Surviving the Season

Getting excited about your imminent summer spent riding bikes everyday? We at Peak Leaders Certainly are... here are a few ideas to get the most out of your season!


1. Jetlag
Although you might be absolutely buzzing to get your tyres in the dirt, send some big jumps and rail technical sections, it is definitely worth taking it easy during the first week or so of your trip. Especially if you are coming from another time zone, as jet lag can take its toll on concentration levels! Definitely not something you want to affect you hitting some big jumps. Having a few days to get up to speed and recover will help you avoid those season ending crashes before you have even started!

2. Staying Fit
Riding everyday does take it out of you, so it is important to have a good diet to keep your body fuelled up and in shape, so you don't suffer 'burn out' later on. The easiest way to do this is just by making sure you eat well, getting a good helping of carbohydrates and protein everyday to replenish your muscles. Rest days are important also, as giving your 'riding muscles' a well earned rest helps your muscles recovery and is a great excuse to do some sightseeing, try out some other activities, chill out by the lake for the day and get out the Whistler bubble! It is worthwhile additionally to look up some stretches and get in the habit of doing them every night, another thing that will help you avoid injury and get fitter.


High5 do some really good products to keep you going not only for racing, but everyday riding.

3. Taking spares
Packing some basic spares for your trip can be a life saver if you fall foul to a mechanical mishap later on. Things like derailleur hangers, spokes, wheel/headset bearings and frame bearings can sometimes be hard to get hold of and preempting issues like this will save you costly online orders as well as time, meaning you can get back to shredding quicker!

4. Servicing
Staying on top of your bike maintenance can make a whole lot of difference, and save you $$$ on new bike parts that you may have otherwise broken or worn out. Some brands recommend servicing forks every 100 hours (such as Rockshox) , and considering you may well be riding 6/7 days a week during the peak times of the season you'll rack up those downhill miles in no-time. Learning how to do it yourself will save you not losing time to taking it down to the shop, and also mean you get the best performance out of your gear, meaning you can ride faster!


5. Insurance
Before you head off, its a good idea to make a copy of your insurance documents/passport/travel visa and e-mail it to yourself. This means if you (worst case scenario) you lose it, you still have a copy and won't be left completely high and dry when you try to get replacements. Another idea is to fully check your insurance covers your for MTBing so you are not left out go pocket if you do have accidents whilst out there.

6. Enjoy it!
Whistler is an amazing place to spend the summer. The local and visiting population is fantastic, you've got the best bike park in the world, and the surrounding countryside is amazing. However, try not to get trapped in the Whistler bubble! British Columbia has a whole load of other things going for it. Heading down to Van for the day, going Whale watching or visiting some of the other bike parks (like the newly opened Coast Gravity Park) are all great things to do on your day/weekend off, and that is just the tip of the iceberg! Get out there and explore.


Thanks to Lukas Hartung for the use of title shot.