And I don't mean multi-use paths, even though those are nice. I mean roots, rocks, no reggae, mountain bike trails.I should say before I get started: I am one thing and I am not another. I AM an idiot, who probably pushes his bike a bit too hard. I AM NOT a coach or even that great of a bike rider. My palmares doesn't read too impressively, so you probably shouldn't take my advice.
This is a question I pondered to myself Sunday afternoon while I rode 700x35 tires around "one of the largest public greenspaces inside the city limits of a metropolitan area in the eastern United States," Harbison State Forest. Why the hell do I do this?
I know why I do it. It's therapy, tearing around the woods on my 'cross bike. It breaks up the monotony of riding hours on the asphalt all the time. It's not as hot, there's shade and the forest floor doesn't radiate heat the way tarmac does. And, I don't own a mountain bike.
But why do I think other people should do it? Clearly a mountain bike would be better riding around all of these roots and rocks. This is evidenced by the fact that everytime I pass a guy on one of the wide, smooth, fast sections, he passes me back as I'm bouncing around the terrain. All that suspension and crap must be better for you, right?
Better for mountain biking maybe, but better for you? Probably not.
As far as I'm concerned, I have enough suspension already, I don't need anymore. Let your knees and elbows take care of that for you.
See, riding a 'cross bike in the woods for a few hours teaches a lot more about riding 'cross than I think we realize. It's kind of like taking a calculus class to study for your algebra final. There's so many technical skills out there for the taking that'll make tearing around a 'cross course seem like a piece of cake.
I did countless dismounts, run ups (walk ups maybe, it's still base training) and remounts going out for a nice cruise in the woods. The two 9 mile loops I did meant that not only was I getting in a lot of repetition on dismounts and remounts, but a lot of variation also. Not every run up, barrier, or technical section is going to be the same this fall, so there's no sense in practicing them all the same.
Unless you live near the biggest and best equipped park in the world, I imagine there isn't too much variety in the practice courses you can put together. Outside of barriers, I'm not sure there's a 'cross course component that I didn't ride on Sunday. Sand, dry dusty dirt, slick mud, grass, gravel roads and pavement were all included in my ride to, through and home from the park. A couple more trips out there and I'm pretty sure I'll be ready for any course this season.
The best part, the part I love the most about riding my 'cross bike in the woods, is how smooth I feel on the bike after a couple of rides out there. Remember that knee and elbow suspension thing I mentioned? I don't like feeling every bump in the trail. What's better than dancing on your pedals? Your bike dancing under you, that's what. It's that lightness-on-the-bike feeling that makes all this crap worth it. Being able to guide your bike over that crap that people usually ride with suspension, and not feeling like your teeth are about to rattle out is an amazing feeling, and it's a feeling that translates awesome onto a 'cross course. Riding 2 hours in the woods means that the bumpy sections on a course aren't throwing you out of your saddle, even when you're covered in your own snot and drool 45 minutes into a race this fall.
It's scientifically proven, that same lightness-on-the-bike thing makes you corner better, ride through the slop faster, dismount better and sprint faster. I swear.
Plus, how else can you go out and get completely filthy without looking like a crazy person?
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