• The logic might be that FTP etc helps because you're not gassed when you get to the top and drop in, therefore make less mistakes on the way down?

  • This old video shows fitness helps for that reason but mainly how fit and skillful Nino is but i still reckon for amateurs skills are the most important then explosive power, strength and conditioning then high ftp last. Neil Donoghue did and ftp test on GMBN before a return to racing and it was less than mine but i wouldn't probably kill myself in a Enduro race because i can't ride downhill at all with poor skills and even less confidence after a few horror crashes all downhill. You can probably improve skills quicker as loads of guys say how a skills weekend transformed their riding where as it could take 4-8 weeks of focused training to add 10 watts on your ftp. Significant s&c will take 8 weeks+ but you can boost your sprint power in 2 weeks if you don't mind a bit of vomit and pain but the biggest bang for your buck will be specifically training your biggest weakness. For me that would be skills and upper body conditioning. I actually found focusing purely on bike power on the watt bike without simultaneously honing my handling skills in the woods was a recipe for disaster.
    https://youtu.be/4M6qq5jxJ6E

About

Avatar for pascalo @pascalo started