Talking about the best sport for cross-training? Consider mountain biking, as you get to pick up skills which can help improve your handling and performance on your road bike.
Even though you are still on two wheels, mountain biking is an entirely different ball game.
Here are four reasons why you should head to the trails and try out mountain biking:
1. Get in touch with nature.
Forget about getting into a tiff with motorists and inhaling carbon monoxide from the vehicle exhausts when cycling on the road.
Mountain biking lets you get lost in the woods, and breathe in fresh, unpolluted air. If you’re lucky, you might even encounter small animals along the way (hopefully not snakes though).
2. Improve bike handling skills
Mountain biking trails are not as silky smooth like the roads, often consisting technical challenges that arise out of the blue as you make your way across the ever-changing terrain.
Therefore, bike handling skills that you pick up from riding in the trails will enable you to take better control of unforeseen circumstances that could arise during road cycling, from a high-speed descent to avoiding a pileup right in front of you.
3. Raise your confidence
“The secret to mountain biking is pretty simple. The slower you go, the more likely it is you’ll crash.” -Juliana Furtado, founder of Juliana Bicycles
In mountain biking, you are forced to get out of your comfort zone to jump over obstacles and ride over rocky gardens. You managed to achieve what you once thought you could not do.
Your confidence rises, and you start to set more personal challenges for yourself, which can also be translated to road cycling when you are training up for your next race or simply climbing over that hill which you never thought you could.
4. Explosive Power
Besides having the basic skills of climbing and cornering on a smooth surface, you need to have the explosive strength of powering up steep climbs and ride over protruding rocks and roots.
Riding on uneven and steep terrain will train you to become a better and stronger cyclist on the road.
Keen to have some fun on the trails? You should try out mountain biking!
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- The Ultimate Guide For Beginner Cyclists - September 14, 2022
- Cycle for Good 2021 - July 15, 2021
- Mountain Biking In Subic Bay - December 17, 2019