Eddy Merckx, arguably the greatest cyclist in the history of the sport, and a man known by his rivals as ‘the Cannibal’, once said: “If you want to be a good cyclist, then you need to ride lots.”

While keeping it simple is a good strategy, it’s also true to say that if you want to be good at climbing, or against the clock, then you need to dedicate time to that.

By contrast, if you want to be a solid all-rounder then you have to look beyond your strengths and be prepared to train your weaknesses as well.

It’s only natural that the terrain you’re most likely to ride on will be what’s on offer straight from your front door.

However, mixing up routes will not only keep you mentally fresh but will help to give you a base of all-round conditioning that can come in very useful when riding events on unfamiliar roads both in this country or even abroad.

With this in mind we’re now going to look at six different training loops to bring on your cycling.

On the following pages, we’ll consider what might be gained from riding on various types of terrain, the importance of recovery, and even the UK climate-friendly benefits of the virtual ride.