Queen of the mountain: oh, the places you'll go on your two-wheel adventure

tHE INCREDIBLE PLACES a mountain bike has taken me include a trail that lies 1,600 feet directly above turquoise Lake Tahoe; through the changing colors of Vermont's maple trees; and, in southern Utah, over slick rock, whose skin-ripping capabilities I became intimately familiar with. Minus the carnage, the journeys were idyllic, but the actual rides were surprisingly intense, even on a full suspension bike whose two shocks make the ride considerably plusher. Mountain biking is a demanding sport that requires the use of nearly every muscle, down to the tips of your pinkies, to balance on and pedal the bike as you navigate over roots and rocks, up sandy hills and down trails that seem beyond black diamond classification. And when your balance fails you--or, like me, you simply chicken out--and you end up on the ground, every muscle and bone in your body feels rocked.

I'm not the only one who thinks that way about mountain biking. "It's a really dynamic, exhausting sport," says Alison Dunlap, 2001 World Cross-Country champion, who switched her focus from the road to the trails in 1996. "My first mountain bike race was the hardest thing I've ever done." Mountain biking requires you to constantly change your pedal cadence, body position and power output. To get up most hills, you pedal furiously in a seated position; once you start downhill, you stop pedaling and shift off the saddle to a streamlined position, with your weight back impossibly far, while your upper body absorbs the shock of the rugged terrain.

The unforgettable payoff of a mountain bike ride, of course, is the unique exhilaration you get from flying through Mother N. as she didn't intend. Fat-tire nirvana isn't hard to achieve if your preparation includes focusing on cardiovascular endurance, strength (especially in your upper body, an often overlooked component of the sport) and balance.

THE SPIN CYCLE

The most effective way to get your body in mountain biking shape is to push the pedals around and around. Forgo the stationary bike, because its upright body position is very different from that of a real bike. Instead, head to an indoor cycling class, which uses bikes that resemble the real deal. "Your knees, ankles and pedals are aligned, and your arms have to support your upper body, like you do on a mountain bike," says C.C. Cunningham, an ACE-certified personal trainer and owner of Perform-Enhance, an Evanston, IL-based company that focuses on sport-specific training.

A few things to keep in mind before and during class: First, if you're going to ride with clipless pedals, bring your shoes (and pedals, if need be) to class. Also, realize the front wheel has momentum on its side, so keep enough resistance on it to make your effort feel challenging. On the "flats," aim for 80-100 revolutions per minute or rpms (to find your rpms, count how many times your right knee passes by the handlebars for 20 seconds, and multiply that number by 3), and when you're "climbing," you should be in the 60-80 rpm zone. Finally, try to get to at least four classes a week, at least eight weeks before you have an outdoor ride scheduled.

If you're not in the mood for a class, running on the treadmill is a good substitute. In fact, you should do one non-cycling cardio activity at least once a week. You shouldn't spend too much training time away from the bike, however. "You can easily improve your aerobic and anaerobic fitness through running," says Cunningham, an expert-level mountain biker, "but specificity of training is important; a fit runner will still have a hard time on a mountain bike."

POWER TO THE PEDAL

The motion of pedaling heavily recruits your quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves. But mountain biking is a total-body sport; while your legs spin, your upper body absorbs an immense amount of shock from the terrain, and your core supports and stabilizes both sets of limbs.

For your lower body, exercises like squats and lunges are ideal because they call on the main cycling muscles simultaneously. If you want to use a machine, hit the leg press; instead of using both legs together, reduce the weight and do each leg individually. "People often have one dominant leg, which can hinder momentum on the trail," says Cunningham. Plyometrics, like squat jumps (either with body weight or with light weights in your hands), prime your body for the explosive power you need to rocket out of your seat to get up an especially steep section. Also, doing squats on a balance board or other unstable surface helps hone your balance. Hold onto a support at first, and build up to doing them without it.

For your upper body, lat pulldowns (try them standing up), triceps extensions, upright rows and push-ups all target the major mountain biking muscles (and build up your shoulders, which often take the hit when you crash). Skip the machines and use dumbbells or a bar with grips on the end instead to improve your grip strength. "You usually have two fingers on the brake, and two on the handlebars," explains Cunningham.