The Mountain Biker's Training Bible [Paperback]

Joe Friel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2000

Mountain biking presents unique challenges, and noted expert Joe Friel addresses them all in his latest book. Covering every aspect of training, he helps riders maximize their experience and minimize problems.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

As an age-group competitor, is Colorado State Masters Triathlon Champion.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: VeloPress (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884737714
• ISBN-13: 978-1884737718
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,874 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Cycling > Mountain Biking
  • #65 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Coaching > Training & Conditioning

More About the Author

"Joe Friel has trained endurance athletes since 1980. His clients include elite amateur and professional road cyclists, mountain bikers, and triathletes and duathletes located around the world. He has a masters degree in exercise science, is an Elite-level USA Cycling Coach, and serves on the USA Triathlon Coaching Certification Committee.

Joe is the author of The CompuTrainer Workout Manual, The CyclistÂ’s Training Bible, and The TriathleteÂ’s Training Bible. He is a contributing editor to Inside Triathlon and VeloNews and frequently writes feature stories for Performance Conditioning for Cycling. He has written a weekly fitness column for the Fort Collins Coloradoan newspaper since 1981.

As an age-group competitor, Joe is a Colorado State Masters Triathlon champion, a Rocky Mountain region and Southwest region duathlon age-group champion, and is a perennial USA Triathlon All-American duathlete. A member of several national duathlon teams, Joe is a top five contender in world class events. In addition, he competes in road running and United States Cycling Federation races.

Joe speaks at workshops around the country on training and racing for endurance athletes and provides consulting services for corporations in the fitness industry. For information on coaching, speaking, or consulting services, contact him by email at [e-mail] or fax him at 970-204-4221.

From his home at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Fort Collins, Colorado, Joe enjoys mountain biking in the foothills with his wife Joyce, trail running with friends, and riding with his son Dirk, a professional bike racer."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It made me faster and last longer!, December 21, 2003

By 

Stephen Mathews "busysteve" (Sunrise, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mountain Biker's Training Bible (Paperback)

I began mountain biking February of this year('03). I threw up on my first ride. I raced my first race in April and came in 22nd of 24 finishers. I bought this book in May. About five months later I was flying through our local tough park, Markham maintained by ClubMud.org (believe it or not we have some decent cross country MTB parks in Florida). I went from a best single lap of over an hour to multiple laps of 45mins each. In the fall Ford Tough Series I placed 2nd overall in my category (Men Beginner 30-34). What a rush!

The book was hard to read at first. Mainly because I wanted it to hand feed the training procedures to me. It finally dawned on me that it was training material for the self-coaching athlete that I, my own coach, had to put into a regiment based on my needs. It required that I get in tune with my body and its needs. I still reference it and still realize things in it I didn't before. The nutritional information was a big help in modifying my diet without dramatically impacting my family's eating habits. This is a book you have to read from cover to cover to get the most out of it. It's also wise to take the book's advice when taking training seriously and ease your body into it(although no-pain-no-gain does apply). I went from the slowest guy amongst my friends to the fastest after about eight weeks into the book. If you're not serious enough about getting faster to shut off the TV and read for a while for a couple of weeks than pass the book and stick to the magazines with all the pictures of guys you could otherwise be.

Thanks Joe Friel.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true bible!!, September 30, 2000

By 

Thomas Johannessen (JESSHEIM Norway) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mountain Biker's Training Bible (Paperback)

I've read a lot of books, articles etc. about training. Resulting in me knowing lots of details, but not seeing the big picture. Joe Friels book was a revelation. I recomend it to everyone who is serious about their training. The book helps you analyze your weaknesses and your strengths. On the basis of this Joe helps you create a training plan consisting of a prep. period, base period, build period, peak period and race period. This book gave me new inspiration, I'm no loger planning to sell my bike, but instead I'm training in a structured way to beconme the best mountain biker I'll ever be ! Thanks Mr Friel.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Searching for the burning bush, June 26, 2000

By 

"klunker-com" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mountain Biker's Training Bible (Paperback)

This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in training to become a stronger, more efficient rider/racer. Ned Overend writes the foreward/preface/praises of Friel's methods. Material covers from subjective, self-evaluative/empirical techniques, to scientific, performance result-based study of individual performance. Psychological profiling, pre-visualization, and projection techniques are covered as well as the expected mile-counting. Joe Friel is quick to point out that it is not an overnight method of strength building(show me one! ) but a process that can take years to mature. As it get's more technical in logging, metering, and studying performance values it may not be suitable for the novice trying to pick up on what they need to do to be a better weekend rider, but is _essential_ reading for those interested in bettering themselves as racers. That is, unless you are racing in my particular class of 35-39 Sport racers, in which case you should read the latest book on becoming a couch potato(_not_ a Friel book)

Highly recommended