Transitioning from Off-Season to In-Season Training for Mountain Biking
Training, March 31, 2025
The off-season is where the work happens. The in-season is where it all comes together. But making the transition between the two? That’s where a lot of riders get tripped up. You’ve put in months of strength training, mobility work, and structured intervals—now it’s time to get back to full-on riding without losing your progress or burning out too soon. If you’ve ever felt sluggish when you first get back on the trails or found yourself overtraining as the season progresses, you’re not alone. Here’s how to shift from off-season to in-season training while staying strong, fresh, and fast.
1. Don’t Ditch the Strength Work
One of the biggest mistakes riders make when race season starts is dropping strength training completely. Sure, you might not be hitting heavy squats or grinding through long gym sessions, but maintaining your strength will keep you more powerful, more resilient, and less prone to injury.
What to do:
Reduce strength work to 1-2 shorter sessions per week with a focus on maintenance, not max gains.
Shift towards lighter loads and lifts which don't fatigue your whole body at once
Instead of heavy lifts like Squats, Deadlifts and Bench Press; switch to Alternating Lunges and Push Ups to keep strength up and fatigue down.
Don't go to failure. Pushing to your limits eats up your stored energy, both in your muscles and your nervous system, leaving you with a longer recovery time after the workout.
Instead of leaving 1 rep in reserve (RIR) leave 2-4 RIR depending on how you are feeling.
Keep up with mobility and core work to prevent imbalances and overuse injuries.
2. Shift Your Conditioning from Base to High-Intensity
During the off-season, you’ve likely built a solid aerobic base with steady endurance rides. Now it’s time to sharpen that fitness with more short, high-intensity work to match the demands of technical climbs, fast descents, and sprint finishes.
What to do:
Introduce shorter, ride and race-specific intervals like 30/30s (30 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy) or VO2 max efforts.
Swap some long, steady rides for trail rides with varied intensity to replicate racing or riding conditions.
Gradually reduce overall training volume to avoid carrying fatigue into race weekends.
Don't eliminate lower intensity base work. Rides within your Zone 2 (aerobic endurance building) help keep you on the bike and feeling fresh because they don;t build much fatigue.
3. Prioritize Recovery as Your Ride Volume Increases
More riding means more stress on the body. If you go straight from structured gym work to hammering trails five days a week, you’ll burn out fast. Recovery is now just as important as your training.
What to do:
Listen to your body—if your legs feel dead, take a recovery day instead of forcing another hard ride.
Use active recovery days (easy spins, mobility work, or even just walking) instead of total rest.
Sleep, nutrition, and hydration matter even more as your workload increases.
Consume 60-90g of carbohydrates/hour during a hard ride to make sure you don't bonk and have to make up lost ground to recover for tomorrow.
Continue eating enough protein, carbohydrates, and veggies from high quality, less processed foods to fuel your training day in day out.
4. Be Smart About Race Prep
If you’re racing this season, don’t just ride harder and hope for the best. Race prep requires a balance of sharpening fitness while staying fresh.
What to do:
Taper before big events—cut volume down but keep intensity high in the week leading up to a race.
Simulate race conditions in training—Use early-season races or hard group rides to test your fitness and pacing strategy. Pick trails similar to the terrain in your upcoming race.
Show up on race day as prepared as possible. Pre-ride the course if possible, practice pacing, and dial in your nutrition.
5. Keep the Fun Factor High
You trained all winter so you could ride strong when it matters. But if your in-season training feels like a chore, it’s time to step back and remember why you do this. Keep the balance between structure and fun—some days, just go ride.
What to do:
Mix structured rides with exploratory, social, or skill-focused rides.
Plan some non-race goals (bike park days, big adventure rides, pump track or dirt jumps) to keep motivation high.
If you feel mentally burned out, take a step back and focus on why you ride, not just how you perform.
Final Thoughts
The transition from off-season to in-season isn’t about flipping a switch—it’s a process. Keep your strength, sharpen your speed, recover well, and make sure you’re still having fun. Whether you’re lining up at the start line or just chasing your best self on the trails, a smart transition will set you up for a strong, injury-free season.