# Alternatives to cycling for Z2 **URL:** \ **Category:** Performance\ **Tags:** training\ **Created:** [September 11, 2026, 5:59pm UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894 "2026-09-11T17:59:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Neil\_Bell](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/neil_bell/32/7755_2.png) [@Neil\_Bell](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Neil_Bell)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2026, 5:59pm UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894/1 "2026-09-11T17:59:23Z")
If I’m honest, I find it very hard to do zone 2 training on a bike, at least on my own. It’s just too boring! So I’m trying to find other ways to regularly get in a bit of low intensity exercise, with the assumption that if the point of doing it is mitochondrial health or whatever, it doesn’t really have to be done as cycling. I’m thinking that brisk walking isn’t intense enough, but hiking up hills certainly is. Another activity that seems possibly ideal is inline skating - when I do that I seem to end up with an HR right in Z2. Any other ideas? ---
**Author:** ![AK1](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/ak1/32/1231_2.png) [@AK1](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/AK1)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2026, 8:51pm UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894/2 "2026-09-11T20:51:53Z")
Rowing has to be the closest match / transfer to cycling. And then running also. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Kaplan](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/greg_kaplan/32/10094_2.png) [@Greg\_Kaplan](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Greg_Kaplan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2026, 9:07pm UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894/3 "2026-09-11T21:07:28Z")
Rower here: One cannot get the volume rowing that one can while cycling. For instance, two hours in a boat is a long outing to be sure (why rowers do 2 or 3 sessions daily, with cross-training). Two hours on the ergo is… mind numbing and nearly crippling. The likelihood of injury goes way up once fatigue sets in. Rowers augment Z2 training with cycling because it’s relatively low strain. The other way around seems… reversed. I’d suggest (since the OP asked) when Zwifting, enable erg mode and also fire up a movie. When riding outdoors: challenge yourself to keep your power in a tight range, and not allow your HR to drift. And enjoy being outdoors. ---
**Author:** ![gerbils](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/gerbils/32/3357_2.png) [@gerbils](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/gerbils)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 1:58pm UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894/4 "2026-09-12T13:58:07Z")
I used to also find Z2 quite boring. I heard or read something years ago about finding a zen mode in it, and started looking at it also as training for my mind, similar to meditation. Eventually I started really looking forward to those 5+ hour Z2 rides. I can’t do longer rides right now due to life, but I really miss them. ---
**Author:** ![Neil\_Bell](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/neil_bell/32/7755_2.png) [@Neil\_Bell](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Neil_Bell)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 2:51pm UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894/5 "2026-09-12T14:51:37Z")
The time is the main thing. I don’t want most of my cycling to be low intensity, because that’s not the type of cycling I most enjoy and I have limited time. I’m actually thinking the inline skating is the way to go, at least in summer. My “normal” skating effort level seems to put me in about the right HR zone and it’s a pleasurable alternative activity, which I’ve previously not done as much of as I might as I’ve seen it as competing with cycling fitness. But if it can actually be complimentary to cycling as a way of doing z2 that I enjoy, that could be a win. I guess I’m angling at a more general question - why are the potential advantages of balancing different intensities of exercise always phrased within an assumption that all we do as cyclists is ride bikes? We’re humans who also do other things. Presumably it’s fine to do most of your cycling at moderate to high intensity if you’re also getting low intensity exercise by other means. ---
**Author:** ![Philipp\_Stehr](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/philipp_stehr/32/919_2.png) [@Philipp\_Stehr](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Philipp_Stehr)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 4:29pm UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894/6 "2026-09-12T16:29:27Z")
Why do you want to do Z2 efforts if you don’t like them? Are you training for an event or a certain fitness goal? What does a ride look like that you like to do? Even if you’re training purposefully, there’s probably no real need for an average amateur to do long Z2 efforts. You can easily get all the Z2 you need on days that you combine with other efforts. You can easily get a 80/20 (or whatever) polarisation by doing 2 hours on the bike, including some intervals in the middle. I’m not a sports scientist but from the media I’ve consumed it seems that Z2 is a bit overhyped for amateurs. When you’re pushing closer to 5 hours rather than 30 hours of training per week, you don’t need to do a lot of low intensity. And the Z2 benefits aren’t that special. ---
**Author:** ![Neil\_Bell](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/neil_bell/32/7755_2.png) [@Neil\_Bell](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Neil_Bell)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 5:03pm UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894/7 "2026-09-12T17:03:08Z")
You may be right. I train “semi-purposefully”, in the sense that I chase my own PBs in 10 mile TTs, aim for good times in the occasional longer event, and get satisfaction from beating other personal PBs (speeds over certain routes or distances, etc). And as I get older, simply maintaining a certain level of fitness is a goal in itself. With that in mind I try to find a compromise between riding for enjoyment and riding to increase fitness - although there’s a complex interaction between the two, as the fitter I am the more I enjoy my riding. A “ride that I like to do” is not so dissimilar to what you describe - a fast-paced 40 miler with maybe a VO2 max interval in the middle on a longer climb, or a rolling route with plenty of short, sharp efforts. Or a 70 mile longer ride at a more constant pace. It seems to keep me reasonably fit. But then I see all of the stuff in the cycling media about the importance of z2 for fitness gains, mitochondrial health and general health and wellbeing, and I wonder. If I did more Z2, would it make me faster, fitter and/or healthier? ---
**Author:** ![Nick](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/nick/32/7422_2.png) [@Nick](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Nick)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 11:34pm UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894/8 "2026-09-12T23:34:30Z")
I’ve had good success with using hiking with some elevation gain for Z2. It’s been a few years but I think it was pretty solid cross training. I used a garmin watch to track heart rate to stay in the desired zone. It’s nice getting out into nature too. ---
**Author:** ![ComeNtakeit](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/comentakeit/32/4866_2.png) [@ComeNtakeit](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/ComeNtakeit)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 3:19am UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894/9 "2026-09-13T03:19:38Z")
How much do you cycle on a weekly basis? At the end of the day, just riding more is usually the single biggest thing you can do to get faster. If you want to ride hard, to get you to ride more, than do it I don’t think there’s a real replacement for cycling z2 - since those sports are usually shorter duration than cycling. But again, do what makes you happy. That’s most important in my experience ---
**Author:** ![user99](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/user99/32/9426_2.png) [@user99](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/user99)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 5:48am UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894/10 "2026-09-13T05:48:12Z")
Inline skating should be optimal and so should be ice skating. Nils van der Poel used cycling as his main prep for the Olympic Games in 5k and 10k ice skating and won both events (see his training rationale and methodology here [https://www.howtoskate.se/](https://www.howtoskate.se/)). I assume the transfer works in both directions. ---
**Author:** ![Neil\_Bell](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/neil_bell/32/7755_2.png) [@Neil\_Bell](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Neil_Bell)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 9:27am UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894/11 "2026-09-13T09:27:46Z")
@ComeNtakeit Yeah, I possibly don’t do enough hours to _need_ to do Z2, in the sense that I can recover from my harder efforts in between them. But if I was significantly increasing my hours I’d probably need to do more lower intensity riding while keeping about the same volume of higher intensity sessions, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to recover. This is one reason I don’t do properly structured training. When I look at the prescriptions for the number of hours I do, they usually include a fair amount of low intensity stuff regardless, and I look at them and think “I’m almost certain I’d be less fit if I only did that”…. ---
**Author:** ![Neil\_Bell](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/neil_bell/32/7755_2.png) [@Neil\_Bell](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Neil_Bell)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 9:38am UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894/12 "2026-09-13T09:38:05Z")
@user99 Interesting. Although I think you need to be a more of an expert skater than I am to be able to reach higher HR zones when skating (and have access to very good surfaces or tracks). I find it hard to get my HR average much above 125 (or my speeds above 10 - 15 mph) when skating on my local cycle paths. Which, in fact, is what might make it ideal for z2 for me. ---
**Author:** ![Lawrence\_S](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/lawrence_s/32/3965_2.png) [@Lawrence\_S](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Lawrence_S)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 10:04am UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894/13 "2026-09-13T10:04:30Z")
How did you determine your zone 2 and zones? It sounds to me like they are maybe not aligned based on your “brisk walking” and “hiking up hills” comments. That sounds like zone 1 - active recovery to me.\* \*I realise that walking/running zones are different… Zone 2 isn’t so easy, but it’s not so hard either. You should be able to have an uninterrupted conversation (no breathing pauses\_, but at the higher end, only just)… Joe Friel says “Zone 2 81% to 89% of LTHR” and that PRE should be around 4-5. Or in Training peaks PRE the point between 4 “Challenging but manageable” and 5 “Conversation becomes difficult” ---
**Author:** ![Neil\_Bell](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/neil_bell/32/7755_2.png) [@Neil\_Bell](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Neil_Bell)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 12:20pm UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894/14 "2026-09-13T12:20:57Z")
@Lawrence_S Yes (as I think I said), brisk walking (on the flat) can’t get there. Hiking definitely can though, in fact I’d be more worried about going above z2 hiking up a steepish mountain! With inline skating I think I can get there if I’m going full-pelt. ---
**Author:** ![Aaron\_Fader](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/aaron_fader/32/1183_2.png) [@Aaron\_Fader](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Aaron_Fader)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 12:30pm UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894/15 "2026-09-13T12:30:38Z")
> [@Neil\_Bell](#): > > This is one reason I don’t do properly structured training. When I look at the prescriptions for the number of hours I do, they usually include a fair amount of low intensity stuff regardless, and I look at them and think “I’m almost certain I’d be less fit if I only did that”…. I am all for you doing the what you enjoy to do and fits with your priorities, but not sure I follow what you are saying here. You seem to be saying that standard proven training principles don’t apply to you? ---
**Author:** ![ComeNtakeit](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/comentakeit/32/4866_2.png) [@ComeNtakeit](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/ComeNtakeit)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 1:03pm UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894/16 "2026-09-13T13:03:09Z")
FWIW I used to sound just like you. I rode 5-6hrs / week almost exclusively on zwift racing at the time. I did this for ~2yrs with newborn kids. I thought I was strong and argued against structured training for my body and my limited time I also plateaued and never got stronger A coach was just starting out and giving away his services for free, so I worked w him for 3 months. I started seeing notable improvements within a month. By 3 months I felt like a different rider I admitted to myself that science has proven how to build fitness, and as much as I think I’m unique and special - I’m not in this regard ---
**Author:** ![Neil\_Bell](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/neil_bell/32/7755_2.png) [@Neil\_Bell](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Neil_Bell)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 1:10pm UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894/17 "2026-09-13T13:10:40Z")
@Aaron_Fader I’m saying that for the number of hours I do, and given my personal experience of my own fitness responses over many decades, I find it almost impossible to believe that the plans I’ve seen (perhaps not the right ones?) would make me any fitter, as they would require me to significantly reduce my total exercise load. Perhaps I’ve just not been looking in the right places. I get the impression that most plans are designed to work best for people doing 10 hours a week or so (I’m not doing that much most weeks), and that plans aimed at shorter durations seem designed for beginners, or at least have an initial period of adaptation built in that I feel would make me less fit in the short to medium term. ---
**Author:** ![Lawrence\_S](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/lawrence_s/32/3965_2.png) [@Lawrence\_S](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Lawrence_S)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 2:06pm UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894/18 "2026-09-13T14:06:10Z")
Fitness principally comes from _duration, and recovery (much less so intensity). Y_ou’ve said you’re rarely doing 10hours a week (less than 1,5hours a day) and confusing at least to me the plans you see say less? Anyway. If you find cycling is boring, looking for a new activity to master might be the ticket, but in any event you can’t just squeeze the fruit harder and expect much more juice (you need more fruit ie. hours). It sounds like you ride GHETO (Go Hard Every Time Out) which if it works for you, ok, but really isn’t recommended. And if you’d like to keep doing that for cycling and fill your zone 2 ride slots with another activity, you could do whatever, but you’re unlikely to see fitness gains. You might lead a more enjoyable and diverse athletic life though. If you really want to be more fit, you need to up the duration beyond 10 hours (of whatever activity) that’s the only way you’ll see a big difference in Fitness. Like you’ve said, recovery how you want. Complimentary activities are good, but don’t stress it. Skating (former hockey player) tightens your hip flexors, but unless you have real serious goals, who cares - add yoga (there’s another Z1 recovery activity). ---
**Author:** ![Neil\_Bell](https://community.escapecollective.com/user_avatar/community.escapecollective.com/neil_bell/32/7755_2.png) [@Neil\_Bell](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/Neil_Bell)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 2:40pm UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894/19 "2026-09-13T14:40:43Z")
@Lawrence_S No, I wasn’t saying the plans prescribed less duration - I was saying that _for the same duration I do currently,_ they seem to be prescribing significantly less intensity. I certainly don’t find cycling boring - but I find lots of long rides at z2 intensity fairly uninspiring (and, TBH, not the best use of my time given the other things I want to do with my life). I have my personal goals - they’re important and serious enough to me. Ultimately, unless you’re making your living from cycling, surely no goals are really that serious? I’m going to be 60 in 3 or 4 months time. My current riding seems sufficient to keep me at around 4w/kg FTP and (according to my Garmin at least) in the high 50s for VO2max. Could I really up that a lot if I significantly increased the volume? I suppose the only way to find out would be to give it a ago, but life and work currently makes that tricky. In the past when I’ve increased volume I haven’t seen much benefits, in fact I’ve almost seemed to get less fit, at least at the VO2 max end. ---
**Author:** ![frank](https://community.escapecollective.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@frank](https://community.escapecollective.com/u/frank)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 6:39pm UTC](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894/20 "2026-09-13T18:39:48Z")
It sounds like what you are doing is just unstructured riding. You’re mentioning how you throw efforts in or have routes with sharp bursts, but that still isn’t structured. You then go on to say its “not the best use of your time”. I think the reason you find Z2 so boring and “not best use” is because you just simply want to ride. Thats totally fine and an ok way to feel. So you can just ignore zone 2 as an entire whole and just keep doing your thing if its been working for you. However theres people who train on less than 10 hours, heck there was an entire training program built around less than 6 hours (time crunched cyclist). Anecdotal I only ride roughly 8 hours a week with only half of that being structured workouts. I get benefits and gains out of working with a coach who gives me plans that work with my time schedule. Also plenty of people, including myself, still do longer riders but will a workout thrown in during it. So I think this just comes down to a situation of you and if you want to build structure into your riding for gains, or if you just want to keep doing what youve been doing. I personally think if you want to get true gains you should either work with a coach directly, or use programs via Xert/TrainingPeaks (training peaks lets you filter by time per week). I think this would also be the only way you could make zone 2 “worth your time” b/c now you have to keep honest to something. [Next page](https://community.escapecollective.com/t/alternatives-to-cycling-for-z2/5894.md?page=2)