Conversation Pace
90 min · 55-67 TSS · IF 0.63 · 60-70% FTP · Zone 2
What this workout does
A discipline ride at true conversational pace. Most riders drift too hard on easy days - holding a genuinely moderate effort for the full ride is the skill this session trains.
Riding at 62-68% FTP trains fat oxidation and aerobic efficiency with very low recovery cost, letting you absorb more weekly volume. The discipline of staying genuinely easy also protects the quality of your hard days - the core of polarized training. Use it for most of your weekly aerobic hours, especially around intense sessions.
How to ride it
Indoor / trainer
Warm up 10 minutes, then ride at 62-68% FTP. The test is simple: you should be able to speak full sentences at any point. If you cannot, back off.
Outside
Any quiet route. Hold 62-68% FTP and check yourself with the talk test every 15 minutes - full sentences, not gasps. Let the ego take the day off.
Workout structure (90 min)
- Warm-up 10m ramp 50-62% - Conversational 1h 15m 65% - Cool-down 5m 53%
Targets are a percentage of FTP. This is the same shorthand the free workout builder understands — paste it there to edit any step, or download the workout for Zwift, Garmin or any smart trainer.
Related cycling workouts
Steady Upper Zone 2
60-90 min · 52-64 TSS
Productive aerobic riding at upper Zone 2. This is where aerobic efficiency gains happen - purposeful effort that builds your cardiovascular engine.
Cadence Play
60-90 min · 52-64 TSS
An upper Zone 2 ride with alternating cadence blocks to improve pedaling efficiency. Low cadence builds strength, high cadence builds coordination.
Progressive Endurance
60-122 min · 65-80 TSS
Gradually build effort across the ride from mid to upper Zone 2. Teaches pacing and finishes in productive aerobic territory.
Hilly Endurance
75-122 min · 59-72 TSS
Use terrain to add variety. Climb in upper Zone 2, recover on descents. The changing effort keeps the ride interesting while building aerobic fitness.
Long Aerobic Ride
120-180 min · 82-100 TSS
Extended steady riding to develop deep aerobic fitness. The duration does the work - keep intensity honest and resist the urge to push.
Upper Zone 2 Endurance
60-90 min · 41-50 TSS
Productive aerobic riding in upper Zone 2. Purposeful but sustainable - this is where your aerobic efficiency improves.

A coach who's seen every ride you've done
Ask FormBeat's AI Coach anything - what to ride today, why a session felt flat, how to pace your next race - and it answers from your real training: your power, your history, how you're recovering. Not generic tips, but a read of what each ride actually meant and what to do next.
The guidance you'd pay a coach for - for the price of an app.
