Tips for Getting & Staying Fit for Mountain Biking [Podcast #114]

We'll cover the basics for getting started, how to increase distance and speed, nutrition, and more.

By Jeff Barber
July 31, 2017 Last Updated: January 26, 2022

4 comments

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In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, we’ll be sharing tips for getting and staying in shape for mountain biking. We’ll cover the basics for getting started, how to increase distance and speed, nutrition, and more. Finally, we’ll talk about methods for maintaining mountain bike fitness and how to avoid over training syndrome.

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4 Comments

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mongwolf Mongolia // 2011
Jul 31, 2017

Interesting podcast. Nice to hear the different insights and perspectives. This is my fourth year riding in earnest. The first year I only rode 300+ miles, but it was a start. Being 50 years old when I started, I've been trying to build up gradually each year. This year I'm on pace to ride about 1500 mi. It didn't take long to learn that one really pays a price for a winter-long lay off. So this past winter -- from Thanksgiving to 01/31 -- I focused and was able to get in 33 rides because I was in CO and AZ throughout that time. All of the rides were relatively short -- 16 mi or less. Then in February I only rode 4 times because I was back in Mongolia. It was just too cold to ride most days, and again all the rides were short. Then came March, and WOW, what a huge difference those winter rides made for starting the new riding season. I had little loss of conditioning, and it really bolstered my efforts this year. Plus, it made the early season riding much more pleasurable. If possible, I do not think I'll ever take off a winter again. Plus, I find that each year I usually get some significant unscheduled rest and recovery time due to bike maintenance and family matters -- a good week or two here and there. So for now, I'm planning to ride year round and letting my recovery times be unscheduled or due to other obligations. Not being a racer, that seems it might work for me. Thanks for the podcast and all the podcasts.

1 reply

voghan Minnesota // 2014
Jul 31, 2017

I'm using TrainerRoad for my organized training and then I leave my outdoors rides for enjoyment. During the winter here I'm on the trainer 4-5 times a week but now in the summer I ride the trainer twice a week and outside 2-3 times a week. I'll take a few weeks off the trainer in August and then again in October/November to recover before I pick up again in December.

0 reply

Maybe the top quote of the year ... ... "Staying away from strange bars is a good life tip." Jeff Barber. Hilarious.

mongwolf Mongolia // 2011
Aug 1, 2017

When I started riding four years ago, I was coming from a distance running background. I was immediately confronted with the challenge of weakness in the bike specific muscles. For me, it was the gluteus minimus and gluteus medius muscles. I think all the running over the years had shaved those muscles down to bare minimums. Any time I would seek to add distance to my rides, I would end up getting a strong fatigued feeling in those two muscles. And each new riding year, those two muscles would scream at me for the first month or so. I seem to be past the issue now, but as you all eluded to in the podcast, all of us are different and have different weakness we have to confront in our conditioning.

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