MTB
There are a lot of things our road riding friends get right. If you want to improve your MTB skills, these are a few lessons we can learn from the roadies.
The relationship between road cycling and mountain biking is a little bit like the relationship between two twin siblings.
They may try and look as different from one another as possible, develop their own languages, find different inspirations and look at the world in different ways. However, they still came from the same place, they still share a lot of similarities, and as tough as it might be for the disciples of each to hear, we reckon they can actually learn a fair bit from one another.
Here are a few things offroad riders could perhaps borrow from road cycling...
1. Eating and drinking properly can make a big impact on your riding
OK. This one might seem particularly farfetched for some mountain bikers, but a good diet can not only help you feel fresher in the mornings, it can improve your riding too. A big part of mountain biking for many folk is the pint and the pie afterwards at the pub, and rightly so. That’s fine if you’re a social rider, or if that’s just how you do your thing. Keep at it.
If you’re going to be really serious about your riding though, and be at your best each time, you should probably eat a bit better. It may surprise some to learn that a hangover is not actually conducive to furthering your mountain bike skills.
A lot of middle-level roadies even go all out on this stuff – recovery shakes, meal plans and all. You don’t necessarily have to follow that same programme. But eat and drink better and your legs and head will be fresher for your next ride, thus, you’ll probably enjoy it more.
2. Use Strava to map your rides
Do you really need to know how fast you’ve gone on a leisure ride? Perhaps not, but Strava can be used for so much more than that.
In particular, it’s great for mountain bikers looking to map their rides out. If you often ride the same hills but are trying out different routes, it’s a great tracker of what you tried, how long it took you (for future time planning), and helps you remember what your favourite parts were. You can plan other routes accordingly and mix and match different routes if they overlap. You can also find new routes from other users.
If you are training and looking to improve, it’s an obvious way to keep track of progress too. You’ll probably find you ride a bit harder, stronger and longer when you’ve got it turned on.
3. Clipping in is not just for roadies
Riding with clipless pedals is becoming more and more common in mountain biking, but whereas in road cycling they’re pretty much omnipresent, offroad this isn’t the case, and some people even get a bit squirmy if you bring it up.
It’s not too hard to find an “I’m slightly scared I won’t be able to unclip and I’ll look silly” look in the eyes of a rider. “I’ve just always ridden flats”, they'll say, but while flats have plenty of benefits, and are definitely better for beginners, it’s well worth at least trying out clipless riding to see if you do prefer the benefits it brings out on the hills.
You get more power return for your pedal strokes when you clip in, and you know your foot will stay on the pedal even if it’s slippy too. Which might just help keep the rest of you on the bike when it’s wet and windy.
4. Going uphill can actually be fun
Seasoned road cyclists love going uphill, and not just so that they can get to the downhill, either. Go on, ask them about it, they’ll confirm it.
There’s a huge sense of accomplishment in reaching the peak of a mountain on two wheels, and as a by-product, there can be a lot of pleasure to be taken in the pain that goes through your legs as you’re doing so. Remember what you’re accomplishing, where you are and the journey that you’re on, and you'll enjoy the ups just as much as the downs.
Or you can get an e-Bike, or just keep moaning through every climb. Your choice.
5. Set yourself targets
A lot of road cyclists focus pretty heavy on the whole fitness side of things, or on upping their speed every time they’re out riding. They set goals and monitor their progress in order to do this. It’s a great way of making sure that you’re going in the direction you want to be going in if you’re consciously trying to improve on your bike, rather than just riding for fun.
In mountain biking terms, you can do this in a bunch of different ways. You could set yourself a target of riding on a certain amount of days in a month or a certain distance each week, or set yourself the goal of learning how to jump and slowly build towards it.
Setting a goal is incredibly simple, it doesn’t have to be fitness or speed related, and it’s a sure-fire way to guilt trip yourself into riding more than you normally would.
6. Take less stuff with you when you go riding
Do you really need that bag when you go mountain biking? Wouldn’t you rather ride without a bag? Road cyclists are pretty good at that. When was the last time you saw a road warrior wearing a big backpack?
Of course, this is partly because they’re terrified of the word “grams”. They’ll do anything to shed weight and add speed, but lightening the load isn’t such a bad idea for mountain biking, either. It’s a bit more comfy. And if the roadies can ride 150km without a pack, there’s a good chance you can probably do your forest route without one too.
Think about it. You need certain gear, for sure, but there are few essentials that you can’t stuff into the pockets of purpose-built riding jerseys and waterproofs. You can even stick a tenner or so into the handlebars of your bike to free up a bit of room instead of bringing a wallet. Get creative. Free yourself up when you ride.
7. Shave your legs!
OK, this one's a bit of fun. We don't really recommend removing leg hair even if you do want to *ahem* shave off those milliseconds.
Seriously though, at the end of the day, if there’s something you’re comfortable doing or that makes you happy when you’re riding, whatever it is (within the realms of reason and the law) then go for it. Ride your mountain bike and be happy doing it.
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