A while back I posted some thoughts I had on pedaling endurance for DH racing on my blog. Some people had a tough time keeping perspective on the situation - they thought I was saying that pedaling endurance is not important for DH racing. It is very important and will always be a part of a good training program.

In fact, I do a lot of "cardio" work with the riders I train and even have some of them doing 1 hr road rides (on their mountain bikes) that are essentially planned tempo rides (longer sub max intervals). These are riders that have a lot of time to train and are already doing strength work and intervals.

However, here is what I see when I do a needs analysis for a DH racer:

1. Technical skills - if they don't have the skills to handle the courses and the speeds needed to win then all the fitness in the world is wasted.

2. Impact strength - the faster you can hit rock gardens and roots and the faster you can maintain control through them the faster you can ride. Weaker riders (like women) HAVE to slow down because they physically can not handle the same speeds without loosing control.

Plus, the less impact strength you have the more taxing the rough, technical stuff is going to be. When you get to the bottom and have to pedal your legs are simply taxed because they are worn out from absorbing impacts.

3. Pedaling Power endurance - If I am going to discuss pedaling endurance we need to be clear that I am talking about pedaling power endurance. All I care about is how much power can you lay down and maintain for the time fame being discussed. With that being said, your pedaling power endurance basically tells us potentially how fast your "engine" can propel you.

Taken together, these three things play the biggest role in the success of a DH racer. Actually, these factors apply to all types of riding in different proportions but that is the subject for another article.

As you can see there is really more to the equation than just being able to pedal as hard as you can for 3-5 minutes. You have to be able to handle those speeds from a technical and physical perspective. If you can not do that then you will never be able to fully apply your pedaling power endurance to the trail.

My approach is that you should establish the ability to go as fast as you want and then work on your ability to maintain that speed over the course of your race. This means that, for a lot of riders, gaining technical proficiency and physical strength will play a more important role than pedaling power endurance. They need to work on their ability to actually go fast on the trail, not in training.

Now, keep perspective... I am not saying to stop working on pedaling power endurance.

I am saying that if you have never looked at improving your technical skills (of which mobility and body control play a huge role) or increasing your impact strength (which strength training plays a huge role) then you may need to switch training priorities. Stop worrying so much about your "cardio" and start looking at your true weak links. It may seem counterintuitive but that is how I think you can make the most dramatic impact possible on your riding.

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James Wilson is the owner of MTB Strength Training Systems, the world's only company dedicated to developing strength and conditioning programs for the unique demands of mountain biking. He has helped hundreds of mountain bikers around the world ride faster and longer and his current clients include National DH Champ Aaron Gwin and the Yeti/ Fox Racing Shox Factory Team. Riders interested in learning more about how strength training can help them have more fun on the trail can visit www.BikeJames.com.