racing?

[Broken Fusion!]

I'm getting into racing downhill and maybe dual/4x next year and being serious about it, before I get too old.

I need to think about training and such... and I know at least a few of you guys on here have experience.
What kind of stuff is good to do? (besides riding of course)
I would like things I can do all through the winter as well, that don't take lots of time, because I'll be pretty busy working to pay for a new bike :|

[Keefer]

Weight training, and working on cornering. That's where the races are won and lost, in the corners.
Work on powering out of turns too.

[parksvilleguy]

yeah if you can find that spot on the berm and the angle u take in and out and yo dont have to touch the brakes then you have found heaven. i saw a thing on 4x riders looking for that perfect spot, and if you can find it you'll win those corner, so definetely work on corners, handaling, work with some weights, and set up a line of cones or use tress that are nicely set apart and run in between them. just in and out and that will work the muscles on the outside of your legs which will help when u wanna make a quick move with ur legs, or dash into a line

[corey@nsmb.com]

You will learn quickly that everyone thinks they are an expert. My advice is different, just go and have fun and ride your bike. Try it out on a for-fun basis and decide if its for you, and when you figure that out, you can decide if you want to get serious about it or not.

[twofortythree]

SPRINTS

[sir HUCK-A-LOT]

go to a grass field....practice riding at a walking pace and then hitting a point and sprinting as hard as you can for 5 seconds. grass is best cause it gives resistance. it builds your power so you can really torque it.
repeat this doing ina single pass of the field one thing...turn around wait 10 seconds do it again.....you should be tired pretty damn quickly, but you will get fitter and stronger

[sAFETY]

step 1: buy or borrow a road bike

step 2: ride the hell out of it, fast

Step 3: keep riding you MTN bike as much as you are right now.

[Broken Fusion!]

how about a XC bike

[twofortythree]

Originally posted by sir HUCK-A-LOT
go to a grass field....practice riding at a walking pace and then hitting a point and sprinting as hard as you can for 5 seconds. grass is best cause it gives resistance. it builds your power so you can really torque it.
repeat this doing ina single pass of the field one thing...turn around wait 10 seconds do it again.....you should be tired pretty damn quickly, but you will get fitter and stronger

i do them up hills

[scottvelez]

grass, hills.. doesn't matter - the main thing everyone is talking about is 'resistance'. even dragging the brake works.

scott

[freeeeeerider]

Maybe set your brake up so it is constantly dragging and just pedal around like that:???:

[Broken Fusion!]

I assume XC riding will help too right?

[bullit_kid]

dont shuttle, dont drive, just lug your bike everywhere you go ...

[Broken Fusion!]

Originally posted by bullit_kid
dont shuttle, dont drive, just lug your bike everywhere you go ...

haha would do that, but when it's 40 outside with no clouds, it's hard to get yourself to pedal up a tarmac road :D

I'd rather go XC behind my house up to the top of this hill a few times a week

[jro]

Take up smoking for a while and eating nothing but cheese burgers and lard milkshakes but keep woriking out and do all the other things that peolple mentioned then right before race season quit smoking and eat right then you will feel 100 times better and your first race season will keep improving and you will feel like you are progressing way more. If that doesn't work then you can still shuttle with a fat gut and bad lungs.

[sanrensho]

Basically, the training that 243 and sir Huck-A-Lot described is referred to as "interval training." Do a Google search using the words "interval training" and "cycling", there is plenty of information out there.

However, it is recommended to have a good aerobic base before doing intervals. If you do intervals properly, you will be completely spent and drained in less than an hour. Your legs should be like jello after a good interval session. Intervals can lead to significant fitness gains as long as you have a good aerobic basis and allot proper recovery.

The bike you use doesn't matter, as long as you have the gearing or uphill grade to make it a hard effort.

Good luck.

[Broken Fusion!]

I'll look at this interval training you speak of, it sounds like a good idea.
What exactly is proper recovery?

I have to climb up with a 36 tooth chainring in the front, and my easiest 3 gears don't work on my bike, so I think it'll be pretty tough.

[sanrensho]

Originally posted by Broken Fusion!
I'll look at this interval training you speak of, it sounds like a good idea.
What exactly is proper recovery?

I have to climb up with a 36 tooth chainring in the front, and my easiest 3 gears don't work on my bike, so I think it'll be pretty tough.

Proper recovery meaning that you take it very easy the next day and just spin to push the lactate acid (soreness) out of your legs. You have to give your leg muscles enough time to recover in order to become stronger.

The basic concept of interval training works like this: you pedal to exhaustion for x minutes (say 2 minutes) in a hard gear, then shift down and soft pedal for 2 minutes to recover. Then you repeat this over and over again until your legs end up feeling like jello. You will literally be wobbly after an hour of this (including 10 minutes of warm-up and cooldown, which is very important). At first, you won't be able to do many sets, but you increase them as you build power.

If you don't have a good aerobic base, your lungs will give out before your legs do. That's why you need a good aerobic base to get the most out of interval training. Which means lots of riding at a sustained, moderately elevated heart rate.

BTW, it's all about effort so sprinting all out in a big gear on a flat road would have the same effect. The uphill just increases the effort level.:D

[sanrensho]

double post

[blinded]

Originally posted by Broken Fusion!
I'll look at this interval training you speak of, it sounds like a good idea.
What exactly is proper recovery?

I have to climb up with a 36 tooth chainring in the front, and my easiest 3 gears don't work on my bike, so I think it'll be pretty tough.

dont mash on your hard gears uphill. it can really mess up your knees. its better for you to be spinning constantly than mashing uphill one pedal stroke at a time.

[sanrensho]

Originally posted by blinded
dont mash on your hard gears uphill. it can really mess up your knees. its better for you to be spinning constantly than mashing uphill one pedal stroke at a time.

You're absolutely right for sustained climbing.

However, sprinting up a short hill in a big gear (as in interval training) is a good way to build power, assuming that you are already a fit rider. In other words, only mash big gears on a climb for a specific power workout. And absolutely stop if you feel pain in your knees.

I believe that biking fiend was specifically talking within the context of interval training.

[Broken Fusion!]

Originally posted by sanrensho
I believe that biking fiend was specifically talking within the context of interval training.
I think you might mean me? :)
When I did XC I would normally climb the whole hill in the 2nd ring up front... is that bad for my knees?

[JSinclair]

Your first season will be spent learning courses and learning how to prepare for each and what gear and set up will be required. You will be enterering in "Sport" class where the competition is not as tight as Expert or Pro. Don't kid yourself though, there are lots of fast guys that race in Sport...The margins are not as tight however.

The biggest thing you will find is fitness. Pedal through everything. Get clips (SPD's) although some will tell you that flats are just as good...they're not. In most cases SPD's will allow you to pedal through sections that your flats would have you bouncing off your pedals in. The only time to go to flats would be on a course that has traction problems (ie mud) or on something so technical that you think you will be dabbing your feet down quite a bit...even then when you get used to the clips you should be ok. Winners Pedal. Pedal. Pedal. Pedal in the rough stuff. Pedal in the steep stuff. Pedal in the flats. Shit Pedal in the air. Pedal.

This being said after fitness comes bike handleing skills. In most cases almost everyone can get through a DH course, but can they do it flat out ? Things change with speed. Races are not won in the open sections. Everyone can pin it out in the open. Races are won in the technical sections. Make sure you are comfortable pinning it through tight burly terrain. There are jumps as well so you should be comfy jumping your bike and clearing doubles.

You will need to work on Course memory as well. Being able to ride a course a handfull of times and remembering which lines you want to take is something to be learned. You can go as fast as lightning but if you have no idea what is coming around the corner...you won't be fast.

Preparation is a big part. Both for you physically and your bike. Your bike should be race ready and you should have spares on the parts you go through the most. You can be lightning but if you mechanical (Like a flat) ... no love.

This is my first season, and I have a ton of fun going out and competing. Racing is EXPENSIVE. Bike, gear, Travel, Accomidation, Entry fees, Food all adds up.

Biggest time killer is crashing. Ride within your ability and learn how to get faster in stages. Going all out and pinning it through something you can't ride is both Dumb and slow. Crashing will cost you a minimum of 20 seconds, if not your season.

4X is even morre intense. Find a local BMX track and practice all winter on bike skills. Bunny hopping, manualing etc. Keep the air to a minimum in the 4X and you'll do well.

hope that helps.

[Zaskar]

anyone can say they're fast at whistler. try and time yourself coming down trails on the shore and just cook it. its all the roots and ruts and technical corners that are going to seperate riders in a race. if you can turn the heaters on in these sections you've got an advantage and even if the guy behind you or in front of you cna out pedal you on the flats you've gained time through the tech to comphensate. this is assuming you're pedalling your ass off the whole way down.

frankly, i've done a few races (on the HT :).) and they are just too blingen for my pinner income. i would rather get out and just ride.

[Broken Fusion!]

Thanks for all the help everyone, much appreciated :)

My friend is going to help me out with the training part as far as physical stuff goes, he's pro at that.

Cheers!

[sAFETY]

Jay pretty much summed it up. I'm in my first season as well (2 races and counting) and I think what really helped me is doing other types of races. Just being used to getting prepared mentally, physically, and logistically (gettin' your gear together and making it to the race on time) for any kind of race really helps.

And trust me, even in the sport cat the times can be pretty close as well :D

[Alexey]

ive been in one race.. and its sick... great fun fo sho

[sanrensho]

Originally posted by Broken Fusion!
I think you might mean me? :)
When I did XC I would normally climb the whole hill in the 2nd ring up front... is that bad for my knees?

Oops, sorry about that.

It's hard to make generalizations, but climbing in a bigger gear will build power in your legs, while spinning in a smaller gear will build up your aerobic capacity (lungs). There is more potential for damaging your knees if you mash big gears. At the same time, pedaling for anything more than short periods of time with your seat too low is also a good way to kill your knees.

[bullit_kid]

this is my first season racing and it is seriosuly so much fun, like spending the whole weekend with friends just hanging out, bragging and making taunts to each other the day before the race, watching each other, comparing times, poking fun at people, making up excuses on why you didnt beat your friend.

Like Jay said, the most important part of DH racing IMO is being able to know how to control each situation your going to be in, each run is NEVER going to going to perfect ever. Each run is never going to be the same as the last. There will always be someone who is faster, unless your Mike Jones. Being able to control the situation your in whether it has begun to rain or you caught felix ahead of you.

Bike control is the biggest part of this. The course is always changing. Throughout the day, if you later in the day the lighting in the woods sucks. If your in u15 sport you will always have the best course and best lighting unless there is some freaky weather.

SPD's are they way to go unless your nathan rennie or kovarik, but there just crazy. If your begining downhiller SPD's are the way to go, a set like the shimano m646 or the time atac Z's are good, the times are the best because they give your feet more freedom before unclipping. Better for your knees. Another thing is you need to learn how to control your feet, you gotta be able to get your feet into the pedals without even thinking about it. And out is just as important. If you hoping over the handle bars in a slow speed endo, with flats you can just hop over the bars and get back on, with clips your gonna have to think about it. At nationals training. I thought i was so fucked. I went into a slow speed endo on a rooty section, but without even thinking about it i unclipped and hopped the bars, if i gone over i would prolly have a broken collerbone or ribs. Then you should be able to clip back in and put the hammer down as if you were wearing flats. The easiest way to make clips feel like flats, is to wear them everywhere, jumping, shuttling, riding shore is the best because you clip out so often. I dont even notice the clips anymore, so i now have my flats back on most of the time.

Being able to correct yourself when your about to fall is another major example. If your sketching on a loose turn your gonna have to be confident with your bikes ability to corner and brake. Your also going have to be confident in your abilities to use these bike abilities to there full potential.

The mental game is another thing you need to get over, you need to be totally calm on your runs. I have been known to say hello to my friends who are on the sidelines. When im at the top i just sorta sit there and i review the parts of the course where im confused, where i need to put most of my focus to.

Also a 40 tooth chainring is perfect for bc cup races. Anything bigger is a little to hard to push unless your at the nationals where i wanted at least a 44 :(

Registration is also something people forget about, register online at least 2 weeks before the races, it saves you huge line ups on race day when checking in. You just zip through the pre-reg line up. IF your serious make sure you buy a licence !

sAFETY whats is your real name ? I think i know who you are, i think i have seen you at the races.

hey jay, you coming to anymore races this year ?

[Burnsie]

Yoga.:)

[sAFETY]

name's bRETT, I'm one of the many guys on a Demon this year.

[bullit_kid]

Originally posted by sAFETY
name's bRETT, I'm one of the many guys on a Demon this year.

yeah,

there are a lot of guys on demons, i fancy them. They look fast !

yes cam, the bikes, get your mind out of the gutter :|

[Zaskar]

Originally posted by bullit_kid
yeah,

there are a lot of guys on demons, i fancy them. They look fast !

yeah?
now what do you think about the bikes :lol: