There’s nothing like the feeling of anticipation before heading out on a mountain biking road trip with friends. Whether you’re venturing across the state or across the country, road trips to mountain biking destinations are adventures in themselves, and so many more thrills await on the trails. But, are you prepared? In the midst of the excitement, did you and your crew plan ahead for possible budget, schedule, weather and emergency issues? And maybe more importantly, did you physically train for the challenge? Properly preparing for a mountain biking road trip involves more than packing your gear into the van. You can avoid biking mistakes and road trip mishaps with our lived-and-learned tips.
How to Avoid Common Mountain Bike Road Trip Mistakes
1. Not Considering All Aspects of Your Destination
Picking the perfect spot is more difficult than locating great trails. Many bucket list mountain biking destinations are in small towns further off the grid than you’re used to. If you don’t research where you’re going, you might be unhappily surprised with the entertainment options.
How to Avoid Disaster: Make a list of things that are important to you, both on and off the trail. Consider campsite cost or hotel cost, seasonal weather, difficulty of VISA/entry requirements, things to do in the area when you’re not on the bike and the general safety of the region.
2. Underestimating Your Budget
Nothing will cause you more stress than going over budget on a road trip. For this reason, it’s best to determine exactly how much your entire trip will cost before you commit. Make your travel partners aware of the costs, too, so they won’t be shocked when it’s their turn to pay for gas.
How to Avoid Disaster: Book campsites or hotel rooms in advance, calculate gas costs and overestimate your food and entertainment budget. Once everything is totaled, have a few hundred extra worked into your total costs for that flat tire you weren’t planning for.
Also Read: America’s Top Mountain Biking Destinations
3. Overbooking Your Itinerary
There will never be enough time to do everything on your itinerary. Rides will go long, you’ll spend extra time in that restaurant or bar and someone will be running late for an early morning activity. And while you’ll want to get in as much ride time on the trail as possible, don’t be that guy/gal who doesn’t budge from the pre-planned itinerary. Remember, the ultimate goal of the trip is to have fun, and any time spent arguing or stressed out over timing details just isn’t worth it.
How to Avoid Disaster: Include plenty of leisure/free time in the group trip itinerary to allow everyone some wiggle room for a nap or a swim at the local lake. When you’re planning rides on the mountain, overestimate the time it’ll take to get back to the vehicle.
4. Not Being Prepared for Trail Emergencies
A mountain biking road trip is all about adventure and having fun exploring new areas with friends. And as such, the things that could go wrong might not be at the forefront of your mind when you’re planning for all the fun stuff. But the reality is, when you’re on a new mountain trail in an unfamiliar location, being unprepared can spell major trouble.
How to Avoid Disaster: Plan for any mechanical issues that could happen and have the tools ready to fix the problem. Updated trail maps, GPS devices, suitable clothing for the weather, first aid kits, food, plenty of water and a way to call for help are must-have items. Optional: an extra bike.
5. Forgetting to Check the Weather
When you’re in an unfamiliar area, seasonal conditions may be hard to guestimate. What happens when an unexpected rain shower turns a groomed trail into mud, or an extreme heat wave arrives when you’ve forgotten your sunscreen or the large reservoir for your hydration pack? These quick weather changes can quickly ruin your ride—especially when you’ve ventured far from the car.
How to Avoid Disaster: Regularly check local weather before your ride and inquire from locals about seasonal conditions on the trail. Modify your bike to handle the worst-case scenario. Carry extra gear for potential rain showers or have extra water for that unexpected hot and humid day.
Also Read: Fall Hiking Gear Essentials
6. Riding Too Hard on Day One
So you finally arrived at your super cool mountain biking destination and are ready for that once in a lifetime ride that you’ve been dreaming of. Everything is going according to plan, and when you and your friends finally hit the trail you go absolutely bonkers. A 20-mile ride quickly turns into 40, and before you know it, you’ve ridden yourself into a deep, dark hole of pain.
How to Avoid Disaster: Don’t let excitement get the best of you. Pace yourself! Your first ride should be an easy one. Get familiar with the local trails and stay within your limits. Don’t go too hard too soon.
7. Being Unrealistic About Your Fitness Level
Your friends want to take a mountain biking road trip to Boulder, but you haven’t ridden in six months. You’re out of shape and that’s a 5,000-foot elevation gain from where you currently live and ride. The reality is, this combination can make for a pretty rough couple of days if you’re planning on hammering the trails, and you might not have as much fun as you think.
How to Avoid Disaster: Plan any trip centered around endurance activities with enough time into the future that you can get in shape before you go. Once you get there, plan the length of your rides according to your true fitness level. If you’re heading to elevation or dealing with difficult terrain, choose rides that are shorter than the routes you complete back home.
8. Returning Home Without Any Pictures
The reason we travel is to create memories that will last a lifetime. When memories start to fade, photos can bring us right back to the moment frozen in time. It can be hard to remember everything that happens, so take lots of pictures along the way. You’ll thank yourself when you dig up the photos and remember all those good times you had with your buddies “that one time we went to Moab.”
How to Avoid Disaster: Get a bike cam for on the trail photo fun, and when you’re off it, snap as many pictures as possible of random moments. Those candid times when you’re sitting around talking are just as special as the grand group photo in a national park.
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