Wouldn’t it be great if we could ride faster and for longer, with less effort? We can, and for once the solution is not e-bikes, it’s to improve your fitness with off-the-bike training. Yes, slogging away at a gym workout sucks for most of us, but the truth is it doesn’t have to last long and the results on the trails – for experienced riders and newbies alike – are well worth it. So here’s how to get started, with tempo and power training, try these for starters; they can be done on the bike or indoors on a turbo.

Tempo session

• Warm up well for 10-15 minutes
• 3×8 minute efforts at 80 per cent of your maximum, with four minutes recovery between efforts
• Cool down with a 10 minute spin

Explosive power session

• Warm up well for 20 minutes
• 4×45 second maximal effort sprints (100 per cent effort) with five minutes recovery between efforts
• Cool down with a 10 minute spin

The coach: Fay Cunningham

A personal trainer at matchmyworkout.com, Fay has a varied background that includes swimming the channel, completing an Ironman, running a 100-mile off-road marathon and competing at an international level on her mountain bike.