PHYSICAL TRAINING

Endurance

Riders need to be able to have a level of fitness to ride their bikes continuously through a race.

• Long miles on the trails at increasing levels of speed over time.

• Long uphill climbs (without going into lactic acid buildup)

Skills

Riders need to have the skills necessary to ride through all the different conditions of the trail/race without needing to stop and without accidents.

• Skills drills like drops, rock gardens, berms, flat turns, sand, skinnies, up and overs, and more.

• Games that emphasize skills (Bike Polo, Sharks and Minnows, Bike Baseball, etc)

• Skills repeats on trails

Burst/Speed

Riders need to have the strength and speed necessary to get up steep sections, over obstacles, sprint off the start line, and sprint to the finish line. Burst/Speed training helps develop that extra “Nitro” needed to accelerate or power up and through what is needed.

• Steep hill climbs

• Sprint repeats

• Off-the-bike exercises at times

MENTAL TRAINING

Knowledge

Riders need to understand the core principles and skills of riding mountain bikes so they can speak the language, understand training, feel more part of the sport, and make better decisions.

• Teaching trail etiquette

• Bike knowledge (parts, repairs, etc)

• Skills language/concepts

• Teaching trail names/locations

Confidence

Riders need to build confidence in their abilities so they can get faster and more skilled

• Repeating skills drills

• Repeating trail segments/features

• Testing (time trials, segment timing, challenges)

Toughness

Mountain Biking is hard. We will often face our fears, hard things, disappointments, crashes, and more. Building toughness in our riders will help them overcome these obstacles and get to the next level.

• Recognizing achievements and improvements

• Repeating hard things

• Having group/team, and individual discussions about what we face

• Team building activities

• Recognizing and managing riders to ensure they are constantly challenged.