With winter here, as cyclists, we feel some sort of emptiness and anticipation for the next season. We fill the time with thoughts, plans, and questions about how to better prepare for the next season to make it the best ever. Our subconscious mind tells us it’s okay to rest and not think about training for a bit, and while that is mostly true, it might help to bring some structure to our off-season to ensure we are in the best shape for the upcoming season. Even if you’re not a purely competitive or race-focused cyclist, becoming stronger for your group rides or weekend bike-packing trips is likely a tempting idea.
Laying a strong foundation now is key to long-term success.
So how do you get there? How do you make sure your off-season period contributes to better form in 2025? We’ve asked our ambassador João Ferreira, who is himself a competitive cyclist and works with hundreds of cyclists, runners, and triathletes. While every individual athlete has their specific needs, these tips are general recommendations.
How do you rest, and what would be your advice on when to start structured training again?
As an athlete, I never really like to stop physical activity completely during the transition between seasons. I prefer activities like hiking, swimming, or other different forms of exercise, but I avoid being completely inactive. Typically, I take about 15 days with very light activity—around 30% of my normal routine.
As a coach, I strongly advocate for this transition period between seasons because both the body and mind need to close one chapter and refresh to prepare for the next. There’s no fixed duration; while 15 days is a good baseline, it really depends on each athlete. Often, the athlete themselves can determine when they feel ready to return.
The training process is demanding, and seasons are long, so it’s crucial not to start too early. Taking this time to rest and recharge helps ensure a more effective and sustainable return to structured training.
Is cross-functional training a good idea for cyclists in the off-season?
The off-season is undoubtedly the best time to explore other activities. Strength training in the gym plays a crucial role during the pre-season, as building a solid foundation will benefit performance throughout the year.
This is also the ideal time to focus on mobility and address small ailments that may arise during the season but are difficult to manage or prevent while actively training. Laying a strong foundation now is key to long-term success.
And how do you start planning for next season and prioritizing your calendar?
As both an athlete and a coach, I believe this step is really important. This doesn’t mean you need to know every race you’ll participate in by December, but it’s essential to establish priorities, objectives, and main events early on. When there are many races, I usually work with athletes to establish three levels of priority: A, B, and C. Level A represents the highest-priority events, while Level C is more akin to training races. This helps create a clear focus and ensures the season is structured around key goals.
Do you enjoy or recommend indoor training?
Indoor training can be a great option during winter days. In Portugal, we don’t experience much snow (only in the mountains), but we do have days with strong winds, rain, and occasional cold. On such days, indoor training becomes a valuable solution. Many people make indoor training more engaging with Netflix, music, or platforms like Zwift, while others simply focus on the workout itself without any distractions. For mountain bike orienteering, indoor sessions can also be an excellent way to work on technical map components and improve specific skills.
Whatever your aspirations for 2025 cycling season are we hope that these tips from João will find a place to support your plan and training, making you a cyclist that can go further and faster!
And if you are looking for the right equipment, make sure to check out our guide for how to choose gravel tires depending on the terrain you will ride, or select from our performance carbon wheels collection – if you need a tip, don’t hesitate to drop us a note.
Follow João on Instagram: www.instagram.com/forsports.pt and www.instagram.com/joaoferreir.a_
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