A few months ago I went on a long trip on my mountain bike that I still do often as well I thought I should write a blog post about it and how the trip went and what you can expect and what kind of problems would face and how to be prepared for what’s to come. If you are thinking that if the mountain bikes are good for long rides then.
Mountain bikes are great for long-distance trips they can be a bit tiring on roads but if you had like to travel switching between roads and trails they are awesome.
While riding through long distances 50 to 100km especially while you are climbing the uphills your foots mostly tired and they are not able to push the pedals to reach the top change the gear that is required for climbing typically it will help you a lot .mountain bikes are designed in such a way that you can travel for long journeys on them through the hard trails.
Check your position
Positioning is the most important thing while riding a mountain bike long-distance since mountain bikes are heavier a good position can save you from a lot of back pain and help you travel faster and smooth.
it means in which position you are holding the handlebar, are you sitting on the saddle or standing? in which position your wrists and forearms are holding the handle? if these positions are at a disturbing level you will get tired too early your body starts generating pain the wonderful journey changes into terrible moments you can reach your destination after many days stopping at many points between the trail.
Saddle/seat position :
Raise the saddle of your mountain bike so that it will match exactly to the height of your body it does cause back pain of the vertebral column besides this if you are new in biking you are riding for many weeks you will notice the pain in your body after some months your body does not will cause any pain because riding counts in one of the most handsome exercises among the world.
Position of elbows holding the handlebar?
For long rides on a mountain bike, you have to train your hands, forearms, and wrist. for this purpose train the hands by going on rides at least 2 times a week. Grap the handle with elbows in a bending position which helps you in flexing the forearms while hitting on the bumpy places. bend the elbows at an angle of 160 to 170 or you can adjust them where you can feel comfortable that does create any pain you can ride a bike for the whole day.
Preplanning for the tour
- Weather conditions
- bag packing
- Bike selection
- Tools selection
- Cloth selection
- MArking map
- Trail/ road selection
- the strategy for unexpected circumstances
- Snacks
Preparing for weather conditions
When I went on the tour a few months back I was so excited that I completely forgot about the weather and it got me into so much trouble the if you going for one two three even seven days install a weather app on your phone if you already do not have it it’s a good idea to keep checking the weather in advance and planning for it. It will save you from a lot of trouble whether you are riding by roads or using trails it’s a good idea to not travel on rainy days or planning for them beforehand but I will advise not to travel by trails or single tracks
if you see some rain in upcoming days during the duration of your travels you may have ridden on your bike before the rainy season or on wet trails but when you are boing on a long journey you will be using some new splash unknown trails and you may not know the dirt composition or the stability of the track even if you are persistent you should travel by roads it’s much safer.
Snacks
Snacks are a necessary evil that will keep your spirit up and give you little moments to stop and enjoy the nature around you.
You can take strolls, take pictures sharing life feed with your friends, or anything like that while taking a breather before hitting the pedals again and continuing your journey so better pack some up with you but not too much since the lesser the weight on you the more efficiently you will be able to ride and not burn out.
Bag packing
Pick whatever you want but make your bag light and efficient like clothes, shoes, socks, and gloves. Carry things of lesser weight because the bag also contains tools larger weight of the bag does not help in the climbing trails the bag weight pushes you back and irritates much.
Bike selection
Before starting the journey you can make your mind if you thinking of traveling by road you can choose a hardtail bike beside his if you want to go through single tracks you can choose full suspension bike. The full-suspension bike will provide you a more comfy ride on the other side if you choose a hardtail it will tire you due to the long road trail. You can choose Crosscountry XC or Arduino based on the trail you can choose as well.
Tools selection
you can choose some needy tools that are important for almost going on every ride.
- Chain tool
- Sealant
- Derailer
- Derailer hanger
The chain tool is used in case your chain is twisted or damaged you can open it from the lock and remove the damaged part with the chain tool and fix both ends together
. In case if your tire is punctured or something like that you can use the sealant.
Derailers are mostly bike model specific you should pack one with yourself for any emergency.
As well as derailer hanger break-ups so it’s a good idea to keep one or two pieces of derailer hangers with you in your bag.
Cloth selection
For the summer season :
Short and light clothes because you will be traveling for a longer distance and long jeans are heavy clothing will burn you out a lot sooner.
For winter season
PAck a jersey still lighter clothes and use tight jeans do not use hoodies they are fine on roads but they may get stuck on bushes and branches of trees.
MArking map
A marking map is as important as checking the weather app especially if you are planning to travel on trails. marking on maps early on will help you keep setting goals prepare for accommodation and other necessary things just mark or keep the cities/town names and their distance in backup your head
so you know where you will be going and how fast you should be going it will greatly help you reduce much more stress and help you keep a sturdy pace.
Trail/road selection
trail/road selection will play an immense role once you start rolling on those two-wheelers I suggest traveling by roads are selecting roads that connect to many little towns on your way to your destination because you never know what kind of trouble you will be getting yourself into and its best to be somewhere near a town.
Especially if you are using trails as we know nothing is guaranteed on the trails even if something bad were to happen you will be at ease if there are nearby towns and you don’t have to travel two hundred miles to reach the next town.
The strategy for unexpected circumstances
I think we have covered enough not to run into some unexpected circumstances but still human is to err.
If you forgot something, forgot some tool that was necessary, or if you run into bad weather try to find shelter as near as you can to avoid it affecting you on continuing your journey.
Try not to fight with nature wait for it see for the best opportunity to get out of that situation rather than going hard on it. it will only create more problems than solving.
If you forgot some necessary tools for a home it’s probably best to buy them in the next town you come into contact with. Do not put it on hold or think that nothing is going to happen, you never know so it’s best to spend a few bucks rather than being stranded on the road and regretting it.
Conclusion
The summary of it all is that get out and travel . its much more fun, refreshing and you get to experience nature make new friends and all in all, just have fun
I hope I covered everything and this article will help you travel much safer and faster if I missed something let me know in the comment section below or if you have any useful tips that could help the readers it will be great, thanks.