If you’re keeping pace with our 6-month multi-stage cycling training program—designed to prep cyclists for the Nedbank Tour de Tuli, a four-day, ~200-mile mountain bike excursion through Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa—prepare yourself for phase IV. (In case you need it, here’s phase II. and phase III.) “Training cycle IV focuses on time in the saddle and may prove to be the toughest four weeks thus far,” says,” says program designer Ryan Hodierne, a sports scientist and biomechanist with the Sports Science Centre at Singapore Sports Institute, and member of the High Performance Advisory Committee to the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee. “But given the nature of a multi-stage event, it’s beneficial to do back-to-back riding.”
Hit the Trails: 5 Mountain Bikes to Ride in 2018
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To maximize your efforts, do two sessions over the weekend within a 12-hour timeframe. So, do Session 3 on Saturday evening and Session 4 on Sunday morning. The interval routines will help further your fitness, however if you find you’re getting fatigued, drop them and focus more on the longer/easier rides. Note: Each training cycle covers 4 weeks. Weeks 1-3 will progress in duration and intensity; week 4 is a recovery week. Hodierne has also provided the option of a choice session to crosstrain one day out of every week. They’re to be taken at your own discretion and should only benefit the plan, not hinder it. *This program can also be used to train for a comparable multi-stage mountain biking event. Goal: Grow stronger and maintain fitness while building confidence in technical skills.
How to Buy the Best Mountain Bike: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself
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12 weeks out Week 1: 8 total training hours Ride 1 Session: Moderate (6/10 intensity) Sport: MTB off-road; challenge yourself and build confidence on technical terrain Duration: 1.5 hours Ride 2 Session: Mild endurance (6/10 intensity) Sport: MTB/road/trainer; give sustained effort for given duration, riding at a higher cadence than usual Duration: 2 Ride 3 Session: Long, slow distance (5/10 intensity) Sport: MTB/road on flat profile with low effort Duration: 2.5 hours Ride 4 Session: Intervals (7/10 intensity) Sport: MTB/road/trainer; 30min warmup – 20min moderate (7/10) – 15min hard (9/10) – 10min easy (5/10) x 2 Duration: 2 hours Session 5 Optional Session: Crosstraining—anything but cycling (5/10 intensity) Sport: Pilates, running, yoga, strength training, or swimming Duration: 1 hour
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11 weeks out Week 2: 8 total training hours Ride 1 Session: Moderate (7/10 intensity) Sport: MTB on undulating profile, riding climbs easy and going hard with sustained effort on descents and flats Duration: 1.5 hours Ride 2 Session: Endurance (5/10 intensity) Sport: MTB/road/trainer on flat profile, riding at a lower cadence than usual, keeping easy effort Duration: 1.5 hours Ride 3 Session: Intervals (6/10 intensity) Sport: MTB/road/trainer: 15min moderate (7/10) – 10min easy (5/10) – 5min hard (9/10) Duration: 2 hours Ride 4 Session: Long, slow distance (5/10 intensity) Sport: MTB on varied terrain and profile, taking an easy cadence and focusing on enjoyment, and comfort at a talking pace Duration: 3 hours Session 5 Optional Session: Crosstraining—anything but cycling (5/10 intensity) Sport: Pilates, running, yoga, strength training, or swimming Duration: 1 hour
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10 weeks out Week 3: 10 total training hours Ride 1 Session: Moderate and skills (6/10 intensity) Sport: MTB with technical climbs and descents on varied terrain off-road (e.g. sand, rock, steep hills), challenging yourself and building confidence Duration: 2 hours Ride 2 Session: Endurance (6/10 intensity) Sport: MTB/road/trainer on hilly profile, building effort on climbs, easing off over the top and sustaining moderate effort along flats Duration: 2 hours Ride 3 Session: Intervals (7/10 intensity) Sport: MTB: 15min moderate – 15min easy – 15min moderate – 15min hard x 2 Duration: 2 hours Ride 4 Session: Long, slow distance (5/10 intensity) Sport: MTB/road at talking pace, possibly a group ride with friends, focusing on time in the saddle Duration: 4 hours Session 5 Optional Session: Crosstraining—anything but cycling (5/10 intensity) Sport: Pilates, running, yoga, strength training, or swimming Duration: 1 hour
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9 weeks out Week 4: 6 total training hours Ride 1 Session: Easy (5/10 intensity) Sport: MTB n easy route off-road, riding with a high cadence Duration: 1.5 hours Ride 2 Session: Time trial (9/10 intensity) Sport: Road/trainer—warm up for 30 min; complete 1-hour time trial for maximum distance (keep route consistent for comparison in weeks to come); cool down for 30 min. Duration: 2 hours Ride 3 Session: Endurance (5/10 intensity) Sport: MTB on undulating profile over varied terrain. keeping effort low Duration: 2.5 hours Rest day Session 5 Optional Session: Crosstraining—anything but cycling (5/10 intensity) Sport: Pilates, running, yoga, strength training, or swimming Duration: 1 hour
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If you’re keeping pace with our 6-month multi-stage cycling training program—designed to prep cyclists for the Nedbank Tour de Tuli, a four-day, ~200-mile mountain bike excursion through Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa—prepare yourself for phase IV. (In case you need it, here’s phase II. and phase III.)
“Training cycle IV focuses on time in the saddle and may prove to be the toughest four weeks thus far,” says,” says program designer Ryan Hodierne, a sports scientist and biomechanist with the Sports Science Centre at Singapore Sports Institute, and member of the High Performance Advisory Committee to the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee. “But given the nature of a multi-stage event, it’s beneficial to do back-to-back riding.”
Hit the Trails: 5 Mountain Bikes to Ride in 2018
Read article
To maximize your efforts, do two sessions over the weekend within a 12-hour timeframe. So, do Session 3 on Saturday evening and Session 4 on Sunday morning.
Hit the Trails: 5 Mountain Bikes to Ride in 2018
Read article
Hit the Trails: 5 Mountain Bikes to Ride in 2018
The interval routines will help further your fitness, however if you find you’re getting fatigued, drop them and focus more on the longer/easier rides.
Note: Each training cycle covers 4 weeks. Weeks 1-3 will progress in duration and intensity; week 4 is a recovery week. Hodierne has also provided the option of a choice session to crosstrain one day out of every week. They’re to be taken at your own discretion and should only benefit the plan, not hinder it. *This program can also be used to train for a comparable multi-stage mountain biking event.
Goal: Grow stronger and maintain fitness while building confidence in technical skills.
How to Buy the Best Mountain Bike: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself
Read article
12 weeks out
Week 1: 8 total training hours
Ride 1 Session: Moderate (6/10 intensity) Sport: MTB off-road; challenge yourself and build confidence on technical terrain Duration: 1.5 hours
How to Buy the Best Mountain Bike: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself
Read article
How to Buy the Best Mountain Bike: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself
Ride 2 Session: Mild endurance (6/10 intensity) Sport: MTB/road/trainer; give sustained effort for given duration, riding at a higher cadence than usual Duration: 2
Ride 3 Session: Long, slow distance (5/10 intensity) Sport: MTB/road on flat profile with low effort Duration: 2.5 hours
Ride 4 Session: Intervals (7/10 intensity) Sport: MTB/road/trainer; 30min warmup – 20min moderate (7/10) – 15min hard (9/10) – 10min easy (5/10) x 2 Duration: 2 hours
Session 5 Optional Session: Crosstraining—anything but cycling (5/10 intensity) Sport: Pilates, running, yoga, strength training, or swimming Duration: 1 hour
5 Ways to Instantly Improve Your Mountain Biking Skills
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11 weeks out
Week 2: 8 total training hours
Ride 1 Session: Moderate (7/10 intensity) Sport: MTB on undulating profile, riding climbs easy and going hard with sustained effort on descents and flats Duration: 1.5 hours
5 Ways to Instantly Improve Your Mountain Biking Skills
Read article
5 Ways to Instantly Improve Your Mountain Biking Skills
Ride 2 Session: Endurance (5/10 intensity) Sport: MTB/road/trainer on flat profile, riding at a lower cadence than usual, keeping easy effort Duration: 1.5 hours
Ride 3 Session: Intervals (6/10 intensity) Sport: MTB/road/trainer: 15min moderate (7/10) – 10min easy (5/10) – 5min hard (9/10) Duration: 2 hours
Ride 4 Session: Long, slow distance (5/10 intensity) Sport: MTB on varied terrain and profile, taking an easy cadence and focusing on enjoyment, and comfort at a talking pace Duration: 3 hours
Top 10 Mountain Biking Trails in America
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10 weeks out
Week 3: 10 total training hours
Ride 1 Session: Moderate and skills (6/10 intensity) Sport: MTB with technical climbs and descents on varied terrain off-road (e.g. sand, rock, steep hills), challenging yourself and building confidence Duration: 2 hours
Top 10 Mountain Biking Trails in America
Read article
Top 10 Mountain Biking Trails in America
Ride 2 Session: Endurance (6/10 intensity) Sport: MTB/road/trainer on hilly profile, building effort on climbs, easing off over the top and sustaining moderate effort along flats Duration: 2 hours
Ride 3 Session: Intervals (7/10 intensity) Sport: MTB: 15min moderate – 15min easy – 15min moderate – 15min hard x 2 Duration: 2 hours
Ride 4 Session: Long, slow distance (5/10 intensity) Sport: MTB/road at talking pace, possibly a group ride with friends, focusing on time in the saddle Duration: 4 hours
10 Pro Tips for Mountain Biking
Read article
9 weeks out
Week 4: 6 total training hours
Ride 1 Session: Easy (5/10 intensity) Sport: MTB n easy route off-road, riding with a high cadence Duration: 1.5 hours
10 Pro Tips for Mountain Biking
Read article
10 Pro Tips for Mountain Biking
Ride 2 Session: Time trial (9/10 intensity) Sport: Road/trainer—warm up for 30 min; complete 1-hour time trial for maximum distance (keep route consistent for comparison in weeks to come); cool down for 30 min. Duration: 2 hours
Ride 3 Session: Endurance (5/10 intensity) Sport: MTB on undulating profile over varied terrain. keeping effort low Duration: 2.5 hours
Rest day
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
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Famed Yosemite Climber Zach Milligan Dies After Ice Climbing Fall
Skiing in Japan Is Back Again—and the Powder Was Worth the Wait
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The North Face Introduces Athlete Development Program
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