Am I a whimp, or what?

[ecc]

Is mountain biking the hardest sport in the world, or am I a total whimp? I just tried riding to Whitehouse on West River rd. (a somewhat hilly dirt road closed in winter) a trip that I consider very easy on skiis. Well, if I was able to do 1 mile, I'm lucky. The uphill pedalling was so much harder than it is when riding on a paved road. My lungs were actually burning. It felt a lot like running.
You mt. bikers out there, is this normal? Am I doing something wrong? Is it just a matter of coditioning or does technique and equipment play a larger role than they do in skiing for instance?
Any feed back would be greatly appreciated.
ecc

 

[sli74]

ecc,

I don't know the answers to your questions because I too found it to be pretty hard the couple of times I've tried going with some of my friends. Between the bruises, the burning legs and lungs and the scary flight over the handle bars onto a very rocky trail I decided it wasn't a sport for me, I like having all my teeth

sli74

 

[snowshoe]

It is much harder as campared to a road bike but when compared to other sports no. Your just not use to that. For one you have tires that have some big tread. They wont roll as smooth as a road tire. Going up hill tends to be the hardest but once you get use to it, it becomes easier. Plus the biggest facter is the rocky trails. I have found that clipless pedals make a difference wen Mt biking, you will conserve more energy and make pedalng more effecient.

You cant compare mt biking to Cross country skiing, you use totaly different muscles. This is the reason why XC skiing is easier for you, you are conditioned to skiing. This holds true for running and hiking as well as. I have been a runner for years doing 15+ miles a day. Then I started hiking and thought Man I was out of shape. It is just what your body is not use to. Dont give up it gets easy as the muscles get use to it. It was even harder to run on trails verse the roads.

 

[Jay H]

Are your brakes rubbing?

You also may find hitting an aerobic threshold harder in the spring, the air is cold, conditioning through the winter may be suspect or as Shawn says, a bit different than XC Skiing, snowshoeing, etc.

It isn't that uncommon to find yourself out of breath in the spring when the air is cold. You need time and conditioning to get the lungs conditioned to use. Try sprinting up a big hill in the morning without being warmed up and you'll see how it really burns. Then ride a bit and repeat and you'll notice even though you may have a bunch of miles under you, you'll find it a lot easier the second time.

Shift down too, it'll be easier to spin smooth circles than to mash the big gears. Lance has got it right that cadence is the key to speed, a high cadence and a big gear=fast and efficient.

Jay

 

[ecc]

Thanks for the encouragement, guys. I'm going to keep working at it hoping that you're right and I will improve.
ecc

 

[ExploreTheEast]

Mountain biking is all about conditioning-- the more you ride up that hill, the stronger you'll get. The better chances you'll have of beating a bigger hill next week.

And Jay's right-- pay attention to shifting. Soon you'll shift so much that you'll do it without thinking about it, but in the meantime make sure you use the right gear for the right hill.

 

[JimB]

Ecc, mt biking is definitely my sport of choice and yes, you are a wimp(jk ). It does depend a little bit on gear. If you're on a Huffy the hills are going to be really tough. I've had years where I trained like crazy on a road bike and the first time off road on the mt bike my legs and lungs were on fire. The wheels are a lot heavier, the tires are wider and the ground is softer causing a lot more work. you need to keep working at it and before you know it you'll be flyng. Find some others to ride with and you can learn a lot about gear and shifting.

 

[KZKlimber]

Don't Give Up!!!

Mountain Biking is excellent cross training for hiking and climbing.

Try riding on paved roads until you develop muscle tone and stamina. Build up towards more hilly terrain. You'll be surprised how quickly you progress if you stick with it.

If you can ride an exercise bike during the week that will help as well. I'm lucky enough to be able to ride to work so commute time becomes exercise time.

Obviously mud (predominant this time of year) is more difficult to pedal in than a firm trail.

Just keep your weight way back on bumpy downhills - I was riding in the Red Rocks Area in Arizona 2 weeks ago and had to have my stomach resting on the seat for some sections.

As for falling - it happens. A trip over the handlebars looks far worse than it really is.

 

[daxs]

I feel your burn - in the legs, lungs, etc since I was out on my bike this weekend. I find mountain bike riding a great aerobic workout. For those hills, put it in the lowest gear possible and keep pedaling (fast). A spinning class or just practicing spinning as fast as you can for as long as you can on a stationary bike can help you with maintaining the high cadence you need on the hills. I also find clip in pedals a help on both off and on road riding. I feel that I ride more efficiently. It also helps when you need to jump over obstacles in the path - when you pull your legs up the bike comes with you. I am not the best of moountain bikers - I come home battled and bruised and bloody. I have at least one wipe out each trip out. It gets easier the more you go.

 

[Jay H]

Just say no to exercise bikes!

Just kidding, I guess if you have to it's better than nothing but one of the best ways to keep in shape, cross train, be happy, enjoy life, etc. etc. is to bike to work. I can't begin to say how much I enjoy going to work now that I'm biking there. It's fun, wheeeee.....

Biking to Work - the anti-gym.


Jay

 

[Halite]

Are your brakes rubbing?
Jay

This happened to me on a rental bike in Colorado. I didn't realize it until I had spent the whole day suffering to keep up with my wife thinking I was sick or something. Doh!

You got good advice on the shifting--you gotta keep the force required to turn the pedals to a manageable level. Of course, with the amount of resistance you can encounter in mountain biking--steep hills, soft terrain, heavy equipment--even the lowest gear may not be low enough. If that's the case, it's OK to get off and walk.

 

[eddie]

It sounds like you are slightly out of shape. I agree with the earlier posts - once your legs get stronger and conditioned, so will your wind and then the biking becomes easier (it is still a challenge). But off-road biking is great. The bumps and bruises are part of the fun. Keeping those pedals cranking is the right gear is critical. It's the same as hiking - experience makes you better and more efficient.

 

[snowshoe]

It sounds like you are slightly out of shape.

I would not say out of shape just not conditioned to mt biking. You can be in great shape but any new sport wll seem hard at first. A person in great shape will pick up the new sport quicker than an out of shape person. You can take a person who hikes everyday and then tell them to run 8 miles It will be very difficult to do at first. But recovery time will be a lot less than an out of shape person.

 

[Halite]

I agree with Snowshoe: you can be in great shape and still struggle with a new activity. Remembering my days learning to cross country ski: no amount of fitness was going to make up for my inefficient technique. Same thing with rock climbing, etc. Mt. biking does involve more technique than might be obvious to ride efficiently and not get thrashed.

 

[daxs]

As others have said - you need to use your gears in mountain biking you cannot cruise along in one gear. It can be tough to maintain the fast cadence required to negotiate hills if you aren't used to it. Also don't be afraid to get out of the saddle or ride lightly on, sort of hovering over on the,eps on the downhills. I tend to keep my tires a little "soft" for off road riding versus on road riding. This is a personal preference, you need to try diff tire pressures and see what works for you. I will walk my bike up the hill if I can't peddle the whole way. And hey, everybody crashes at some point.