View Full Version : taking training to the next level..?
I decided to get fit, so last May, I bought a mountain bike and have been riding ever since.
I mainly do around 75-100km a week (road riding) and then on weekends try to hit some hills..
Typical Week
Mon, Tues and Wed (roads) - 25km per day
Fri - 36km (roads)
Sat - 20-30km (hills)
I think I have hit my peak. I cant seem to improve like I have been over the last year...
I dont want to drastically change my diet, or life style, but I want to get better.:nod:
I do eat alot of carbs (pastries, etc) If I cut this out, would this help alot? or not really?
Ive decided to change the way I ride during the week, e.g.
Mon = slow pace
Tues = med pace
Wed = fast pace
Thurs = Rest
Fri = Med-Fast pace
Sat = med pace (hills)
At the moment, I just go as fast as I can everytime I ride, which I think may be causing the problems?
ferretca18
21-02-2010, 21:47
Are you trying to loose weight ir just get fitter?
The BEST way of getting your fitness levels on a bike is on a BMX, without a doubt. High intensity sprinting with very short rests between (in the start of the corners)
You dont need to be good at riding bmx's to get round a track either. Im a mountain biker and my bmx kills me lol.
If its for loosing weight, then your body gets used to the exercise and adapts, and you need to change it up a little (one week do cycling, the next do running/ hill sprints/ yomping.)
Ive been doing the same, since the turn of the new year, changed my diet, no snacking, lots of exercise (building bike trails during the day if im not riding my bike) then in the evenings i do an hour on my exercise bike on the hardest setting.
So far down to my target has been easy, im pushing to get to my start weight (before i went to uni and got fat lol.) But i have found that im not really loosing much more weight anymore!:thumbs:
I just want to get faster...
Loosing weight and getting fitter probably fits the bill...
BMX??
Could I not adapt this method to biking during the week? Sprint for as long as possible, and have a small breather inbetween?
If you just want to get faster then just ride LOTS, as much as you can. Im sure you will have some good trails near you so ride them as much as you can and you will get faster. Maybe take a look at certain techniques, Ie Cornering, Braking later and keeping smooth :nod:
ferretca18
22-02-2010, 00:18
oh cool, so just to get faster,
I would say try and get to ride as many disciplines as you can, each helps the other:)
The BMX thing i suppose you can do on a road bike, find a long straight and sprint as hard as you can for a few seconds, then coast, then sprint. Difficult tho as you dont have things to aim for, and can feel wierd (lol i tried it on my bmx but on a long road)
Another thing, do you use clip in pedals? I know its a personal choice but they do make you a lot faster on road bikes and xc (as youre using the upwards motion of your legs as well)
P.S i ride flats, still remember the first time on clip ins, wheelie, too far back, confusion, back on the ground lol.
As Jamie says, the best way is to ride LOTS:) But dont over do it to the pooint that its no longer fun!
Skipping is supposed to be good!
Oi you salad dodger! Cut out the pastries and eat less dial in pizzas and you'll get leaner, which will make you lighter and therefore make you faster! Improve ya power to weight ratio eh ;) :p
If you just want to get faster then just ride LOTS, as much as you can. Im sure you will have some good trails near you so ride them as much as you can and you will get faster. Maybe take a look at certain techniques, Ie Cornering, Braking later and keeping smooth :nod:
I think that is what I will be looking at, technique... When some friends and I go to the hills, they are more like mountains!! I can get half way up the hill and then the front wheel comes off the floor, and I stack it :wack: whereas my mates will go straight to the top without stopping..
oh cool, so just to get faster,
I would say try and get to ride as many disciplines as you can, each helps the other:)
The BMX thing i suppose you can do on a road bike, find a long straight and sprint as hard as you can for a few seconds, then coast, then sprint. Difficult tho as you dont have things to aim for, and can feel wierd (lol i tried it on my bmx but on a long road)
Another thing, do you use clip in pedals? I know its a personal choice but they do make you a lot faster on road bikes and xc (as youre using the upwards motion of your legs as well)
P.S i ride flats, still remember the first time on clip ins, wheelie, too far back, confusion, back on the ground lol.
As Jamie says, the best way is to ride LOTS:) But dont over do it to the pooint that its no longer fun!
I will try that sprint, coast method.. that will definately get my heart pounding :thumbs: - When I cycle during the week, I try and cycle as hard as possible up the small inclines I come across.. then coast for a few seconds to get my breath back afterwards.
Clip-ins... I have the pedals (came with the bike) but I will need to get special shoes? or can I buy clamps that attached to your shoes :wack:
Skipping is supposed to be good!
Skipping... I dont own a rope, and ive tried it before and it bored me :p
Oi you salad dodger! Cut out the pastries and eat less dial in pizzas and you'll get leaner, which will make you lighter and therefore make you faster! Improve ya power to weight ratio eh ;) :p
Definately a Salad Dodger! I fcuking hate the stuff - Rabbit food :annoyed:
The problem is, I have actually lost fat weight, but instead replaced it with muscle, which means I have actually gained fat!!
You have a point... I ordered a dial in Pizza on Saturday, and apparently I am a valued customer, so they sent out a large pizze and cheesy bread for free :wack: - Must take them off my speed dial:Plug:
ferretca18
22-02-2010, 20:17
Clip ins (with the cleat on the pedal) need spd shoes::nod:
As for the sprinting, try and do it on flat ground, or a very slight incline.
RE the front wheel comming off the ground, i had that problem when riding in california oin some mental xc runs. its all about body weight and your position on the bike, try and get low, dont stand up (youll loose traction on the rear) but hunker down and 'pull' on the bars, it takes a bit of getting used to, I had one bit on the trail where it was very steep sandy rock and i only managed to get up it once.:thumbs:
Edit:
Ive been doing my fitness programme for about 2 months, but i loved pizza, ive had one in the last 2 months now:( but i tend to eat mega healthy all week then have 1 day where i can slack off and eat what i want:) lost about a stone and a half so far (all through riding and digging trails)
Today I managed one of my fastest times.
18km in 40mins. 12km were roads (various different inclines) and the rest (6km) was off-road.
Im trying to average 1km every 2 minutes, which I think it quite a challenge!
Tomorrow, I will be taking it easy!
ferretca18
22-02-2010, 23:23
good effort! when I was really into my summer routine a few years back i could do 12 miles on my DH bike (mixture of road and off road, 2 manly hills but mostly flat) got it down to around 40 minutes. Bloody knackering too! can still do it in under an hour but its so much harder in the cold.
One thing i was shown by a world class xc rider, is when on an incline or relentless stright, lean forward (while sat down) as it straightens you airway out and makes breathing easier:) really helped (more so in the hot weather tho!):thumbs:
good effort! when I was really into my summer routine a few years back i could do 12 miles on my DH bike (mixture of road and off road, 2 manly hills but mostly flat) got it down to around 40 minutes. Bloody knackering too! can still do it in under an hour but its so much harder in the cold.
Thats good going.. thats 1km every 2 mins, which is my aim :) I did have some head win yesterday, as part of my route (8km) is next to the open sea, which can involve a fair amount of head wind
One thing i was shown by a world class xc rider, is when on an incline or relentless stright, lean forward (while sat down) as it straightens you airway out and makes breathing easier:) really helped (more so in the hot weather tho!):thumbs:
Thats really interesting... I must attempt that next time I ride we have to go riding very early on Saturday morning in the summer because by 09:00hrs, the temp can reach 33deg!!! midday, you need to be in doors LOL
Its 23 February and temps are already hitting 25deg during the day:wack:
ferretca18
23-02-2010, 13:46
oooh, where abouts are you?
I did most of my XC riding around the whiting ranch and aliso canyon in southern california, in the summer!:)
Nice hot weather, light riding jersey and cammelback with iced water. mmmmmmmm those were the days.
I was riding a trail called the three bitches (3 nasty climbs with a small plateau in between each lol) I was at the back, in the easiest gear, slower than walking pace, my mate was in his big ring and hammering up the hill lol. My other mate showed me the breathing technique and it really did help.
Then i got scarred by a rattlesnake and got off and ran for a bit LOL.
Im currently based in Israel. There are loads of mountains in Jerusalem, so riding is ace!
whiting ranch and aliso canyon in southern california, in the summer
Thats sounds cool :nod::thumbs:
There is a crater in the south of Israel that is 40km wide. A few friends and I will be travelling down there to cycle down one end, throught the middle, and up the other end - total distance 60km :thumbs: - Im really looking forward to that!
The best ride so far was 53km, and that was a mix of fast wide downhill stretches, technical single trail, technical uphills, the first 37km was up the side of a mountain :eek::thumbs:
The 3 bitches sounds cool! Im loving uphill at the moment, its about mind over matter, - everything in your body is telling you to stop, but you just gotta push on..
Rattlesnakes :eek: - no wonder you got scared!! :wack:
Ive been chased by wild dogs... but they soon get knackered!!:D
marko14a
23-02-2010, 17:52
The BMX thing i suppose you can do on a road bike, find a long straight and sprint as hard as you can for a few seconds, then coast, then sprint. Difficult tho as you dont have things to aim for, and can feel wierd (lol i tried it on my bmx but on a long road)
Interval training?
I have read about it as a way for DH'ers to build up pedal power, oddly.
Find a short steep hill, and pedal up it flat out. Turn around and coast back down steadily to get you breath back then repeat.
ferretca18
23-02-2010, 18:28
yep, thats the stuff. Youll find that most top level dh'ers ride a lot of other disciplines, especialliy road and BMX to get their sprints down:)
Its not so much getting the power down, its about regaining your stamina after a massive short blast, few seconds to get back from jelly legging to be able to power down again:)
TAS, that crater sounds awesome! Are you gonna be taking pics?
Another thing that has helped me has been dropping weight, i put on a lot of podge over uni and my 1st year working, now its burnt off, im a lot more nimble on the bikek, i find i can chuck it through the corners a lot more.
What is it thats holding you back from the others? It may just be lack of natural skill, I know some of my mates have a natural knack for stuff where as i deffinately dont lol, takes me more effort and concentration to pull off what some of my mates can! Could be that?
Interval training?
I have read about it as a way for DH'ers to build up pedal power, oddly.
Find a short steep hill, and pedal up it flat out. Turn around and coast back down steadily to get you breath back then repeat.
During my regular ride, there is a short hill (about 100metres) which is a decent incline, which I tend to pedal as fast as possible up.. but after that hill, I then have 4km of off-road (sandy/stone) which is great, because you just gotta push on, even though your lungs are telling you something different:wack:
yep, thats the stuff. Youll find that most top level dh'ers ride a lot of other disciplines, especialliy road and BMX to get their sprints down:)
Its not so much getting the power down, its about regaining your stamina after a massive short blast, few seconds to get back from jelly legging to be able to power down again:)
TAS, that crater sounds awesome! Are you gonna be taking pics?
Another thing that has helped me has been dropping weight, i put on a lot of podge over uni and my 1st year working, now its burnt off, im a lot more nimble on the bikek, i find i can chuck it through the corners a lot more.
What is it thats holding you back from the others? It may just be lack of natural skill, I know some of my mates have a natural knack for stuff where as i deffinately dont lol, takes me more effort and concentration to pull off what some of my mates can! Could be that?
When I go, I will be taking my camera with me, because its awesome apparently, my mate has done it once, and he said he found it difficult, and he has been cycling for 12 years!
I think that if I was to enter a competition with 2 of my friends, I would probably come 2nd. Because I consider myself an average/beginner rider over all terrain.
My friend who has been cycling for 12 years, is just as fast as me over straights and downhills, but he will leave me for dead uphill. He is by far the best technical rider.
My other friend is as fast as me on the straight, but Im slightly faster than him uphill, but downhill he is far faster than my other friend and me.
We were entering a competition last year, but it rained and the comp was cancelled. Israeli's dont like the wet :wack::ghey:
ferretca18
24-02-2010, 12:51
LOL, same as in California, if it rains, all the trails get shut (they just get erroded away so quickly!)
Ah, so you're still technically a beginner rider, thats all it is i'd bet, just experience. I've been riding various forms of mountain bike for about 15 years (9 years on my current dh bike lol) And im still picking up new skills all the time, now its all about weight over the front wheel and push right in to the corners, sliding isnt much of a worry anymore, untill the front looses it completely and you use your shoulder as a brake! lol.
It all comes with practice mate, sounds to me like your mates are just pretty seasoned racers when compared to yourself! keep at it and im sure youll catch up with them:)
Sounds like you have the fitness down, if you can, get out to a nice technical downhill or other type of train that you feel you need to imporrve on, and session that one section (say 50 meters of track) start slow and lear your line, then attack it at slightly faster speeds, its knackering but it does work!
Another thing... are you using a gravity seat post or anything? They are massively helpfull when doign descents! Getting the CoG lower is so helpfull! :thumbs: They are deffinately worht the weight increase!
Im definately a beginner in regards to technical riding (hills/single trails, etc) you can cycle all day long on roads, but these dont prepare you for single tracks or hills LOL
I started riding in May last year after no sports for about 8 years :wack:
Cornering is something that I definately need to improve, Im alwayts catching everyone up after a corner, because I slow down so much :ghey:
Pushing down on the front wheel is something I need to learn, because any type of serious incline, and im falling off, whereas everyone around me just rides up it.
The off-road section in my usual ride is stony/sandy, and there is a tight corner at the end, where I loose loads of time compared to my mate. I think its the thought of falling off at speed onto a stony road that puts me off:wack:
gravity seat? eh?:wack:
ferretca18
24-02-2010, 22:15
its all about confidence and body position mate,it will click eventually:) Im still learning now ll
Gravity post:
http://www.pinkbike.com/product/crankbrothers/Joplin-R/
Although i have read that the crank brothers arent the best ones (odd as they make top notch components:))
basically raise fr the uphill, lower for the downhill:)
As for cornering, there a some good tutorial vids and write ups floating abot. All about keping ost of your weight over the front wheel for maximum traction, and lying off the front bake. you can use the rear as it wont spit you off, just remember a lot of the time sower in = fastr out unless they are wide open trails. Just try to stay as loose on the bike as you can, that way you can react to ay loss of traction, once you stiffen up thats when you use body parts as brakes lol, it hurts sometimes, although cheaper than brake pads!
Also, dont be affraid to get your foot out moto style:)
Yeah as Allan said, Loosen up, Keep you body weight central and keep off the brakes, esp in a corner!
Some advice i was given by one of the top Scottish downhiller's :thumbs:
Initial important things are tyres, pressures, suspension set-up, stem length, bars and saddle height.
Get one of your riding pals who is a good rider and knows how to set a bike up to set-up your bike for you, I guess you may have done this already though.
The most important thing that you have to do is find the neutral spot on your bike. Much of riding will stem from this, and it is where you have to come back to all the time on the bike when riding.
You will see some riders standing on the pedals and looking comfortable, gently bouncing the bike up and down. This is most likely them re-affirming themselves with the neutral position.
Once you have this on flat level ground (you will know when you have it), then progress to fire roads with different gradients. no point introducing obstacles.
Most movements on the bike will come from moving the hips back (not up and down as you may think). Practice moving forward and backwards on the bike.
Many XC riders are used to long stems, so tend to hang off the back of the bike, this will cause loss of control of the front end. Use fire roads again, or simple tracks like blues to practice getting further over the front end.
These 3 things should help you ride in the correct position on fire roads, normal tracks are no different to this, people just focus on things that will not cause an issue worth worrying about.
I have 3 sayings (should be 4 to be honest)
1. Speed is your friend - If you ride over a root slowly you are on that root for much longer than if you ride fast over it, same with corners - the gyro effect and getting over the front tyre will give you grip...
2. Brakes make you crash - If your tyre is rolling at the same speed as the ground then you have the most grip, try and slow your tyre down then you are forcing the tyre to loose grip, do your braking before corners and use the gyro effect to accelerate through and out of the corner.
3. Paralysis by analysis - Don't ride an 8" bike and looks at a 1" root as a major obstacle, it is not, just hit it perpandicular and fast with no brakes and all will be good.
(4) Look up, if you try and walk 20yards and watch your feet you will now walk in a straight line, so why look at the front wheel when you are riding?
If you have a problem with drops, practice off the kerb in that neutral position.
The next part is more DH orientated with fast bermed corners etc but the same applys for the tamer stuff :thumbs:
When it comes to berms there are 2 things to do.
1. As you know you have to 'match' the berm, place your bike so that the wheels are perpandicular to the dirt, this is where you and the bike should be and were the most amount of grip is.
2. It is sometimes easier to find/build a sharper/steep berm. This kind of corner is easy to ride into and will not work unless you are banked over. You will find one way easier than the other. Most people like to turn left and not right.
Practice hitting the steeper berm, going in slowly and using the berm, along with your body angle change to accelerate out of the berm. The better your 'match' to the berm the more speed you will gain. When you get it you will find the exit harder as you are lent over and have to time the exit better. Cover the brakes but don't touch them.
A steep berm does not have to be high.
Most of that is DH tips and hints but as i said, it applies for all disciplines tbh
Hope some of that can help you out mate :)
ferretca18
24-02-2010, 23:07
nice write up there mate!:nod:
trackstar
24-02-2010, 23:49
The next part is more DH orientated with fast bermed corners etc but the same applys for the tamer stuff :thumbs:
When it comes to berms there are 2 things to do.
1. As you know you have to 'match' the berm, place your bike so that the wheels are perpandicular to the dirt, this is where you and the bike should be and were the most amount of grip is.
2. It is sometimes easier to find/build a sharper/steep berm. This kind of corner is easy to ride into and will not work unless you are banked over. You will find one way easier than the other. Most people like to turn left and not right.
Practice hitting the steeper berm, going in slowly and using the berm, along with your body angle change to accelerate out of the berm. The better your 'match' to the berm the more speed you will gain. When you get it you will find the exit harder as you are lent over and have to time the exit better. Cover the brakes but don't touch them.
A steep berm does not have to be high.
Reading that has made me want to go riding right now :D I think the feeling you get from properly hooking up a good berm and firing out of it right on the limit has got to be one of the most satisfying feelings you can get on wheels. :smitten:
I miss living near Chicksands :cry:
2. Brakes make you crash
Can I have this as a sig quote? :notworthy
Cheers for the advice guys :sxoc::thumbs:
Im going riding tonight, and will try those technics :nod:
I'll also look into this gravity seat? Is this a seat where you can adjust whilst riding?
Normally, I just get off my bike and higher/lower if necessary:confused:
ferretca18
25-02-2010, 12:12
yep, nail on the head, height adjustable seat post from the handlebars. such usefull things (i actually applied for a patent on a design i made a good 3 years before any of the ones you can get now, but i got stuck on how to stop the post from swivelling:annoyed: got a letter from Trevor Bayliss and everything:( oh well. lol)
Just checked your link... thats looks cool :thumbs:
I will see if I can purchase my locally :)
ferretca18
25-02-2010, 14:08
Best to have a search for some of the other manufacturers, the crank brothers isnt supposed to be the best out there (and its the most expensive) :thumbs:
Edit:
mtbr.com is a good source of reviews!
Its been raining since yesterday afternoon...:annoyed: I hope the ride isnt cancelled!
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