Tips for Selecting Warm-Up and Cool-Down Songs—PLUS Here Are Over 2,000 Songs to Choose From!

Your warm-up song sets the tone for your class; your cool-down song closes the chapter on your ride. Both are every bit as important as the energetic and inspirational songs sandwiched between them.

While I do have some guidelines I use for choosing my first warm-up song, they aren’t set in stone. There will always be exceptions to every rule, depending on the type of profile you have, your audience, and the mood you want to set. And, of course, personal preference comes into play. Below are the guidelines I use when selecting warm-up and cool-down songs, along with some of the exceptions I consider.

Choosing Your First Warm-Up Song

Typically, when I choose a warm-up song, I look for something with enough energy to inspire a cadence of about 75 to 95 rpm. Most of the time, I try to ride to the beat during the warm-up, but there is the occasional great song that is either too slow or too fast for a proper warm-up. In that case, I’ll ask riders to find whatever cadence allows them to gradually bring their heart rates up.

Even if you don’t ride to the beat in your classes, you may want to avoid songs with a heavy dance beat (~120–140 bpm) during the warm-up. That can inspire your beat-oriented riders to load on resistance and pedal at 60–70 rpm, despite your pleas to pedal faster.

I prefer to select songs with limited or no words so I can explain my profile without competing with the lyrics, but this depends on the profile and the group I have in front of me. If I’m embarking on an endurance- or mind-body–focused ride, I’ll choose a gently rhythmic instrumental track with fairly low-key energy, such as an ambient or downtempo track. For other profiles, especially higher-energy interval rides, I may want to start with a musical bang and choose a song with a peppy tempo and message, while still encouraging my riders to be progressive about increasing their intensity. This is often the tactic I’ll use with a theme ride: I want the first song to set the message of my theme.

Below are some of my favorite warm-up and cool-down songs. Please let me know your favorites int he comments.

Criminal Intention, D. Batistatos, 6:00, 85 bpm
This is what I consider an ideal warm-up song: “Criminal Intention” is 6 minutes long and 85 rpm, the perfect length and tempo for most people to warm up. It’s not too high-energy, but there is just enough energy to attach your legs to the tempo and wake them up. And there are no lyrics, so you can easily explain your profile objectives. I also use this song for a moderate effort in the middle of a profile.

Elodie, Ten Fé, 5:05, 85 bpm
Another ideal warm-up song is “Elodie” by Ten Fé. It has a similar tempo to the one above, “Criminal Intention,” at 85 bpm, but this one has lyrics. They aren’t overwhelming, and I can still talk over them. The song has enough energy to be engaging, but it isn’t overpowering. And it’s a song that just makes me smile!

La Belle Fleur Sauvage, Lord Huron, 5:41, 88 bpm
Another perfect warm-up track is “La Belle Fleur Sauvage” by Lord Huron. It’s a tad faster at 88 bpm, but still gentle enough not to drive the heart rate up too quickly. Like “Elodie,” the lyrics aren’t overwhelming. Make sure to check out Lord Huron’s repertoire—you’ll find a lot of fabulous warm-up and endurance tracks.

Choosing Your Cool-Down Song

For your cool-downs, the music should encourage riders to ease up, lower their heart rates, and get their breathing under control. While it’s nice to have a song with an 80–90 bpm/rpm tempo, there are so many relaxing, beautiful songs that work well for cool-downs and are in the 100–115 bpm range. I love using those—just remind everyone to pedal at whatever cadence helps them bring their heart rate and breathing under control.

Keep in mind that a higher cadence can actually keep the heart rate elevated, especially for less-fit riders. Where that threshold lies will be different for every rider. This is one reason I try not to pedal much faster than the low 90s when I’m cooling down. For some riders, even that may be too fast to allow their heart rate to come down comfortably.

If you use two songs for the cool-down, with the second one leading into a stretch off the bike, you can also step down the energy of the two songs, ending with a very calming, gentle track.

Cool-downs are a great place to play songs you may never play during your actual ride, especially in theme rides. I’ve ended with Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York,” Édith Piaf’s “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien,” and some humorous tracks that send my riders home with a smile.

Below are some of my top cool-down tracks. 

Too Far, Nacho Sotomayor, 5:21, 152 bpm
My favorite cool-down song of all time is “Too Far” by Nacho Sotomayor. If you ride to the beat, it’s not too fast or too slow at 76 rpm, and it’s also easy to dissociate from the beat. It’s peaceful, calming, hypnotic. Just close your eyes, and you can imagine walking on a beach at sunset, with gently lapping waves tickling your toes. Your heart rate and breathing have no choice but to subside, and your mouth has no choice but to smile.

The Bones (with Hozier), Maren Morris, Hozier, 3:17, 154 bpm
Another song that shines as a cool-down track is “The Bones.” I prefer the version with Hozier accompanying Maren Morris.

Breathe, Télépopmusik, 4:42, 114 bpm
This is one of those tracks I alluded to above where you’ll want to dissociate from the beat (114 bpm would mean pedaling at 57 rpm). But the chill energy and lyrics will have you envisioning yourself sitting on a beach at sunset, listening to the waves, just taking it all in and breathing deeply. It’s one of my favorite cool-down tracks.

Now We Are Free, Hans Zimmer, Klaus Badelt, Lisa Gerard, 4:14, 139 bpm
Another track where the tempo doesn’t drive your pedals—the soothing energy does. Let the legs glide smoothly at an unhurried cadence in the 80s, and breathe deeply to Lisa Gerrard’s ethereal vocals. I have to be careful not to use this song too often because I don’t want my riders to tire of it…although I know I never will!

Far Centaurus, Nigel Stanford, 9:58, 85 bpm
For most classes, this mesmerizing downtempo track will lead you from your cool-down to the stretch, and even into post-class time. Just let it continue to play as you wind down, stretch, and thank everyone for joining you. On the other hand, if you’ve just finished a very hard session, such as long threshold or over/under intervals, those full 10 minutes of cooling down on the bike may be exactly what you need.

What are your warm-up and cool-down secrets or favorite songs? Please share them in the comments below.

ICA members can access the two bucket playlists below. The warm-up bucket currently has about 1,100 songs, and the cool-down bucket has about 1,200 songs. I am constantly adding to them as I discover new tracks. There is some crossover between the two playlists, as there are songs that work well for both a warm-up and a cool-down, again depending on the profile, objective, and message.