Downhill Mountain Biking & Training

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

i’m curious if anyone is into downhill mountain biking.

i think downhilling is more of a strength sport than any other riding (except maybe trials, see below). you have short runs going fast on a heavy bike, spaced with lift/shuttle rides back to the top.

a lot of supporting muscle mass will help absorb impact from:
1 hitting a large drop
2 overshooting a jump/drop
3 generally eating shit (like hitting trees, landing on your face, bouncing off rocks, etc)
4 generally riding hard. especially if you ride a hardtail.

i think lots of strength will also help maneuver the bike on the rough stuff. also i’ve heard some people have grip issues after a day of hard riding.

really i just want an excuse to talk downhilling and lifting at the same time. there must be a few of you out there?

or maybe trials riding? hahaha that’s even more unlikely. but that’s another biking hobby that definitely could benefit from some extra muscle. you need flexibility, especially in the hips and legs. many trials moves are explosive and basically amount to jumping/leveraging yourself with the bike.

2

I use DH as training for Boardercross comps in the winter. I usually do some XC on alternate weeks. I know my ability to go fast over sketchy lines or pump through the rollers and over hits has improved due to weight training. Increased body weight has its advantages in gravity sports too - the more muscle I can build up means I’ve got more rolling potential (speed).

I think improving my max lifts in DL’s and squats directly translates to the the explosive strength used in DH riding. Though I wouldn’t classify DH as a ‘strength sport’.

3

I do alot of DH , heres my ride :smiley: Scott high octane version 3 at My driveway in Dublin, Ireland - photo by gavinoconnell - Pinkbike

I dont really know if strength from training has helped my riding though. I really notice increases in skill from just getting out and riding

4

i ride a hardtail since my stinky cracked at the headtube, and i think that requires some diesel legs to absorb all the rough stuff. sadly i haven’t ridden yet this season on a mountain, but i think the time is soon.

i guess squats and dead just help everything.

here’s mine: http://bustedspoke.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=43942&p=403508#p403508

and is that an adjustable ht angle on the high octane? interesting.

5

tis adjustable indeed, got her recently. I used to have a specialised P2, im a hardtail man at heart. I do notice slightly more bike control and i obviously notice the squats helping the uphill cycling,but id never go into the gym and while squatting say, this is gonna help me with that road gap, etc etc.

6

[quote]rawr-the-dog wrote:
tis adjustable indeed, got her recently. I used to have a specialised P2, im a hardtail man at heart. I do notice slightly more bike control and i obviously notice the squats helping the uphill cycling,but id never go into the gym and while squatting say, this is gonna help me with that road gap, etc etc.[/quote]

ahhh, but maybe you should… hahaha

the extra meat on the inner thighs may save you from nutting yourself on the top tube or seat! jesus i know i’ve saved myself a lot of pain that way: feet blow off the pedals and you hit something hard and then just clench the cheeks and pray. lol.

where do you usually ride?

7

well im from ireland mate :D, wouldnt be riding any where near You.