5 Tips for an Epic Mountain Biking Season
How to prepare so nothing gets in the way of your summer plans
As the euphoric powder turns and steep couloirs of winter fade in our memories, it’s normal to feel a sense of loss. But as spring takes hold across the Northern Hemisphere, it brings with it endless opportunities — most importantly, the beginning of mountain biking season!
If you want to make the 2018 mountain biking season the most epic year of shredding the gnar yet, there are a few things you need to do to prepare both your gear and yourself.
Here are five key tips to help you launch into mountain biking season with confidence:
1. Get a Mountain Bike Tune Up
If you’re like most mountain bikers, you probably came skidding into the end of the fall riding season stoked for some winter pow. You almost definitely also left your mountain bike thrashed and neglected in the back shed.
If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of bike maintenance, take your rig into your local bike shop and have your trusted mechanic get it all tuned up and ready for the season — good as new!
If you want to tackle the tune up yourself, here are key areas to address:
- Drivetrain maintenance: check for chain stretch and chainring/cassette wear. Replace any worn parts.
- Brake maintenance: bleed brakes and replace worn brake pads.
- Suspension maintenance: change the fluid and replace seals if your suspension maintenance is overdue.
- Tires: a fresh set of treads makes every bike ride better! Plan to replace your tires.
- Other: look for any other parts of your bike that need to be replaced or maintained, like grips, pivots, dropper post, and more.
2. Replace Any Worn Out Bike Gear
While you’re tuning up your bike, it’s a good idea to do a quick inventory of your bike gear and replace any items that are broken or worn out.
Shoes are a likely culprit — it’s rare for one pair of shoes to survive an entire season, and many riders go through multiple pairs per year. Also check your hydration pack, shorts, jersey, helmet, and any other supplies that you use on a daily basis.
This is also a great opportunity to make sure you have all of the necessary emergency supplies that you need in your hydration pack, such as a spare tube and repair tools.
3. Start Building Your Fitness Base
No other activity builds cycling endurance and speed like actually riding your bike.
Even if you’ve been backcountry touring all winter, the only true benefit you’ll be able to translate to mountain biking is general aerobic fitness. You’ll need to work on your bike-specific muscles.
Start building your cycling fitness base as early as possible so that when the alpine trails are finally dried out, you’ll be fit enough to pedal to the tops of the tallest peaks!
If the trails near you are still wet, this is the perfect time to hop on your road bike and pound out some miles. As a general rule, it’s best to increase your mileage by 10% per week. Increasing more quickly could put you at risk of injury — yet another reason to get started on your fitness early.
4. Brush Up on Your Bike Handling Skills
In addition to building your fitness base, you should knock the rust off of your most critical bike handling skills. Even if your local trails are still muddy or under snow, you can practice key skills related to balancing, cornering, and riding up and over obstacles in an urban setting… even a parking lot. Check out the video above from GMBN for some skills training ideas.
5. Start Planning Your Epic Trips, and Get Them on the Calendar
Nothing will motivate you to train and practice like the thought of an epic mountain bike adventure later this summer. FATMAP’s global adventure map is an excellent resource for envisioning your upcoming mountain bike adventures!
Once you’ve discovered some adventures that you absolutely have to experience, be sure to get them on the calendar!
Summer has a way of flying by and if you don’t block out time to go on a mountain bike trip, it probably won’t happen.
With your bike tuned up for the season, worn out gear replaced, base fitness built, skills honed, and trips planned, you’ll be ready for your most epic mountain bike season yet!
To start planning your mountain bike trip this summer, head to the new global FATMAP.
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