And you — once a happy little gremlin riding for croissants and sunsets — begin to wonder: should I be doing four-a-week interval sessions too?
The cult of the structured ride
Somewhere along the line, cycling became… serious. We downloaded apps. We started naming rides “Tempo Build Wk2” instead of “Loop With Ducks.” We began referring to our legs as engines.
And yes, metrics are cool. Structure has its place. But it’s getting harder to find a rider who’s just vibing anymore. Everyone’s got a plan, a coach, a nutritionist, and a resting heart rate lower than your sense of self-worth.
What happened to the chaos ride?
Remember the ride that had no plan?
Where you stopped for coffee. Then stopped again for another coffee. Where you rode a weird hill because it looked like a good idea at the time?
That ride is dying. It’s being replaced by “Sorry, can’t. I’ve got sweet spot today.”
You are not being hunted by Jumbo-Visma
This is your seasonal reminder that unless your rent depends on watts per kilo, it is still legal, and in fact highly encouraged, to ride for fun.
Not everything has to be a fitness gain. You can ride to feel wind in your ears. To see if the sheep are still in that one field. To process the weird thing your boss said in a meeting.
You are not morally superior for peeing in your own kitchen between intervals.
Signs you’re in too deep
- You “can’t ride” today because your HRV score told you not to
- You’ve referred to your rest day as a “recovery protocol”
- You cancelled plans because your power curve looked disappointing
- You ate a rice cake in a Ziploc bag and called it “fuel”
Vibes are training too
Joy builds consistency. Consistency builds fitness.
Riding for fun (yes, even without a single watt goal) builds something else entirely: love for the sport. Mental peace. A sense of “I get to do this,” not “I have to suffer now.”
Your FTP doesn’t define you
You’re allowed to train hard. You’re also allowed to skip the intervals and ride to the bakery. You’re allowed to wear a heart rate monitor and ignore it. You’re allowed to chase vibes, not just VO2max.
Your FTP doesn’t define you. Your love for riding does.
Now go do a coffee ride and name it something dumb like “Tour de Snack.” You’ve earned it.
