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Stationary Training for Downhill.

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Iridemtb

Turbo Monkey
Feb 2, 2007
1,497
-1
So I decided to pick up a road bike trainer. I borrowed a set of rollers from a friend, and I also have a stationary trainer.

So far, I am just using the rollers for 10 minutes, just warming up. Then I alternate in sprinting and just pedaling lightly (intervals). Then towards the end I will do about one 20 minute rep at about 70% power just so that my power just starts fading at the end. Then I recover for about 5 minutes and do a few more sprints. Last I just cool down. So I ride about an hour total on that trainer.

So, I want to become faster next season, and don't want my fitness being a stumbling block like it was last season. I need to get faster at sprinting, and need a little more endurance. Endurance meaning legs not being tired after race runs (or even halfway into them like last year!).

So what do you guys do if you have trainers? Any small agendas or schedules you can show me? What about recovery, how long should I wait?

I am doing this specifically for downhill racing.

Thank you for your help!

Edit: Aerobic increase is important too. But I figured if I continue to train, that will just come along by itself.
 
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LMC

Monkey
Dec 10, 2006
683
1
do you have free motion rollers like this? good for if you really want to get out of the saddle and crank.


im getting a set of rollers too and will be doing a home made free motion conversion on them.

as regards your training i would personaly suggest warming up - intervals - cooling down and leaving the 70% effort for active recovery the day after. I would also suggest cycling hard interval training, have a back off week every 4 weeks or so where you cut the work load or intensity in half. Intervals are draining on the nervous system.
 
I

Iridemtb

Turbo Monkey
Feb 2, 2007
1,497
-1
I have just plain old stationary rollers. I learned the hard way that I can't sprint on them. I can stay on them fine side to side, and I adjusted it correctly, however once I start sprinting my bike goes off the rollers. I did this clipped in and my hands almost went through a window, but I grabbed the window frame, haha, I felt retarded.

I don't want to mod the rollers either because I am borrowing them from a friend, however the stationary trainer is mine.

Anyways, so you suggest only doing intervals for like a few weeks then? And then take like a week off hard intervals to recover?

On another note, I thought RM had true race boy fans. No one else has any input on training? Anything would be helpful guys.
 
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EVIL JN

Monkey
Jul 24, 2009
491
24
Just remember that the more fit you get the harder you are going to push and there by getting almost equally tired but have gone faster. I would say that keep doing the intervalls as instructed (if it were me i would mix it up with some running intervalls) and then add some proper quad work outs. If you dont know any good excercises shoot me pm and i try to explain some good routines. I have been alpine skiing all my life and just finished three years at an alpine sking shcool so i have got quite alot of experience in training.
 
Killerbarbies

Killerbarbies

Monkey
Sep 29, 2004
178
0
Slovakia
I prefer this - http://www.insportline.eu/539/insportline-atlanta-elliptical to a stationery bike as its movement is closer to that of a DH bike because you are standing up the whole time. The radius of the movement is 170mm and I have 165mm cranks so that also gives me training very close to what I have on my bike. As the blurb says there are 16 resistance levels and 12 preset programs so you choose what type of intensity to go for.
 
John P.

John P.

Turbo Monkey
Sep 24, 2001
1,170
0
Golden, CO
James Wilson has some SICK interval workouts designed specifically for DH racing. Check out his site at bikejames.com - he's been training a bunch of pros for a while now, and I think he's working with the Yeti team this year?

Anyway, having worked through his programs for 3 offseasons now, one thing I've learned is that there is no good substitute for doing your cardio work via actual rides on your DH bike -- NOT on a stationary trainer. If you're snowed/iced in, do your best with rollers/trainers/stationary bikes for now, but as soon as possbile, you need to be out doing real sprints on your bike - even if it's on pavement.

What you'll find is that doing actual sprints on a real bike in real conditions is IMMENSELY more physical than any form of stationary riding. You use a lot of different muscles, and you ride completely differently when you're not constrained by rollers/a trainer and you're really trying to lay the power down.

I learned these lessons the hard way - I spent months indoors doing a very structured program of sprints and intervals, and thought I was in great shape. My first ride outdoors was an incredibly rude awakening - I was gassed in no time and realized I should've been outdoors the whole time.

Best of luck in your training,

-John P.
 
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LMC

Monkey
Dec 10, 2006
683
1
John P. said:
James Wilson has some SICK interval workouts designed specifically for DH racing. Check out his site at bikejames.com - he's been training a bunch of pros for a while now, and I think he's working with the Yeti team this year?

Anyway, having worked through his programs for 3 offseasons now, one thing I've learned is that there is no good substitute for doing your cardio work via actual rides on your DH bike -- NOT on a stationary trainer. If you're snowed/iced in, do your best with rollers/trainers/stationary bikes for now, but as soon as possbile, you need to be out doing real sprints on your bike - even if it's on pavement.

What you'll find is that doing actual sprints on a real bike in real conditions is IMMENSELY more physical than any form of stationary riding. You use a lot of different muscles, and you ride completely differently when you're not constrained by rollers/a trainer and you're really trying to lay the power down.

I learned these lessons the hard way - I spent months indoors doing a very structured program of sprints and intervals, and thought I was in great shape. My first ride outdoors was an incredibly rude awakening - I was gassed in no time and realized I should've been outdoors the whole time.

Best of luck in your training,

-John P.
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when you say gassed, do you mean through lactic acid in your legs or arms or that your aerobic fitness was not as you had hoped?

I plan to sprint on the bike indoors on mondays and perhaps wednesdays then at the weekend hit a short DH course or the bmx track for sprint training over the winter months.
 
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LMC

Monkey
Dec 10, 2006
683
1
nelsonjm said:
I've wanted to make these for a while. Are there any good DIY plans? I wonder where you could source the rollers.
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ill be buying a regular set of rollers off ebay, then getting those plastic rollers you see in the video above from vxb.com then maye a MDF frame to mount it all on and finally bungee cords so my rollers dont slide off the MDF frame
 
John P.

John P.

Turbo Monkey
Sep 24, 2001
1,170
0
Golden, CO
LMC said:
when you say gassed, do you mean through lactic acid in your legs or arms or that your aerobic fitness was not as you had hoped?
Click to expand...
Yes.

Basically all of the above. I was really shocked at how little the months of indoor training affected my ability to sprint on an actual bike outdoors (on the street or the trail). Save yourself a ton of time and start doing your cardio sprints outdoors from the get-go.
 
L

LMC

Monkey
Dec 10, 2006
683
1
John P. said:
Yes.

Basically all of the above. I was really shocked at how little the months of indoor training affected my ability to sprint on an actual bike outdoors (on the street or the trail). Save yourself a ton of time and start doing your cardio sprints outdoors from the get-go.
Click to expand...
i will, thanks for the heads up :thumb:
 
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ebarker9

Monkey
Oct 2, 2007
879
258
Seems like the best solution would be something along the lines of a Kurt Kinetic Rock and Roll trainer so that you can do standing sprints effectively. Otherwise, I'm not surprised that seated intervals don't translate well to the needs of DH riders.
 
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