Inside The Mysterious World Of Training To Be One Of The Fastest Mtb Racers On The Planet

With mountain bike technology across the board having reached such heights by now, bike manufacturers have to look beyond simply putting nice parts on a bike in order for their riders to win races. For the most part nowadays in the elite ranks of mtb racing it really is all about the ‘rider’ versus being all about the bike that the rider is on. The level of training in the elite field has increased over the years, also bringing in speciality coaches dedicated to the demands of mtb. Even looking back 5 years, the understanding of training, both physically and mentally, was much less than it is today. Like technology, this training and race mentality has trickled down into the masses, even the weekend warriors are now training hard for the local series trophy.

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Training as hard as a pro is near impossible as it involves a lot of time to go to the gym, rest adequately, and also ride your bike. Training, however, will not only improve your riding, it is a crucial ingredient for preventing injury, maintaining mental health, and also breaking up riding to avoid burnout. You will be able to brace harder and hit rough sections of trail with more confidence because your body will be able to hold and your eyes and brain will be able to process things much easier at speed. There is no loss to training smart, but, if you train too hard, things can make a hard U-turn. So how do we manage that balance while working a 9-5 job and everyday life?

I have always been curious wondering if a ‘regular Joe’ like myself took on a similar training schedule as a top-level pro racer, given enough time to build up could I effectively train myself to become a World Cup level rider? In this article, I finally set o on the quest to theoretically find an answer to that question. To begin putting the pieces of the puzzle together, TROY BROSNAN