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MTB BIKING ESSENTIALS

MTB Biking Essentials

By Trae Jaussi

The best part of mountain biking is the freedom to choose the distance, area, and difficulty of trail you want to ride. Depending on the distance and length of time you’ll be biking, you need to pack accordingly. Growing up as a Scout, our scout leaders would always tell us “Be Prepared!” Going biking is no different. You want to be prepared so you don’t end up in a bad situation such as having a flat tire, a part coming off your bike, running out of water etc.  

Being prepared before you ride means that you maintain and take care of your bike and also bringing items in case something happens. Taking care of your bike gives you the peace of mind to have a good ride, but if something were to happen on the trail, you have the right gear to solve the problem and continue riding.  

For mountain biking, I have categorized ride lengths by amount of time as described below: 

  • Short ride: 30 minutes – 1.5 hours 

  • Medium ride: 2-3 hours 

  • Long ride: 3+ hours 

For each category of riding, I will describe the various items I think every biker should have for that length of ride. You’ll want to think like a minimalist packer because the more weight and items you bring, the more weight you will feel when you are biking up the hill. There is definitely a balance between knowing what is essential and not overpacking. 

  

Short ride (30 minutes - 1.5 hours) 

Short rides are usually those that are not super long distances that someone can do before or after work. These rides you want to bring the bare necessities because even if you break a chain or have something go wrong, you can always walk back to your vehicle in a short amount of time or you can call for a ride to come pick you up near the trail. Some items you will need though are: