The Seasonal Cycle

As winter rolls in and snow covers miles and miles of single track, many mountain bikers layer up and hit the slopes. It's a year-round cycle for many to mountain bike in the summer and ski in the winter. Aside from perfect timing, do you ever wonder why so many mountain bikers ski in their offseason? We touched base with two Pivot athletes, Kait Boyle, and Craig Davis Murray to see how these two sports complement each other. Kait is an adventure mountain biker who backcountry skis as a form of cross-training in the winter. Craig is a free skier who spends his offseason entering enduro races at the pro level.

Keeping a level of fitness during the offseason is the most obvious way these two sports complement each other. Mountain biking and skiing help improve coordination, weight distribution, strength, power, and endurance. Kait explains, "In the heart of winter, I spend about 12-16 hours a week backcountry skiing, 3 hours in the gym, and 4-6 hours on the bike. In the summer, nearly all of those hours are on my bike. Backcountry skiing makes me build strength and physical resilience in ways I can't accomplish on the bike. I get full hip and glute extension, lateral movement, and insane hip flexor strengthening, all while lugging the weight of skis, boots, skins, and a full backcountry pack around. My core has to stabilize the weight on variable surfaces and my upper body is used to pole, lift and turn."

On top of keeping a level of fitness, each sport can positively impact mental health. The two sports require you to be fully present and are exceptional escapes from our ever-so-busy daily lives. There's something about being out in the mountains that is so refreshing. Craig mentions, "For me, moving physically and flowing mentally is a form of meditation. Your mind is quiet and present. Biking and skiing are two completely different sports, seasons, equipment, and physics. However, at the end of the day, you are moving with gravity, requiring you to access this mental non-duality." Switching sports in the offseason can also provide a healthy break from potential burnout. Kait mentions, "To build and sustain a career doing what you love, you have to sustain a deep love and drive. Skiing during the winter and getting on a bike (fat bike or trainer) just a couple of times a week, but primarily skiing, rebuilds the desire to ride." 

The culture and lifestyle of both sports have various similarities as well. Both communities are extremely supportive, pushing each other to be the best they can be. Beyond supporting each other, each community has strong relationships and tends to support the mountains. Kait expresses, "Skis allow me to move in the same landscape I ride in during the summer. They provide a tool for me to connect to the whole landscape, year-round, in its full form. Snow and winter shape this place. Glaciers once carved these valleys and the snowpack here is what determines the plants that grow here, and thus the soil composition and everything that shapes the mountain biking experience. On skis, I get to stay connected with the mountains, which is ultimately what I love about riding my bike." 

For many, this seasonal cycle is more than just adapting to the elements, it's a way of life. Whether you're cross-training to stay fit, or out stomping a new feature with your friends, nothing beats a day in the mountains.