The Secret…to a Fit Pregnancy

Can you guess the secret?

Written by Rose Kjesbo @rose_kjesbo

Rose Kjesbo

Yep. Biking. Biking played a huge role in helping to maintain fitness throughout pregnancy, along with nordic skiing. There are so many unknowns around your body and fitness as you enter pregnancy, but I found that these activities left my body feeling better at the end than at the start of a workout (which is always the goal!). Both biking and nordic skiing are low impact and can be done at any speed, so for pregnancy, they are great options because the way you feel each day is so variable- one day, you are feeling amazing, and the next, a twenty-minute spin feels like a major feat. I learned so much about my body and the amazing things it can do throughout this process, and movement through biking and skiing was the secret (at least until I was too pregnant and uncomfortable to do either).

Focusing on movement facilitated a healthier and happier pregnancy for me.

From the beginning, I promised myself I would do several things every day:

1. Move my body or workout every day. This included anything from a walk

   around the neighborhood, going to a pilates class, a hike, a bike ride, or a ski.

   If I could do any movement outside, I would prioritize it.

2. Listen to my body! If I was tired, I took a nap when I was able to. If I was

   hungry, I didn’t hold back (if you don’t know, I am the “snack master” and this

   came in handy during pregnancy). If I didn’t have the energy to work out, I

   relaxed (easier said than done).

3. Drink electrolytes. This SAVED me during the workday and after working out.

4. Core breathing exercises. This helped me to focus on pelvic floor activation

   and strength.

   
   

I did these four things consistently, and of course, there were good days and bad

days, but I noticed that when I was moving outside, I felt more like my “old” self. In the

winter, nordic skiing was a welcome relief because gliding on snow took the pressure off

my ligaments and joints that were having to adjust to holding more weight. I tried to ski

at least 2-3 times a week, and I eventually replaced these workouts with mountain

biking as the snow started to melt. I didn’t let time or distance become factors in any of

these workouts, and I absolutely savored every moment I was outside, moving and

feeling good!

3 tips to help you pick your next MTB race

How to choose races that match your skills, interests, and vibe

by Karlie Fitzgerald @karliefitz

Karlie Fitzgerald

Whether you’re choosing your first mountain bike race or trying a new race type, these tips can help you have a great experience at your next competition. 

1. Pick a race your friends are doing

Typically, the first place you'll hear about MTB races is from your friends! Does your group typically enjoy a 15+ mile ride on a weekday, or choose routes based on how many hills you can attack? Or do you and your friends practice jumps or mob downhill laps at the bike park? When you’re out on rides with your friends, ask them what competitions they’re doing this year. Since the people you like riding with the most are the people who will be doing races or competitions that you might like. The other reason to pick a race your friends are doing, is that whether you race to win or ride for fun, you’ll get to be with your homies! 

2. Do a little research

You know the saying, “google it”, so you probably know where this is going. Cross country, enduro, downhill, gravel, short track, BMX, freestyle, the possibilities for mountain bike competitions are wide. After your friends, the next best place to determine what race would fit your riding style the most, is to learn more about mountain bike races online. For example, when researching gravel races, this article about Unbound Gravel from our sponsor, Sweet Protection, is helpful. You can also find lots of information about specific race types in the AI overview on your browser search. 

3. Choose the category that fits your skills

Beginner (Category 3) - If you’ve never raced before, Cat 3 is typically a great place to start! The beginner category doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a beginner rider, it can mean you’re just new to racing. Some races will list average times, skill levels for each category, route difficulties/ options, and other markers to help you choose the correct category. 

Intermediate/ Amateur (Category 2) - Usually for riders who are familiar with the course, or have experience with the style of race. This is a great category for the majority of riders at a race, and is typically split into age groups for better comparison of times. 

Elite (Category 1) - This category is for riders who are familiar with the route, race type and have reached top times and podiums of races they’ve participated in. 

We hope these tips help you find a race in the 2025 mountain bike season that suits your skills, feels fun, provides a sense of accomplishment, and gives you more excuses to ride your bike! If you’re looking for more tips, check out “First time Racer Guide” by USA Cycling. See you on the trails! #spreadthespoke

We see you bike season! But...MORE POW NOW! Until then, another winter training tip.

Libby Ellis staring down bike season. Not quite ready to give up this unbelievable winter we have been having.

The V-Line

Virginia Solomon is PCBR's resident PMBIA Certified Intermediate and Advanced MTB Coach. They work locally with Momentum Mountain Bike Instruction, Women in the Mountains, WomenMTB, and nationally with Ninja MTB Performance, Norco Dirt Series, and Ryan Leech Connection Online MTB Coaching.

Hey! It's winter!! While for many folks that means putting up their bikes, barring a trip to the desert here or there, this actually is the time of year where you can make a MASSIVE difference in your riding without a lot of effort. Leaving lots of energy for skinning, skating, or even letting the lift help you earn your turns.

Yeah, it's cold. Going out for a ride might not sound exciting, and we're not here to talk about fat biking. There's no need to even change after work, or any of your activities! Unless you're in ski boots. Maybe take off your ski boots...

Because winter is the perfect time to work on slow speed balance skills. Trackstands. Brake hops. Rocking. Fakies. All of these are skills that can be done in your driveway in a sleeping bag onesie. Or in a garage stall. Or, in a pinch, in your kitchen. Slow speed balance is cool in the parking lot, and a great way to make a playground out of any random park or parking lot in which you might find yourself. But it also is a game changer and will help you hit the trails come spring significantly less rusty than if you just let the bike collect dust for the next couple few months.

Virginia Solomon in their puffy and winter boots doing the work.

First, let's talk about trackstands. Contrary to what many people think, a trackstand isn't about standing STILL, it's about making constant micro-adjustments to maintain balance in place. Work on your track stands in all possible combinations. Wheel turned to the left, right foot forward and left foot forward. Wheel turned to the right, same with the feet! Everyone has a favored combo, but it pays to work on them all.

Choose which combo you want to start with. Turn your wheel 45-60ish degrees, and think about having your shoulders parallel to your bars (see pic above). From there, think about putting a bit more weight into your hands, so that you make sure you have some weight on your front wheel. Position your front foot, whichever one it is, a bit higher than three oclock, so it is easy for you to keep pressure on it. And you'll want to focus your vision on a spot 2-3ft in front of you. That's your starting position for a trackstand!

Now let's talk about those constant micro-adjustments that are how you keep your balance. Remember how you're standing with your front foot a little bit above 3o'clock, with weight in your feet but also in your hands? This will feel a lot more natural and comfortable if your hips are a bit on front of your saddle - this is different from your normal standing ready position. You actually want your bike to move forwards and backwards a little bit, putting a little bit of pressure into that front foot and then backing off and shifting your hips back a hair to let the bike roll back a little (this is why it's MUCH easier to learn a trackstand on a hill, as the gravity of the hill makes the bike roll back, but we're hoping no one's garage or kitchen has much of a slope. We can approximate this a little bit by using our brakes to push against instead of a slope, but see if you can work towards doing this without using your brakes). Having the bike roll forwards and backwards is the first plane of movement we use to maintain balance. The second? Side to side! Move them shoulders, them elbows, them knees and hips. Many people, maybe even you?, have experienced their front wheel flopping back and forth trying to keep side to side balance. Try and keep that wheel still and move your body to keep balance instead. Notice the difference it makes to move your shoulders vs your elbows, or your hips vs your knees. The more you practice, the quicker you'll feel the need to make an adjustment, and the smaller adjustments you'll need to make!

Give this a shot and see how it goes. You can see a lot of benefit from just 5-10 minutes at a time. Slowly build up how long you hold your trackstand before pedaling out of it, and eventually challenge yourself to not pedal out of it at all, just move your bike and your body to stay in the same place! And when spring comes back around, appreciate cresting a hill, stopping to choose your line, and not having to take your feet off the pedals :D.

Come back for more of the slow speed balance skills in future blog posts, and hit those comments if you have any questions!