Race Shape › Cycling › Cape Town
Cycling · the Western CapeCycling training plans in Cape Town
Cape Town is essentially at sea level, so your training paces and power need no altitude correction here. What does shape cycling in Cape Town is the climate — winter rainfall: cold fronts bring rain and wind from roughly may to august — and the fact that the country's altitude races are a different problem when you travel up to them.
Build my Cape Town cycling plan — freeTell it where you train and it corrects for the altitude automatically.
| Altitude | 25 m |
|---|---|
| Province | Western Cape |
| Pace correction the plan applies | None |
Power at Cape Town's altitude
Coggan zones for an FTP of 250 W tested at sea level, and the same rider's zones once the FTP is corrected to essentially at sea level:
| Zone | Sea-level test · Here |
|---|---|
| Endurance | 140–188 W · 140–188 W |
| Sweet spot | 220–235 W · 220–235 W |
| Threshold | 238–263 W · 238–263 W |
| VO₂max | 265–300 W · 265–300 W |
The engine takes about 6% per 1 000 m above 500 m off power, and less for a rider who lives and trains at altitude. The simplest fix is not to correct at all: test where you ride.
Training through the year in Cape Town
Winter rainfall: cold fronts bring rain and wind from roughly May to August. Summers are dry and often windy, with the south-easter at its strongest in the middle of summer.
Wind is the constant. Plan exposed long sessions around the forecast rather than the calendar, and use effort rather than pace on windy days — a headwind kilometre is not a slow kilometre.
Common questions
Do I need to adjust my training for altitude in Cape Town?
No. At 25 m the plan applies no altitude correction. It does apply one if you travel to race somewhere high, such as Soweto or the 947 Ride in Johannesburg.
When is the best time of year to train in Cape Town?
Wind is the constant. Plan exposed long sessions around the forecast rather than the calendar, and use effort rather than pace on windy days — a headwind kilometre is not a slow kilometre.
Which races near Cape Town can I build a plan for?
Cape Town Cycle Tour, Absa Cape Epic — each is built in, with the date, distance and altitude already filled in.
Where do my paces come from?
From a power test you do where you ride — 20 minutes, 8 minutes or a ramp. No power meter, and the plan works off heart rate instead.
Races within reach of Cape Town
Cycling plans elsewhere in South Africa
- Johannesburg — 1 753 m
- Pretoria — 1 339 m
- Durban — 8 m
- Gqeberha — 60 m
- Bloemfontein — 1 395 m
- Nelspruit — 660 m