![WHY WE TRAIN](https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/5144/472377/5ef3320a769ef/WHY-WE-TRAIN.jpg)
Riding your bike is great for fitness, but the chances are you got into the sport because it was great fun. Thankfully getting fitter and stronger off the bike will allow you to have more fun on it. Yes, off-bike training lacks the appeal of riding, but the net gain will be worth it because it’s likely to be your strength and those shorter, more intense efforts that are holding you back as a rider. Your bike-handling skills, performance on steep stuff, agility, power and ability to recover quickly will all radically improve with training.
So how much work does it take? Surprisingly little: just two hours a week, which is as much off-bike training as some pro riders do. By training sensibly you can fill in strength and intensity deficits in a short amount of time. We’re not saying it’s going to be easy, but it won’t take hours and hours of monotonous gym time like you might think.
TRAINING OPTIONS
You don’t want to be wasting your time so it’s all about using a purposeful, efficient approach that gives you a high bang for your buck. The following four approaches can all help you boost your riding while keeping off-bike training to a minimum.
1 FIND A ONE-ON-ONE COACH WITH EXPERIENCE OF MOUNTAIN BIKING
Denne historien er fra Summer 2020-utgaven av Mountain Bike Rider.
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Denne historien er fra Summer 2020-utgaven av Mountain Bike Rider.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
![Best places to ride with your kids](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5144/1380280/osBo-TqEn1689745790199/crp_BEST-PLACES-TO-RIDE-WITH-YOUR-KIDS.jpg)
Best places to ride with your kids
Five top venues to keep the nippers entertained this summer
![CANNONDALE MOTERRA NEO CARBON 2](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5144/1409940/1RykfDRM-1692164784720/CANNONDALE-MOTERRA-NEO-CARBON-2.jpg)
CANNONDALE MOTERRA NEO CARBON 2
It’s got more suspension tunes than a Hitchcock movie, but will this Moterra thrill us or chill us?
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100% GLENDALE GLASSES
When it comes to eyewear, having a large lens not only offers a lot more protection from trail splatter, it puts the frames further out from your field of view, allowing you to focus on the terrain in front of you. The Glendale is absolutely vast, and actually has a lens size akin to a full downhill goggle, so you literally can’t see the top or sides of the frame.
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DMR STAGE 2 MTB RAIL SADDLE
DMR's new Stage 2 MTB Rail is one of those new/old products. The shape and construction are identical to the existing Oi Oi saddle, but the company has wrapped it in a new skin and added some harder-wearing reinforcement to the edges. It's also toned down the lairy graphics; this saddle only comes in plain black.
![STRAIGHT TORQUING - GUY KESTEVEN](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5144/1409940/dMWDc3vk91692164347055/STRAIGHT-TORQUING-GUY-KESTEVEN.jpg)
STRAIGHT TORQUING - GUY KESTEVEN
Has tech taken the hard work and fun out of mountain biking, or should we embrace evolution and roll with it?
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STORM FORCE
Manon Carpenter may have retired from downhill competition, but her new role as a trail advocate is achieving results far beyond the race track
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SWEAT AND SLATE
We ride 140 miles through Snowdonia on Cycling UK's newest and gnarliest long-distance trail
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HEAD SPACE
New guidance reveals how to spot concussion, and how best to treat it
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LATE SUMMER LOVIN'
Classic UK holiday hotspots that really shine when the crowds have gone
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HOT STUFF
WHAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS MONTH