MTB Training program recommendations

mike

I am looking for either recommendations or examples of a training
program I can use during the winter off season. (Living in Northern
Ontario, outdoor riding is not an option.)

I recently picked up a Tacx Sirius Mag trainer for my mountain bike
and am looking to make the most of my time on it. I am primarily a
cross-country rider, revisiting the sport after a number of years
off.
My biggest area I wish to concentrate on is my endurance.
The guy I ride with, kills me on the long climbs (short steep rocky
hills is my area to shine).


Any recommendations would be great.

Mike
mlawrenc(at)gmail.com

DanKMTB@gmail.com

On Jan 31, 3:06*pm, mike <mlawr...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I am looking for either recommendations or examples of a training
> program I can use during the winter off season. (Living in Northern
> Ontario, outdoor riding is not an option.)
>
> I recently picked up a Tacx Sirius Mag trainer for my mountain bike
> and am looking to make the most of my time on it. I am primarily a
> cross-country rider, revisiting the sport after a number of years
> off.
> My biggest area I wish to concentrate on is my endurance.
> The guy I ride with, kills me on the long climbs (short steep rocky
> hills is my area to shine).
>
> Any recommendations would be great.
>
> Mike
> mlawrenc(at)gmail.com

Snow riding is the best summer riding training I've found.

mike

On Jan 31, 3:16*pm, "DanK...@gmail.com" <DanK...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Jan 31, 3:06*pm, mike <mlawr...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > I am looking for either recommendations or examples of a training
> > program I can use during the winter off season. (Living in Northern
> > Ontario, outdoor riding is not an option.)
>
> > I recently picked up a Tacx Sirius Mag trainer for my mountain bike
> > and am looking to make the most of my time on it. I am primarily a
> > cross-country rider, revisiting the sport after a number of years
> > off.
> > My biggest area I wish to concentrate on is my endurance.
> > The guy I ride with, kills me on the long climbs (short steep rocky
> > hills is my area to shine).
>
> > Any recommendations would be great.
>
> > Mike
> >mlawrenc(at)gmail.com
>
> Snow riding is the best summer riding training I've found.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

That was fine early fall, when there was only an inch or two. The snow
in my front yard past my waist.
I normally stop riding outdoors at about 6 inches of snow.

Mike

DanKMTB@gmail.com

On Jan 31, 3:48 pm, mike <mlawr...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Jan 31, 3:16 pm, "DanK...@gmail.com" <DanK...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jan 31, 3:06 pm, mike <mlawr...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > I am looking for either recommendations or examples of a training
> > > program I can use during the winter off season. (Living in Northern
> > > Ontario, outdoor riding is not an option.)
>
> > > I recently picked up a Tacx Sirius Mag trainer for my mountain bike
> > > and am looking to make the most of my time on it. I am primarily a
> > > cross-country rider, revisiting the sport after a number of years
> > > off.
> > > My biggest area I wish to concentrate on is my endurance.
> > > The guy I ride with, kills me on the long climbs (short steep rocky
> > > hills is my area to shine).
>
> > > Any recommendations would be great.
>
> > > Mike
> > >mlawrenc(at)gmail.com
>
> > Snow riding is the best summer riding training I've found.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> That was fine early fall, when there was only an inch or two. The snow
> in my front yard past my waist.
> I normally stop riding outdoors at about 6 inches of snow.
>
> Mike- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Is the waist-deep due to drifts, or the normal amount on the ground
over there at the moment? Are there no trails around that get enough
foot traffic to create a bit of a groove you can sludge through?
While our snow isn't quite waist deep yet, I manage to MTB year round
in NH. Sometimes the snow is hub deep, sometimes it's only 9", and
sometimes it's 18". It's hard work and slow going, but awesome
exercise. I could usually make better time walking, but I like riding
more, and it builds the muscles I'll use in the summer. Also,
downhills are a blast!

If it's out it's out, only you can say for sure, but I manage to ride
in some pretty deep stuff over here. You could even shovel your
favorite trail once, and then keep up on it with something like this
here http://tinyurl.com/2la8ek.

http://www.icebike.org/ has some excellent info as well if you want to
ride year round.

I can't bring myself to advocate indoor riding, but if you must I'd
use rollers over a trainer. At least you have to balance, and it
helps your pedaling form instead of hurting it. I've got a set, but
I'd rather ride outdoors.

Another idea that I've been saying I'll do soon and not doing is
building obstacles outdoors. Skinnies, etc. Wrap with chicken wire
or something to add traction, and you can work on bike handling.

What about "urban assault" style riding where things are plowed &
shoveled?

mike

On Jan 31, 4:14*pm, "DanK...@gmail.com" <DanK...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Jan 31, 3:48 pm, mike <mlawr...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jan 31, 3:16 pm, "DanK...@gmail.com" <DanK...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > On Jan 31, 3:06 pm, mike <mlawr...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > > I am looking for either recommendations or examples of a training
> > > > program I can use during the winter off season. (Living in Northern
> > > > Ontario, outdoor riding is not an option.)
>
> > > > I recently picked up a Tacx Sirius Mag trainer for my mountain bike
> > > > and am looking to make the most of my time on it. I am primarily a
> > > > cross-country rider, revisiting the sport after a number of years
> > > > off.
> > > > My biggest area I wish to concentrate on is my endurance.
> > > > The guy I ride with, kills me on the long climbs (short steep rocky
> > > > hills is my area to shine).
>
> > > > Any recommendations would be great.
>
> > > > Mike
> > > >mlawrenc(at)gmail.com
>
> > > Snow riding is the best summer riding training I've found.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > > - Show quoted text -
>
> > That was fine early fall, when there was only an inch or two. The snow
> > in my front yard past my waist.
> > I normally stop riding outdoors at about 6 inches of snow.
>
> > Mike- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> Is the waist-deep due to drifts, or the normal amount on the ground
> over there at the moment? *Are there no trails around that get enough
> foot traffic to create a bit of a groove you can sludge through?
> While our snow isn't quite waist deep yet, I manage to MTB year round
> in NH. *Sometimes the snow is hub deep, sometimes it's only 9", and
> sometimes it's 18". *It's hard work and slow going, but awesome
> exercise. *I could usually make better time walking, but I like riding
> more, and it builds the muscles I'll use in the summer. *Also,
> downhills are a blast!
>
> If it's out it's out, only you can say for sure, but I manage to ride
> in some pretty deep stuff over here. *You could even shovel your
> favorite trail once, and then keep up on it with something like this
> herehttp://tinyurl.com/2la8ek.
>
> http://www.icebike.org/has some excellent info as well if you want to
> ride year round.
>
> I can't bring myself to advocate indoor riding, but if you must I'd
> use rollers over a trainer. *At least you have to balance, and it
> helps your pedaling form instead of hurting it. *I've got a set, but
> I'd rather ride outdoors.
>
> Another idea that I've been saying I'll do soon and not doing is
> building obstacles outdoors. *Skinnies, etc. *Wrap with chicken wire
> or something to add traction, and you can work on bike handling.
>
> What about "urban assault" style riding where things are plowed &
> shoveled?- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

If winter riding was an option, I would be the first one out there
riding. My personal favorite time to ride is spring here. I get
everything from deep mud/clay, to gravel, rocks and dirt (personally
love the clay runs the best).

When I lived in Southern Ontario (Toronto Area), year round riding was
possible.

Mike

MattB

mike wrote:
> On Jan 31, 4:14 pm, "DanK...@gmail.com" <DanK...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Jan 31, 3:48 pm, mike <mlawr...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> On Jan 31, 3:16 pm, "DanK...@gmail.com" <DanK...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> On Jan 31, 3:06 pm, mike <mlawr...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> I am looking for either recommendations or examples of a training
>>>>> program I can use during the winter off season. (Living in Northern
>>>>> Ontario, outdoor riding is not an option.)
>>>>> I recently picked up a Tacx Sirius Mag trainer for my mountain bike
>>>>> and am looking to make the most of my time on it. I am primarily a
>>>>> cross-country rider, revisiting the sport after a number of years
>>>>> off.
>>>>> My biggest area I wish to concentrate on is my endurance.
>>>>> The guy I ride with, kills me on the long climbs (short steep rocky
>>>>> hills is my area to shine).
>>>>> Any recommendations would be great.
>>>>> Mike
>>>>> mlawrenc(at)gmail.com
>>>> Snow riding is the best summer riding training I've found.- Hide quoted text -
>>>> - Show quoted text -
>>> That was fine early fall, when there was only an inch or two. The snow
>>> in my front yard past my waist.
>>> I normally stop riding outdoors at about 6 inches of snow.
>>> Mike- Hide quoted text -
>>> - Show quoted text -
>> Is the waist-deep due to drifts, or the normal amount on the ground
>> over there at the moment? Are there no trails around that get enough
>> foot traffic to create a bit of a groove you can sludge through?
>> While our snow isn't quite waist deep yet, I manage to MTB year round
>> in NH. Sometimes the snow is hub deep, sometimes it's only 9", and
>> sometimes it's 18". It's hard work and slow going, but awesome
>> exercise. I could usually make better time walking, but I like riding
>> more, and it builds the muscles I'll use in the summer. Also,
>> downhills are a blast!
>>
>> If it's out it's out, only you can say for sure, but I manage to ride
>> in some pretty deep stuff over here. You could even shovel your
>> favorite trail once, and then keep up on it with something like this
>> herehttp://tinyurl.com/2la8ek.
>>
>> http://www.icebike.org/has some excellent info as well if you want to
>> ride year round.
>>
>> I can't bring myself to advocate indoor riding, but if you must I'd
>> use rollers over a trainer. At least you have to balance, and it
>> helps your pedaling form instead of hurting it. I've got a set, but
>> I'd rather ride outdoors.
>>
>> Another idea that I've been saying I'll do soon and not doing is
>> building obstacles outdoors. Skinnies, etc. Wrap with chicken wire
>> or something to add traction, and you can work on bike handling.
>>
>> What about "urban assault" style riding where things are plowed &
>> shoveled?- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> If winter riding was an option, I would be the first one out there
> riding. My personal favorite time to ride is spring here. I get
> everything from deep mud/clay, to gravel, rocks and dirt (personally
> love the clay runs the best).
>
> When I lived in Southern Ontario (Toronto Area), year round riding was
> possible.
>
> Mike

I think we have a similar amount of snow here, and the drifts are over
my head. And it was -22 F this morning, which makes the grease in the
bike pretty stiff too. So what I do to keep my fitness up is try and ski
when I would have ridden during the warmer months. I'll ride my town
bike to the office or trailhead, but going on a ride that would last
very long just isn't a very good option.

Do you have any XC ski gear? It's a great challenge to ski trails you
would normally ride. I have some Fisher Rebounds, which have metal
edges, some sidecut, and a waxless fishscale base. Great versatile skis
and they are much better in dicey or untracked snow than skinnier racing
XC stuff. Of course they are slower in a track, but I'd usually rather
go where there isn't a track anyway. I have SNS BC bindings on them BTW.

I also have a trainer and I ride it every now and then but I hate the
damn thing. I have to be pretty hard up for a workout to get on it. I'll
go out and ski down to about -20 to -25 but any colder than that and I
just can't keep my extremities warm. When I do ride it I'll just usually
put on a ski or MTB video and not go for more than an hour or two.

Good luck,
Matt

mike

XC skiing may not be a bad idea. Would cut into my snowboarding time
however.

I was more or less looking for something simular to this site;
http://home.hia.no/~stephens/mtbplan.htm

Since I bought the trainer (last week), I have alternated from 1 hour,
veriable speeds/resistance, to next day 1 hour constant speed (approx.
25km per hour). I have done that for the past 5 days.
I am not sure if I will get the full benifit from this sort of
training, but until I found something better suited, I figured that
would be a good start.

As for the comment about shovelling the trail, I am assuming you where
trying to be funny, right?

Mike

Mike Vandeman

On Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:06:55 -0800 (PST), mike <mlawrenc@gmail.com>
wrote:

>I am looking for either recommendations or examples of a training
>program I can use during the winter off season. (Living in Northern
>Ontario, outdoor riding is not an option.)
>
>I recently picked up a Tacx Sirius Mag trainer for my mountain bike
>and am looking to make the most of my time on it. I am primarily a
>cross-country rider, revisiting the sport after a number of years
>off.
>My biggest area I wish to concentrate on is my endurance.
>The guy I ride with, kills me on the long climbs (short steep rocky
>hills is my area to shine).
>
>
>Any recommendations would be great.

Good. Then training wheels are for you. They work every time.

>Mike
>mlawrenc(at)gmail.com
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

mike

Mike Vandeman;

I don't mean to sound like an ass, but what the hell does your ("pure
habitat") have to do with my winter training?

If you ever get a chance, come up to Northern Ontario in the spring
time and honk your car horn at the first moose you see on/near the
road. You'll see pretty quickly that nature, for the most part, can
take care of itself. (btw, they like trucks and SUVs the best, compact
cars crush too easy.)


Mike

DanKMTB@gmail.com

On Jan 31, 7:24*pm, mike <mlawr...@gmail.com> wrote:
> As for the comment about shovelling the trail, I am assuming you where
> trying to be funny, right?
>
> Mike

It was tongue in cheek. That said, I'm not above it - I have before
and I likely will again. Doesn't have to be pretty, clean, neat or
even all the way to the ground - just close enough to be rideable.

mike

Just as a follow up to my question, The trainer program I will be
starting with will work as follows;
Week1 45mins, average speed 25km per hour, light resistance (about 3
on my trainer)
Week2 50mins (week1 * 10%), 25km per hour, light resistance (about 3
or 4 on my trainer)
Week3 55mins (week2 * 10%), 25km per hour, light resistance (about 3
or 4 on my trainer)
Week4 45mins (same as week1), 25km per hour, light resistance (about
3 or 4 on my trainer)

Week5 60mins (week3 * 10%), 25km per hour, light resistance (about 3
or 4 on my trainer)
Week6 65mins (week5 * 10%), 25km per hour, medium resistance (about 4
or 5 on my trainer)
Week7 73mins (week6 * 10%), 25km per hour, medium resistance (about 4
or 5 on my trainer)
Week8 60mins (same as week5), 25km per hour, light resistance (about
3 or 4 on my trainer)

I will be looking at doing between 3-5 rides a week, with weight
training on days not riding. These numbers may be adjusted over time,
pending work schedule.

Any added recommendations or comments on the above training Program?

Mike

Mike Vandeman

On Fri, 1 Feb 2008 05:03:43 -0800 (PST), mike <mlawrenc@gmail.com>
wrote:

>Mike Vandeman;
>
>I don't mean to sound like an ass, but what the hell does your ("pure
>habitat") have to do with my winter training?

Probably nothing. Ever hear of a "signature"? It's on every one of my
posts.

>If you ever get a chance, come up to Northern Ontario in the spring
>time and honk your car horn at the first moose you see on/near the
>road.

I don't own a car.

You'll see pretty quickly that nature, for the most part, can
>take care of itself. (btw, they like trucks and SUVs the best, compact
>cars crush too easy.)
>
>
>Mike
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

Siskuwihane

On Feb 1, 8:42*pm, Mike Vandeman <mjva...@pacbell.net> wrote:
> On Fri, 1 Feb 2008 05:03:43 -0800 (PST), mike <mlawr...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> >Mike Vandeman;
>
> >I don't mean to sound like an ass, but what the hell does your ("pure
> >habitat") have to do with my winter training?
>
> Probably nothing. Ever hear of a "signature"? It's on every one of my
> posts.
>
> >If you ever get a chance, come up to Northern Ontario in the spring
> >time and honk your car horn at the first moose you see on/near the
> >road.
>
> I don't own a car.

How do you get to the airport to attend "Lectures Given at
International Environmental Conferences"?
Walk?

Mike Vandeman

On Sat, 2 Feb 2008 13:34:42 -0800 (PST), Siskuwihane
<Siskuwihane@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Feb 1, 8:42*pm, Mike Vandeman <mjva...@pacbell.net> wrote:
>> On Fri, 1 Feb 2008 05:03:43 -0800 (PST), mike <mlawr...@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >Mike Vandeman;
>>
>> >I don't mean to sound like an ass, but what the hell does your ("pure
>> >habitat") have to do with my winter training?
>>
>> Probably nothing. Ever hear of a "signature"? It's on every one of my
>> posts.
>>
>> >If you ever get a chance, come up to Northern Ontario in the spring
>> >time and honk your car horn at the first moose you see on/near the
>> >road.
>>
>> I don't own a car.
>
>How do you get to the airport to attend "Lectures Given at
>International Environmental Conferences"?
>Walk?

Public transit. DUH!
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande