What's the thing that really boosted your skills/fitness?

[franco2017]

+1

 

 

Does your wife feel the same?

Hope his wife does not read his post...

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Practicing. Sessioning bits of trail that I was dubious about, just going that little bit faster or smoother each time. Building up the size. Flat pedals. Riding with better riders, and just plain riding. 

 

If I see an obstacle I don't like, get off, look at it. Study it. Find the right line. Ride it. If I get it wrong, try again (this doesn't work for drops bigger than 1m just yet) 

 

I find that if I've got something (like a drop) which I haven't done before, or has a slope on the back end but I'm just too scared to drop it off the bat, I roll it first. If I can roll it, my mind, for some reason, says "okay, you can drop it" and I do. It's getting to be a problem now though, with the bigger drops... 

 

Fitness - not so much just yet. 

[Oakley360]

1. Nutrition

2. Loosing weight( including loosing the alcohol)

3. Cross train- running, HIIT classes, swimming weights etc

4. Yoga or Stretch after a tought section of training

[RockCoach]

In terms of skill (this started about 8 years ago):

In 2007 I bought a 6" trail bike instead of a marathon bike. I have never bought an xc bike since...

Entering the first Mankele Avalanche on it was eye opening.

Fitting a dropper post when they first hit the market.

My handlebars became progressively wider and stems shorter. 

Flat pedals elevated skills the most out of everything.

Figuring out myself how to improve my own skills so that I can now assist others.

 

In fitness terms I trained with pro roadies from 1991 and learned a shed load...

Learned how to set bikes up without lasers and computers

Learned bunch riding and team strategy.

Racing at the sharp end is much more fun but it's flippen hard work.

Learned that easy rides are just that - short recovery rides or long and very very easy.

Hard rides will have you excreting every type of bodily fluid from every orifice.

Medium rides are social rides with your mates and you achieve little in terms of gaining fitness but lots in terms of fun.

If you want to be properly fit you ride at least 5 or 6 days per week.

[AlanD]

+1

 

 

Does your wife feel the same?

Lol..Them babies getting in the way of my riding

[blondeonabike]

Ride with the guys. It hurts and they laugh at you when you are suffering, but it works.

[RocknRolla]

Ride with the guys. It hurts and they laugh at you when you are suffering, but it works.

 

In my case it's the reverse...i ride with my missus.. and she make me bleed every time.

[BenGraham]

+1

 

 

Does your wife feel the same?

Okay poor choice of words. We are incredibly happy to have him, he was planned and we fully expected some things to change.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

In my case it's the reverse...i ride with my missus.. and she make me bleed every time.

oi, keep it in the bedroom... 

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Okay poor choice of words. We are incredibly happy to have him, he was planned and we fully expected some things to change.

good man. 

 

2 words. Turbo Trainer. It's like an instant sleeping device for the lightie. 

[Headshot]

Ride on the road and do intervals.

[blondeonabike]

In my case it's the reverse...i ride with my missus.. and she make me bleed every time.

I like her.  No mercy

[Honkdonk]

Bodytec

A very intense 20 min workout once a week.

That and a 12km run once a week combined with regular hill repeats (3 x week) and a long ride - 100km (1 x week). A good IDT session is also in the mix 1 x weekly

Took 18mins of my previous 947 time and almost cracked a sub 3 CTCT 1st time round.

[AlanD]

Okay poor choice of words. We are incredibly happy to have him, he was planned and we fully expected some things to change.

You mean everything will change...lol

[Mada3400]

straight up time on the trail riding properly (hard, pushing yourself, chasing strava), riding with someone you're competitive with and is close in skill level to you

[Neverfit]

For me 2 things helped the most

 

1 - Doing 2 night rides a week, although not super fast and far, they sure do help!

2 - Investing in a proper bike setup - I had issues with lower back pain etc and after bike fit I feel way more comfy on the bike and body does not tire out so quickly. This made the biggest once off improvement. 

I would recommend to anyone to have a proper bike setup done, its the 2 mm here and 3 mm there that makes a huge difference overall.

 

As for training try doing 2 night rides as mentioned and at least 1 decent ride on the weekends. I am no racing snake and TDF winner but I can see and feel the improvements one small step at a time. Persistence pays off