cross-training on two wheels

Gear Up
Cole Kirkpatrick
Mountain bikers dress for the ride,
just like dirt bikers do, but there’s a
typical minimum standard. It includes:
• Helmet
• Sunglasses
• Bike shorts (spandex or cargo)
• Mountain bike jersey (or your
favorite t-shirt)
• Gloves
• Mountain bike shoes
• Hydration pack
Balance, looking down the trail, body
language—mountain biking reinforces good
habits that pay dividends for dirt bikers.
CROSS-TRAINING
ON TWO WHEELS
Dirt Bikers Use Mountain Biking To Get In Shape And Have Fun
by Heather Wilson
Mountain bike riding has many benefits
for a motorcyclist—cardiovascular, leg
training and even full-body strength.
Gary Semics, a well-known trainer in
the motocross world who’s trained pros
like Jeremy McGrath, Kevin Windham and
Ryan Villopoto, says the great thing about
mountain biking is its versatility. “You can
use mountain biking as a recovery workout
or as a hard, intense workout,” he says.
It’s not always about speed when it
comes to mountain biking. It’s about
working hard at the right times. This taxes
your system and can be used to put
greater demands on your heart.
FMF/KTM Factory Racing team rider
and multi-time AMA National Enduro
Champion Russell Bobbitt is a prolific
mountain biker. Mountain biking is
one tool that he uses to improve his
cardiovascular fitness.
If you’re looking to get the most out
of your workout, Bobbitt says, “a heart
rate monitor is a great way to judge your
exertion level since there are so many
variables when riding, such as wind,
elevation, etc.”
Wondering how to use a heart rate
monitor? Semics says it’s simple. To find
your max heart rate, subtract your age
from 220. Your aim is to get your heart rate
24
AmericanMotorcyclist.com
between 60-65 percent of your max rate
during your workout.
“That’s when you’re burning fat for fuel,”
Semics says.
So, a 25-year-old’s max heart rate
would be 195 (220 - 25). He or she would
want to maintain a heart rate of 117 (195 x
0.6) when working out.
Where To Start
There’s a lot that goes into finding the
right bike and gear, where to ride, and
even how to ride to make sure you’re
getting the full training aspect of riding.
Here are some tips to get started.
Know your terrain/style of riding
Before you buy a bike, you’ll need to
know what type of terrain you plan to
ride. Will you be riding cross-country,
all-mountain, downhill, or freeride? The
sidebar on page 27 defines these styles.
The type of riding you choose will have
a lot to do with the terrain available to you.
If you live in California, mountains may be
accessible. If you live in Indiana, chances
are you’ll be a cross-country rider.
Where to ride
One reason dirt bikers turn to mountain
bikes is accessibility. Mountain bikes are
quiet, don’t require titling or registration
and most trail systems are free and funded
with public money.
Note, however, that we’re not referring
to your local paved or crushed limestone
bike path. True mountain bike trails
resemble tight enduro singletrack, and you
won’t necessarily find them at your local
community park.
To find some suitable trails near you,
check out www.singletracks.com, or
download the SingleTracks app for a map
by state of places to ride. Another great
resource for finding trails in your state is
www.trails.mtbr.com. Finally, don’t forget
to ask at the local bike shop.
On the topic of trails, most dirt bikers
are surprised to learn that mountain bike
trails require significant maintenance. Find
out which group maintains your local trails
and volunteer for a trail day (or kick in a
monetary donation). Also do your part and
avoid riding in muddy conditions. Dried
ruts that a dirt biker wouldn’t even notice
can destroy the so-called “flow” of a nice
mountain bike trail. If you’re unsure of
local trail etiquette, ask a local club.
Time To Shop!
Eric Storz is a former pro trials rider who
now works part time for the bike shop
Niner EMD 9 1-Star
Deore $1499
Art’s
Cyclery
in San Luis
Obispo, Calif.
He has a keen
understanding of the
crossover benefits of mountain biking.
“The best thing you can do is go to
a bike shop,” Storz says. “When I first
started riding, I made the mistake of going
out and buying a mountain bike and not
doing the research. There’s a lot to know
about mountain biking, and your local bike
shop can do more than hook you up with
a bike. They can also hook you up with
people to ride with.”
There’s quite the price range when it
comes to mountain bikes—from $500
to $10,000. That’s why it’s important
to research and understand options in
frames, suspension, drivetrains, wheel
sizes, tires and more.
“You need to consider the kind of
riding you will be doing and your budget,”
says Nick Fahringer, a Factory AirGroup
Husqvarna team rider. “Bicycle types
range more widely than the
motorcycles. Know what
you want to pedal and what
you want out of it. Then
discuss it with your local
cycling shop.”
In general terms, according
to www.ibikeride.com, the suspension
travel, tire width, and brake rotor size
increases and the head tube angle
becomes less steep as you transition from
a cross-county to an enduro to a freeride
to a downhill bike.
A cross-country bike is designed to
keep the rider’s weight in the center of the
bike. A downhill bike will shift the rider’s
weight rearward. The cross-country bikes
are also lighter than a downhill bike.
Although many cross-country bikes
come as hardtails, Bobbitt recommends
full-suspension, because he says it feels
most like a dirt bike. Full suspension does
not necessarily mean “heavy.” Modern fullsuspension bikes can achieve impressive
weight targets, even 25 pounds or less.
Bobbitt says that a good mountain bike
is definitely worth the investment. They
function better and also last a long time.
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“Don’t go get a
cheap bicycle,”
he says.
“Actually, go
talk to your
local bicycle
shop. I ride a
Santa Cruz bike.
It was my first
mountain bike, and
it’s lasted me almost
eight years.”
Today, nearly all types of mountain
bikes come with 26-inch, 27.5-inch or 29inch wheels. The old standard is 26-inch,
but several years ago 29-inch became all
the rage, particularly among cross-country
riders who didn’t need the performance
(or weight gains) of full suspension setups,
because they could roll more easily over
rough trail. More recently, manufacturers
have decided that 27.5-inch wheels are
the sweet spot.
The cost of bikes built around
different wheel sizes is comparable
and will reflect the current trend in
your discipline or area. Again, your
local bike shop will be invaluable
when it comes to suggesting what
works best in local trails—not to
mention providing test rides.
If you are unfamiliar with bicycling,
you’ll also encounter various frame
sizes. These are independent from
the wheel size but can confuse a
new mountain biker. Typically, a
16- to 17-inch frame is considered
small, an 18- to 19-inch frame is
considered medium, and a 20to 21-inch frame is considered
large. However, this varies widely
among models.
When it comes to
transmissions, many riders prefer
what are known as “one-bys”
which refers to a 1x9, 1x10 or
1x11 setup, for example. This
means there is one cog, or gear, on the
crank and nine, 10 or 11 gears on the rear
hub. You give up some gear ratios but
gain simplicity and lose some weight. That
said, most complete bikes are sold with a
traditional two- or three-cog setup on the
crank, and those work just fine.
Compared to motorcycles, mountain
bike ergonomics are very customizable.
Seat height, crank arm length, handlebar
width and bend, stem length and angle,
and steer tube height all come into play.
Your local bike shop can adjust your new
bike to fit your physique.
Get The Gear
Mountain bikers can choose a range of
gear setups.
“The great thing about bicycle riding
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1/28/2015 2:26:35 PM
Mountain Biking Disciplines
There are several types of mountain biking. Here’s a brief
overview.
Cross-country: One of the most common and accessible
forms of mountain biking. Think of it like hare scrambles
racing but with pedals. Trails can range from gently sloping
to grueling switchbacks and rocky descents. Cross-country
bikes are built to be light with quick turning geometry.
All-mountain/enduro: Bikers will navigate long trails across
mountainous or rugged terrain, or spend a couple hours pedaling up the mountain
and then ride down. Bikes are built to a tougher standard than cross-county bikes,
but they also are heavier. Full-suspension is the norm.
Freeride: It’s just like name sounds. It’s freestyle, jumps or a really aggressive trail.
These bikes come with heavy-duty suspension out back and big forks in the front.
Downhill: This is probably the least-practiced form of mountain biking due to its
lack of accessibility. Bikers hike or
ride a ski-lift to the top of a mountain
and then descend at high speeds,
hitting jumps and drop-offs. With
weight a non-issue, downhill
bikes are engineered for
toughness and have
slack geometry.
is that you can
pretty much
wear whatever you
want—a lycra bicycle
suit or baggy shorts and a
jersey,” Fahringer says.
Perhaps the biggest decision most new
riders dwell over is what type of shoes
they will wear. These depend on the bike’s
pedals. Traditional flat pedals are what you
remember from the BMX bikes you had as
a kid. Clipless pedals (which you actually
clip into—yes, we know it’s confusing!) will
attach to special shoes using one of a few
industry standards.
The benefit of “clipping in” is significant.
Not only does it stabilize your foot on
the pedal, but both legs can transfer
power to the drivetrain throughout the
entire revolution of the crank. The risk is a
greater chance of crashing when getting a
foot down quickly would have saved you.
With practice, you can extract your foot
from clipless pedals almost instantly, and
most mountain bikers, even new ones, will
start with a clipless system.
Nearly all new bikes will be sold with
flats (or no pedals at all) because the
manufacturer isn’t going to try
to guess what type of
clipless system you
might use.
Beyond the
shoes, many tools
and gear brands
will be familiar to dirt
bikers.
“What’s really cool is
the cross-over between
Santa Cruz Tallboy
CC $5499-$8099
my dirt bike sponsors’ products and
mountain biking accessories,” Fahringer
said. “I wear Bell helmets and use a
USWE hydration system when I ride either
bike. Gaerne also makes top-of-the-line
motorcycle and cycling shoes.”
Other extras you’ll want to buy include
a tire pump, tire levers, a small tool kit or
multi-tool that you can carry on the bike,
spare tubes, a mountain biking app and a
heart rate monitor.
Focus On Fun
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Allen Hanford
[email protected]
267-312-1645
Fahringer, Bobbitt and others say that
one of the biggest benefits of mountain
biking isn’t the workout, but the mental
release it brings, as well as a change from
the typical gym routine.
“It’s about the quality and fun factor for
me,” Fahringer says. “It’s also extremely
valuable on the fitness side. However, at
the end of the day, it’s the adventure and
action aspect we all talk about.”
Bobbitt agrees.
“Just getting out and exploring
mountain biking is a win,”
Bobbitt says. “It offers you
time to yourself or a good
time with your friends. Plus,
a lot of characteristics coincide
with dirt bikes. Have fun with
it, and create your own
adventure!”
~ A JC Motors Company ~