Why you should ride off-road in 2025
Body-Centric & Mind Alert (Off-Road Series #1)
As recreational athletes, our objectives and goals are usually tailored or oriented around the rest of our daily, often busy lives. But that doesn't mean we have to forego the aspirations and challenges of becoming an improved version of our athletic selves…
So if you're a recreational/competitive road rider, then this may be the year to change your riding habits, mix it up a bit, strive to improve your skills and take it off the streets and on the dirt guys and gals!
Off-Road biking usually requires navigating uneven, inconsistent terrain. Obstacles (small or large) like rocks, roots, and divots. These sometimes challenging mixed surfaces present an opportunity to potentially improve proprioception and body control skills compared to riding mostly smooth roads.
But sometimes it’s the road only rider who typically navigates the same or nearly similar routes in the same manner who doesn't give themselves that learning opportunity. While road cycling can be very good for aerobic fitness and mental health it usually does not not much more regarding core strength, balance and neural connectivity.
Sometimes strictly road biking has a tendency to put riders on autopilot, whether intended or not. But as riders age, the aspect of staying mentally sharp and body fit becomes more crucial to maintaining good overall physiologically fitness.
One of the most important aspects of off-road riding is body positioning; The proper basic riding technique and body positions are required to maneuver through changing terrain, roots, rocks, etc. These proper techniques engage more of the core and upper body, which is a key aspect of maintaining slower, deliberate balance as opposed to riding on relatively smooth pavement.
Off-Road biking requires more body shifts and movements, whether subtle, nuanced or significant compared to road biking. Pitch, roll and yaw, these are the constant required movements a rider must engage in when riding off-road (to be safe and efficient). The implementation of proper body position and technique addresses muscle imbalances and movement patterns. Strengthening and maintaining balance and our core muscles can help improve the quality of range of motion, mobility and joint stability.
Slow, deliberate balancing, shifting, choosing the best line, are the key ingredients in the relationship with gravity. Improving and maintaining the vestibular system may be something of a missed opportunity for those who strictly ride the paved roads...
The fitness required with regard to range of motion, mobility and stability stem from having and maintaining a strong core and adequate balance. Not just utilizing the rolling motion of a bike (gyroscopic effect which greatly aids a rider in staying upright) but rather the deliberate, slow movements that require core strength and a well operating vestibular system.
What these techniques and balance skills provide is a platform for neuroplasticity- a brain capable of change, capable of creating and strengthening new neural pathways under certain, given conditions. Neural circuits are utilized more often in off-road riding compared to road riding. These changes are achieved through learning to move in sync with the bike,
to constantly adapt the body to the proper required positions for the conditions and terrain.
This is exactly where riding off-road riding can benefit most any rider and pay real dividends. The focus required to navigate changing surfaces and variable conditions has the potential to enhance our reaction time and mental alertness.
Riding on mixed surfaces with a range of differing demands offers a credible challenge for both our body and brain. The continual learning and the creating of new synapses will result in a level of measurable success. With that said, it won’t be easy and yes, easy is a relative term. But with dedication, determination and practice, ultimately you will see progression and it’s a challenge well worth the reward...
If you’re in the New Jersey Region and would like to learn more about basic off-road riding techniques, contact me at: 2wheelfix@gmail.com
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