Fun Tips (For Social Riders)
- Train to Ride Farther (and Have More Fun). Even a little training helps you ride longer trails, see more cool stuff, and join more group rides without feeling wiped out.
- Fitness Builds Freedom. Getting stronger means you don’t have to say no to the fun rides your friends invite you on. You’ll have the legs to say, “Yeah, I’m in!”
- You’ll Enjoy the Downhills More. Climbing might not be your favorite, but training makes it easier — and that means more time enjoying the descents with friends.
- Skills Make Group Rides More Fun. Practicing cornering, braking, and balance lets you keep up without panic or crashes. You’ll feel more confident — and your friends will notice.
- Training Doesn’t Have to Be Serious. You can train without “working out.” Try trail games, obstacle challenges, or playful sprints to the next signpost.
- You’ll Feel Strong — and It Shows. Even if you’re not chasing podiums, it feels amazing to clean a hill you couldn’t climb last month. Strength and control are their own reward.
- Riding With Friends Gets Easier. When you train a little, you won’t be the one everyone waits for — unless you’re waiting for them.
- No One Regrets Being Fit. You might not want to race, and that’s fine. But being strong, healthy, and confident on a bike? That’s something you’ll always be glad you worked on.
Self-Training Tips
- Maintain a Steady Cadence. Find a comfortable cadence (usually 80–100 RPM) and shift gears to stay in that zone. You should feel resistance, but not so much that it slows your legs or forces you to stand often.
- Train Your Start. Simulate start-line intensity regularly — explosive starts are where most positions are gained or lost.
- Pre-Ride Nutrition Practice. Use training days to dial in what foods and fluids work. Never try something new on race day.
- Recover Like It’s Training. Sleep, stretching, foam rolling, and light days make you faster — not just hard efforts.
- Vary Your Terrain. Don’t just loop your favorite trail. Roots, rocks, climbs, and descents all need practice.
- Shift Early. Train to shift before you need to — mid-climb is too late. Smooth gear changes save momentum and energy.
- Corner Everywhere. Practice cornering at speed on flat or uphill terrain too. Race courses often reward that finesse.
- Sharpen Your Skills. Trackstands, manuals, hops, and tight turns build control that fitness alone can’t.
- Use Pre-Ride Strategically. Identify where to pass, where to recover, and which lines feel smoothest. Don’t just ride — analyze.
- Tune Into Your Body. Learn your signs of fatigue, overheating, dehydration, or cramping early so you can fix them before they tank your ride.
- Train Short, Hard Efforts. Include intervals of 20 seconds to 2 minutes at near-max effort with full recovery between. These build explosive power, boost lactate tolerance, and simulate race surges or punchy climbs.
- Master the Recover-and-Go. Practice efforts where you push hard, recover briefly, then go again — just like surging to pass, recovering, and then hitting the next climb. This builds repeatable race-day strength.
- Sprint Starts and Finishes. Do sprint drills at the start and end of training rides to simulate race intensity. Starting with a max sprint builds race readiness, and finishing strong trains your brain and body to push through fatigue.
- Interval Training Builds Mental Grit. Anaerobic intervals hurt — and that’s the point. Learning to stay focused and committed when your legs are screaming helps riders stay in control when the race gets tough.
- Anaerobic Training = Faster Recovery. A strong anaerobic system doesn’t just make you faster — it also helps you recover between efforts faster. That means you can surge, settle, and go again without falling apart.
- Simulate the Course. Know the course has punchy climbs or techy power sections? Design workouts that mimic that profile — like 60-second standing climbs, followed by 1-minute recovery, then repeat.
Racing Tips
- Start Hydrated, Stay Hydrated. Drink a full bottle in the 1–2 hours before your ride, then take small sips during the ride — especially if it’s hot or lasts over 30 minutes.
- Arrive Early, Eat Early. Eat 2–3 hours before race start, and plan a bathroom trip before the start chute fills.
- Warm Up With Purpose. Spin easy, then do 2–3 short race-pace bursts with recovery. Your legs should already be awake at the starting line.
- Start With Strategy. Know your effort zones. Blowing up in the first 3 minutes ruins your whole race.
- Hydrate Wisely. In 30–60 min races, water is more critical than food. Sip often, especially in dry climates.
- Plan to Pass. Know where you’ll pass ahead of time — don’t waste energy trying on tight sections.
- Check Tire Pressure. A few PSI makes a big difference. Wet course? Drop pressure a bit. Dry and rocky? Stay higher to avoid pinch flats.
- Inspect Your Bike Early. The day before, check brakes, shifting, tire pressure, and chain lube. Don’t find issues at staging.
- Dress for the Forecast. Mornings are cold, and weather can change fast. Warm-ups and jackets are not optional.
- Recover Right Away. Light spinning and water right after help recovery and prevent cramping or nausea.
