160km Cycling Plan
Imperial Century — 100 Miles
The imperial century — 160 km or 100 miles — is the benchmark endurance ride for road cyclists. It demands sustained aerobic fitness, practised nutrition, and the mental resilience to stay in the saddle for five or more hours. Whether you're building up from shorter rides or sharpening your century performance, the plans below give you a structured, week-by-week programme to arrive at the start line ready.
Plan A — 12-Week Beginner
- Goal: Complete a 160 km (100 mile) ride
- Fitness level: Beginner — can ride 50 km
- Timeline: 12 weeks, 3–4 sessions per week
Week 1–2: Building Base
Three sessions per week. Keep every ride at an easy, conversational effort and focus on building consistency. Use cadence drills to develop a smooth, efficient pedal stroke.
Week 1
- Tuesday: Easy ride 30 km
- Thursday: Easy ride 25 km with cadence drills
- Saturday: Long ride 40 km easy
Week 2
- Tuesday: Easy ride 30 km
- Thursday: Easy ride 25 km with cadence drills
- Saturday: Long ride 40 km easy
Week 3–4: Increasing Distance
The long ride pushes to 50 km and fartlek sessions introduce faster efforts. Practise eating and drinking on the bike during your weekend ride.
Week 3
- Tuesday: Easy ride 30 km
- Thursday: Fartlek — 10 min easy, alternate 1 min hard / 2 min easy for 20 min, 10 min easy (40 min total)
- Saturday: Long ride 50 km easy
Week 4
- Tuesday: Easy ride 30 km
- Thursday: Fartlek — 10 min easy, alternate 1 min hard / 2 min easy for 20 min, 10 min easy (40 min total)
- Saturday: Long ride 50 km easy
Week 5–6: Building Endurance
A fourth session is added this block. Tempo efforts appear for the first time — sustained riding at a comfortably hard pace to build your lactate threshold.
Week 5
- Monday: Easy ride 30 km
- Wednesday: Tempo — 10 min warmup, 20 min tempo, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Easy ride 25 km
- Saturday: Long ride 65 km easy
Week 6
- Monday: Easy ride 30 km
- Wednesday: Tempo — 10 min warmup, 20 min tempo, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Easy ride 25 km
- Saturday: Long ride 65 km easy
Week 7–8: Distance Phase
Long rides push past 80 km. Tempo duration increases to continue building muscular endurance. Practise your race-day nutrition strategy on every long ride.
Week 7
- Monday: Easy ride 35 km
- Wednesday: Tempo — 10 min warmup, 25 min tempo, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Easy ride 25 km
- Saturday: Long ride 80 km easy
Week 8
- Monday: Easy ride 35 km
- Wednesday: Tempo — 10 min warmup, 25 min tempo, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Easy ride 25 km
- Saturday: Long ride 80 km easy
Week 9–10: Peak Phase
This is the hardest block. Long rides reach 100 km and hill repeats build cycling-specific strength. Trust your fitness and keep easy days genuinely easy.
Week 9
- Monday: Easy ride 35 km
- Wednesday: Hill repeats — 10 min warmup, 6 × 4 min climbs (3 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Easy ride 25 km
- Saturday: Long ride 100 km easy
Week 10
- Monday: Easy ride 35 km
- Wednesday: Hill repeats — 10 min warmup, 6 × 4 min climbs (3 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Easy ride 25 km
- Saturday: Long ride 100 km easy
Week 11: Final Long Ride
Your longest ride of the entire plan at 120 km. After this week, volume drops as your body absorbs the training. Nail your nutrition — this is your dress rehearsal.
Week 11
- Monday: Easy ride 30 km
- Wednesday: Easy ride 25 km with pickups
- Thursday: Easy ride 20 km
- Saturday: Long ride 120 km easy
Week 12: Taper and Ride
Volume drops sharply. Keep the legs ticking over with short, easy spins and a few pickups to stay sharp. Trust your training — the work is done.
Week 12
- Monday: Easy ride 25 km
- Wednesday: Easy ride 20 km with pickups
- Thursday: Rest
- Saturday: Event day — 160 km!
Plan B — 12-Week Intermediate
- Goal: Improve century ride performance
- Fitness level: Intermediate — has ridden 100+ km
- Timeline: 12 weeks, 4–5 sessions per week
- Intensity guide: MHR = maximum heart rate
Week 1–2: Base Phase
Re-establish a solid aerobic base. Keep easy rides genuinely easy and use the tempo session to dial in your threshold effort.
Week 1
- Monday: Easy ride 45 km (65–70% MHR)
- Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min warmup, 25 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery ride 25 km (55–65% MHR)
- Saturday: Long ride 70 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 2
- Monday: Easy ride 45 km (65–70% MHR)
- Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min warmup, 25 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery ride 25 km (55–65% MHR)
- Saturday: Long ride 70 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 3–4: Building Volume
Intervals are introduced to develop power and VO2max. The long ride extends to build endurance alongside the new intensity.
Week 3
- Monday: Easy ride 50 km
- Wednesday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 5 × 5 min at 85–90% MHR (3 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery ride 30 km
- Saturday: Long ride 85 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 4
- Monday: Easy ride 50 km
- Wednesday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 5 × 5 min at 85–90% MHR (3 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery ride 30 km
- Saturday: Long ride 85 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 5–6: Threshold Development
A fifth session is added. You now have two quality sessions per week — tempo and intervals — supported by easy and recovery rides.
Week 5
- Monday: Easy ride 50 km
- Tuesday: Recovery ride 25 km
- Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min warmup, 35 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Friday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 4 × 6 min at 85–90% MHR (4 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Sunday: Long ride 100 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 6
- Monday: Easy ride 50 km
- Tuesday: Recovery ride 25 km
- Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min warmup, 35 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Friday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 4 × 6 min at 85–90% MHR (4 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Sunday: Long ride 100 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 7–8: Peak Volume
The highest-volume block. Long rides reach 120 km with a tempo finish to practise riding hard on tired legs. This is where century fitness is built.
Week 7
- Monday: Easy ride 55 km
- Tuesday: Recovery ride 30 km
- Wednesday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 3 × 10 min at 85–90% MHR (5 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Friday: Tempo — 15 min warmup, 40 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Sunday: Long ride 120 km with last 20 km at tempo
Week 8
- Monday: Easy ride 55 km
- Tuesday: Recovery ride 30 km
- Wednesday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 3 × 10 min at 85–90% MHR (5 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Friday: Tempo — 15 min warmup, 40 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Sunday: Long ride 120 km with last 20 km at tempo
Week 9–10: Race-Specific
Training shifts toward event-day effort. Tempo duration extends and the long ride peaks at 130 km in week 9 before pulling back in week 10.
Week 9
- Monday: Easy ride 50 km
- Tuesday: Recovery ride 25 km
- Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min warmup, 45 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Friday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 6 × 5 min at 85–90% MHR (3 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Sunday: Long ride 130 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 10
- Monday: Easy ride 50 km
- Tuesday: Recovery ride 25 km
- Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min warmup, 45 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Friday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 6 × 5 min at 85–90% MHR (3 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Sunday: Long ride 100 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 11: Sharpening
Volume drops but intensity stays. Sharp interval work keeps your legs fast while accumulated fatigue begins to clear.
Week 11
- Monday: Easy ride 40 km
- Wednesday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 5 × 4 min at 85–90% MHR (3 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery ride 25 km
- Saturday: Long ride 80 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 12: Taper and Ride
Final taper week. Short, light sessions to stay sharp without accumulating fatigue. Arrive at the start line feeling fresh and ready.
Week 12
- Monday: Easy ride 30 km
- Wednesday: 15 min warmup, 4 × 3 min at 85–90% MHR (3 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery ride 20 km
- Saturday: Event day — 160 km!
Plan C — 8-Week Intermediate
- Goal: Century sharpening for experienced riders
- Fitness level: Intermediate — strong base, can ride 100 km comfortably
- Timeline: 8 weeks, 4 sessions per week
- Intensity guide: MHR = maximum heart rate
Week 1–2: Building Intensity
You already have a solid base, so the plan starts with moderate volume and a tempo session from week one. Focus on dialling in your effort levels.
Week 1
- Monday: Easy ride 50 km (65–70% MHR)
- Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min warmup, 30 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery ride 30 km (55–65% MHR)
- Saturday: Long ride 90 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 2
- Monday: Easy ride 50 km (65–70% MHR)
- Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min warmup, 30 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery ride 30 km (55–65% MHR)
- Saturday: Long ride 90 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 3–4: Speed and Endurance
Two quality sessions per week — intervals for power and tempo for threshold. Long rides include a tempo finish to practise riding hard when fatigued.
Week 3
- Monday: Easy ride 50 km
- Wednesday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 4 × 8 min at 85–90% MHR (4 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Tempo — 10 min warmup, 35 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Saturday: Long ride 110 km with last 20 km at tempo
Week 4
- Monday: Easy ride 50 km
- Wednesday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 4 × 8 min at 85–90% MHR (4 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Tempo — 10 min warmup, 35 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Saturday: Long ride 110 km with last 20 km at tempo
Week 5–6: Peak and Race-Specific
The peak block. Long rides hit 130 km and tempo duration extends to 45 minutes. This is where century fitness is cemented.
Week 5
- Monday: Easy ride 50 km
- Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min warmup, 45 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery ride 30 km
- Saturday: Long ride 130 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 6
- Monday: Easy ride 50 km
- Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min warmup, 45 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery ride 30 km
- Saturday: Long ride 130 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 7: Sharpening
Volume reduces but quality stays high. Shorter intervals keep your top-end sharp while the body begins to recover from the peak block.
Week 7
- Monday: Easy ride 40 km
- Wednesday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 5 × 5 min at 85–90% MHR (3 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery ride 25 km
- Saturday: Long ride 80 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 8: Taper and Ride
Event week. Keep sessions short and light. A few sharp efforts midweek will keep your neuromuscular system primed without adding fatigue.
Week 8
- Monday: Easy ride 30 km
- Wednesday: 15 min warmup, 4 × 3 min at 85–90% MHR (3 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery ride 20 km
- Saturday: Event day — 160 km!
Century Ride Tips
- Pace conservatively: Start at 60–65% of your effort. The biggest century mistake is going out too hard in the first 40 km. You'll pay for it in the last 40.
- Eat early and often: Aim for 60–90 g of carbohydrates per hour from the start. Don't wait until you feel hungry — by then it's too late to recover.
- Hydrate consistently: Drink 500–750 ml per hour depending on conditions. Add electrolytes in warm weather. Practise your hydration strategy in training.
- Check your bike: Get a full service at least a week before the event. Check tyre pressure, brakes and chain on the morning of. Carry a spare tube, levers and a mini pump.
- Break it into quarters: Mentally divide the ride into four 40 km blocks. Focus only on the current block — don't think about what's ahead until you get there.
- Nothing new on event day: Ride the same bike, wear the same kit, eat the same food you've trained with. Event day is not the time to experiment.