The MTB Thread

[Arcangelo]

Hi. This is the official mountain biking thread for actualized.org's health and fitness sub-forum.

Even though this is a stupid hobby that distracts people (me) from doing the real work i like it very much. It is (much) better than being an alcoholic poker addict who wakes up at 11 am with a hangover everyday ( i used to be that)

I am racing a MTB marathon this sunday.

I would like to ask the fitness experts here: What do you think about salt pills? (They are used to retain fluids, so you don't feel like urinating during the race.)

Pluto, Michael, Outer, anyone?

[Michael569]

Never heard about salt pills but generally electrolytes are extremely important to help the water enter the cellular membrane. They act as a "door keeper" if you will. Otherwise all the water will come out. Sodium and Potassium are extremely important for this. If you burning a lot of energy, your body will produce less urine because a lot more water is required by cells. There are probably some electrolyte powders you can buy or gels just make sure they are free from sweeteners like aspartame, that shit is not good for you. 

Into your race drink (the one you carry on bike), consider adding some himalayan salt (1/4 teaspoon should do) with some honey (quickly accessible fructose), lemon, a little bit of olive oil (neuron conduction) and some potassium powder as you will lose a lot of it in sweat but don't go overboard because it will dehydrate you.

Also a smoothie made of fruits before the race should provide you with enough liquids and electrolytes and to prevent excessive peeing. 

You may also want to consider bumping up on vitamins B1, B3 and B5 and magnesium (up to 400mg) as they take part in Glycolysis/Kreb's Cycle which is your energy production powerhouse so getting a giant salad the evening before could be a sound idea or having some multivitamin powder maybe? 

At the same time, if you are performing , your body tends to "switch of" temporarily the need to pee when it is in the sympathetic dominance. (fight or flight) so maybe you won't even feel the need. 

+ additional tip, a beetroot has been shown to improve your heart's oxygen conservation ability so adding couple hands into te pre-race smoothie may not be a bad idea. 

A bit more than you asked for but hopefully something in here will be of any help, good luck  let us know how it went. 

Edited October 26, 2018 by Michael569

[Hellspeed]

Spirulina & Chlorella. Worked for me as a rickshaw driver. Imagine pedaling with manual tricycle uptown with 3 big humans, hahaha, is just hardcore compared to normal cycling. 

[Arcangelo]

Hi. It went perfect. I finished 40 minutes after the 1st place. No salt pills, no need for that. 37 KM took me 2:40:00

Racing is mandatory for humans to evolve?

 

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. What i end up doing was mixing 1L powder serum with 1L powder lemon gatorade.

See you next race!

 

[Michael569]

congrats bud, great result !

[Girzo]

On 26.10.2018 at 1:53 AM, Arcangelo said:

Even though this is a stupid hobby that distracts people (me) from doing the real work

Why would you say that? It's a cool hobby. Improves physical condition and connects you with nature.

I am lately thinking about building an electric MTB to commute and have fun in the forest.

[Arcangelo]

Well thanks for asking. I guess i am blaming MTBing for me falling off the actualized wagon.

But you are right is not the bike's fault is my fault. And yeah is a much better hobby than video games for example.

All of my life i have wanted a moped. Now that there are E-bikes, I want an E-bike. Is a little bit like cheating but who cares, i think they are cool.

Go for it Girzo!

 

[G a r y]

One of the main reasons I grow my business is that I want to spend more time mountain biking!

[Arcangelo]

Go for it Gary!

Something similar happened to my dad. He liked his sport so much (moto enduro) that he decided to be wealthy so he could always have the best bikes and the best gear.

On Sunday i did a 37km MTB marathon at a place called Chachagua it went even better (2:20:00)

[ajasatya]

i know @kieranperez is a runner as well.

[Arcangelo]

Yeah that's why his name is kieRAN

Hi I have to report that last sunday i ended up 5th place! at a MTB race

I report this to inspire people: if i ended up 5th, someone reading this might go for that gold medal they are dreaming of or something.

 

 

[Arcangelo]

Hi I am Arcangelo, Lord and Master of The Downhill.

I bought a brand new trek xcaliber 8. I raced it at a place called green tree. It was a 30 KM marathon. I suffered a puncture on my rear tire at the begining of the race. I replaced the tube but there was something in the rim and it punctured the new tube. So i decided to race with a flat tire. Everybody was offering help: -''Hey i got some patches'' or -''Hey i got a tube you can use'' I decline those offers of help because the tire is/was very, VERY fucking difficult to get out and put on. Prolly because it is/was new. My decision of racing with a rear puncture was a bad one because i damaged the rim a little bit.

On February 3rd I made a 4 day MTbiking tour. Took a bus with a bunch of riders to go near a biological reserve, we biked to the reserve crossed it and get out at the other end of it. The bus was waiting for the guys to go home. Me instead picked up my bags and went back to the reserve and crossed it all by myself. The night catch up on me in the middle of the reserve. The reserve has feline predators and it is infested with snakes. I was (very) scared.

Long story short: I rode 15 hours the first day I had a couple of more-than-one-hour stops but still.  

When the night catched up on me, my mind started playing tricks on me. My mind was telling me: -''Hey you know what?:  we are lost and we have to go back some kilometers to get a sense of where we are and resume.'' When those thoughts arised i had to kill them singing: -'' I am going to my hotel''

I underrated the distance and overrated my skills. It won't happen again.

I was humbled by this experience.

2nd day i rode 3 hours to a nice beach hotel.

3rd day i rode 3 hours to a beach nearby to buy the bus ticket

4th day i rode 2 hours

No mechanicals i love my bike!

Overall it was great!

On april 14th i am doing the same tour all over again. This time i will ride less the first day. My mistake was that i wanted to finish the ride with everyone instead of making a U turn as soon as i crossed the reserve.

Also I am doing a bike tour on march 17th this time we start from a place called The Death Mountain and finish at Little Grape Beach (70KM)

And finally on july 14th i will be racing at the National MTB Marathon Championship being held at place called Athens (not Greece).

 

It's gonna be great!

 

[DrewNows]

@Arcangelocheck out saw palmetto...really helps me retain water as I no longer feel like I need to go 

[Cocolove]

I went mountain biking once last summer, I loved it!

[Arcangelo]

Go for more of it Coco!

Hi. Last sunday i went to a place called Tapirs Mountain. It took me 6 hours to get to the Wildlife Refuge. Had lunch there and went for a 3 hour hike.

I was very smart with my energy on this trip. Basically i didn't burn any of my ''matches''. I stayed the night. It was very cold at night. At lunch everyone just took for granted that i was going to see the Tapirs at night: -''Oh you are so lucky, you are gonna see the tapirs tonight.'' But  i didn't see any big mammals. Most people just do the hike and leave. I got a little bit anxious when they told  me: -''If there are big mammals it means there are predators for those mammals.'' also when they told me: -''We had a full grown Labrador retriever that got eaten by one of these predators.'' (felines).

On Sunday i am going to a place called Montserrat (90 KM) No felines there, but you never know...

[Arcangelo]

Hi. I didn't reach Montserrat. I had mechanical problems. The chain was slipping out of the rear pinions, so i had to stop completely, hop off the bike and fix it. This dynamic happened 20 times. Enough times to say : -''Fuck this shit, i am making a u-turn and go home.'' I did 75 Km though.

I bought some salt pills for this ride, I took 1 every hour. (You are supposed to take 2). I guess they made me urinate a little bit less (frequency wise).

Nothing special for this weekend.

But i am really excited about The Death Mountain-Little Grape beach ride. The minibus is leaving at 3:45AM from another city so i am riding to that city on March 16 and stay at a hostel.

4day-''solo'' bike trip. These are my solo meditation retreats. They are fun!

After the ride everybody is going home in the minibus. I am staying 2 nights at little grape beach!

 

[Arcangelo]

Hi. The National MTB Marathon Championship is being held at Athens (not Greece), at a place called Long Savannah.

I am riding my bike to Athens by the mountains (not taking the easy road) the day before the race: 40 Km to ''get my legs loosen up''

I am gonna do an exploration ride to Athens at least a month before the race. It is very important: I don't wanna be lost the day before the race.

Registration and license can be acquired the day of the race, easy game.

It's gonna be great!

  

[Arcangelo]

Hi. Trip is in 2 days.

-Last week i went to a bike fit specialist. He set my bike to my specific measures. I could feel the difference as soon as i sat on it. My back is more relaxed now, and i am pedaling with my whole feet now. Before i was pedaling with my toes. I have always made sure that my saddle height was ok. But what he did was something else. Money well invested.

-And yesterday i went to a cardiologist. Good news my heart is perfect he says. We did an electrocardiogram. Now we gotta do an effort-electrocardiogram. To be 100% sure. Money well spent.

See you next week with a full trip report.

It's gonna be great!

 

 

[Arcangelo]

Hi. Yesterday I descended from the Death Mountain (DM) to Little Grape Beach (LGB).

I didn't enjoy it. I got my ego fed before the race by myself (over confidence) and got my ego fed later by another rider. Long story short i pushed too hard. These rides with these mini bus guys have been tougher than races.

We started from DM, we where 60 riders total, it was super cold but great climate. At one point i was shivering so much i could barely ride the bike. I started in last position because i was slow at getting ready. On these organized rides there are 3 packs:

First pack consist on elite guys that make podiums regularly.

Middle pack consist on guys like me that ride/race but not that serious, and 

The Last pack pack consists of guys that only train once or twice a week max.

There is at least one guide for each pack.

So, from last position i started passing riders and catch up with the Mid Pack. I hanged out with them on the pavement, but on a flat section, all in a sudden my power went from 100% to 40% and every one in that pack just swooshed me by. I didn't try to catch up because the ride was just starting. But I told myself I'll see you in the forest. And I did!

3 guys took longer at the assistance check point. Orange guy that was leading the road freight train had to stand under a shade and took a short lift on the organizer's  pick up truck. And finally there where a husband and a wife who where dressed exactly the same. The wife was in good shape but her husband wasn't, so she had to wait for her man and i passed them.

When the micro-climates went from extreme cold to extreme hot, i got the cold sweats. I started telling people:

-''I feel cold. Are you cold?''

They where like: -''No man is super hot right now, that might not be a good sign''

The wife gave me a gel caramel and then at the 2nd checkpoint i had a jelly sandwich that finished doing the trick. 

A lot of people got lost due to poor demarcation, myself included. I was riding with a group of 3 and THE GUIDE told one of the guys to turn right when it was supposed to be left. We rode for 3-4 kilometers but they where too slow and i passed them. After 2 more Kms i realized i was lost and went back. 

Reminders for an organized ride:

-Ride with the guides and/or in a group. Even if that means getting out of you comfort zone by riding slower, do not try to catch up with anyone, you will need that energy for later.

-It is better to develop your own pace and expect good things to happen.

 

See you next time!

 

 

 

 

[Arcangelo]

Tip#1: Never try to fix ANYTHING while pedaling.

 

Last monday i found an "alternative entrance" to a bike park. Last sunday i went and they are building a fence, a wall or a steel barrier, whatever you wanna call it, where the "alternative entrance" is.

 

Change of plans

I am taking the easy paved road the day before the championship. It's less than 30KM.