[mobius]

Well I pretty much decided tonight that even though XC isn't my favorite form of MTBing i'd like to race next fall for my college(George Mason University). I wanna be a serious competitor so pretty much any tips on training through spring and summer. I love trail riding and freeriding alot but definetely will put out miles on the XC trails if i have to, to be able to ride good next fall.

Thanks.
Andrew

 

[Westy]

If this is your first year racing the best thing you could do is just ride a lot and make sure to enjoy yourself. Make sure to get plenty of rides in that will be as long or longer than your races and put in some hard race efforts on occasion. It takes time to build up endurance the max power required but be patient and don't burn yourself out.

 

[DßR]

just ride with people who are faster than you, it helps a lot....

 

[mobius]

Originally posted by DßR
just ride with people who are faster than you, it helps a lot....

So dan when are we going XCing?

 

[DßR]

Originally posted by mobius
So dan when are we going XCing?

whenever you want, racerboy, when are you going to come out for some rides? I'm in pretty bad shape myself these days but this spring, the plan is to change that. The last couple of races/rides I've done, I've noticed that basically, I'm a fat load who can't pedal uphill to save his life.

 

[mobius]

Originally posted by DßR
whenever you want, racerboy, when are you going to come out for some rides? I'm in pretty bad shape myself these days but this spring, the plan is to change that. The last couple of races/rides I've done, I've noticed that basically, I'm a fat load who can't pedal uphill to save his life.

I'm heading home to richmond on saturday to ride urban with some peoples. Where you living neway still at W&M? Whenever i see anything about rides now im most likely in.

 

[Echo]

I've found that when I ride trail, I'm having fun and sometimes forget to train. Plus if you're with other people, there are mechanicals, bullsh!tting, etc to distract you from really getting a good workout.

The best workouts I get, unfortunately, are on rollers or road rides. Rollers are about the most boring thing on the planet, and IMO road rides are dangerous. But that's what I do when I'm training...

 

[ChrisNJ]

I agree w/ echo, road riding is one of the best forms of training. I would think w/ collegiate racing, you are going to be doing some good amount of miles, so building up endurance through road riding is going to give you a huge advantage on those last few miles when the other guys who just train in the woods are struggling. Otherwise, just work on some technical stuff on your xc rig.

 

[Westy]

Riding road and riding trainers will give you a great workout and get you in good shape. But IMHO most XC racers put don't pay enough attention too the other 50% of racing that is not fittness. Learning how to take a off camber switchback as fast as possible or climing up a technical hill while exhausted are just as important as fitness. Mental fitness is just as important as physical fitness. Learning to deal with the conditions as well as mechanicals in an race environment will make you a better racer. I think training off the trails should only be done if conditions or time prevent you from riding on dirt. I can beat people who are more fit than I am because I know dirt better than they do.

 

[Shredder]

I concur with the people that recommend road training. once you have a good technical skill base, maintain it with a ride or so per week, but do you're endurance/strength training on the road. you will notice the difference.

 

[Ian F]

Ride and ride a lot. When starting out racing XC, any specific training methods are all well and good, but for most part, you get good at racing by simply racing as often as you can. There is very little you can do to truely prepare you for the lung bursting, leg burning experience of a XC race. And if your legs aren't burning and your lungs aren't trying to exit through your throat, you're not racing hard enough.

I'm not sure how far you are from DC, but I know they run a weekly training "race" in one of the parks in VA. There has been a similar "mtb crit" in Philly for over 10 years now and when I do it regularily I see dramatic improvements in my XC racing as well as DH racing.

When not racing, road ride as much as you can. If you can find a good road group to ride with, it will also help. The general idea )mtn or road) is to stop as little as possible and keep your legs and lungs going.

Group mtn bike rides, as mentioned previously, tend to be more "social" with many stops and down-time, which is fine. Treat them as such. Sort of like a recovery ride.

 

[MikeOK]

As several have already said, you gotta get on the (stinking) road bike. The older I get the more painful I find road biking but to me it's easier if you set up some kind of drill, and it's best to ride with people who are faster than you. If you've done mostly mtb lately most real roadies will be faster than you anyway so that should be no problem. Do ATI's and hill repeats as often as you are able. For me ATI's are the most bearable, especially when you are contending with a headwind. ATI's are almost fun but I'll never admit that in public . Plus do the occasional long ride of 4+ hours. I've found that in my part of the country the sport and up level races are usually dominated by ex-road racers, especially on the easier (less technical) courses.

Good luck...

 

[Ridemonkey]

It's really tough to stick to a rigorous long-term training routine. If you don't love XC, your only going to make your self miserable.

Success starts with passion and dedication.

 

[special O]

this was my second year racing collegiate XC in C's.

My first year I had really not even mtn biked very much before my 1st race. I think my 1st race was the 1st time I used clipless. I did all right 1st year, usually in top 15.

This year I rode alot during the summer, I didn't really have a "training regimen" I just tried to do a 2 hour ride twice a week. This year I got 1st in all the races I didn't have a mechanical or get lost in (sandbagger i know). The key to doing well in beginner XC is training some but I think the most important thing is to be a smart racer. In Mountain bike races you need to stay at the front to be competitive. Its really hard to "catch up" in a mtn bike race (compared to a road race if your in a group). Me and my roommate were about the same level of fitness this season but most of the races I did alot better because I was a much more aggressive rider. My tactic was pretty much try to stay in second place no matter how hard it was, because even if I got dropped you are still in the front of the race. And you can then attack when you feel most comfortable and go for the win.

Some other things to work on that are really helpful -

general downhilling skills. Lots of XC racers at the beginner level have definate confidence problems going downhill. Being able to make time up on downhills is a big advantage. Also if you are a good DH'er you can rest more on the downs than somone who is really tense and scared.

Ride with people who are faster than you. It makes you feel like a slow **** but then when you go ride with your normal crew you will be pleasantly surprised.

Another thing to work on is technical climbing abilities and climbing steep stuff. Cleaning a section and not walking can really help you separate yourself from the less able racers.

Personally, I think racing XC is more fun than racing DH (not that racing DH isnt fun, but being out on the course with other ppl and competing is a blast).

oh ya and drink TONS of water before races, especially if its hot out (like 4 - 6 water bottles worth).


good luck and just keep riding

 

[MtnbikeMike]

Originally posted by Skull
here's something to try. throw some heavy tires on your current rig and some downhill tubes to create some serious rotational weight. now get out there and ride , think of it as resistance riding. do all your training rides on these monsters then switch back to your regular setup just before race season begins and you will be amazed at the power you will have built up , you'll feel like your flying.

I second that. I actually use a rhyno lite wheelset with standard tubes and the heavier(and cheaper) panaracer fire XC pro's while training. For racing, I use Bontrager race disc wheels, torelli tubes, hutchinson python tires. I'm gonna convert the wheels to tubeless with stan's though.

 

[Ian F]

Originally posted by Skull
here's something to try. throw some heavy tires on your current rig and some downhill tubes to create some serious rotational weight. now get out there and ride , think of it as resistance riding. do all your training rides on these monsters then switch back to your regular setup just before race season begins and you will be amazed at the power you will have built up , you'll feel like your flying.

On a similar note, do "social" rides on a heavier bike. I typically do XC rides with my friends on my Yeti Lawwill, which in XC set-up weighs around 37 lbs. When I hop on my XC-HT, which weighs some 15 lbs less, the climbs seem to fly by.

 

[Heidi]

Originally posted by Shredder
I concur with the people that recommend road training. once you have a good technical skill base, maintain it with a ride or so per week, but do you're endurance/strength training on the road. you will notice the difference.

Yepper!

I do about 70% of my training on the road. You can focus more on intensity and it doesn't beat you up as much. During race season my weekly race keeps my technical skills up.