[Closed] Skills or fitness - your focus/priority/goal?

Just going for a ride would be a start....

3) Enjoyment.

For me it was  kinda the same😭!  except injurys have pretty much scupperd all of it at present! Fitness is zero I’m no fatter than ever and skill is pretty much at just hang on and hope for the best🙄.

So this winter as long as then injurys don’t get any worse cross fingers better. Fitness will be my main aim with weight loss being a plus. Skills hopefully will return.

Like you I’ve got a Pretty good woodlands near by with about 8plus miles of mostly single track about 60% and then with the rest being fireroad and fireroad climbs which is handy.

Do have to say I did a skills day with Jedi about 2.5 years ago and that was mo way well spent. And was older than you are now lol

For me, at present, running is for fitness, bikes is for fun. I generally ride with folks that are better, which is good for the skillz.

Enjoyment is a by product of both.

If there was anywhere locally that had (small) jumps and stuff, I would go occasionally and have a practice. There isn't, so I don't…

Biking for fun, however it comes. Most times for me that means skill's more important, and fitness is basically just a means to an end, I sometimes say I cycle despite the fitness benefits.

K1100t - there must be some form of dead monoculture timber farm that you can build in?.

Just ride more and get better?

I can do my commute to get some free exercise. And add Swinley in if I fancy some jumps/drops and a weekly blast around tunnel hill for rooty/steep stuff.

I'm still unfit and ride like a sack of spuds sometimes though.

I still do a bit of XC racing (with varying degrees of success) so my main goal at the beginning of each year is building fitness and refining technical skills. Come mid-summer when the local race series is over, I ride for the enjoyment of it which is made better by the over- indulgence in pies, cakes, alcohol etc. Most years consist of 'get fit, get fat, repeat'.

It works for me.

Fitness first. You aint gong to get skills without fitness. Pushing a bike up hill is hard work, so even if you focus on skills and push the bike up you're going to be knackered which will affect your skills and limit the amount of time you spend doing any useful riding within the time you have.

Get fit first, hopefully lose a bit of weight then the skills will come.

For fun. Skills increase with riding decent places, not mincing around boring trailcenters. Not interested in the fitness aspect of riding a bike.

I think the big thing I've learned has actually been that to get better at stuff, you actually have to make it a priority - at the moment, if I've got 2hrs available to ride I'd rather spend 30mins each way in the car and get an hour's session in at Rogate working on specific things than blast round a loop where you only ride any particular section once.

I suppose it's come from being involved in equestrian world (OH has regular lessons with top riders) where there's a real focus on being a good rider (as to ride badly means you can actively harm the horse) and in continuous improvement through working on specific exercises, pushing your comfort zone gradually, setting yourself up for success, and so on. Something I've definitely tried to apply to improving my bike riding.

I am interested in all aspects.

I ride because I love it.

A good level of fitness makes it more enjoyable and I am always experimenting with my technique in an attempt to delay the inevitable decline (51).

One of the things I love about mountain biking is that you are never the finished article,  there is always something to hone and conditions change constantly .

Imho it doesn't even matter if you don't have 'decent places' to ride on a daily basis, how many times have I nailed even a simple trail, got it perfect?  Never I suspect.

Ah sod it...   been mad busy lately, gonna do a half day tomorrow and go ride, thanks OP   😀

I've been practising track stands on my commutes if that counts for anything. Not relaxing can make it really hard work.

I've been MTB'ing since 1994 and am still pants at anything downhill or jumpy.

Thankfully, it seems that an adult lifetime of cycling everywhere has kept me fit - and so I have accepted that it's enough for me to be quick in a straight line and uphill.  I've only started using Strava this year, so it's been quite comic to see how stark the difference is on segments that are up and downhill.

I should probably therefore focus on improving my MTB DH skills and confidence, but I do so much more road / commuting - so it's just easier for me to get fitter than more skillful!

kinda lucky in the skills department in that no matter how unfit I get I can still hold my own riding down anything with riders of all ages. Fitness definitely makes all riding way more fun though.
I don't really have any goals. fitness is decent just now. Strength even better.

The last time I actvely dedicated any time to skills was when my Ebike was new as it takes slightly different timing/weighting to do the same things as well as on a 17lb lighter bike.

As said above, you really don't need decent places to improve skills. Almost all my core skills came from growing up in a dull seaside town riding BMX for hours every day. You do need to go decent places if improving line choice, flow and specific terrain etc. is what you're aiming to improve though.

I just go out and ride, sometimes that's rooty and steep stuff, sometimes trail centers, most times it's my commute. Its not efficient either fitness training (junk miles) or skills (same junk miles), but e<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">ven on my dull commute I reckon it builds up the muscle memory of cornering, poping off speed bumps etc and builds (false) confidence in how grippy tyres are on fast road corners! And being fit means the last descent on a ride is as fresh as the first so I can ride as quick as I'm able and keep progressing.</span>

Still unfit and often ride like a sack of spuds though.

Much like you OP, I could manage a decent pace on an XC loop but, having had a prang a few years ago that resulted in some broken bones, I avoided any jumps or drops. At the end of last year I decided that I needed to face my fears if I was to progress as a rider. So this spring I went for some skills training and have spent the summer practicing with visits to BPW, Tidworth Freeride, Windhill Bike Park, sessioning local jumps and drops, and few more professional training sessions alongside the practice. I now feel much more confident and happier rider. Kaizen!

Fun is top priority, improved fitness is a benefit. I don't have the time to endlessly practice or repeat challenging routes these days, but love speed and technical challenges, so rides are usually a compromise between sections of local routes I know I can do with a contented grin, and sections that will stretch my skills a bit. I'm not too far from Hamsterley and wish I could get there more often…

3) Enjoyment

Me too. Primarily. At 50, fitness is an important by-product though not to the extent of having a training plan, doing intervals etc. If I've got a particular event coming up, eg 3PCX, might do some specific training, ride more hills etc, but otherwise I generally just ride.

More a mincer than a techy gnarr god. Like to be out of my comfort zone occasionally (Grisedale Pike, Skiddaw, Ullock Pike a couple of weekends ago) and like a good flowy downhill trail as much as anyone. But not into jumps, gaps etc. Haven't got the balls, and at my age, don't want to go breaking bones trying to grow them.

For most of the last 20 years I've ridden essentially to punish myself.  I would try to push myself and set myself challenges in a vain attempt to convince myself I'm not a sad sack loser.  I'd go to LLandegla and do four laps for no real reason, or go to Gisburn in the snowy winter and do three horrible laps.  I'd always do an extra bit.

Then about 4 years ago I did the WHW IAD and it brought about a complete change in attitude.  I realised that I wasn't completely useless on a bike and that doing silly distances wasn't going to improve my self esteem any.  Since then I've generally riden for fun, or at the very least taken enjoyment from the ride itself.

Bit of a regression last year when I did my first (and obviously only) triple century, but at least I got a real sense of satisfaction from doing it, rather than blaming myself for not doing more.  As can be seen from the Dark Peak thread I seem to be planning another long route, but at least I've scaled it back so it's not an all nighter.  Whether it's a positive goal or just an opportunity to flagellate myself remains to be seen.

At the back of my mind is still this spectre of a quad century.  I don't have an absolute need to do it, but at the back of my mind I really would like to see if it is possible.  And clearly need to try sooner rather than later.

So fitness and distance all the way for me. No interest in skills whatsoever (apart from cycling up technical ascents of course)

I think your doing exactly the right thing OP,it only leads to opening the doors to having even more FUN if you build your skillset and especially take time to work on your weaknesses and become a more versatile well rounded rider - and that can only be a good thing.

I've recently taken what many  perceive as a big step backwards by going  onto flat pedals.......I've had a blast , it's freed me to play more and attempt  more fun stuff and in doing so fall of better ,relearning a few things that  I haven't done since I last rode my BMX many many  years ago and very bizarrely  I can even still pedal my bike too.

Fitness for me. But then I'm a roadie who likes to mtb. My mtb'ing tends to be when opportunity allows, so during the lighter evenings I'll ride Thetford a couple of times a week on my way home from work, when visiting parents I'll do Llandegla. I'll also do my local woods (Woburn) when I get the chance. But as my main focus is on the road, my main ride on a weekend is a 5 hour road ride - I get very limited opportunity to also ride mtb on the weekends. (That said I did do Cannock last Saturday)

I do ride with some very good mtb'ers, would love to have their skills. Unfortunately my priority is on my fitness, so anytime I get out on the bike, its a training session. My fitness masks some of my lack of skill, but its very noticeable when I ride with a talented rider who is of similar fitness.

I will be doing a skills course soon, have done one about 4 years ago, but this was just a beginners course (with some attendees who hadn't really ridden off-road at all)  and didn't really go into enough detail about line choice, drop off's, how to handle rooty technical sections etc.

Christ, 24 posts and only 1 mention of Strava.

Nobeerinthefridge it's all road/bridleway/byway riding around here, and as it's on the edge of the fens, not much in the way of up and down either. I could jump in the car and drive to High Lodge at Thetford, or even Chicksands, but I'd spend more time in the car than I would cycling. Plus, all the local woods are on a pheasant shooting estate, or all the land is taken up by studs and paddocks.

I'm sure there are probably some sneaky trails somewhere, but then I'd have to go and ride with other people to find them. Plus my sense of self preservation is far too strong to be throwing my self off huge drops etc… 🤔

Recently my fitness caught up with my skills; unfortunately they're now both rock bottom!

I've sold my car so lots of commuting and regular MTB should see both improve a little.

I find BMX is one of the most intense ways to work fitness and skills - an hour at the track is plenty. I just need to get a routine in.

Last year I rode several cross races and improved (slightly) in each one.  I'm probably only going to ride 2/3 this season as it's not worth the time/ cost when i was already dragging round the back.

E-mtb for pure fun

Bmx for pure fun

Road bike for fitness

Skills are pretty good from 25+ years of riding skateparks on the bmx

For me, it's a combination of increasing my outdoor time outside work to try and combat SAD mental fatigue, while also trying to give myself improved fitness through physical fatigue.

After yesterday's 20min FTP test from Ashton to Beacon Hill plus then throwing in some other power intervals from ~1-7mins, with some surprising positive results considering I'm still trying to completely get rid of a lurgy I've had for ~5 weeks, I'm questioning my sanity more than normal... Positively drained today, but I feel I ought to go for a gentle ride for some outdoor time and there's only ~3 hours of decent daylight left at best!

I pretty much ride for fun and to keep fit. My formative years were spent jumping and crashing BMXs at 1980s tracks so I'm ok at what may currently be considered 'skills'.

Some skills are very inefficient means of transport, and so subsequently are good forms of exercise. Trackstands between steps up a stepped ramp for example (2 bikelengths between steps). Takes ages, tests skills, tests balance, loss of momentum = extremely inefficient form of transport. Riding skinnies, slowly, engages core, tests balance, very inefficient form of transport. 10 bunny hops in a row on/off a foot high ledge, extremely inefficient form of transport, but great for core, and upper body, explosive, good cardio. But maybe not so much fun 😉

Mainly fitness but I'm steadily riding some more demanding stuff - drops and steepish bits I'm fine with but I have a mental and physical block on any sort of jump, I just end up 'pumping' the jumps and absorbing them.

There's a severe lack of decent trails close to me though so that sorry of forces the fitness aspect!

I suppose I'm lucky being located near Farnham - within half an hour/45mins I've got Tunnel Hill, Surrey Hills, Rogate, QECP, Hindhead; all of which have decently built stuff of all levels. Mind you, if I didn't there's nothing to stop me spending a couple of weekend afternoons with a shovel and rake and build some stuff.

Because we have horses I don't tend to ride much through the winter, so my wet weather skills are non-existent! Something I definitely plan to work on this year.

Tallpaul - Go back to learning bunnyhops properly until you're incredibly natural at them and can move the bike freely in the air and land on either wheel at will. It's not the same technique as jumping but will gain you confidence while jumping all the same.
Jumping well is all about stablilty on the take off, even taking off sideways (ie. a scrub)

I guess Ive prioritising fitness, but still spend a lot of time messing about.

Try to keep up a good level of fitness/strength so that pedally rides are more fun, being fitter/stronger gives me confidence that i can take a crash/sketchy landings better and means I can work at something skills related harder for longer.

But then on a proper pedally ride, I'm playing with the trail a lot more than the average mtber.

After a few bad crashes in recent years I’ve backed off a bit on going fast downhill and have been working on strength and mobility. That’s somewhat sucked me down the rabbithole of powerlifting which is proving a ‘fun’ challenge but is leaving less energy for keeping my pedalling fitness up (although I’ve been cleaning tech climbs I’ve never before done due to my increased peak power).

When I’m on the trails I’m trying to ride slower, more stylishly, more controlled, taking better lines, looking further ahead etc. I think if you spend most of your time trying to ride descents almost flat out, you can end up instilling somewhat messy habits. And inevitably crash more. I’m trying to ride without a pack most of the time because I’ve noticed the more freely my hips move, the better I corner. But the pack links my hips and shoulders and makes me behave more stiffly.

I’ve also noticed that I have to maintain perspective about how fast I can ride at a given time - if I’ve not been on the bike so much all the key skills get a bit rusty, so it’s unreasonable to assume I can ride as fast and safely as when I’m at my best.

MTB - for fun.

Road bike - for fun.

Touring bike - for fun.

BMX - for fun.

Shopping bike - still fun, apart from the actual shopping bit in the middle.

I was quite fit once, it was more fun.

I've never been skillful. If I was, I suspect it would be just as much fun, but a bit more hurty.

When I’m on the trails I’m trying to ride slower, more stylishly, more controlled, taking better lines, looking further ahead etc. I think if you spend most of your time trying to ride descents almost flat out, you can end up instilling somewhat messy habits. And inevitably crash more.

You simply don't ride enough. Ride enough and all of those things you are actively trying to do become second nature. Like muscle memory. The riders you see as consistently much faster than you are not riding messily or crashing any more than you. their comfort zone if far faster. Style and control and good line choice shouldn't be be slower. not what you think of as slower anyway.
You're a thinker. So hopefully you'll take this away and think it over rather than take offence like so many here might.

I need to start riding Surrey hills, will probably try and get on one of the pedal & spoke Sunday rides if I can get up early enough!

And tbh I'm not that bothered about jumping, I'm 37 so I'm never going to be hitting big stuff but would like to be able to hit small jumps with confidence.

I used to be a seriously competitive road man. 4th in Nat champs one year, a long time ago.

Age and injuries etc. caught up with me and I sold my gear.

Got to the stage where I needed a new knee. Took ages thanks to our wonderful NHS, but while waiting I became a couch potato.

Finally got the new knee. Bought a cheapo pootle around bike just to get some exercise. Then got a proper bike - or as close to a proper bike as I wanted to spend. Then started pushing it. In past 12 months I've lost 2 stone in weight and 4" off my waist. I'll never get back to where I was but am happy to be out and feeling fit again. I keep pushing myself - any rider in front is a target to pass so the edge is still there. Wifey is happy as I've got an embryonic 6pack. Don't ask for photos!!!

I know some guys round here who keep suggesting that we meet up for a ride to the cafe. Yuk. Sounds awful. There's only one cafe that I go to and it's in our kitchen. I can't do social riding. Go out, do the ride, get back. End of. Fitness and health - that's all I ride for.

“You simply don’t ride enough. Ride enough and all of those things you are actively trying to do become second nature. Like muscle memory. The riders you see as consistently much faster than you are not riding messily or crashing any more than you. their comfort zone if far faster. Style and control and good line choice shouldn’t be be slower. not what you think of as slower anyway.
You’re a thinker. So hopefully you’ll take this away and think it over rather than take offence like so many here might.”

I agree with all of that - by riding slower, I didn’t mean riding slower in an absolute sense, I meant riding slower relative to your own ability/speed. I recall Steve Peat saying that the pace he had to ride to win was so fast it got scary, and I presume from that he meant he was aware of the higher consequences and the reduced chance of saving a mistake or random bad luck from turning into a crash.

I’ve noticed that when I slow down a bit (not a lot) I ride better and particularly see better. And I gradually come back up to full speed and/or faster, but better.

I’m quite a competitive person, particularly with myself, so it’s taken a shift in mindset to admit that with the responsibilities I have I want to ride with more of a safety margin but still develop and/or maintain my skills. And my competitive focus has shifted into moving as much weight as possible with good technique in the gym. And four sessions of 1.5 to 2 hours a week of that doesn’t leave much energy for MTBing, so for now one ride of 3-4 hours a week will have to do. And I’m playing bass more now and writing more songs. MTBing is no longer the sole or dominant non-work/family/social thing. But doubtless that balance will change again.

Fitness, but that leads to fun. Going up hills is fun if you’re fit, going downhill is also fun but it’s faster if you’re fit, and sitting on the front of a road group and smashing it up is fun if you’re fit.

So yeah, both, but fitness is the priority.

tallpaul - longer jumps require a higher speed but jumping technique is actually exactly the same whether the jump is small or large. Steeper, closer together jumps in succession are trickier. but only because you need your landings to be more precise and consistent to carry momentum through the set.

You're not too old. infact you're over a decade younger than me.

Both.  Both lead to giving me a sense of achievement and satisfaction.  Both to me are pleasurable.

For me fitness is kind of on the bottom of my list.

It's a side effect of riding more. A brilliant side effect though.

My main focus on a ride is enjoyment not speed.

To me cleaning a section without a dab is far more important than how fast i'm going.

I'll always take a line to pop off a root rather than take a shortcut to pass a mate/ trackstand on a switchback and hop round than take a dab.

Any fitness I gain is a bonus but I tend to just loose it to other less healthy recreational passtimes...

I gave up racing enduros* years ago for the fun of MTB's in the wood pissing about with mates and have never had a desire to race since.

*Rode for the Yamaha GB team and was lucky enough to get on the GB team at the ISDE a few times.