FORGET THE TURBO! SHORT RIDES FOR MAXIMUM GAINS

For some, no matter how grim the weather, the turbo trainer is never the answer. If that’s you, here are three essential short training rides

1 PUMP IT UP

Pumping is fun and an essential trail skill. When done to generate maximum speed, it’s also very tiring. If you live near a pump track you’re in luck, but we’re not all so blessed. Instead try ‘pump only’ rides at your local trails. That’s right, no pedalling allowed! Choose a descending section of trail and aim to pump hard and fast at all opportunities – backsides of rollers, jumps, corners and off-cambers. This can make a short ride really fun and productive.

2 PEDAL POWER

Trails often call for short, repeated bursts of pedalling to get over obstacles, which riders can struggle with from a coordination and execution standpoint. To improve, you need to train. Start with a simple turn on gravel or dirt, not a berm. Set a start point that allows you to hammer 10 to 12 pedal strokes before the corner, then on exiting the turn aim to hammer out 10 to 12. Do this in both directions, working on gear selection, braking points, vision and timing of your pedalling efforts. You can make it a ‘repeat sprint’ training session by timing the rest interval between each run.

3 TURBO WARM UP

This may seem like cheating, but using your turbo set-up at home to get a good warm-up before you hit the trails or roads is a classic tool used by professionals. If the trails are a long drive away, it may not be practical, but for those lucky enough to live near good riding, try a 15-minute turbo warm-up with 3 x 5sec sprints and 1 x 1min ‘build’ to a high intensity before you leave the house. This will make the hardest part of riding in winter – getting warm – much easier.