There are a few feelings in the world like the excitement of
making
flawless turns through a tight wooded trail, or the thrill of going all
out down a steep hill when the blur of beautiful scenery fills the
corner of your eyes. Since you are reading this article, it is probably
redundant to go into detail about why mountain biking is the most popular
and fastest growing sport in the world so I will get right down to
business: We all know the saying “no pain, no gain” but what is the proper
workout to get the most out of riding?
In order to be a good rider there are a few exercises that should
be
done. Even though it is often neglected, upper body strength is crucial
because arms and shoulders are repeatedly being twisted while riding
and must acquire the strength and endurance to avoid bone or muscle
damage. Lifting weights and doing stomach crunches are a good way to improve
muscle strength. Exercising your lower body is very important in
becoming a strong rider. The best way to develop cyclists legs is to ride,
but other things help as well: For example, squats and lunges in
repetitions of ten. Jogging helps in building strong leg muscles. It's a good
idea to make a schedule that can be followed from day to day with
different activities that seem to work best for you. But don't forget to have
rest and recovery periods so as not to overwork or strain muscles
beyond their thresh-hold.
Once you are ready to ride it's important to select the right
bike.
Make sure you can plant both feet firmly on the ground. “Practice makes
perfect” is a cliché that shouldn't be forgotten when mountain biking.
Practice your stopping before every ride. Also, always remember that
front brakes have more power and should never be applied by themselves
when riding downhill (because believe me, grabbing a hand-full of front
brake on a downhill is a quick way to learn gymnastics in going head
over heels right over the handle bars). When you want to stop use a
technique called feathering, which means to give the brakes a little squeeze
and release, which prevents the wheels from locking. Always change
gears as necessary and always follow the reasoning that low gears are for
power and high gears for speed.
Always warm up before each ride and remember sometimes instincts
only develop through practice. Don't forget to cool down while riding,
which will gradually lower heart rate to prevent lactic acid in the
muscles. Also, never ride without the proper gear which includes a helmet,
knee and elbow pads, and glasses or goggles to protect the ol peepers.
Don't feel the need to over-exert yourself in every gym session
or
on every ride. It is the beauty of connecting with nature involved in
this sport that gets so many people of different interests involved.
Today's mid and top end mountain bikes are machines with unlimited potential
of terrain conquering with little regulation and no set speed limits.
In other words, fun can be found in just about anywhere on them! Plus to
top it all off, riding a bike is the best cardiovascular experience
around.
