MTB squad
Training is centred around trips away are organised by the Mountain Bike Secretary and the best way to find out about them is to sign up to the mountain bike email list. There will weekend day trips to nearby venues such as Thetford Forrest, Chickstands, and Aston Hill. Each term there are some evening sessions in Cambridge where skills can be developed and practiced in a more artificial environment and night riding trips are also organised. Some longer trips during the vacations will also be organised. These are usually just before the start or end of term and will be in places such as Wales, Yorkshire, Cumbria, Northumbria and Scotland where the riding is a bit more exciting.
Due to the lack of places to mountain bike near Cambridge a certain amount of race training has to be done on the road. There will be fitness sessions on weekends when there are no trips away and there are turbo training sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
It can be difficult in the dark depths of winter to find time to go mountain biking and whilst training on the road is hugely beneficial, it often does not provide the explosive leg power required when riding off road. Swimming can be a helpful way to maintain this power and also gives fantastic lungs! See the "Swimming for Mountain Bikers" training guide below for more information.