![]() ![]() In bicycle racing, the average heart rate is much lower. ![]() But, once you change direction or suddenly jump on the brakes, the bike wants to keep moving, and that’s where the strength and aerobic components come into play. When a motocross bike is going in the right direction and your technique is on point, you’re okay. Handling a heavy (240-pound) motocross bike involves a lot of upper-body strength as the bike’s inertia just keeps moving in every direction. Just as with cycling, the trick for motocross riders is to start strong but not exert so much energy that they fade through the race because they’ve gone past the point of no return. It is a fine balance to not push the body over the edge, fading or even to total fatigue. Average heart rates are often above 180 beats per minute the entire time. Every muscle is engaged-arms, legs, torso, back-and nothing gets a rest. Motocross racers are at the top end of their aerobic capacity for 30-plus minutes multiple times a day. For throttle-twisters, cycling is also favored for being a low-impact method to recover from the typical knee and ankle injuries that many motocross racers experience. Not only is cycling excellent for maintaining cardiovascular fitness which is vital for racing motorcycles, but also ideal as it allows riders to mix up their training. Like many other national champions before him, Zach’s career has benefited from former pro mountain bike racer Aldon Baker (right), who has relied on cycling to become the sport’s most successful trainer ever (here with (L-R) Marvin Musquin, Ryan Dungey and Jason Anderson). The result? Eli Tomac is now recognized as one of the world’s greatest champions. Of them all, former mountain bike world champion (and 7-Eleven rider) John Tomac has incorporated cycling into his son Eli’s training program. In fact, many motocross trainers have professional cycling backgrounds and use cycling to build fitness in some of the most successful motocross athletes like Zach Osborne, Ryan Dungey, Eli Tomac and Marvin Musquin. Today, bicycles remain a training requirement for just about every pro motocross racer. ![]()
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