Race Shape › Cycling › Durban
Cycling · KwaZulu-NatalCycling training plans in Durban
Durban is essentially at sea level, so your training paces and power need no altitude correction here. What does shape cycling in Durban is the climate — humid subtropical: hot, humid summers with rain, and mild, drier winters — and the fact that the country's altitude races are a different problem when you travel up to them.
Build my Durban cycling plan — freeTell it where you train and it corrects for the altitude automatically.
| Altitude | 8 m |
|---|---|
| Province | KwaZulu-Natal |
| Pace correction the plan applies | None |
Power at Durban'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 Durban
Humid subtropical: hot, humid summers with rain, and mild, drier winters.
Summer humidity slows everyone, so effort and heart rate are the honest guides from November to March. Winter is when the coast trains best — which, not by coincidence, is Comrades season.
Common questions
Do I need to adjust my training for altitude in Durban?
No. At 8 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 Durban?
Summer humidity slows everyone, so effort and heart rate are the honest guides from November to March. Winter is when the coast trains best — which, not by coincidence, is Comrades season.
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.
Cycling plans elsewhere in South Africa
- Johannesburg — 1 753 m
- Pretoria — 1 339 m
- Cape Town — 25 m
- Gqeberha — 60 m
- Bloemfontein — 1 395 m
- Nelspruit — 660 m