WHY CYCLISTS SHOULD SKI

This summer has seen Durango cyclists make their presence known at the Tour de France. Gangs of young (and super young) DEVO Bikers rampage on our trails and tracks. There is no disputing Durango’s status as a cycling mecca. But consider this… maybe the best thing you can do to improve your riding is to STOP doing it for a while.

Here in Durango we are blessed with many kilometers of Cross Country* ski terrain (Winter Gods permitting). I asked some ‘experts’ on the benefits of trading in wheels for boards for a few months. 

*This article will use the terminology Nordic and Cross Country interchangeably

On the panel

Sepp Kuss- Probably needs no introduction but here goes. Kuss started out on our local trails as  a mountain biker and cross-country skier. Kuss progressed quickly from champion mountain bike racer to professional cycling. Known as a climbing specialist and a "super-domestique" for Visma–Lease a Bike, he won the 2023 Vuelta a España, becoming the first American to win a Grand Tour since 2013. Sepp is one of the most thoughtful and generous Pro athletes you will meet, as evidenced by his contribution to this article.

Jeff Schloss has over 40 years of coaching experience in Northern California, including head coach of the University of Nevada Reno Ski Team. He is a sought after coach and teacher and has worked with cyclists such as Levi Leipheimer and Andrew Talansky to maximize their skiing technique. Jeff is a Master teacher and PSIA Level 3 instructor.

Julie Young was among the top American cyclists from 1991-2002, and in 1992 won the 12-day Tour de l’Aude Cycliste Feminin, then considered the hardest and most prestigious race on the international women’s calendar. After she retired from pro competition, Young completed a Masters Degree in Sports Science and currently works as a performance endurance coach and directs the Kaiser Sports Medicine Endurance Lab in Northern California. 

So Why Ski?

Kuss: Physically, Nordic Skiing is a great supplement to cycling because it gets the body out of the linear, non-weight bearing plane that cycling puts you in. Skiing is a very dynamic sport, so it re-activates the postural muscles that can go neglected from hours and hours of bike specific training. 

Young: Agree. Cycling is a great sport, but we're locked in at our hip and foot. We're not really having to stabilize much, the movement is linear and range of motion is limited. Cross country skiing allows full extension through your hips, your knees, and ankles.

It also allows you to move in different ways…to move laterally, as well as more vertically and requires stability and balance.

Schloss: Skiing is a nice break from indoor cycling during the winter and can really contribute to building your aerobic engine. Cross Country skiing builds VO2 Max even better than cycling because more muscle mass is engaged while poling. In addition, the bio-mechanics of the push off in skating are very similar to the muscles used in cycling. Leg strength is directly increased from skate skiing. Overall body strength is also increased without adding bulk. Cyclists have been doing this for a while. American cycling legend Greg Lemond (three time winner at Tour de France) and Andy Hampsten (Giro Italia winner 1988) both used a lot of XC skiing in their off-season training. 

How to approach Nordic Skiing if you are new to the sport.

Kuss: If you're a cyclist thinking about adding Nordic skiing to your winter training, the most important thing is to take it slow and understand that Nordic skiing is a very technique-driven sport. Even if you have great aerobic fitness from cycling, you need to take the time to develop the technique in order to ski efficiently and take advantage of the benefits of skiing. Otherwise, without proper technique, each ski will quickly be over your limit.

Young: When I transitioned out of cycling, I was looking for another outlet for competition and I dove in (to Nordic) and was very humbled when I first started. Just thinking because I'd been this athlete at this highest level of my sport,  I could just jump in and do it. I would just go out and grind for hours skiing. But I didn't do myself any favors. 

Schloss: Skiing is challenging. Great fitness is a wonderful starting point, but you can spend an entire lifetime trying to master the interaction of gliding on your ski, and your poling technique. Like a cyclist shifting gears, the best Cross Country skiers are constantly  changing technique, tempo and pacing to match the terrain. My observations working with some great cyclists is that they really enjoyed the new focus required to be a beginner in a new sport and work to master the technique. 

Are there risks or negatives?

Schloss: Skiing is generally a very safe sport. Snow is much nicer to fall on than asphalt. 

Kuss: For cyclists worrying about gaining too much muscle in the upper body, they should think about the periodization of Nordic skiing in terms of their bike training (winter months) where gaining a bit of muscle and having more weight-bearing and impact would be beneficial later on in the season for injury prevention and added bone density. 

What are the mental benefits of Cross Training

Young: For me, as an athlete, I realize how important the mental and emotional side of sport is. I think of the offseason as the time you're investing in your bank account, both mentally and physically. Doing a long endurance workout out in nature, versus being on your trainer… there is a huge contrast in the experience…which benefits both the mental and physical. There's so much value there. 

With good cross-training, you're super fresh, and you're hungry to get after it when it counts.  Versus somebody who has been sitting on their trainer all winter, or riding out in rain, which in my experience can lead to burnout. 

Kuss: Nordic skiing is a great mental stimulus as it lets you take advantage of winter weather that is not as conducive to cycling. This prevents feeling the need for long hours riding inside to maintain your training. 

Schloss: It’s very mentally refreshing to mix up the training with a fun outdoor activity that really builds fitness. I think that cyclists, generally being outdoor people, are naturally attracted to Nordic skiing. The feeling of flying across snow in the beauty of winter, the quiet, you can’t beat it.

What about Junior Skiers?

Young: I think for juniors the biggest goal should be keeping it fun and keeping kids in it for the long game. I think the longer kids can keep variety in their sporting lives, the better. But it’s become increasingly challenging with their peers starting to specialize earlier and earlier..It's a real conundrum. But does that early specialization play into the long game? 

I think the other important thing is that skiing is weight bearing. It’s true for all of us, but especially kids, it’s the time of life when they are accruing the most bone mass. Cycling is not going to stimulate that bone growth like weight bearing sports. 

The bottom line

Schloss: Specificity in sport really matters so the best training for cycling is cycling. But Cross Country skiing is probably the next best activity for cyclists to use to build fitness and keep things fresh during their winter training. In my opinion, and I’m biased because I love Cross Country skiing so much, but throwing some skiing into your off-season training mix might actually improve your performance in your sport.

Written By DNSC Board Member Mitch Dion