Mountain Bike Fitness Training - Hardcover

This comprehensive training manual is aimed at the recreational or competitive mountain biker wishing to improve performance in off-road riding. It is also a useful resource for those who want to improve their general fitness, and have chosen the sport of mountain biking as a fun way to better health. The book includes in-depth guidelines on every aspect of mountain bike fitness training. It shows how to assess fitness, working out training programs tailored to needs, formulate a realist diet plan, and ride a smarter and more ergonomic race. Where applicable, detailed descriptions of do-it-yourself fitness tests, skill drills, and training exercises are given, which should allow the reader to boost their fitness and skill at home with a minimal amount of specialist equipment. Every area of mountain bike fitness is explained with scientific information and relevant biking examples. The book focuses on cross-country and downhill racing and includes other chapters dealing with marathon mountain biking, expedition mountain biking, the female mountain biker, the young rider, the master/veteran rider, and the first-time racer.

John Metcalfe is first and foremost a mountain biker. He is also a sports scientist and a mountain bike journalist. He races in regional competitions and ultra distance events, and is an experienced expedition mountain biker. He has lectured in sports science for six years and has contributed to many of the leading mountain bike magazines.