anyone give me advice on riding technique

rp7103

I'm hoping someone can give me advice on training and riding techniques as my hill climbing is very poor, stamina dose not last long, has any one got ideas on training i could do, maybe explain best way ride while out riding :?:

cooldad

Ride more.

YeehaaMcgee

Yep. Ride more.
Then. Ride even more.
Have fun whilst doing it.

jt_intheuk

And when you not riding, read Lee McCormack's book Mastering Mountain Biking Skills. Good base to learn to develop your skills

The Rookie

In terms of stamina, you need to learn to pedal at a near constant effort which is just below your point of tiring, it's like running, sprint and you can't sprint long, jog at the right speed and you can go on forever.

You then learn to use your gears to keep the cranks spinning at the right speed (80-100rpm is right, faster than most people will do naturally which is about 50rpm, but the fatser speed IS less tiring) at that effort and you'll make good progress.

Sitting and 'spinning' up hills is more efficient than standing out the saddle and honking it.

Neal_

http://vimeo.com/41187732

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlzvjcUM4XE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZKhkyoOcdg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSSi7n9RlHc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF5K9V2w6W8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6mKqihL_Xo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdTSuq8s-eA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSqkKtnMM_U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkvWp5ypjg0

felix.london

cooldad wrote:

Ride more.

This ^

Get out on the bike as much as you can. Go out when you don't feel like going out. Push yourself with each ride, whether that's doing a loop faster, climbing higher, descending quicker, cornering faster, jumping bigger etc. Don't just stay in your comfort zone...and expect to crash...a lot.

And yes, the Brian Lopes book Mastering Mountain Biking Skills is very good evening reading with lots of good tips and advice that you can put into practice on the trails the next day.

But basically what he said..."Ride more"

spr wheelie

riding more will strenghten your legs and stanima but doing complimentary exersise like running, swimming or using gym equipment like the rower or cross trainer. will strengthen your stanima also. pretty much any CV exersise and even weights or circut training will benifit.

ive recently done a couple of spinning classes and the way i came out i reckon there definatly a benifit

bennett_346

I've never read a technique book or watched specific training videos.

All my techique is either learned from trial and error over the last 3 years or by picking up certain body positions by watching videos of good riders (not necessarily ones about technique just general ones).

But trial and error is your free friend.

cooldad

bennett_346 wrote:

I've never read a technique book or watched specific training videos.

All my techique is either learned from trial and error over the last 3 years or by picking up certain body positions by watching videos of good riders (not necessarily ones about technique just general ones).

But trial and error is your free friend.

Trial and error works, but hurts.
I'm an expert on the error bit.

paul.skibum

Spinning classes are definitely a good way to increase stamina and sprint ability, I did them for a good few summers and they are excellent and if you get a good instructor can be great fun - the ones I used to go to felt like being out on a club road ride, racing your companions to hill tops and sprint finishes.

Riding more certainly helps but to improve power and stamina trying to find longer less severe routes will allow you to put on milage without burning out and help generate stamina vs shorter rides where you burn out due to long hills/steep climbs.

cooldad

Spinning is sh1t, horrible, nasty and did I mention, sh1t. End of.

97th choice

Spinning is great, it has definitely helped improve my cycling fitness. I've built muscle mass and stamina.

cooldad

You are wrong. Unless the person in front of you is hot. And preferably female.

YeehaaMcgee

97th choice wrote:

Spinning is great, it has definitely helped improve my cycling fitness. I've built muscle mass and stamina.

Just go and ride a real bike. Outside.
The world is a wonderful place, go and play in it.

97th choice

cooldad wrote:

You are wrong. Unless the person in front of you is hot. And preferably female.

They are normally mahoosive, think of it as aversion therapy.

paul.skibum

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

97th choice wrote:

Spinning is great, it has definitely helped improve my cycling fitness. I've built muscle mass and stamina.

Just go and ride a real bike. Outside.
The world is a wonderful place, go and play in it.

If you want to get fitter and perform better then a regimented fitness routine such as a spin class, mixed with riding will get you fitter faster than just tootling away up and down some hills. The lack of structure, limited vox and all that shit means you arent working yourself efficiently just riding about.

Eventualy you might get somewhere but there are quicker ways to the same results.

YeehaaMcgee

Limited vox? What the hell are you on about?
Spinning isn't really applicable to mountain biking. Seriously now, just ride.

cooldad

I think the disagreement comes with some people actually being serious about the whole riding thing.
When I'm riding I want to have fun, when not I prefer to veg out and post random crud here.

The only regimented routine I have is relaxing.

The Rookie

cooldad wrote:

You are wrong. Unless the person in front of you is female. And hot.

FTFY

Spinning is boring, you go nowhere, you don't learn to use your gears and you don't learn anything else about riding, CD is right, it's sh1t UNLESS you can't ride a real bike for some reason (busted arm for exampe) when anything is (just) better than nothing.

Commuting to work is good training on all the above AND you can use the money saved to buy more goodies for the MTB! My commuter is rigged out with MTB finishing kit as well giving me a host of emergency spares like wheels and has the same riding psition as my MTB (as it's flat barred).

YeehaaMcgee

And, spinning isn't something you do much of when mountain biking, unless you're on a fire road. In which case, go find something more interesting to ride!

cooldad

The Beginner wrote:

cooldad wrote:

You are wrong. Unless the person in front of you is female. And hot.

FTFY

Why are you such a homophobe? You probably hate kittens as well.

The Beginner wrote:

CD is right

Obviously. Always.

The Rookie

cooldad wrote:

Why are you such a homophobe? You probably hate kittens as well.

PMSL as a kitten fosterer for Cat's protection charity you blew that simili....

I'm no homophobe (literaly, fear of man) nor as it happens am I anti gay, I just have my own preferances! (not the same As Jimmy Saville's either).

cooldad

The Beginner wrote:

cooldad wrote:

Why are you such a homophobe? You probably hate kittens as well.

PMSL as a kitten fosterer for Cat's protection charity you blew that simili....

I'm no homophobe (literaly, fear of man) nor as it happens am I anti gay, I just have my own preferances! (not the same As Jimmy Saville's either).

You are probably a kitten molester. As Jim discovered, the best form of camouflage...

paul.skibum

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

Limited vox? What the hell are you on about?
Spinning isn't really applicable to mountain biking. Seriously now, just ride.

I dont know all the fitness terms and what not all I know is I have done a whole shed load of spinning classes and they definitely make me a fitted more powerful biker - I ride my mountain bike in day light generally and do my spin classes after dark so I dont really see the two as mutually exclusive.

Its very easy to say ride your bike as a means of getting better/fitter but the fact is that does not work - there is a reason pro bikers do more training than just tootling around some bridleways.

The Rookie

paul.skibum wrote:

I ride my mountain bike in day light generally and do my spin classes after dark so I dont really see the two as mutually exclusive.

Hey man, you not heard of LIGHTS?

YeehaaMcgee

paul.skibum wrote:

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

Limited vox? What the hell are you on about?
Spinning isn't really applicable to mountain biking. Seriously now, just ride.

I dont know all the fitness terms and what not all I know is I have done a whole shed load of spinning classes and they definitely make me a fitted more powerful biker - I ride my mountain bike in day light generally and do my spin classes after dark so I dont really see the two as mutually exclusive.

Its very easy to say ride your bike as a means of getting better/fitter but the fact is that does not work - there is a reason pro bikers do more training than just tootling around some bridleways.

so spinning classes are what make them pro then. I see.
Wonderful.

chez_m356

paul.skibum wrote:

there is a reason pro bikers do more training than just tootling around some bridleways.

its called money

bennett_346

err and the fact they're racing...

chez_m356

bennett_346 wrote:

err and the fact they're racing...

the key word i was referring to was pro, they tend to get well paid for being that good