Technical Ability vs Fitness Level

wALDOsLACK

It seems to me that at some point your skill level (technical ability) will exceed that of the trail. It is at this point that fitness becomes the factor relative to speed on the trail. The fitter you are, the more able to attack out of the slow areas & up the hills of the trail.

The point I'm trying to make & I'm at a loss for words - too many variables. But, There seems to be a curve in relation to ones ability on the trials. At some point, every trail will dictate a technical dead end where you can go no faster (curves, switchbacks, roots etc). At this point fitness will become the difference in how one attacks the trail or how fast they are ultimately able to go.

I started realizing this after watching the Olympic downhillers & slalom skiers. "Theoretically" - If one achieves the perfect line on a trail the variable would become speed & fitness level. Of course mistakes & miscalculations have their effect most the time...

I've rode with some really fast trail riders. Technically I'm getting there, but fitness wise I've got a long way to go. It's difficult to put these thoughts in writing as there are so many things that play a factor.

Technical things I'm learning on the trail: Corner lean & substrate; When to take the Inside line vs outside line of a turn (sometimes going for the ride); Momentum, grip & throwing the bike around for control; Learning to trust the lean in. G-force effect on position; Error correction; Going too fast/comfort level relative to speed; Trail Tunnel Vision etc. The list could go on...
It's one big puzzle. As the pieces come together, as you gain experience, you get faster.

I've seen strong roadies on the trail suck bad for lack of bike handling. So it's a balance that has to be achieved between the technical & fitness level.

Hope this opens some discussion on the subject.

Fragments..

PartisanRanger

I've pondered this myself from time to time, and I agree with you for the most part. I don't know about the technical dead end, though. Look at downhill racers, their results are based almost entirely on technical skill yet they will rarely have the same times. They might have close results but in the end it's that extra bike maneuver or show of control that makes the difference.

Strumpetto

I I would say that having an above average technical ability can make up for a lack of fitness in a race, or at least neutralize the lack of fitness, perhaps.

MtnBikeMettle

This is my first post and I would like to say HI to all my mtn bike brothers and sisters out there! I'm glad I found this forum because after reading through a bunch of posts it seems that we have a rather decent group of people here and I thought I might be able to contribute.

As for the question I have found that if you lack the fitness of a faster rider but have better technical riding skills they somewhat cancel each other as another poster had said. The faster rider can be beat you from point A to point B but if there is a nice technical rocky section in the trail you may catch up to them because they might have to walk it (providing you have at least some endurance to keep from getting totally dusted).

Example: It was early in the season and I was riding with my friend for the first time since we met. He is training to race XC beginner level so he is pretty fast from the get go. I have many years of good hard epic mtn bike rides under my belt but have gotten lazy as of recent so I was outta shape. I still could ride just not as fast as him. We went to a great new place to ride, but I had been there before and knew the course. It has alot of fast sections but plenty of rock gardens, roots, log crossings, etc. During the ride he was on my tail the whole time until I told him to pass. From then on I could barely see the dust flying in the air from his tires....I had been DUSTED! I kept my own pace knowing I would blow chunks if I went any faster. Eventually I would catch him because he would get to a super technical section and stop because he knew he couldn't make it through. He probably needed to catch his breath also because he has a sprinters mindset and likes to go as fast as he can all the time, but has to rest because he didn't pace himself.

Moral of the story: If you train for fitness and for bike handling skills EQUALLY you will do much better than if you train for fitness OR riding skill separately.

strader

I beleive there is always more speed that can be found in a trail, no matter how great your skill level is or how easy the trail is. As an example think of a smooth flat sweeper turn on a downhill where it is possible to enter at a speed fast enough to exceed the amount of traction available. Riders of any ability can ride through a turn like this, turns like this exist on every trail, but there are a number of factors that will determine how much speed can be carried through the turn:
- How much speed the rider is willing to carry into the turn (aka balls). Downhill racers will sometimes practice a turn until they exceed the limits of traction and slide out. Most riders will never aproach this limit, instead riding well within the limits of traction. Can you go into the turn without brakes? Okay, can you sprint into the turn and still go without brakes?
- Line selection. Taking the widest and smoothest possible arch through a turn will allow the highest cornering speed. Being able to identify this line in a split second, and having the skill to hold that line are skills few riders will ever come close to mastering.
- Equipment selection: Tire choice for terrain, tire preassure, suspension setup, etc.
- Most important: rider skill. Fore/aft weight distribution, front/rear brake modulation, lean angle, balance, pumping or weighting/unweighting the bike, and counter steering are just a few of the rider inputs that need to be adjusted continuously, and subconciously to ride anywhere near the limit. A single mistake can lead to a high side crash, or wheel washout. Highly skilled riders can pump over terrain and out of turns to pick up speed while using very little energy. Novice riders will be loosing speed over the same terrain.

The skill factor increases even higher once you start throwing in ruts, roots, sand, loom, gravel, rocks, horse poo, mud, and all the other stuff encountered on the typical trail.

j.r.hawkins

For a given technical ability the fitter rider will do better. Of course, that's stating the bleeding obvious in one respect.

But I'd like to add this: that being fitter helps your brain work faster and stay faster when under stress, such as towards the end of a techy XC course. Being fitter helps you be less mistake-prone.

strader

One of the nice unexpected side-effects I found when I started doing focused power training was my mtb tech skills improved markedly. When your body is making better use of glycogen, and has just plain more of it, it leaves a lot more left for your brain. Helps big time with balance, coordination, and judgement later into a ride.
And of course having a higher fitness level just plain allows you to ride longer, and get more practice.

surfinbernard

Interesting subject as I have been thinking about this a fair bit. I am not very good technically at all having only the basic ability to ride a bike and no more! But, when it comes to fitness it's a different story. I've been training quite hard for the last few months and I can tank it up the steepest of hills and feel I could ride a bike all day long. I'm slowly gaining confidence, but it will be a while yet before my technical ability matches my fitness level!

SB

threaded

I'd say once you have the fitness to finish a race, then technical ability will help you much more in the rankings. If you catch up with the tubs-of-lard walking a hill, or gathered looking down a drop off, technical ability will get you around them.