How to maintain performance on mountain bike trails in the mountains

Maintain good performance on long-distance mountain bike routes in the mountains is not just a matter of being in good physical shape. There are many strategies that can help you to improve your final time in a race of many kilometres such as the GR-11 in the Pyrenees.

Know your body and your limits

Doing the groundwork well before tackling an outdoor mountain bike route will facilitate wear and tear. Properly examine the type of route you will be facing during the test. Visualise those points where you can notice the fatigue more and those where you can go up a gear more to make up for the rest. Also the kilometres where you will take a break to hydrate and replenish your energy. Consult the weather forecast for the day of the race. It is important to adapt your clothing to rainy conditions, as well as to protect yourself from the heat with sunglasses, breathable jerseys and a suntan. Check the wind speed and how it can affect your cycling. A gusty, sideways wind forces you to take extra precautions.

Knowing your body and your physical limits are some of the biggest keys to perform at a good level for all the kilometres of the route. It allows you to manage your strength, to know your strengths and weaknesses and, in turn, to plan the race with the aim of suffering as little as possible where you are less strong and to increase your pace on the terrain where you are most comfortable. In fact, the best strategy is to go from less to more. Start riding at a gentle pace and increase your pace as the kilometres go by. Playing with the gearing will also help you to manage your strength correctly, as well as your position on the bike. Get off the seat on the climbs and adopt a more aerodynamic position on the descents.

Don't try to follow those who have a better pace than you, because you may run the risk of running out of energy. However, keeping a visual distance from someone can help you find that right pedalling gap, which will improve your physical performance.

A correct diet before, during and after the route

Nutrients, however, hold the other key to perform well over many kilometres of mountain biking. It is important to eat well in the hours leading up to the ride, based on protein and carbohydrates. Once on the bike, the key is to maintain glucose and hydration levels. Drink water constantly and combine it with an isotonic drink.. It will prevent dizziness and improve muscle performance. If you want to recover quickly, you can also use a gel.

We should also take food with us that we can get hold of, without it being detrimental to us to be on a bicycle. During the hours leading up to the ride, in addition to breakfast, we should prepare small portions of fruit, nuts or energy bars, that allows us to be light on our feet when it comes to taking food out and putting it in our mouths. After the route, it is important to recover your muscles if you want to be able to continue training over the next few days. Stretch to avoid muscle stiffness, recover all the water you have lost, as well as energy from fast-absorbing carbohydrates, such as a banana or nuts.

With the right strategy in terms of nutrition, hydration, clothing, technique and power management, we can improve our performance during a long mountain bike ride. Being good at mountain biking is not just about having the best physique, but also about being the best at combining all the elements that come into play.