Let me ask you something… when the bunch ride gets away from you, or the climb you've done a hundred times isn't getting any quicker, what's the first thing you think you need?
More. More kilometres, an extra ride midweek, a longer Sunday. Or the other one… ride harder.
You hear it from everywhere. Club mates, training apps, podcasts, the pros on Instagram. And it makes sense, because when you first started riding, every extra hour paid you back.
So why doesn't it keep working?
Getting Used To It Isn't Getting Faster
The body adapts to whatever you give it. Add more kilometres and it learns to handle more kilometres. You'll cope with the bigger week… but that doesn't mean you'll be any faster when the pace goes up.
Early on, the gains from extra volume are big. Then they shrink, while the tiredness doesn't. Plenty of riders have been there… added the hours and ended up on the same plateau, just more tired.
What Changes After 40?
Research shows the drop in endurance performance in masters athletes is driven largely by a drop in training stimulus... training less hard, and less, as life gets busier [1]. Age plays a part, but it isn't the whole story.
That's good news!
Recovery is also critical. A study comparing masters cyclists (average age about 55) with young cyclists found both groups recovered physically from hard intervals at the same rate. But 48 hours later, the masters riders still felt more fatigued, more sore and less motivated [2]. A small study, nine riders against eight, but it lines up with what I see.
From a physio perspective, a sudden jump in volume is one of the most common things I find behind a niggle. A knee that starts to ache, a lower back that tightens up. The body copes with load it's built up to… it struggles with load it hasn't.
You Don't Need More Hours
In one study, 17 male masters athletes with an average age of 60 changed what they did in their training for six weeks. They actually trained less, not more. And their peak power went up [3].
It's not a one-off either. A large body of research in adults aged 18 to 45 shows the type of training you do, not just the amount, changes how much your aerobic engine (your VO2max) improves [4].
So the answer isn't finding more time. It's using the time you've already got, and using it smarter... better hours, not more hours.
But here's the part most riders miss. What "smarter" looks like FOR YOU won't look the same as it does for the rider next to you on the bunch ride. YOUR starting point, recovery, niggles and goals all dictate what YOU should do. And that's where the real gains are hiding.
So, Ask Yourself This
Before you add another ride, ask yourself a few honest questions:
- Do I actually know what's limiting me on the bike right now?
- Which of my rides are moving me forward... and which are just adding tiredness?
- How do I really feel 24 or 48 hours after a hard ride?
- If I had to cut an hour this week, would I know which one?
If you can't answer those with confidence, you're not alone. Many riders can't either.
Whether you ride four hours a week or fifteen, there's room to get faster. Not by grinding out more, but by being smarter and more strategic with those hours you've got. Better hours, not more hours.
So imagine this… there's nothing quite like turning up fresher than the bloke who's ridden every day this week, and still having the legs to go with the move on the last climb!
FAQ
How many hours a week do I need?
Depends… on you, your goals and how well you recover. Plenty of riders improve on four or five hours a week. More isn't automatically better.
Will riding more always make me fitter?
Not always. Up to a point it helps, then the tiredness starts to outweigh the gains.
I'm over 50. Is it too late to get faster?
No way!!! Your body still responds to training at any age. I have helped 90 year olds stay and improve mobile and active. Where you're starting from is irrelevant… so long as you approach it smart!
Should I cut back my volume?
Not necessarily. Consistency matters. The bigger question is whether the hours you already ride are doing their job.
References
1. Tanaka H, Seals DR. Endurance exercise performance in Masters athletes: age-associated changes and underlying physiological mechanisms. J Physiol. 2008;586(1):55-63. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2007.141879
2. Borges NR, Reaburn PR, Doering TM, Argus CK, Driller MW. Age-related changes in physical and perceptual markers of recovery following high-intensity interval cycle exercise. Exp Aging Res. 2018;44(4):338-349. doi:10.1080/0361073X.2018.1477361
3. Herbert P, Hayes LD, Sculthorpe NF, Grace FM. HIIT produces increases in muscle power and free testosterone in male masters athletes. Endocr Connect. 2017;6(7):430-436. doi:10.1530/EC-17-0159
4. Milanović Z, Sporiš G, Weston M. Effectiveness of high-intensity interval training (HIT) and continuous endurance training for VO2max improvements: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials. Sports Med. 2015;45(10):1469-1481. doi:10.1007/s40279-015-0365-0