The Couch to 5K cycling app
Couch to 5K for your indoor bike
Couch to Climb is an indoor cycling app for beginners with a bike at home. You ride three times a week, and each week you get further up a real climb. The plan ends when you ride to the top with no stops.
Free to download. Your first climb, Box Hill, is free.
Week 3, ride 2
Box Hill
1.4 km
of 2.5 km with no stops
Start ride22 real climbs. 3 rides a week. Rides of 20 to 35 minutes. Your first climb, Box Hill, is free.
Why people stop
Workouts with no finish line are easy to give up
People who stop are not lazy. A workout with no end point gets dull, and it is hard to see if you are getting fitter. So the bike goes back in the corner.
Each plan ends at the top of one real climb
Each week you ride as far up it as you can with no stops. You watch the climb fill in as you get fitter.
Box Hill
SurreyHow it works
Three rides a week, each one planned for you
- 1
Pick a climb
Everyone starts with Box Hill in Surrey, 2.5 km long.
- 2
Ride three times a week
Most rides take 20 to 35 minutes.
- 3
Test yourself once a week
Once a week, ride from the bottom and see how far you get.
The climbs
Start on Box Hill in Surrey, then move up to the Alps and the Pyrenees
When you reach the top of one climb, pick the next. There are 22 in all. Alpe d'Huez, Mont Ventoux and the Stelvio are all on the list.
-
Free
Box Hill
Surrey, England
120 m of climbing
-
Climb 2
Cheddar Gorge
Somerset, England
184 m of climbing
-
Climb 6
Winnats Pass
Peak District, England
204 m of climbing
-
Climb 7
Hardknott Pass
Lake District, England
303 m of climbing
-
Climb 11
Alpe d'Huez
Isère, France
1,093 m of climbing
-
Climb 15
Col du Tourmalet
Hautes-Pyrénées, France
1,355 m of climbing
-
Climb 18
Mont Ventoux
Vaucluse, France
1,566 m of climbing
-
Climb 19
Passo dello Stelvio
South Tyrol, Italy
1,832 m of climbing
Your bike
Works with a smart trainer or a plain indoor bike
Smart trainer
On a smart trainer, the app sets the slope for you.
Plain indoor bike
On a plain bike, the app tells you when to change gear.
Pedal sensor
A pedal sensor counts your stops, or you can ride by feel.
Missed rides
Miss a ride and the plan waits for you
Life gets busy. You pick up where you left off. There are no streaks to break and no one tells you off.
Prices
The Box Hill plan is free, and later climbs need a subscription
Riders who join at launch pay £10.99 a month or £82.00 a year, and keep that price for as long as they stay subscribed. Within the first 12 months, the price for new riders goes up to £12.99 a month or £99.99 a year.
Box Hill
£0
Your first climb, from week 1 to the top.
Founder price, monthly
£10.99a month
Later £12.99 a month
Every climb after Box Hill.
Founder price, yearly
£82.00a year
Later £99.99 a year
Every climb after Box Hill.
Box Hill is free, so you can ride a whole plan before you pay.
Questions
Before you start
Is there a Couch to 5K for cycling?
Yes. Couch to Climb works like Couch to 5K, but on an indoor bike at home. You ride three times a week, and each week you get further up a real climb. The plan ends when you ride to the top with no stops. Your first climb, Box Hill, is free.
Do I need a smart trainer?
No. On a plain indoor bike, the app tells you when to change gear.
What if I miss a ride?
The plan waits for you. You pick up where you left off.
How fit do I need to be?
You start with short rides and ride as far up the climb as you can with no stops.
Do I have to pay to start?
No. Box Hill is free.
Get Couch to Climb on iPhone or Android
The plan ends when you ride to the top with no stops.
Your first climb is free.