GET FITTER ON YOUR E-BIKE

WITHOUT EVEN TRYING! Having a motor means you can pick and choose when to go hard and perfectly target your training zones

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Without getting lost in the weeds of training theory, all you really need to achieve a high degree of fitness for mountain biking is to W go really hard fairly regularly, then go relatively easy most of the time. It's called polarised training and it's really effective at inducing the physiological adaptations we're after in order to become much fitter and faster on our bikes.

The problem? It's really hard, if not impossible, to do quality polarised training on an analogue mountain bike as most of your rides, even when actively trying to take it easy, end up being kinda tough. Not tough enough to elicit the peak performance gains we're after, and not easy enough to promote recovery or aerobic base fitness. The end result is your fitness gets lost in no man's land and you fail to make progress. It's why lots of pro riders use other modes of training, like running or road riding, as the terrain doesn't dictate the intensity of the workout to the same degree.

Unfortunately, other training modes mean less time on a mountain bike, so they do nothing for the specific skill development of mountain biking. And this is where the e-bike is invaluable. Go for a big ride on the weekend, where you are forced to use a lower power mode, just to cover the distance, and you'll probably be working really hard, especially if you run out of battery. Then, during the week, you can pop out for a couple of shorter rides using the higher power modes, which, depending on the terrain, can make it surprisingly difficult to get your heart rate elevated at all. It's why e-bike riders need to wear warmer clothes.