Is there no place you’d rather be than zipping down a forested mountainside by the seat of your pants? Curious about mountain biking but never tried it? These tips, tricks, and exercises will have you ready to ride!
Are you a skier or snowboarder missing the rush of wind whistling past your ears now that the snow’s all gone? It’s all yours: the white-knuckle rush downhill, the fresh mountain air, and the challenge of staying upright to the bottom. Mountain biking offers a whole range of possibilities, adrenalin-rush included.
Mountain bike prep
Mountain biking, as an umbrella term, can be divided into several main broad categories, including downhill, cross-country, and enduro.
Downhill
Downhill mountain biking is comparable, in structure, to skiing: you take a chairlift to the top (often), pick a trail or “run” to go down to the bottom, rinse, and repeat.
Cross-country
Cross-country mountain biking may have the occasional hill, here and there, and may have obstacles to traverse, but for the most part, it navigates relatively flat terrain.
Enduro
Finally, enduro biking is typified by uphill sections followed by downhill sections.
There are competitive opportunities for each of these categories, should your intentions lie within achievement in the athletic realm.
Biking for everyone
Mountain biking is an activity that can be enjoyed by everyone. Like most sports, there is an elite level of mountain bike athlete who barrels down a tree-laden slope at lightning speed. The will to make oneself into a human projectile/pinball, however, is completely optional. That said, there are a few exercises that will help you get more enjoyment out of your ride. Muscular and cardiovascular endurance are important, and balance and core stability will help keep you safe.
5 tips for a better ride
Relax!
When humans experience something stressful or scary, our natural reaction is to tense up. This means that if a trail gets squirrelly, our tendency is to flex all of our muscles and apply a kung fu death grip to the handlebars. In reality, the opposite is best for optimal performance. A relaxed body better absorbs bumps and directional changes and will make you faster and more stable.
Set your sights
Look ahead! Direct your gaze to the path that you want to take rather than on the obstacles that you want to avoid. Along with giving our brain the ability to prepare for the movements that will be necessary for a clean run, you’ll also put your body into a preparatory position, rather than a reactionary mode.
Maintain your steed
Picture this: you’re ripping down a 60-degree incline and smoothly weaving between trees when you start to hear a rattling sound. The rattle turns into a squeak, which gets louder and louder. Now, what are you thinking about? The embankment-to-drop combo up ahead or whether or not your bike is going to fall to pieces before you even get there?
Do your nerves, focus, and enjoyment a favour: perform regular maintenance on your bike (or take it in to the pros for regular tune-ups) and do a pre-ride inventory each and every time.
Give me a break
Rookie mountain bikers tend to have two braking modes, off and locked. Additionally, newbies tend to start braking early, when they see an obstacle approaching. Late braking is best for performance because greater speed will often help you over and around obstacles while feeling their impact less. Get used to practising various levels of pressure for braking so you know what touch is required in certain situations.
Inferiority complex
Ride with people who are better than you. Nobody wants to feel inadequate, but riding with bikers who have more experience will achieve two things: 1) you glean tips, tricks, and experience that makes them (and you) a better rider; and 2) they will push you to try more difficult runs and to try things that you otherwise might not. Comfort is the bane of progress, and being pushed out of your comfort zone will force you to become a better rider, ultimately increasing your enjoyment of the sport!
As in life, so in cycling
Here are some exercises to help prepare your body for the demands of mountain biking. You’ll notice a focus on single-limb activation, core, and stability, to mimic your positioning on the bike. To create specificity to the biking sport, all of the exercises are multifaceted compound movements. Complete 3 sets and 12 repetitions of each exercise.
Split Squat with Rotational Option
Target: quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, obliques, core, shoulders
- Begin with feet parallel, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and arms straightened out in front of you at shoulder height, with palms facing down.
- Step your left foot back roughly 3 ft (1 m), maintaining the foot width and toes-forward position as you do so (this is your starting position).
- Maintaining equal weight between your left and right feet, and a tall upper body, slowly lower your left knee until it almost touches the ground.
- Without moving your feet, stand back up to starting position.
- Complete 12 repetitions and then switch legs.
Corn-Dog Rollovers
Target: lower back, glutes, posterior shoulders, core
- Begin on your stomach, with arms outstretched in front and legs extended behind.
- Maintaining this position as much as possible, roll to your right by twisting your shoulders and then your hips, rotating them toward the ceiling, and ultimately ending up on your back.
- Roll back to your stomach, to your right, by twisting your hips first and then your shoulders.
- Complete this same sequence, but to the left.
- This equals 2 repetitions.
Push-Up Step-Up
Target: glutes, quadriceps, chest, triceps, hamstrings, core
- Begin on the ground in a push-up position, with a stable object to step onto at roughly knee height (about a foot in front of your head).
- Complete a push-up either to a 90-degree bend at the elbows or to the floor (depending on your level of strength).
- Once you have straightened your arms again, hop both feet as far forward as you can and stand up.
- Step your right leg up onto the object in front of you, propelling your body upward and bringing your left knee up into the air, as high as possible.
- Step back down and return to push-up position.
- Complete 6 repetitions on the right leg, and then do 6 repetitions on the left.
Brendan Rolfe, BA, DipA, is an advocate for functional movement and work/life balance in Penticton, BC, where he strives to bring healthy lifestyle choices to every household.
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