Are Two Shorter Rides Better Than One Long Ride?

// Questions/Topics Covered In This Episode:
00:00 - Intro
01:00 - Question: Is one long ride better than two shorter ones?
02:00 - 3 Strategies for Double Days
02:20 - When to use double days
04:58 - Are Double Days always good/better?
08:56 - Risks associated with Double Days
10:39 - Is a double day better than a single long ride?
// LINKS
- trainright.com/benefits-and-r...
- trainright.com/two-shorter-ri...
- trainright.com/double-day-tra...
// HOST
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for more than 14 years and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.
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[@RyonBeachner]

Changing playback speed to 1.25x makes this far easier to listen to.

[@gregcharland]

Thank you. I was looking for the exit.

[@sunburntknees2904]

Great tip! I am time crunched after all!

[@scottseltzer]

Another factor is that a proper long ride prepares you for riding under accumulated fatigue. You're not doing actual endurance with shorter rides.

[@CTS_TrainRight]

Durability and the benefit of riding with accumulated fatigue are covered in the section that starts at 11:15.

[@suisinghoraceho2403]

They are not. But they are better than no ride.

[@nicholashatcher2844]

How do I apply this to the weekends prepping for a Fondo/Sportive? I don't have the availability to do double days. So is a 4-hour ride on Sat or Sun better than a 2-hour ride on both days? Seems like he's saying it would be due to position fatigue, fueling strategy, etc.

[@CTS_TrainRight]

If you have the availability to do a 4-hour ride on the weekend, take advantage of it. There are few times we'd would recommend someone with the availability to do a 4 hour ride do two 2-hour rides instead, and almost never for someone training for a Fondo or Sportive. Track cyclists and riders training for very specific anaerobic challenges, maybe. In your case, shorter rides during the week, including 1-2 days with intervals, and a long 4-hour ride on Saturday or Sunday sounds like a great starting point for preparing for a Fondo/Sportive.

[@sunburntknees2904]

There are no short cuts in my opinion. Long rides are highly beneficial regardless of the duration of your event.

[@tonyp3523]

What if u commute 3 times a week. 35miles one way 😂 I can ride it but not sure if I can handle the volume

[@CTS_TrainRight]

If you end up doing 70-mile round trips three times per week, you'll develop a great aerobic engine. However, you might need to start with one commute per week and build up or find creative ways to make the commute one way. For instance, ride one way and carpool on the way home. One solution we've had athlete use is to drive your bike to work one day, ride home in the evening. Ride to work the following morning, then drive home with the bike that evening.

[@tonyp3523]

@@CTS_TrainRight thanks. That actually makes sense. I’ll try it🙏

[@gerrysecure5874]

Depends how many shorter rides you already did and when you plan to do the next one. These context free questions are simply bullocks.

[@CTS_TrainRight]

The context is fully explained in the video, from the listener's submitted question. Then the response further expands the context to address the listener's question and apply the host's experience to '2 rides vs. 1 ride' scenarios.