Want to Take Your Peloton Skills Outside? Follow This Guide to Transitioning From Indoor to Outdoor Cycling
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You’ve been grinding gears indoors for a while. You might even consider yourself a bit of a pro. Now, you’re ready to trade your stationary ride skills to the road. All you need is a guide to outdoor cycling for beginners—and we’re here to help with just that.
It’s true there are similarities between indoor and outdoor cycling, including working the same muscles—the gluteus maximus, quadriceps, hamstrings and gastrocnemius and soleus (calf muscles) power your pedal stroke no matter where you ride—as well as the same energy systems. But there are also some big differences between following an instructors’ voice through miles, hills, and sprints—and then tackling those same fitness feats on your own, on the road.
For starters, cruising indoors means you certainly don’t have to worry about “red lights, cars, flats, or the always-terrifying squirrel darting across your path,” says Jonathan Cane, an exercise physiologist, coach, and co-author of Triathlon Anatomy. Indoors, he says, “you can focus on your workout without interruptions, which can make it very effective and efficient.”
For Peloton instructor Matt Wilpers, your indoor practice also means “you can really get granular with what you are targeting to improve,” whether that’s high-end performance, endurance, or your threshold power.
That’s not to say that indoor cycling is “better” than spinning outdoors (or vice versa), just that there are variables. But if you’re interested in taking your rides outside, we’re got a few things for you to keep in mind so your workouts go smoothly and successfully.
7 Tips for Transitioning from Indoor to Outdoor Cycling
1. Learn Your Bike
For starters, you have to find a bike to ride outdoors—and one you’re comfortable riding. Wilpers suggests test-riding as many bikes in your price range as possible, and buying in person, so you can get fitted properly. (Getting a professional bike fit is one of the best steps you can take toward finding a bike you love riding, and staying comfortable while you crush miles.)
Once you have a bike to pedal, you’ll notice an outdoor bike has geometry that’s different from an indoor cycling bike. “The saddle height is far more adjustable, the handlebars are different, your body position will likely be very different,” explains Cane. “Plus, a spin bike may not have clipless pedals, which are far more effective in promoting an efficient pedal stroke.”
Cane also says your pedaling technique may even change when you get outside, because “the flywheel on a spin bike, which prevents you from coasting, is more analogous to a fixed gear, or track bike, rather than the more common freewheeling system on most road, triathlon, gravel, and mountain bikes.”
2. Focus on Fundamentals
Before channeling you inner Julian Alaphilippe or Marianne Vos, shore up your skills. Cane says this is the biggest stumbling block for those transitioning from indoor to outdoor cycling. “Cornering, braking, shifting and descending are all super important skills that you can only learn by riding your outdoor bike,” adds Wilpers. These handling skills are also an important component in improving performance.
Shifting gears is especially important to master. “It’s not as simple as spinning a knob,” says Cane. “Get used to using your gears to help effectively flatten out the terrain.”
Denice Williams, a licensed cycling instructor and Shero (captain) of the Black Girls Do Bike San Diego chapter (BGDBSD), recommends knowing your bikes ABCs—air, brakes, chain/crank—before heading out. She also recommends riding on multi-use or dedicated bike paths that have buffers, as oppose to roads, when starting out. All of this can make you feel more comfortable and confident before you start sharing the road with cars.
3. Mind Your Environment
Yes, outdoor riding offers fresh air and stunning views, but it doesn’t offer the controlled environment you’re used to on a Peloton. “When you’re out in the real world, you’re likely to encounter changing terrain, the need to accelerate out of turns, and hills that challenge you differently,” says Cane.
Remember: trying to muscle up a super steep hill with the sun barreling down on you is going to feel mighty different than a hill climb in your air-conditioned den. Wind and the tarmac can also be factors, adds Williams. Take all of these changes in stride—ease into it, don’t worry about your pace, and just see how outdoor riding feels and the adjustments you need to make before you start worrying about performance.
When it comes to outdoor cycling, there are a few things you’ll encounter on the road that you won’t indoors. Here’s how to handle them...
When it comes to taking turns:
If you’re going through a turn with some gravel or uneven terrain, try to keep your bike as upright as possible, and lean your body into the turn, Cane says, which keeps more rubber on the road.
When it comes to slowing down:
In general, you want to shift your weight back when braking, or descending, to help keep better control. Also crucial: “Never use your front brake without your rear brake,” advises Cane. “Otherwise, you risk launching yourself over the handlebars,” and nobody wants to be in that scenario.
When it comes to tackling hills:
Your first thought when you approach a hill is probably to stand up, and you aren’t exactly wrong. From an energy expenditure point of view, getting out of the saddle is an effective way to get more power to the pedals, says Cane, but it’s less efficient than staying seated, so “use it judiciously.”
When you do find yourself out of the saddle, “the bike should rock beneath you— something that can’t happen on a stationary bike or 99 percent of trainers,” he says. “Keep the front wheel pointed where you’re going, keep your shoulders squared, and let the bike sway beneath you.” How do you know you’re doing it right? Cane says a good cue is that you should feel the tip of the saddle graze against the backs of your legs when out of the saddle.
Cane also says you want to use your gearing to effectively turn hills into “flats on an angle.” In other words, “shift early and often, taking advantage of your presumably wide range of gearing,” says Cane. Also: “Don’t treat descents as recovery but don’t treat climbs as torture, with your cadence dropping and your heart rate spiking.” Keep a steady effort level throughout the ride.
4. Get Used to Clipping In (and Out)
Raise your hand if you’ve ever had trouble unclipping from your indoor bike? If this were a class, multiple people would have their hands up. “An indoor cycling bike will stay upright and wait for you for as long as you like,” says Cane. “But, if you come to a red light and can’t get your shoe out of the pedal, it can get ugly.”
Wilpers suggests practicing starting and stopping using clipless pedals in a large flat parking lot until you feel comfortable. Williams also recommends starting with dual-sided pedals, where one works with clips and the other with regular shoes.
Cane’s pro tip: Learn to clip out and lean your bike to the non-drive side (typically, this means leaning to the left). Though, he admits it’s good to get comfortable with either side, since at times traffic or road conditions will dictate that clipping out on the right is preferable.
While you don’t need to clip in to ride outside, it can make your rides much more efficient and powerful, so it’s always a good idea to learn.
5. Don’t Forgo Indoor Rides
In many cases, hybrid riding makes sense, and Wilpers is an advocate. “Work on building that stronger (fitness) engine indoors and then work on being able to put it to good use outdoors,” he says. The endurance and strength you build inside transfers to what you need to push the pedals and tackle terrain outdoors, too. Research even shows that indoor cycling is a great way to improve your aerobic capacity, which you’ll need to hit the road and ride for miles.
Plus having a solid indoor training option is a great way to help outdoor riders stay consistent. “[An indoor trainer is] my go-to when I can’t ride outdoors,” Williams says. “I can tune it or program it to meet my particular training needs.” It’s also how she gradually worked her way back to riding outdoors after a hiatus.
6. Find a Crew
Everything is better with friends, and cycling is no exception. Williams says a group can be a great way for rookies to get acclimated. With BGDBSD, she says, “We take care of our cyclists. We teach them basic bike skills then we ride together as a group. No one is ever left behind.” Wilpers notes that riding in a group is also safer. Just remember to follow group riding etiquette.
7. Practice, Practice, Practice
When all is said and done, to get better at outdoor cycling, you just have to do it. Yes, Williams, who is a 30-year cycling vet, says there is a learning curve, “but, the more you cycle outdoors, the more comfortable your become with cycling outdoors.”
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