Suddenly it's here - the mountain hut season. In winter, the snow is still piling up in the mountains. But once the snow has melted, you can climb the peaks by bike. But as quickly as the Kaiserschmarrn season returns, some bikers find themselves unprepared: too few kilometres in their legs, too many kilos on their ribs and the mud crust from the previous year still clinging to their bikes. But: the spirit is willing! Especially when the weather is nice.
That's why we'll tell you how you can tackle your first big tours in a relaxed manner without too much effort, instead of panting in agony on the climb towards the snack. This requires a little training, the right gearing and the right fuel. It doesn't matter whether your pain threshold is 1000, 2000 or 3000 metres in altitude per day. If you want to enjoy the full Alpine programme, you should not limit yourself to just one day. A tour with an overnight stay in the mountains is like a relaxing mantra for the soul. What's more, you don't have to set off at the crack of dawn and get stuck in an avalanche of cars on the motorway towards the mountains. A relaxed start in the late morning is often enough, and you can still reach the hut in peace when most of the day's guests have already left. This is exactly when you can enjoy the evening atmosphere in the mountains in peace and quiet and fill your lungs with fresh mountain air the next morning.
We have put together training plans, tactics and nutrition tips for both options, day tour or full programme with overnight stay. All you have to do is think about which peaks you would like to experience next season and pray a little that the weather gods keep the floodgates closed.
DID YOU KNOW THAT ON A MTB TOUR...
- 3 litres litres of sweat can be lost per hour by highly trained athletes. Untrained people, on the other hand, only manage 0.8 litres. Drinking properly is key.
- 1000 KJ and more are consumed by mountain bikers in an hour (at around 300 watts of power). That's about 75 grams of bar per hour.
- 7 hours it takes for fatty foods to pass through the stomach. This works more quickly with rice, white bread or potatoes - two hours.
- 20 degrees Even this temperature reduces physical performance. In hot weather, you should pour cold water over your head every 15 minutes.
The tools for a bike tour in the mountains
What do you need to master big challenges on the mountain? You'll find the answer here.
The body
How fit does the body need to be to survive a 1500 metre altitude tour? "Solid athleticism and some stamina," explains sports scientist Simon Gessler. What does that mean in figures? "A biker should be able to comfortably tackle 500 to 800 metres of altitude in one go, and their back shouldn't ache on the first climb. If you do something for your core three times a week, you are usually pain-free," says Gessler.
The head
Your brain decides whether you keep pedalling or not. If you're mentally at rock bottom and think you're struggling through treacle instead of gliding up the mountain with ease, you can get off. If your head is in a crisis, even Nino Schurter's legs won't do you any good. As banal as it sounds: speak positively to yourself - out loud. Studies show that this alone changes your mood. If you are often in a crisis, this book can help: "How bad do you want it" by Matt Fitzgerald.
The material
Perhaps the most important thing on any Alpine tour: the right gearing. Before you pulverise your menisci, shift up and pedal faster. It's not just your joints that will thank you: the lower torque leads to more power in your legs. The reason: our body has a wide variety of muscle fibres: Roughly speaking, there are fast and slow muscle fibres under the skin. The fast ones ensure high power output (sprinting), the slow ones ensure endurance. With a lower torque, you use more of the slow fibres, which last much longer than the sprint fibres.
THE RIGHT MOUNTAIN TACTICS
Start fast and go in slowly? Stay away from this tactic. With our script, you'll reach your goal even on the nastiest tour shocker.
Start: Your last meal should have been about two hours ago when you set off. Choose an easy pace for the first 20 minutes to get your cardiovascular system going after the car journey. A cadence of 90 to 95 revolutions per minute would be ideal. The heart rate (HR) should not exceed 90 % of the maximum HR. Tip: ride with a heart rate monitor.
First ascent: Try to maintain a high cadence. This will spare your muscles for particularly steep sections - it's better to downshift than to push the big gear. Drink every 15 minutes, preferably an electrolyte drink. If you want to be on the safe side, eat 70 grams of carbohydrates per hour - with this amount, you are guaranteed to avoid hunger pangs.
First descent: Inhale the panorama and off you go on the descent. Take a quick swig from the bottle and off you go. Important: Don't stuff your face at the first summit and don't force gels and bars down your oesophagus. The reason: due to the lack of exertion, sweet things can cause your blood sugar levels to plummet.
Second ascent: Now it's getting unusual: the holding work that your muscles have done on the descent, especially on difficult downhills, can lead to cramps on the ascent. This has nothing to do with a lack of electrolytes, but rather with an unaccustomed load that leads to overstimulation. Tip: stretch after the descent and crank a high cadence.
Hut and departure: You can decide for yourself what to eat at the hut, but you should take the rest of the tour into account. If you still have a long way to go, choose a longer break and a larger meal that won't cause your blood sugar levels to shoot up too high (snack, rice dish with vegetables). For shorter stops, eat and drink something sweet.
INTERVIEW WITH LEA FEDER; TRAINER AT WAY TO WIN:
"Endurance is only part of the required performance."
Hut tours should above all be fun, so you don't have to prepare anything, do you?
It depends on what you call fun. For quite a few bikers, the classic hut tour is a physical limit experience. People ride themselves to exhaustion. And in such a way that the body, especially the immune system, is weakened for days after the tour. Bikers can effectively reduce the stress on the body with a clever power distribution and good training.
What do I do if I haven't exercised much?
There are training shortcuts that give you a reasonable level of endurance relatively quickly. This interval training is not a cosy course, but the body copes better with many short stimuli than one long, intense one - such as on a too-hard hut tour. The three training plans we have drawn up take this into account and are based on an athlete's time budget. But endurance is only part of the required performance, because the core also has to do a lot. The reason for this is that what the legs push away finds its counterweight in the torso. Simple exercises that you should do three times a week help to prevent back pain.
Now I've trained hard for four weeks, what are the pitfalls on the tour itself?
The main reason for a drop in performance is a lack of energy. People simply eat too little. If you start with water and a banana, you will wither away after two hours at the latest. So always have bars, waffles or gels with you and eat in such a way that you don't feel like you're getting too weak.
TRAINING; FIT FOR A TOUR IN FOUR WEEKS
You haven't trained and still want to master long tours without the hassle? With our
Four-week plans you can do this. You should also do the following exercises three times a week. Three sets of 15 repetitions each, with a two-minute break in between.
Rowing bent forward: Stand upright and hold two weights in your hands. Lower your upper body and stretch your buttocks backwards (bend your legs slightly). Pull the weights towards your chest.
Lateral support: Lie on your side. Your body forms a straight line. Lift your pelvis off the floor. Rest your weight on your forearm and the edges of your shoes. Now pull your lower leg towards your chest. Hold briefly and lower.
Lift basin: Lie on your back. Bend your legs and stand at about 90 degrees. Now lift your buttocks until your chest and hips are in line. Stretch out your left leg. Hold briefly and lower.
Meal plan on the bike tour
A hut tour starts right after getting up at the breakfast table. With these nutrition tips, you'll be travelling through the mountains without running out of energy.
For breakfast
A stodgy cappuccino, a pretzel at the petrol station and off to the mountains - this is often the last-minute solution before a mountain tour. You won't get a solid foundation for strenuous hut tours in your tank this way. What should you prepare your breakfast for and when should you eat it? If you are planning a very easy tour without a brutal ascent, you should make sure that your blood sugar level remains constant. Oatmeal, rice or mixed bread are ideal for this. White bread with jam is better for hard laps, especially if you are running late. The reason: after ingesting simple sugars such as those in jam, the blood sugar level rises quickly and the body is supplied with energy. It becomes problematic if there is too much time between sweetening and the tour, because the blood sugar rises as quickly as it drops again. This rapid drop worries the brain, it is afraid of a low energy level - we feel weak. That's why it's better to get up earlier and eat more fibre.
Charging
How about white bread rolls, jam and honey? What nutritionists demonise in everyday life is perfect for late risers. The flour and short-chain carbohydrates in the spreads pass through the stomach quickly and provide sufficient energy right at the start of the tour.
Porridge, the classic before exercise. Not without reason, as the mixture of complex and short carbohydrates provides long-term energy. Garnish with some apple sauce, jam or dried fruit. But not too much, as the fibre stimulates digestion.
Do as the Tour de France pros do. The endurance races swear by white rice for breakfast. The grains have a high energy density, a good fluid ratio and a low fibre content. Stir it all together with fruit and coconut oil. The perfect breakfast for tough tours.
On tour
Carbohydrate bars, gels with and without caffeine, protein bars, rice cakes, bananas or baguettes - cyclists eat pretty much anything that provides energy. How good the choice of food really is for performance on the bike depends very much on the tour. If you only have a short climb (400 metres in altitude) ahead of you, you can usually get by with a water bottle, as the body's glycogen stores have enough energy to last the entire distance. The situation is different for longer rides (two to eight hours), where a constant supply of energy must be guaranteed. In this case, the regular intake of carbohydrates determines whether you will arrive relaxed or head towards a hunger pang when deeply depleted. The intake of sugars also influences brain activity. If you have too little sweetness in your body, you become unfocussed and slide towards the crash threshold. So how much should you eat? If you want to take proper precautions, you should consume 50 to 70 grams of carbohydrates per hour, depending on the intensity.
Supply for on the go
The classic among fuels: the energy bar. They usually contain a maltodextrin-glucose-fructose mix. Bars with a higher fibre content (with oats, dried fruit) are more suitable for relaxed tours, as digestion is slower and blood sugar levels fluctuate less.
We consist of 70 per cent water. A loss of just two per cent of fluids reduces performance. So drink enough, but if possible, don't drink pure water as this disrupts the sodium balance. It is better to drink an electrolyte drink or spice up water with a pinch of salt. This also protects against cramps.
The classic energy bomb: the banana. Ideal for relaxed tours, especially in combination with bars or gels. Due to the high fibre content, the carbohydrates in bananas take longer to enter the bloodstream. You should therefore eat bananas during longer breaks or before the start of the tour.
At the hut
White sausage instead of power gel, a light beer instead of an electrolyte drink? Can classic cottage food be an alternative to the highly cultivated laboratory food of food supplement manufacturers? It can, because if you look at the composition of the bars, powders and gels, you quickly realise that bars and co. are nothing more than sugar mixtures with additives such as electrolytes and some protein. Nutritionist Philipp Rauscher has a clear opinion on this: "The more relaxed the tour, the more normal the diet can be. If you're not racing or are travelling very hard, you can get by without performance products." His conclusion: at the hut, it's better to opt for sweet and less fatty products. These are usually well tolerated, in contrast to some products from the food laboratory, which can cause stomach problems with their sugar mixtures (for example isolated fructose). In addition, drink a coffee, as the caffeine accelerates the restoration of glycogen reserves in the muscles. An Australian study shows that muscle glycogen levels are 66 per cent higher when carbohydrates are consumed with caffeine.
Reload
Kaiserschmarrn, the perfect meal after the tour. Kaiserschmarrn contains lots of carbohydrates from simple sugars and flour. This quickly replenishes your glycogen stores. The eggs provide the protein needed to build muscle protein. The only thing that detracts from the overall picture is the low sodium content - so combine it with something savoury.
You've brought some time to digest and the hardest part of the tour is already behind you? Then reach for a snack. Mixed bread provides complex carbohydrates that are slowly absorbed into the bloodstream. Sausage, cheese and butter slow down digestion due to the fat, but they cover the loss of protein and minerals well.
Pure sugar and starch - that's what cake or yeast dumplings look like. Due to the lower fat content (compared to Kaiserschmarrn), these dishes are less of a burden on the gastrointestinal tract. If you're on the verge of the final descent and need energy quickly, you can reach for a dumpling or cake, because the sugar is quickly absorbed.
Fancy a cup of coffee? Studies show that coffee or caffeine can delay the feeling of exhaustion. The reason for this is the adrenaline released, which is retained in the body for longer due to caffeine. Caffeine also influences the metabolism: it causes the muscles to utilise fatty acids as an energy source rather than muscle glycogen.
MATERIALS
Once across the Alps by bike. A week of mountains, panoramic views and adventure. This is still the dream of many bikers. To ensure that the tour doesn't turn into a gateway tour, we show you what the ideal Transalp bike looks like and what you should pay particular attention to with your equipment.
If you're planning a Transalp, you're unlikely to get a bike for the big ride. As a rule, you start with the equipment you have in the garage. And that's a good thing, because: If you set off with unfamiliar equipment, you can experience nasty surprises after just a few kilometres. Aching wrists, stabbing pains in the back or a burning bum because it's the first time you've sat in a brand new saddle for 80 kilometres.
On a Transalp, not only the group, but also the rider and his bike should be a well-rehearsed team. And yet there are a few tips that you should take to heart with your bike. The question of whether hardtail or fully has almost become a way of life these days. However, the times when Alpine crossers were generally advised to choose a hardtail because of its lower susceptibility to defects are long gone. A fully not only offers more safety on the often more demanding routes, but also noticeably more comfort on the climbs. We have compiled the most important tips for the perfect bike for you on these two pages.
HARDTAIL OR FULL?
Hardtail: The classic hardtail weighs around one to two kilos less than a fully and requires less maintenance thanks to its unsprung rear suspension. On technically easy routes, such as the very popular Via Claudia, a 29er hardtail has a clear advantage: it is light and can be pedalled with a lot of propulsion. In most cases, two bottle cages can also be fitted to a hardtail without any problems.
Full suspension: Ideally, your bike should not weigh more than 13.5 kilos. The more challenging the route, the more safety and comfort a full-suspension bike provides on the downhill. But suspension also saves energy on bumpy climbs, not to mention the relief it brings to your spine, which is already under plenty of strain from the heavy rucksack.
1. Between 120 and 140 millimetres of suspension travel are ideal - easy to pedal, comfortable and safe on the descent. Adjust the air pressure to the additional weight of the rucksack before the trip. A lockout function makes long tarmac sections easier.
2. Don't save unnecessary weight on the saddle, as this can quickly be at the expense of comfort. Whatever is comfortable and has proven itself over long distances is permitted. Never start a crossing of the Alps with a completely new saddle model.
3. There should be room for at least one bottle cage for a large bottle in the frame, even better are two. This saves you the weight of a hydration bladder in your rucksack. Huts, fountains or streams - refuelling opportunities can be found regularly in the Alps.
4. Around 740 millimetres wide and slightly offset - our idea of the perfect handlebar. This allows you to maintain control at all times and sit comfortably upright. But be careful: if the riding position is too upright, the weight with the rucksack is shifted too far back and the bike rears up easily.
5. Lightweight wheels save energy on climbs. Weight tuning is particularly worthwhile here, for example by converting to tubeless tyres. It's better to play it safe with the tyre tread. Wide and grippy tyres (2.2-2.4 inches) are better than narrow and slippery ones.
6. Eleven gears on a Transalp are usually only enough for really strong riders. A two-speed drivetrain with a wide gear range is also suitable for "normal riders". Look out for a real climbing gear, such as the one offered by Shimano's 11-46 cassette.
7. Long Alpine descents make the discs glow. The front brake disc should therefore be at least 180 millimetres in size. Heavy riders should opt for a 200 mm disc to be on the safe side. Don't forget to take suitable replacement pads with you.
In general: You should have your bike thoroughly checked before the Transalp. New shift cables, centred wheels and a serviced drive will make the tour easier. For the downhill, we recommend a telescopic seat post with remote control or at least a quick-release saddle clamp.
ACCESSORY RECOMMENDATIONS
Crossing the Alps only becomes a pleasure with the right equipment. It should be as light as possible and reduced to the bare essentials. Backpacks with a volume of 25 to 30 litres are ideal. Larger models only tempt you to pack more and then quickly become uncomfortable to carry. We can recommend these items for long tours.
Osprey Escapist 25: The Escapist 25 won a BIKE tip back in 2011 and has been continuously improved ever since. It weighs 980 grams, is well thought out and well organised thanks to the successful pocket layout. The back can be adjusted to the size of the wearer. Price: 120 euros.
Vaude Bike alpin 25+5: Also a test winner. The Vaude is airy and comfortable to wear. It is particularly light and easy to pack. It weighs just 990 grams and can be expanded by 5 litres if required. Price: 110 euros.
Apidura Frame Pack: The 200 gram lightweight, robust frame bag adds 4.5 litres of volume to your back. Heavy items can be transported comfortably. This is the ideal solution against back pain if you are not planning to carry anything on your tour. Price: 90 euros.
Sea to Summit Tek Towel: The Tek Towel in size S (40 x 80 cm) weighs just 140 grams, feels like a terry towel and dries better than many other microfibre towels. So it provides a little comfort on your adventure tour. Price: 14.95 euros.
Semptec hut sleeping bag: Even though many huts today have almost upgraded to hotel comfort, the hut sleeping bag still belongs in your rucksack. The 200 gram lightweight and 210 cm long microfibre sleeping bag can be stowed away extremely compactly. Price: 19.90 euros.
Sealskinz MTB Thin Mid: Ideal for rainy days in the mountains. Waterproof socks keep your feet dry and, above all, warm. Today, good models are almost as comfortable to wear as normal socks. We would always prefer them to overshoes. Price: 53 euros.
Topeak Ninja TC MTN: A tool with the 23 most important functions hangs from the Topeak Ninja bottle cage in a waterproof package. If you attach the mini-pump next to it, you can quickly save half a kilo of weight in your rucksack. Price: 49.95 euros.
Ortlieb Micro: The Micro has become a classic. Weighing just 140 grams, it holds 0.6 litres and is compatible with telescopic seat posts because it is only attached to the saddle frame. As is typical for Ortlieb, the Micro is also waterproof. Price: 22.95 euros.
You can read this article or the entire BIKE 7/2017 issue in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or buy the issue in the DK shop reorder:
Florentin Vesenbeckh
Editor CvD
