Mountain biking vacations are a lot of fun. But, of course, only a small minority of people ever really nail them completely. Something usually goes wrong.
That’s where this post can help. It explores some of the tricks and tips you can use to make your next adventure memorable for a lifetime. You’ll learn exactly what you need to do to thrive, and how you can make the most of your time away.
So, what works?
Go Tubeless And Use Sealant
Top of the list of priorities should be to go tubeless and use sealant. The combination of these technologies makes it far less likely that you’ll get a puncture on the way around (which is a perennial issue with inflatable inner tubes).
Sealants will work on most regular punctures (including thorns and pinch flats). These rubbery formulations immediately move to fill the void, meaning that punctures don’t last long.
If you can equip your bike with tires that resist punctures as you make your way along the trails, that’s even better. Many of the top brands, like Maxxis and Continental, have tire weaves and compounds that make pinch flat punctures (the most annoying kind) far less likely.
Switch Up The Riding Experience
You also want to switch up the riding experience if you can. Bike parks, epic long rides, and recovery rides are all worth exploring.
The more you switch it up, the less fatiguing it will feel. You won’t overwhelm yourself with a single type of experience, which can happen if you just decide to go for a multi-day trudge through Appalachia.
Build Your Skills Before You Travel
You also want to ensure that you spend a few months building your skills before you go. Cornering, jumping, manualing and climbing are all worth focusing on prior to the trip. If you can master these skills and get your fitness to a suitable level, you will enjoy the experience much more than if you don’t.
Many people like to join sports classes and focus on their core stability at the gym before they go on a mountain biking vacation. These allow them to avoid feeling puffed out or too exhausted to enjoy the epic scenery.
Sort Your Bike Transport
Sorting out your bike transport is perhaps the biggest part of making a mountain biking vacation epic. You want to make sure that you have everything you need to zip from A to B without all the usual hassle.
If you’re going via an airport, you’ll need to put your bikes in special bags and declare them to the airline. Going through this process can be a hassle, but it is also a learning experience and something you will get used to over time.
You also want to figure out how you’ll transport your bikes on a vehicle. These days, most pros use products similar to VelociRAX bike racks, simply because they are so convenient for groups of friends. You can load and unload everyone’s bike with a properly designed system, instead of constantly lifting, tying, and going through the challenges involved in conventional solutions, like roof racks.
Understand Your Limits
Of course, even with the best training in the world, it still pays to know your limits. If you push things too far, you can exceed what your skill level will allow and hurt yourself or damage your equipment. While modern body armor and bike construction technology are pretty good, they aren’t impervious to damage.
Respect The Trails
You should also respect the trails during your adventure. While it might be tempting to shred along a footpath, that’s the sort of behavior that gets mountain bikers into trouble.
Respecting the trails is relatively straightforward once you understand how the systems work in the local area. For example, if you’re traveling to the UK, you’ll want to stick to bridleways and byways when you’re off-road. Avoid footpaths. You can also go to dedicated trail centers and ride on the regular highway (although that’s not a lot of fun).
Part of your approach should also be to preserve the trails. While it might be tempting to skid and land hard, avoiding this reduces erosion and helps them last longer.
Set Your Bike Up First
Another way to make your next mountain biking trip ridiculously epic is to set it up just how you like it before you travel. You want to ensure that you have it just right.
For example, make sure that you secure the stem and the handlebars at the right angle. Also, check that your tire and suspension pressures are correct, and that you’ve cleaned and lubed your transmission (unless you’re using a gearbox and belt drive).
Adjusting the saddle height for when you’re going uphill is more important these days since so many people now use dropper posts for the downhill sections. Therefore, you’ll want to perch yourself quite high for maximum pedaling efficiency.
Go With Guides
Another pro tip for an epic adventure is to go with guides. While it might cost more than just following a map, you are far less likely to make mistakes, and you’ll discover the best riding in the area immediately. Yes, Stava does exist, but it isn’t perfect, and trying to hold a computer on your handlebars gets annoying after a while.
Our advice is to pick someone who rides the local area all the time and understands the trails throughout the seasons. This way, you can get the best possible experience during the precious time you have off from work.
Use A Shuttle
Finally, it is worthwhile using a shuttle if you are going for the big mountains. Grinding uphill on a mountain bike for six hours isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, and most bikes these days are meant for going downhill anyway. Sure, you can do cross-country routes, but there’s no reason to do that sort of thing in the Alps or Rockies. Therefore, look for venues that allow you to take your bike uphill on a gondola and get rid of all the grunt work.
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