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PURE PERFORMANCE | BIKE
BY MATT DYMOND
Well the triathlon off season has hit Australia and unless you ’ re racing overseas you may not be racing a triathlon again untll September .
So it ’ s the perfect chance to get some extra bike skills - an additional strength that will be incredibly useful come race day during the triathlon season . As well as participating in bike races over winter we get some of our athletes to race / train on mountain bikes .
Mountain biking is a non-impact sport but it does have several aerobic benefits . You gain enormous bike handling skill for cycling including :
• how to corner
• when and how to brake
• how to use different gear ratios with mountain bikes having much smaller gears
• becoming familiarised with 3 front chain wheels compared to road bikes with bigger gears and 2 from chain wheels .
So below are my top 6 advantages for mountain biking in winter :
1 . Most athletes use mountain bikes in winter - in some cases it is a better option than cycling on wet , slippery or icy roads and it ’ s great to try and switch your focus especially when you have had a big triathlon season . Doing endless kilometres is very hard sometimes , so training on the trails and hills works on the same principle of cross country running .
2 . Injury management is another way that athletes can do some cross training in the form of mountain biking , so if you get injured swimming or running it ’ s a great option and you can hire a bike from most cycling stores .
4 . Strength is a big advantage - you will learn to pick the correct gear and will be forced to stay seated to climb the hills in a much smaller cadence .
This will help your cycling technique to improve with the extra gearing and the higher cadence of your pedaling stroke e . g . by changing gear before the bend and dropping speed , you can pedal out of the bend in the right gear without losing any of your momentum . It is also a brilliant cardio workout and you will find yourself gasping at times .
5 . Due to the upright position on the mountain bike you will gain greater core strength from this position . To assist this , you should do more planking and core work which will help you climb the hills and mountain bike in general much better . In addition , a stronger core will help in case of a fall or crash that may occur .
Having this stronger core will only benefit the athlete in the next triathlon season in all three legs .
6 . It is likely that everyone has a fall at some stage so don ’ t be surprised ! Ensure you wear the correct clothing and proactive equipment to eliminate any major injuries that could occur ; a big plus is to carry a first aid kit in your car so it ’ s very accessible .
I hope you ’ re having an enjoyable off season and trying some new training sessions in some great new places off the roads .
Any questions please don ’ t hesitate to contact us at www . 226multisport . net
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3 . You will gain great bike handling skills , as everything changes when you ’ re mountain biking on trails . You will learn how far from a corner to brake and what is the best cycling line to take - the lack of grip means the bike is far more sensitive . The back wheel skids far more easily than if you were on the road and so you will learn to feather the brakes more effectively .
Get this right and you ’ ll be able to brake much later into bends on a triathlon course . This will save you time as well as boosting your confidence . When you ’ re out on the trails it ’ s slower , quieter and there are no cars to worry about . It means you can talk to your buddies more easily !
30 | MULTISPORT MAGAZINE