Realistic Cycling Goals for 2026 as a New Dad
I’m trying to set a realistic goal for 2026. I just had my first child, so my available training time is limited, but I can fit in more riding in the mornings.
I commute to work by bike five days a week (2 × 20 minutes / 2 × 10 km per day). I track most of these commutes to keep an eye on my annual mileage. Outside of commuting, I currently do one dedicated ride per week, usually 1–2 hours, and it’s typically a hard session, on gravel, XC or zwift.
My plan is to roughly double my effective training time—from 1–2 hours of structured training per week to around 4 hours. I’ll do this by adding two 60-minute focused training sessions during the week, while keeping my longer ride at a lower intensity.
I’m 30 years old. Given this amount of training, what would be a realistic goal for the year? Would aiming for a 5% increase in FTP be reasonable? Also, which metrics should I track, and how would you structure my weekly training?