If there is a strong will to travel, there is a path to follow; and if there is a path, indeed, you would reach your destination despite the time and distance.
Have you ever felt goosebumps talking about long-distance mountain biking?
That is actually every mountain biker’s dream to embark on a long-distance journey of life someday.
And once that happens, there always remains an intense wanderlust to get on another tour soon.
A mountain biker is always eager to hit the terrain accompanied by his best-suited mountain bike, a backpack, and the essentials.
The journey initiated could either be a few hours long enough to fulfill the fitness routine for the biker or even it could be much longer.
Before you go on with the flow of the energy and enthusiasm that this piece of writing holds, let me brief you a little about it.
If you are already a mountain biker, you must connect with the real feelings of the eternal bliss you experience while biking across the serenity of the hills and mountains.
The mountain bikers are all good friends with nature and its beauty.
Long Distance Mountain Biking is an extreme practice that a mountain biker looks forward to pursuing since the thirst of exploring more of mother nature never gets fulfilled.
So if you are planning to get on with that soon, then this article is for you. Give it a good read and get ready to explore the much longer terrains with utmost ease and comfort.
Underneath, you would get a lot of valuable information about long-distance mountain biking and many valuable tips to make the long touring the most successful one ever with maximum comfort, ease, safety, and endurance.
Salient Aspects Of Long Distance Mountain Biking
Mountain biking is basically an adventurous sport that is all about riding the mountain bike on a variety of terrains and trails of the rough and rooty hills or mountains.
Generally, a mountain biker undergoes biking on such challenging terrains for a limited time.
But when a biker rides for a much longer time on flat terrain, specifically roads, it is viewed as long-distance mountain biking in a common term.
Long-distance mountain biking is undoubtedly risky, tiresome, causing discomfort to many riders, but equally, it is fun and adventure for many.
But with keeping safety and comfort in consideration, long-distance biking must be carried ahead with utmost preparations regarding the physical, psychological, nutritional, and several other factors.
In case these factors are avoided before embarking on the long journey, there are chances the rider may experience extreme discomfort, fatigue, and dissatisfaction by the end of it.
Thus to avoid such circumstances, there are a number of tips to be practiced and followed by the bikers before initiating long-distance mountain biking.
Tips For Long Distance Mountain Biking
This list of tips for long-distance mountain biking will guide you completely to achieve maximum comfort while riding for a much longer time than usual.
These tips would make you well prepared to face and overcome all the obstacles you might face during riding. Hence, read them well for an excellent experience while getting on the journey.
1. Get Your Mountain Bike Up-to-date Before Kickstarting The Journey
It is mandatory to check on your mountain bike before heading on to the journey of long-distance mountain biking.
You need to see whether all the bike components and parts, including handlebars and grips, are placed and fitted well.
Besides, the condition of the saddle, brakes, suspension, etc., must also be checked.
The wheels must be inflated as per the required pressure, and the rims must be fitted well to them. Proper lubrication of the bike parts is also required.
2. Plan The Ride Being In Your Comfort Zone
You are advised to plan the route for your long-distance mountain biking endeavor according to your utmost comfort and the amenities available on the way.
Always carry your essentials, money, personal ID, etc., before starting with the journey.
Prepare a map of the route that you look ahead to follow and all the essential stops like water sports, medical facilities, and eateries.
You must also be aware of the type of terrain and the weather that you may encounter there.
3. Carry A Comfortable Set Of Clothing And Essentials
The type of clothing, shoes and other accessories to be worn by the biker entirely depends upon the weather and the current season of the area chosen for long-distance mountain biking.
Moreover, the duration of the journey is also required to be known in order to keep an extra set of clothes and other essentials.
4. The Bike’s Saddle Must Be Chosen And Positioned Accurately
The bike’s saddle plays an important role in terms of comfort while being on a long journey.
Hence, always choose the most comfortable one according to the rider’s physical characteristics.
There are several types and exclusive varieties of mountain bike saddles available across the stores that should be chosen as per the size and fit of your buttocks and lower body.
It must also be eminently checked whether the saddle is not placed too low or too high.
The saddle positioning affects the bike fit, which, if not kept accurate, may cause either injury or pain in the rider’s lower body.
5. Be Clear About The Selection Of Mountain Tires
Always choose the best and sturdy mountain wheels that are not knobby and extra wide.
These kind of knobby or fat tires are suitable for rough and patchy terrains but causes extreme discomfort and fatigue on longer riding duration.
They require immense effort to maintain the speed while riding. In case your mountain bike is equipped with knobby tires, choose to replace them with suitable mountain bike tires.
Indeed the rider would never expect a more challenging riding experience while being on a longer run.
Hence, it is always advised to be initially clear about replacing knobby tires with many efficient tires.
6. Always Be Watchful Towards The Direction Of The Wind
The wind flow might be either your best friend or might create distressing circumstances for the riders during longer rides.
In case of heavy winds, it is advisable to either ride in a group or take a halt in between as per the need.
The direction of the wind flow may be checked before embarking on the journey to avoid such unsuitable situations.
7. Pedal Smartly Without Tiring Your Legs
It is advised to maintain the body weight on the pedals and put minimum pedal power while riding.
This would not make the rider get tired easily. The easy gears must be chosen as they will keep less pedal power.
Hence, less effort and less power applied over the pedaling will help the rider ride efficiently without causing fatigued legs and strain on the back and shoulders.
8. Proper Hydration Is Much Needed
Talking about the rider’s physical fitness, the most important factor that would keep him energetic and fresh throughout the journey is proper hydration.
Carrying and drinking enough water in between the ride is most important for the rider as that would avoid dehydration, safety from heatstroke, stomach cramps, and other discomforts.
A water bottle is required to be carried on the journey of long-distance mountain biking, as you may keep refilling them from the midway water spots and drink water whenever needed.
Moreover, other than water, the riders are advised to keep certain electrolytes and energy powders that could be consumed along with water in order to stay well hydrated.
9. Ample Food Supply For Nutrition In Your Backpack
Food is essential for the proper nutrition of the riders, which eventually provides them the required energy to reach their desired destination.
The food acts as fuel in such challenging situations. Hence to keep long-distance mountain biking going, it is essential to carry along healthy carbohydrates-rich food.
Solid carbs provide all the energy to ride along with boosting up the rider’s stamina.
Carbohydrates could be consumed along with protein and fiber-rich foods.
Hence, before starting with the journey, never forget to visit the grocery store to get all that is needed to keep you filled with energy.
Conclusion
Long Distance Mountain Biking is an extremely joyous part of biking, where the mountain bikers get to explore their boundaries excellently.
Be it a two or three hours continuous ride, an overnight touring, or even a much longer journey, it is very important to be prepared with a solid backup for the expedition.
This article tries to cover all those safety measures in detail that could be really helpful to the riders on their longer embarkment.
There are a number of additional basic yet essential tips associated with long-distance mountain biking like medieval stretching or arms and legs, neck and shoulder exercises relaxation, slow down your speed for a moment in case you feel tired, and even standing up on one pedal stretching and straightening the leg for a while.
The way a biker is important to undergo the long-distance mountain biking with perfection, the bike, on equal ground, is essential to perform efficiently.
Hence along with keeping a check on your health, fitness, amenities, and essentials, do not ever forget to visit a professional bike store for its maintenance check before embarking on the journey of bliss and adventure.
Also, avoid doing this mistakes while doing lond distance mountain biking.
Keep in mind, while you look ahead to the best, you have to prepare for the worst, and eventually, you would attain the divine..!