How to Actually Ride Zone 2: A Masters Cyclist’s Guide to Doing It Properly
By Ric Stern
Zone 2 is the most misunderstood training intensity in cycling. Everyone talks about it, most riders think they’re doing it, and almost nobody is truly in the right zone. For masters cyclists — where recovery, durability, and aerobic efficiency matter more than ever, getting Zone 2 right is one of the biggest performance multipliers you have.
But the internet has made Zone 2 confusing. You’ll see contradictory rules:
“Stay strictly below LT1.”
“Never let power spike.”
“Average power must sit in Z2.”
“NP must not exceed Z2.”
“Ride as easy as possible.”
“Ride steady tempo.”
None of these statements are fully wrong, but none alone describes what a good Zone 2 ride actually looks like in the real world.
So let’s clear it up — properly — and give you rules that are physiologically sound, practical to execute, and appropriate for riders over 40.
First: What Zone 2 Is Actually For
Zone 2 isn’t magic. It’s the one intensity where you can build serious aerobic fitness without accumulating the kind of fatigue that derails recovery for riders over 40.
For masters cyclists, that matters because:
You can accumulate meaningful volume without burning out.
You improve fat oxidation and mitochondrial density — the “engine” work that keeps you strong on long rides.
You build durability: the ability to produce the same power late in a ride as early.
It supports, rather than competes with, the quality of your harder training sessions.
Zone 2 is where most of your aerobic adaptations happen. But only if you get the intensity right.
So What Counts as Zone 2? (The Real Answer)
Zone 2, in my training levels, is 50–65% of MAP. Not sure what 50–65% of MAP is for you?
Use the MAP/FTP Calculator →
That’s a wide range, deliberately so, because physiology doesn’t operate in neat boxes. But here’s the real-world rule that actually matters:
A ride counts as Zone 2 if the majority of your time is spent between 50–65% of MAP, and your overall stress (NP) stays inside the same range.
That’s it. Not complicated.
To break it down:
1. Time in Zone: The bulk of your pedalling should land in 50–65% of MAP.
If 70–90% of your moving time is in this band, you’re doing it right.
2. Average power: Nice if it lands in the range, but not essential.
It can be skewed downwards by descents — not a problem.
3. Normalised Power (NP): The most useful benchmark for longer rides.
If NP ends up inside 50–65% of MAP, you’ve ridden a legitimate Zone 2 session even if you briefly touched Z3–Z4 on hills.
And here’s the nuance most people miss:
Zone 2 rides become “hard” not because intensity is high, but because duration is.
Three hours at an NP of 60% of MAP is still aerobic work — but it’s a big aerobic dose. It should feel taxing by the end. That’s normal. You’re not doing it wrong. That’s the training stimulus.
Should You Stay Strictly in Zone 2 the Whole Time?
No — and this is where indoor-only riders and YouTube coaches get confused.
On normal terrain, you can absolutely:
Sit at Zone 2 on the flats
Drift into Zone 3–4 for short hills (a few minutes)
Coast the descents
Keep surges under control
This produces a wonderfully aerobic ride with minimal fatigue cost.
Where it goes wrong is when riders:
Smash every hill
Turn every rise into a Zone 4–5 effort
Chase group-ride surges instead of holding plan
End up with NP at 70–80% of MAP
Call it “endurance”
That isn’t endurance. That’s training in “no-man’s land.” There’s nothing wrong with doing these occasionally, but when you do these all the time you’ll end up adding additional fatigue that takes away from some of your other sessions, which reduces the quality of them
Stay controlled on the climbs, don’t fear a little coasting, and keep the overall load aligned with the goal of the session.
How Long Should Zone 2 Be to “Count”?
Minimum: 60 minutes - perfect for indoors
Typical: 1.5–3 hours - great for indoors or outside
Advanced: 3–5 hours - mainly outdoors!
And yes — a 3-hour Zone 2 ride at the correct NP is noticeably hard. That’s part of why it works.
If every Zone 2 ride feels like a pleasant cafe spin, you’re probably not riding long enough.
How Zone 2 Fits Into a Masters Training Week
For riders over 40, Zone 2 is your aerobic foundation and the thing that allows harder training to actually work, rather than just accumulate fatigue.
A typical week might include:
Two or three Zone 2 rides (60–180 min)
One MIET session
One VO₂max or threshold session
Strength work 1–2× weekly (ideally after the hard bike days)
Spacing matters:
Zone 2 the day after VO₂max? Great for recovery.
Zone 2 the day before strength? Absolutely fine.
Zone 2 the day before VO₂max? Preferably keep it short and controlled.
Zone 2 is your “glue” — it holds the week together.
Common Mistakes Masters Riders Make With Zone 2
1. Riding too hard
If Zone 2 feels like “tempo,” you’ve drifted.
2. Chasing averages
Don’t force average power up by riding harder than intended.
3. Forgetting fuelling
Zone 2 burns more fat, yes — but you still need carbs for sessions over 90 minutes.
4. Making every Zone 2 ride a group ride
Most group rides sit in Zone 3–4. Great for fun, useless for consistent development (too fatiguing)
5. Turning Zone 2 into a Zwift race
Self-explanatory.
A Simple Checklist to Judge Your Ride
If all three of these are true, you nailed it:
Most of your time was 50–65% MAP
NP landed 50–65% MAP
You finished feeling tired but not drained
That’s Zone 2. Nothing fancy.
If you’re unsure about your exact MAP or zones, the calculator will work them out instantly →
Final Thoughts
Zone 2 is deceptively simple. The physiology behind it is complex, but the execution shouldn’t be. For masters cyclists, getting this part right is what makes your MIET, threshold, and VO₂max work actually stick. Ride mostly in 50–65% MAP, keep NP controlled, allow a few natural surges, fuel properly, and go long enough for the workout to matter.
Do that consistently, and you’ll build the aerobic engine that makes everything else — from climbs to group rides to races — feel easier.
Want a simple way to build your aerobic base properly?
Download my free guide:
👉 The 6 Pillars of Cycling Performance
It includes structured templates, MAP-based guidelines, and the principles I use with my own coached riders.
If you want to make sure your Zone 2 rides are set correctly, you can calculate your MAP-based training zones here →