are looking forward to seeing where the next road leads.