This week Scott answers questions from users Chanstarhope, Strawberry1, Da-Moose, Tobes27, and Bikinbeast, on everything from making the most of your local parking garage by using a hose, to whether All-Mountain riding is a worthy DH training tool.
Scott Sharples was the Junior Downhill Coach for the Australian National Team and also coached many of the World’s fastest mountain bike athletes and four World Champions, including Sam Hill. He is currently working with the USA’s Junior MTB Gravity racers.
• Chanstarhope asks: With all this shit weather that we're having at the moment, I have been mainly riding gravel tracks or even road, just to get out and try keep my fitness up. Is there any way of incorporating some technical practice, ie. cornering, drop offs, roots, etc... whilst the real thing is inaccessible?
Hi Chan, shit weather is right, and it doesn’t seem to matter what hemisphere you are in either. I did see on Jared Graves' Facebook that Flaggons (a track in Australia) is open again after the floods. You don’t need a huge space to get in some serious training. It feels like it's all hard work though, but if you are serious about training, and aren’t made of mush, here are a few things you can do... Ride a stationary trainer, rollers are better than wind trainer, but either can help, or do a spin class and meets chicks, (or dudes, what ever you’re into). Mark out a tight track, indoor parking garage, or a dirt driveway, get creative and don’t be limited by the norm. Ride the track hard, race it, time it, have a comp with your buddies. I know a guy that once went into a parking garage and wet the concrete to make it super hard. He practiced drifting and how to fall without smashing the tip of your elbow. Go nuts with a garden hose and ride it... This stuff is not for a DH bike, but if that’s all you have, don’t hold back. Road riding on an XC bike or DJ is good training, street riding is a good way to get fitness and skills, look for dirt in the gutters and driveways, and go shred. Practicing the basics is easily done in a small space, bunny hops - most people have forgotten how to because it is easier to plow on through than hop over it! Cornering is cornering, maybe not as specific as you want, but it is better than nothing. Good 'ol flatland BMX style riding is good for bike specific upper body conditioning, trials, BMX, maybe some of that crazy Euro Indoor cycling with cool names - (Kunstrad or Radball). You've got to check this shit out, these tight, short rad kunst do stuff I couldn’t even dream of, even if I had eaten a bucket of cheap, MSG laden, Chinese food:
• Bikinbeast asks: Alright Sharples, let's hear your thoughts on pre-race warm up routines. Type, length, intensity, timing in relation to a race, etc.
Howdy Beast, Warm ups are complicated and very personal... In simple terms, make sure your muscles are warm (you should be sweating, ie, just above 100f or 38c), this means that the muscles move more efficiently and the fuel moves from the blood to the muscles quicker. In warm climates this news seems irrelevant, that is why it is complicated. You should also be breathing at an elevated rate, indicating the energy systems are being activated and are ready for action. You should be fully agile, no stiff joints or muscles. You should warm up (increase blood supply) the muscles that are going to be used in competition. Also, you need to activate the nervous system, including your race brain. A good warm up will include a mental routine that gets you primed to race. Some people need to calm down, some need to stop yawning. The possibilities of doing something wrong in your warm up include not getting warm, warming up too much and getting fatigued or burning too much energy, getting too hot in a hot climate, getting over stimulated, or missing your start (not that I ever did that... much). You should experiment to see what works best for you, but aim for a 15 minute workout that gets your blood moving and your muscles ready to go, then allow 5 minutes to refuel the muscles, but stay warm. There are a bunch of the French cats that do things like Tai Chi and then go for a jog, find what works.
Scott watching the latest Kunstrad highlights
• Strawberry1 asks: What are the base factors to start "production of world champions in downhill" in a country? Special support and developing programs on governmental levels, economic development of the country, geography features, traditions, genetic specificity, level of specific sport developing, ambitions, etc, or trivially, money and you being invited as a National Coach?
Hi Berry girl. You use big words, are you smart? Most downhillers that I know express themselves in moto sounds - ‘brrrpps’, and being bilingual meant that you could speak both 2 stroke and 4 stroke. A lot of those big words you mentioned above have a big influence on elevating a nation of downhillers. One of the bloggers said ‘be a member of the Commonwealth’. That’s probably true to a point, with the exception of India, Mozambique, Cameroon and Canada. (Just kidding, for the sensitive ones out there. I really love Canada, really, don’t hate me. You know I love you) Back on track, a list of things that make it easier to be a successful DH nation: a good level of local racers and races, some form of coaching and development program (If you look back over history, the Bagettes have done a great job in dominating this sport, and they have had Manu and the FFC support for nearly 20 years.) A bunch of hungry MF's! A collection of horrible tracks. Yes, horrible. Rough, no berms, no benches, no flow, no elevation. Work ethic. The ability to laugh at yourself.
• Da-Moose asks: Who makes better chocolate chip cookies, Betty Crocker or your mother?
Yo Moose, why bring my mumma into this? But now that you mention her, she does make a mean Anzac cookie. If you want some serious nutritional advice, don’t eat too much sugar, don’t eat any high fructose corn syrup, don’t eat any hydrogenated fats. Also, read the labels. I don’t have any Betty Crocker cookies on hand, but I am going to guess that they have some bad stuff in them.
• Tobes27 asks: For those of us not lucky enough to live near a chair lift, is all-mountain riding a worthy training substitute for DH, or do I need to get my hiking boots on, even though I may only get 3 runs in an entire afternoon because of the time spent pushing up the fire road?
Sorry Tobes, I ran out of time. I've got to be brief. Sorry to use Sam Hill again, but he does OK for a guy that only has one mountain higher than 1000 meters within 1000km of him. There are only 2 chairlift DH tracks in Australia. NZ is similar, UK - not much different. All mountain, or for the old schoolers, mountain biking, is very good for DH skills. A 2 hour XC ride can have an hour of skills in it, but a good DH track is 4 minutes long. That would mean that you need to do 15 runs to get in 60 minutes of riding in. Is my math right Strawberry? Don’t be scared of a bit of hiking to get specific though.
Sharples out for a mountain bike ride... er, I mean "all-mountaining"
We coach athletes across the spectrum of two wheeled sports. Our methodology encompasses how your entire being relates to the big picture of competition. As such, not only do we coach athletes in any discipline, our athletes are invited to cross train in multiple disciplines. Who do we coach? Anyone. The list includes but is not limited to, downhill, XC racers, 'Crossers, roadies, BMXers, triathletes, motocrossers, ISDE, and rally riders.- Scott Sharples
Scott Sharples has been a professional coach for 10 years now. He has coached a few World Champions, including Sam Hill, and now offers many levels of personalized training depending on your needs. If you are a serious rider who is looking to get faster and more confident you can contact him at sscoach@gmail.com or visit www.RaceBrain.com to sign up.
• Curious about equipment choice? • Wondering which exercises you should do to get faster on your DH bike? • Want to have faster and more consistent runs?
You all are invited to my house to bring the international rainbow of ripping trails and laughing scarcastically allday. Cheers. I got a system of bribing my drivers now with my wife's home cooking. Its working so far.
Hi Scott, I just made the change from flats to SPD's but I feel that I'm nothing like as confident as before, particularly when riding anything technical. I find they work great on fast open stuff, but when I get to tight rocky or rooty sections of trail I really don't want to ride them, is there anything I can do to remedy this? Also I find i drift more when clipped in, does that normally happen?
because they ride a bike with a lower center of gravity, making it easier to maneuver around. Or its just because they have well made trails to practice on. Like something super flowy with lots of turns/berms/corners, with practice and time will make you corner better and faster.
Bruce Ruxton will come around to your place and shove the pole of an Australian flag where the sun don't shine and rub meat pies in your armpits until you get back to the required level of Aussieness.
What are some good excercises to do, other than pushups, without any workout equipment? All I have at my house is an elliptical machine, but no weights. Also, how long should i use the elliptical for my cardio training. Im racing DH next year.
Scott, Line choice for races. Talking about entering corners or multiple line choices. What would be faster or better line choice? One that you have to slow down to enter or on the exit? Or one that you can carry good speed entering it and on the exit but is of a greater distance?
scott, does jogging really improve your balance when you ride an mtb? I have a buddy who jogs intensively a month before a race, he say's it helps him to be stable on air or hitting a jump etc. while on a run..think it works, cauz he's always at the podium..
Scott, your answers do invigorate strongly as we've got a nice collection of horrible tracks in the Caucasus (evrybody is welcome!!!!!) and huge ability to laugh at ourselves - actually that is the most frequent and popular thing in this country.
P.S. Your math is perfect. I believe you are also good in Theoretical Physics and Practical Aerodynamics.
yo dog could you tell me the pro's and con's of planting a foot while cornering? i have seen it done both ways by riders of various styles and speeds. thanks
Are cut down spikes really a good idea? And if so, what is the best method? Cut just the centre knobs to reduce rolling resistance or cut all of them? And how much do you cut them???
Ok Sharples, the big question. What is more efficient, the 29 or the 26 for cross country? It's been debated, I'm beginning to understand its personal preference, but maybe you can enlighten me further.
sweet thanks for the reply i thought my q was a bit lame so wasnt expecting it, i think i just really need to man-up and get out, practice practice practice ....
hey is there a specific technique when steeps and rock like certain body position on the bike or is it take it as i comes try to find a line that works cheers
Buy a pair of Under Armor's Heatgear boxer jock with the 6" inseam. I'm serious. Get the smallest size you can fit into. The wind passes through them, they wick sweat, and they create a very friction-free layer between your skin and whatever you are riding in.
I'm racing in close to 100f in the Aussie summer and I won't go without them. I have five pairs.
awesome, someone took me seriously. I'll look into those. I also never thought to try my Saxx boxers. they are like a bra for your boys and made of bamboo so I'm guessing it should stop chafing AND make them look bigger. thanks for the suggestion mang!
The UA Heatgear stuff is a very slippery nylon and they are almost like a pair of swimmers - many times I train after work and have cotton boxer briefs on but they are not comfortable compared to the UA stuff.
Of course I took you seriously - chafing in the nether regions IS serious!
You live in the UK. As noted in the answers portion, you may have noted that there are not many chairlift accessible runs, nor any great hills in your area. The riders are mostly yawning out of boredom. I suggest getting a plane ticket to BC, Canada, and that should solve the tedious events these poor fellas have to witness! haha
Or they're just tired...but I like my first suggestion more.
How did you come to that conclusion, "You live in the UK", "nor any great hills in your area"?? I mean are you missing the fact that Wales and Scotland have loads of mountains, Fort William for example... the best DH track in the world according to many top riders.
Oh and to stop the yawns, I find a can of red bull and 4 pro plus usually gets you pretty pumped and ready to go.
lol It was a joke based on Sharples reply to the question re: all mountain riding (and the Uk not having that many over 1K metre hills). I realize scotland and wales have lots of mountains, my cousin is studying in Edinburgh
It's preference and how the bike performs already. If you've kept your wheels true they would probably be last, then it depends what shape your sus is compared with your DT.
assuming they're all of equal quality and in working order. This is mainly in reference to upgrades. Which upgrade would be best made first, and which ones could wait.
I'd go for suspension, it will change the whole feel of the ride, as long as the drivetrain and wheels are running fine It will also make your bike look more awesome, assuming you get better suspension
i'm no sharples, but - because they ride much more aggressively and put bigger forces on the shock - i found myself going for a firmer setup as i progressed. more compression = forks stay higher in the travel and wallow less. if they rode your standard compression tune, they'd be blowing through travel like mad.
Pretty basic - they go faster and hit things harder. Need higher level of compression to ride like that. It's not as plush and comfortable but that isn't the point, if you are truly hauling ass smashing into big shit at pro level velocity then your suspension needs to be firm.
