{"id":6901,"date":"2024-06-21T14:28:13","date_gmt":"2024-06-21T12:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/?p=6901"},"modified":"2024-07-01T14:35:14","modified_gmt":"2024-07-01T12:35:14","slug":"how-to-find-the-best-time-of-day-for-cycling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/06\/21\/how-to-find-the-best-time-of-day-for-cycling\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Find the Best Time of Day for Cycling"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Have you ever wondered whether it\u2019s better to go cycling in the early morning, squeeze in a ride around lunch, or just leave it till the evening? Each of these times has pros and cons. Let\u2019s help you find the one that will be best for you.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Time of day doesn\u2019t matter for performance<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s not hard to find arguments that training in the morning is better than in the afternoon, and vice versa. But looking at research, it doesn\u2019t seem like there\u2019s good evidence for that. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC10198889\/\">A meta-analysis from 2022<\/a> as well one from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC9116725\/\">2023<\/a> conclude that there is no best time of day for training that would lead to superior improvements in health or performance.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On top of the scientific evidence, it\u2019s also good to note that professional cyclists still train at a variety of different times of day. If there were performance or health benefits to training at a specific time of day, it\u2019s very likely that over time, most pros would start training exclusively at that given time. The moral of this story is that finding the best time of day for cycling is not about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2021\/11\/16\/how-many-hours-per-week-should-you-ride-for-performance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">maximizing performance<\/a> or health. Rather, it\u2019s about finding a time that fits into your schedule and allows you to stay consistent in training while balancing it with your personal and work life.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Cycling before work<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Going for an early morning ride can make you feel superior to those still in bed. Society looks kindly on early risers but don\u2019t be fooled by this. As you know, the time of day is irrelevant when it comes to health or performance. What matters is whether this time of day works for you. Here are some pros and cons to help you see if this is a good fit for you.<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Pros<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Consistency: You get your training done before anything has a chance to derail you.<\/li>\n<li>Morning boost: You get to start your day on a high with a boost of endorphins that helps with mental clarity and makes you feel good.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Cons<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Early rising: Waking up early sucks, especially for night owls.<\/li>\n<li>Pre-ride nutrition: It can be difficult to fuel properly before an early ride, especially when intervals as on the menu.<\/li>\n<li>Sleep disruption: You risk regularly not getting enough sleep if you don\u2019t go to bed early enough.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Cycling during the work day<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is simply not an option for many professions that need long uninterrupted stretches of time to get work done, or jobs where you\u2019re not in charge of when you can take a longer break. On the other hand, people who freelance, run their own business or work as managers often have the option to divide their day into blocks. This leaves room for a mid-day ride, for example. So, if the morning ride carries too many cons for you, mid-day may be superior.<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Pros<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Break from work: Provides a mental and physical break from work, can energize you for the rest of the work day.<\/li>\n<li>Efficient: Can be a good use of lunch breaks, making the most of daylight hours.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Cons<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Sweaty: You need to have a shower available before returning to work.<\/li>\n<li>Post-ride fatigue: If you over-do it, you may feel tired instead of energized for the remainder of the workday.<\/li>\n<li>Logistics: You need to have a place to store the bike and cycling gear at work.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Cycling after work<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cycling after work is likely the most common option for the average amateur cyclist. It\u2019s the longest stretch of time between work and sleep. But just because most people do it, doesn\u2019t mean it fits into your schedule.<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Pros<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>A way to decompress: It can help you to unwind and relieve stress after a long workday.<\/li>\n<li>Social: It\u2019s easier to join group rides or cycling clubs in the evening.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Cons<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Fatigue: You may feel too tired and unmotivated after a long day at work, leading to lower quality or skipped training sessions.<\/li>\n<li>Time management: Evening time is the most contested by other personal, family, and social commitments, further increasing the risk of missed sessions.<\/li>\n<li>Sleep disruption: Some experience worse sleep if exercising later in the evening.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hopefully this article helps to reassure you that you don\u2019t need to search for the perfect time of day to exercise. Simply look what is the time of day that works best for you and commit to that. Consistency is what produces the best training and health outcomes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever wondered whether it\u2019s better to go cycling in the early morning, squeeze in a ride around lunch, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":178,"featured_media":2301,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"global-categories":[],"class_list":["post-6901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-the-latest"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.3 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Find the Best Time of Day for Cycling - \u0160koda We Love Cycling - United Kingdom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/06\/21\/how-to-find-the-best-time-of-day-for-cycling\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Find the Best Time of Day for Cycling\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Have you ever wondered whether it\u2019s better to go cycling in the early morning, squeeze in a ride around lunch, [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/06\/21\/how-to-find-the-best-time-of-day-for-cycling\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"\u0160koda We Love Cycling - 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