Charging up a technical single track requires aerobic power
If you’re asking: “What do I need to do so I can charge uphills with more gusto and power?” Then here’s a simple 10 minute duration exercise for you to do out on the trails.
10 Minute Power Mountain Biking Exercise
Set a 10 minute timer, either in your head or on a device. For your 10 minute hill climb, your going to want to do bursts & recovery. Start with interval bursts of complete power for 5-25 seconds in full charge mode. Then, recover with steady even pedaling for 30-45 seconds. Repeat this for the full 10 min session. You can practice on a fire road. If there are no hills, use your higher gears for this drill.
A typical mountain bike ride requires significant power output to overcome the many obstacles on the trail. Mountain biking power bursts become a requirement over varying terrain and inclines, rocks, roots, boulders, ruts, short steep climbs, and switchbacks. Obstacles all contribute to the high variable power demand of mountain biking.
