Mountain Bike Training Thread

[Ashy Larry]

As she sits now, not too Dern shabby. I’m still getting used to the bar length and added leverage (overturning at times) but as far as the new fork and how the bike handles now...night and day. I was getting hand numbness real bad especially in Rooty areas. Rode about 7 miles today on a technical trail with rock gardens and plenty of roots and had zero hand issues. Pretty happy at the moment. Disc wheel set and dropper post and I won’t be bike shopping for a long time.

 

[Poser]

Drive by scouting yesterday. -rode that drainage down and group of bulls were bugling their heads off in that timber the entire 45 minutes. Saw a moose, a bear and quite a few mulies over the course of the day.

 

[Phaseolus]

Ashy, once you have a ‘base’ level of fitness built up add in interval training. By intervals I mean when you get to a medium hill hammer it to the top or to exhaustion then keep going at your base pace. Hit as many intervals as you can. You will find your level of fitness will increase pretty fast once you have a base level and add interval training.

 

[Phaseolus]

I love my Santa Cruz 5010cc V2 with carbon wheels and a MRP Stage front Fork

 

[Ashy Larry]

That sounds like a good plan, especially on familiar local trails I ride a lot. One of those trails for me is real popular and pretty fast/smooth so I use it as a benchmark for how I’m progressing. April it took me 44.5 minutes to finish the loop. I did it in 35.5 on Tuesday. I wanna try the intervals for a couple weeks and then try to beat my time again.

 

[Ashy Larry]

Ashy, once you have a ‘base’ level of fitness built up add in interval training. By intervals I mean when you get to a medium hill hammer it to the top or to exhaustion then keep going at your base pace. Hit as many intervals as you can. You will find your level of fitness will increase pretty fast once you have a base level and add interval training.

I tried this today on a ~6 mile techy trail. See a small climb whether it was 3 seconds or 15 just hammered up it at a hard pace and then try to coast a little and resume normal pace. Really jello’d my leggo. Does this interval program increase endurance or power overall? Just curious. I’ve started adding in 1 or 2 trail runs a week just for balance.

 

[Phaseolus]

Intervals will increase both strength and endurance. Keep it up and you will see a difference.

 

[Poser]

I did another segment of the Co Trail on Saturday. Segment 28: Kennebec Pass to Durango. 24 miles, 2,000 feet of climbing and 6,500 feet of downhill. That was the “easiest” section that I’ve done so far, but even though it’s a lot of downhill, it’s a lot of super technical, big drops, and tire puncturing rock gardens that make for a very physical day. Hike a bike wasn’t near as bad as the other segments I’ve done so far, but it definitely involves some.

Here’s a pic from Segment 8 from last weekend. This was Breckenridge to Leadville for a pretty good amount of time above treeline. Good bit of hike a bike and some pretty serious downhill, too.

 

[Ashy Larry]

That looks super fun. I miss the Leadville Saloon and caddis on the Arkansas.

 

[Lawnboi]

I'm pretty jealous poser, looks like a lot of fun. It's been several years since I took a trip west with mountain biking in mind, really miss the above timber stuff. May have to make another trip in the coming years.

 

[Poser]

I'm pretty jealous poser, looks like a lot of fun. It's been several years since I took a trip west with mountain biking in mind, really miss the above timber stuff. May have to make another trip in the coming years.

Oh man.... alpine riding is so much fun. It’s a big effort (4 am alarm clocks) and long hard days with the stress of storms and often includes soul crushing hike-a-bikes, but to cover the kind of mileage that you can on a bike in that setting is sometimes mind binding. And then there’s the descents.... I won’t say it’s quite as much fun as big mountain snowboarding/skiing, but it sure comes close.

 

[Lawnboi]

Oh man.... alpine riding is so much fun. It’s a big effort (4 am alarm clocks) and long hard days with the stress of storms and often includes soul crushing hike-a-bikes, but to cover the kind of mileage that you can on a bike in that setting is sometimes mind binding. And then there’s the descents.... I won’t say it’s quite as much fun as big mountain snowboarding/skiing, but it sure comes close.

Some of my closest encounters with serious injury came from riding trails similar, nothing like flying by aspen trees at 30mph on a bike.


Anyways I got another ride in today, we don't have the big ups and downs you guys do out west, but I'm lucky to live in a semi vertices area, though the hills are punchy and small, makes the trail feel like it's all up. Ran around a local race loop, 8 miles and 800 feet of climbing rocky, rooty trail.

I also finally broke down and bought a bike rack, no more jamming the bike in the back, thanks Yakima and Leo adv.

 

[Poser]

Segment 25 of the CO Trail: Molas Pass to Cascade Canyon. About 30 miles of riding/Hike a Bike, 3500 feet of climbing and 7,000 feet of downhill. Hail storm, a little blood shed and puncture wound.

 

[Poser]

 

[Ashy Larry]

After my 5th tube of the year (and a couple that weren’t salvageable) and a total of around 10 flats, I’ve got some tubeless compatible wheels and a new set of tires on the way. Gonna switch the drivetrain from 3x8 to 1x9 I’m robbing from a cracked frame bike I bought and also switching out the antiquated rim brakes for hydraulic discs. Doing all this on the relative cheap (compared to buying a similarly optioned new bike).

Still riding a bunch, upping the intervals and really pushing the heart rate. I’ve started using those NUUN electrolyte tablets pre or post ride since the humidity has been absolutely life-sucking. Those things are great if you haven’t tried them.

 

[Poser]

Rain, Hail and Mud up on the Continental Divide

 

[Ashy Larry]

Got my plus tires, my tubeless rims, and bastardized an old bike for brakes and running gear. Just as I was gonna upfit the Gary fisher hardtail, a 2010 epic marathon frame showed up on CL for cheap. It was in really good shape, brand new fox shock and headset plus the dude took an even lower offer since not many folks are still on 26s.

Had to get new cranks and B.B. so just went with a dedicated 1x front. The 2.8 ranger rubbed a little under hard cornering so I put a 2.35 on the back and on the 30mm rims it’s not much smaller than the 2.8 front.

Bike rides and handles awesome. I did 10.5 miles today and set 4 PRs on strava.

 

[Lawnboi]

Looks good man. Really makes a difference when you ride it and figure out the parts that suit you.

I was out hunting Colorado this past week. Stayed at a hotel in Salida to resupply, had a real hard time not renting a bike and hitting the crest and some of the trails in town there.

 

[Ashy Larry]

Took a while off since around October BECAUSE IT NEVER STOPPED RAINING! Did a gravel ride in early Jan, rode a muddy trail Saturday but today I got to spread the wings. 13 miles of flow, and it was glorious. Didn’t feel like I lost too much fitness, ass hurts tho.

Bike has changed a little since last posting. It wears a 2.5 minion rear, which grips like sandpaper. I got new rotors and pads and all that works great. Went SRAM NX 11 speed with a sunrace cassette. Really liking that. I do not dig my rear shock, a Fox float. I want to upgrade that, my pedals, and my seat. Ass really hurts.

What y’all got goin on?

 

[InDeep]

I'm going to ride this weekend. I have the same shock . I hate it . I have fuel ex 9 29r. Hoping to upgrade my rear shock this spring.