We wanted to spice up your indoor trainer workout with a mountain bike specific challenge. The most important trail skill is to look up and scan the track for your coming lines. Thanks to Rocky Mountain / Race Face Enduro Team rider Jesse Melamed, we can practice that vital skill while sitting on the trainer or couch.
The trainer/roller challenge
- Watch Melamed’s 2019 EWS race run down the Top of The World trail, and try to look toward the vanishing point of the trail for the best line throughout the entire 22 minutes. You can’t crash, and your hands won’t get tired. All you need to do is look up. It’s harder than it sounds.
- To add a little variety, spin an easy warmup until Melamed hits the treeline, just after the second road intersection (roughly 4.5 minutes in). Then, shift into an uncomfortable gear and try to keep your heart rate as high as it would be in a race run until he crosses the finish line.
- For added intensity, stand up and sprint for 10 seconds when Melamed is passed by the two riders, and again when he passes someone. Then, near the end of the track, give it all you’ve got form the time the orange and black Maxxis signs come into view until the video stops.
- If you are training to boost or maintain fitness for the coming season, repeat the descent with Melamed 2-4 times, keeping your heart rate a little higher on each round. Don’t forget to always look up.
In this video, Jesse Melamed was racing his home tracks with a fractured left hand and ankle, which have him using the brakes a little more than normal. He still managed to finish in 29th position out of 98 athletes, a deeply impressive feat.
If you prefer listening to music instead of Melamed’s commentary and tires, we added a few sound suggestions below that should keep the intensity up.
Happy sweating!
