Enduro and trail riding as cross training for an MX track-focused racer

6/23/2022 2:55pm Edited Date/Time 6/23/2022 3:01pm
YZ-MTB wrote:
That was the Whiskey Throttle Show podcast. I listened to that episode last night. I listened to the Mike Craig episode earlier in the week and...
That was the Whiskey Throttle Show podcast. I listened to that episode last night.

I listened to the Mike Craig episode earlier in the week and he talks a ton about how gwowing up play riding influenced his racing and the advantage it gave him in crappy hard pack conditions.

Ping always asks about how these guys got their start in moto, and it seems like the majority of top guys from the 80s and 90s mention play riding in the hills as an amatuer and/or during their career.
I thought we were discussing the present, not decades ago. And there's a huge distinction between "play riding in the hills" and riding for fitness. Play riding is not for fitness, it's for having fun in an otherwise grueling and demanding sport.

Trail riding does not improve endurance and fitness. Pushing hard for 30 minutes on a moto track improves fitness. Riding 50+ miles on a mountain bike or road bike improves fitness. Dicking around in the desert does not improve fitness.

No one has cited a single example of a present-day pro riding trails specifically for the purpose of improving fitness. It's all one-off, for fun stuff. Zach Osborne raced GNCC because he retired from motocross. He does not ride trails to improve his motocross fitness. Aaron Plesinger started out as a GNCC racer. He made the switch to motocross later than most pros do. His Dad was an enduro champion. He grew up riding in the mud, which is why he's excels at racing motocross in the mud.

Again, no current pros specifically "cross-train" on trails and desert for the purpose of improving their fitness. It would be a waste of time. They ride miles on the road and on mountain bikes and multiple 30 minute motos in addition to gym time.

Riding trails does not improve and/or enhance motocross fitness. Riding motocross improves motocross fitness. And not just riding motocross - but pushing the intensity while you ride motocross. Most people just go spin a few laps at their local track and call it good. You should be hurting afterwards if your intention is to improve fitness.
5
Titan1
Posts
8592
Joined
2/3/2010
Location
Lehi, UT US
6/23/2022 3:14pm Edited Date/Time 6/23/2022 3:15pm
YZ-MTB wrote:
That was the Whiskey Throttle Show podcast. I listened to that episode last night. I listened to the Mike Craig episode earlier in the week and...
That was the Whiskey Throttle Show podcast. I listened to that episode last night.

I listened to the Mike Craig episode earlier in the week and he talks a ton about how gwowing up play riding influenced his racing and the advantage it gave him in crappy hard pack conditions.

Ping always asks about how these guys got their start in moto, and it seems like the majority of top guys from the 80s and 90s mention play riding in the hills as an amatuer and/or during their career.
I thought we were discussing the present, not decades ago. And there's a huge distinction between "play riding in the hills" and riding for fitness. Play...
I thought we were discussing the present, not decades ago. And there's a huge distinction between "play riding in the hills" and riding for fitness. Play riding is not for fitness, it's for having fun in an otherwise grueling and demanding sport.

Trail riding does not improve endurance and fitness. Pushing hard for 30 minutes on a moto track improves fitness. Riding 50+ miles on a mountain bike or road bike improves fitness. Dicking around in the desert does not improve fitness.

No one has cited a single example of a present-day pro riding trails specifically for the purpose of improving fitness. It's all one-off, for fun stuff. Zach Osborne raced GNCC because he retired from motocross. He does not ride trails to improve his motocross fitness. Aaron Plesinger started out as a GNCC racer. He made the switch to motocross later than most pros do. His Dad was an enduro champion. He grew up riding in the mud, which is why he's excels at racing motocross in the mud.

Again, no current pros specifically "cross-train" on trails and desert for the purpose of improving their fitness. It would be a waste of time. They ride miles on the road and on mountain bikes and multiple 30 minute motos in addition to gym time.

Riding trails does not improve and/or enhance motocross fitness. Riding motocross improves motocross fitness. And not just riding motocross - but pushing the intensity while you ride motocross. Most people just go spin a few laps at their local track and call it good. You should be hurting afterwards if your intention is to improve fitness.
If you aren't getting a workout riding trails or in the desert you aren't going fast enough.

Riding offroad for fitness won't help the top pros nearly as much as it will help us (their fundamentals are already on point, they are already in incredible shape so it minimizes the benefit)...but they aren't us...for the average weekend warrior, it has a ton of benefits.

Go out in the desert/hills/trails, put together a single track loop and ride that thing as hard as you can, as fast as you can...do it for an hour...then come back and let me know if it helps or hurts your fitness (heck, even do it for 30 minutes). It presents an entirely different set of challenges you don't see often on a moto track, training your brain to deal with those challenges, in addition to the fitness will pay dividends on the track.

Most offroad races are 1-3 hours long...you don't think pushing yourself and riding a race pace that long will benefit someone trying to ride a moto track at race pace for 4 laps? Come on bro...
1
Darrin Willis
Posts
664
Joined
11/16/2020
Location
Red Deer County, AB CA
6/23/2022 3:18pm
I ride and race both moto and harescrambles. Here in alberta a lot of very quick off road guys race some moto. Less moto guys race off road however. Generally speaking the moto guys who don't ride offroad are afraid of mud.rocks.roots.hills and scratching their 2000$ titanium exhaust.they are also afraid of anyone with miss matched gear on a beat up xr 200 kicking their ass.But seriously in my mind riding is riding. I have recently started doing some hardish enduro type stuff on my land. Its exhausting . But has helped my skills considerably.
Titan1
Posts
8592
Joined
2/3/2010
Location
Lehi, UT US
6/23/2022 4:43pm
chasetwo79 wrote:
We weren’t really talking skills to begin with anyhow. It was more on the using it as a cross training method beyond your normal track days...
We weren’t really talking skills to begin with anyhow. It was more on the using it as a cross training method beyond your normal track days to improve your on track fitness.
Well, if you ride trails with the same intensity as you would on a motocross track, then yes, you might gain something from a fitness perspective...
Well, if you ride trails with the same intensity as you would on a motocross track, then yes, you might gain something from a fitness perspective. Good luck finding trails that afford you that kind of similar riding intensity. You're better off riding a mountain bike if you're concerned with fitness.

I raced all these disciplines for years. Until I actually put in 3/4 to full intensity laps on a motocross track, my motocross fitness was shit. There is simply no replicating motocross conditions and motocross intensity anywhere but a motocross track.

Most of the top enduro and desert racers practice on motocross tracks to improve their fitness. You'll never find a top motocross racer cross-training on trails. What does that tell you?
Fast Off road guys train on motocross tracks to improve their intensity...not fitness. Top Off road guys don't improve their fitness by riding 20 or 30 minute motos...they use those moto's to improve their intensity. They can go all out for 3 hours...Fitness is on point.

1

The Shop

Post a reply to: Enduro and trail riding as cross training for an MX track-focused racer

The Latest