Training for bikepack racing, anaerobic intervals and variety, or not?

[taprider]

Do the FKT'ers just ride lots of long slow distance (LSD), whether 48 minutes or 48 hours non-stop, at the same pace and style?
or do some do all types of bike racing such as , 25 mile/40 km road time trials, mtn bike racing (1.5 to 2 hour XCO, Enduro, Marathon), criteriums (road or dirt), observed trials, bmx etc.?
How many work on increasing their strength and power, or improving their single track skills?

For those that do interval training or hill climb repeats to be a faster bikepack racer - what types, intensities, durations?

[taprider]

Lots of coaches provide training programs for ultra distance, but do FKT'ers follow any program? or do most of them just ride lots of LSD/Zone 2.
From online bios for North American FKT'ers, it doesn't look like many of them race other types of events, or are working on their cornering speed or how high they can bunny-hop a fully loaded bike. 
I suppose lots of Euro's have a road or XCO competitive background.

[youngmason]

I remember Aaron Denberg telling me that he and some others (Refsnider?) would mostly just do big (30 to 50 mile) day rides on mountain bikes. Seems like those 2 guys are more into singletrack than gravel. I assume the FKT?ers on Tour Divide focus more on 100 mile gravel rides for ?training?. The events themselves seem to set you back, at least physically.
For endurance, there?s some evidence that 80% of your pedaling should be chill (heart rate below 120 or 130 depending on age)and the rest can be high intensity.

[aarond]

I honestly don't remember saying this.  I know for a factt that Kurt R follows fairly traditional racing prep with structured intervals in different zones.  I know Chris P uses a watt meter, pretty sure Jefe does intervals.  In fact, I bet most FKT's prep with fairly traditional intervals and periodization.

[youngmason]

Sorry if I put words in your mouth, maybe it was someone else. I?m old

[taprider]

Sorry if I put words in your mouth, maybe it was someone else. I?m old

you are too young to play the age card yet ;-)

[Briansong]

Do the FKT'ers just ride lots of long slow distance (LSD), whether 48 minutes or 48 hours non-stop, at the same pace and style?
or do some do all types of bike racing such as , 25 mile/40 km road time trials, mtn bike racing (1.5 to 2 hour XCO, Enduro, Marathon), criteriums (road or dirt), observed trials, bmx etc.?
How many work on increasing their strength and power, or improving their single track skills?

For those that do interval training or hill climb repeats to be a faster bikepack racer - what types, intensities, durations?

That's a great topic for discussion. I had started the TD twice, 2014 and an ITT August of 21'. I failed on both of them.My issue wasn't strength or FTP (power) It is mental and my ability to not continuously look for the end.

Anyway. I had a professional cycling coach, who is very good. However, I don't think I trained the correct way. I spent far to much time getting my FTP (functional threshold power) as high as was possible. I don't think I spent long enough time doing big mountain routes, fully loaded. Intervals or a high FTP, while important, won't get you to the end.

All that said, I am a real believer in training with a power meter. I don't think anyone who has ever used one would go backwards or disagree.

[taprider]

I have been a Canadian NCCP MTB coach for a long time, and do skills drills frequently with and without packs.
Such as:
- chainless-style (no pedaling allowed, coasting only, and pump more and brake less) on flat technical trails and in pump tracks
- re-mounting more efficiently (not the running leap used for cyclo-cross)
- walking a bike (there is no need to take pedals off, if you clock the cranks properly and use the terrain to do the clocking for you)
- wheel lifts and lunges with a loaded or unloaded bike
- packing up camp with warm gloves on
- and the most important skill - HOW SLOW CAN YOU GO while climbing and not putting a foot down

I have not seen much discussion on the web about bikepacking skills (camp craft and navigation not included) for technical trails.  Just how to eat, drink, text, and brush teeth while pedaling on pavement or easy gravel roads.

[MikeC]

I have not seen much discussion on the web about bikepacking skills (camp craft and navigation not included) for technical trails.  Just how to eat, drink, text, and brush teeth while pedaling on pavement or easy gravel roads.

This might have something to do with the % of gravel routes on offer, and the number of people choosing them over trail.

[taprider]

This might have something to do with the % of gravel routes on offer, and the number of people choosing them over trail.

A shame really
And according to the new routes being posted to bikepacking.com, the trend is more and more to gravel with not one long distance (at least 100 km) route that is singletrack dominant (or even greater than 5%) being added, and often what is included as singletrack, is just unrideable bushwhacking or short slogs along power and survey lines to connect gravel roads.
I would rather ride 100 km of maintained high-quality destination singletrack connected by 100+ km of paved low-traffic rural back road (preferably the climbing sections)

[schillingsworth]

I added the Queen's Ransom Bikepacking Loop to BP.com within the last year!! Heavy on singletrack and rocks!!  But, yeah, the gravel routes are the trendy thing to do these days. At least in these parts, Four Corners region, a lot of the gravel routes still have a fair amount of technical riding...thank goodness for 4x4 'roads'.

[taprider]

didn't realize Queen's Ransom was added that recently. Always thought of it as one the longer existing routes

[evdog]

A shame really
And according to the new routes being posted to bikepacking.com, the trend is more and more to gravel with not one long distance (at least 100 km) route that is singletrack dominant (or even greater than 5%) being added, and often what is included as singletrack, is just unrideable bushwhacking or short slogs along power and survey lines to connect gravel roads.

 
Aside from the bikepacking race routes and a few cool guest routes (thx schillingsworth!), the routes on BP.com for areas I'm familiar with are pretty disappointing.  And its not just the lack of singletrack. 

I get the impression they put more work into coming up with catchy names than a quality route.  Their editors seem to come in and build routes from online maps with minimal scouting or local knowledge, then ride it once to get pics and call it good.  I scratch my head at some of their route choices.  But I guess that is what the masses want. 

I've been doing a ton of scouting for the Orogenesis route for bikepackingroots.  That one will make up for the lack of singletrack routes on the west coast and then some  : )