Fitness challenges aren’t just about fun—they’re a proven way to boost motivation, create structure, and turn healthy habits into long-term behaviour change. Whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or just getting started, the right challenge can bring focus to your training and keep you engaged.
Below, you’ll find 9 proven challenges to elevate your cycling routine. Choose one to start, or mix and match to keep things interesting.
What makes a great fitness challenge
A good fitness challenge does more than set a goal—it makes training feel like a game. Here’s what that typically includes:
1. Clear rules
Whether it’s training time, distance, or the number of exercise reps, the challenge should have specific and measurable fitness goals for your physical activity.
2. A realistic timeframe
14 to 30 days is a reasonable time frame to test yourself, adopt healthy behaviors, and improve your fitness without overcommitting. Remember, completing a challenge is a great way to kickstart your fitness routine, but you should be ready to continue your efforts in the long-term.
3. Specific goals
Ideally, your workout challenge should take you out of your comfort zone—but it shouldn’t be overwhelming. It’s equally important to have fun, join a healthy competition, and increase your self-confidence. If your goal is out of reach, it can quickly become discouraging. Both your final goal and your daily target should be realistic. Gradually increase only one exercise parameter every day for steady progress.
4. Personal relevance
our challenge should reflect what you want to improve—whether it’s fitness, consistency, or a specific metric.
5. Reward and accountability
Rewarding yourself with a valuable prize after completing a fitness challenge is a great way to incentivize healthy behaviors and build a positive feedback loop.
9 exercise challenges to try in your cycling routine
1. 100 minutes of activity challenge
Cycle for just 5 minutes a day, 20 days in a row. That’s it. This workout challenge demonstrates the importance of small investments to build a regular exercise routine.
Research shows that as little as 5 minutes of exercise is enough to improve your physical and mental well-being and, more importantly, build a new habit.
For maximum results in minimal time, CAROL Bike’s REHIT workout is a proven solution. In just 5-minutes, you can get superior health and fitness benefits in 90% less time compared to regular cardio, working hard for only 2×20-second sprints. This is habit building cardio with science on its side.
2. A strength training challenge
Cyclists often neglect strength training to spend more time in the saddle. But committing to a simple strength challenge can boost power, balance, and injury resilience.
Here are some fitness challenge ideas to increase your strength:
- Bench press and squat challenge. Do both exercises every day for one month. The objective is to reach as many squats and bench presses as possible while increasing the weight. Focus only on one parameter at a time.
- Cardio + strength combo: do as many push-ups as possible before every ride. Try to do one extra push-up every workout.
- Increase your core strength with a 30-day plank challenge. Do a plank for one month and gradually increase the time by 10 seconds daily.
- Do a 30-day burpee challenge to increase full-body explosive strength. Start with 10 burpees a day and gradually build up this number with 2 more burpees daily.
3. Join a racing event
Signing up for a racing event will revive your competitive spirit and give you a long-term goal to work towards. Try setting ambitious but realistic goals and build a structured training plan to achieve them.
If you’re not quite ready for an official race, start smaller. Create your own challenge: ride a new route, set a personal time goal, or invite friends for a friendly competition. For a more immersive option, join a virtual group ride on platforms like Zwift, Rouvy, or FulGaz.
CAROL Bike integrates seamlessly with Zwift, Kinomap, Rouvy, BKool, and FulGaz to bring the world of structured competition and social cycling to your home setup—without the logistics or pressure of a formal event.
CAROL offers superior health and fitness benefits compared to traditional cardio—in 90% less time.
4. Ride as long (or, as far) as you can
Instead of attempting a crazy 24 hour challenge to test your limits, try a smarter approach: go 130–150% longer than your typical ride. If you usually cycle for 30 minutes, stretch it to 45. It’s a simple way to challenge your stamina without burning out.
Feeling ambitious? Try the classic Century Ride—100 km of focused endurance. It’s the cycling equivalent of a marathon and typically takes 4 to 10 hours depending on terrain and conditions. To prepare, give yourself 4–8 weeks to gradually build volume, dial in your nutrition, and fine-tune your setup. The key is pacing, fuelling, and staying comfortable in the saddle.
5. Cycling elevation challenge
Elevation challenges test your physical and mental endurance. You will set a monthly vertical limit, for example 6,000 meters, and repeatedly cycle up and down a hill until your total elevation gain hits this number. You can take outdoor routes or do hill workouts on your indoor bike.
Everesting is the most popular and toughest elevation challenge. The goal is to reach an elevation gain equal to Everest Mountain (8,848 meters or 29,032 feet) in a single ride.
Research on Everesting recommends amateur cyclists select a hill with a less than 10% gradient to get the optimal balance between power, gradient, and distance. You can gradually increase your incline as you get stronger.
6. Cycle touring or bikepacking
If you’re looking to turn your rides into a full-on adventure, cycle touring is a great way to do it. Set your sights on a new destination that pushes your limits, explore unfamiliar routes, and enjoy the changing landscapes along the way. It’s a powerful way to build endurance while keeping things fresh and purposeful.
For a more advanced challenge, consider bikepacking—a multi-day, off-road ride where you carry all your essentials on the bike. It combines the spirit of backcountry trekking with the efficiency and thrill of cycling, offering a unique chance to explore remote terrain at your own pace.
7. Sign up for Strava or Zwift challenges
If you run out of fitness challenge ideas, Strava and Zwift regularly post refreshing tasks. Sign up for one of these fitness trackers to participate in a new mission each month—like a virtual Everest climb or monthly 800K challenge. On Strava, you can take part in other challenges as well, such as a running or a step challenge.
8. Cycle-to-work month
Turn your commute into a fitness win. For one month, challenge yourself to bike to work as often as possible. It’s a simple way to build consistency, boost your daily activity, and cut down on carbon emissions—all without carving out extra time to train.
Some countries, like Switzerland, even run national initiatives to promote cycling as a sustainable mode of transport. You might even inspire colleagues to join in.
9. Velodrome challenge
A velodrome gives a completely different high-speed and high-adrenaline experience of track cycling. You can test 5-10 velodrome sessions yourself or join a team sprint competition. Either way, it will give a great boost to your cycling experience and performance.
Conclusion
Fitness challenges come in handy when you want to strengthen your motivation and commit to a healthy lifestyle. They fuel creativity and competitive spirit making your fitness journey more fun and exciting. Most importantly, they show you the power of small habits and encourage you to celebrate milestones on your way to bigger goals.
If you’re looking for the most efficient way to boost fitness on or off the road, CAROL Bike offers science-backed workouts that fit into any routine. Try CAROL today with a 100-day risk-free trial and see the results for yourself.
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