Essential Gear and Accessories for Riding in the Mountains

All city-dwellers love the idea of getting away from the Unruly traffic, constant honking and road rage which are part of the chaos of city life and what better way to do that than on your bike.

So you’ve mastered your motorbiking skills and are ready for the perfect mountain biking adventure. But you’ll first need to stock up and get the gear you need for these adventures so that you can properly enjoy the experience without any worries. While Mountain biking trips are often memorable, they can very easily take an unexpected turn, for which you need to stay prepared.

If you’re unprepared, in the harsh mountain terrain and climate, the experience can quickly turn into a disaster. The weather, the paths, your bike and even your own body can turn on you without the right backups. The extremities one faces even on the easiest mountain ride are unparalleled to those faced at sea level.

However, if you’re prepared well, these surprises become the highlight of a great biking tale.

So here’s a list of essential gear and accessories that one must carry to give you a leg-up for your own adventures.

1. Riding Gear

On mountain biking trips, with the Mercury level falling progressively and the winds continuously hitting you hard while riding, it becomes extremely important to acclimatize your body to the dropping temperature.

The only way to keep your body comfortable and secure against the varying temperatures is to have an all-weather riding jackets and pants combo, which effectively allows you to add/remove thermal-waterproof liners as per the changing temperature so that it can keep you warm in the mountains but doesn’t warm you up when not required – e.g. on the plains as you ride to/back from the mountains.

2. Protective gear for bike

The next most important thing that needs to be protected on the long trips on unfriendly terrains is your best friend, i.e. your bike. While most people only have luggage racks on their bikes, for such special adventures it’s very important to have accessories to safeguard your bike like bash plates and radiator guards.

Most bikes are not originally built to endure the extreme dirt and roughness of mountain terrain. Hence the bash plates prevent major damage from stone chips and collisions.

While the radiator guards protect the bike’s core from outside debris and other obstacles that could otherwise cause leaks, holes or other problems that can prove to be expensive. Not to mention detrimental to the function of your bike and also can be incredibly dangerous.

3. Tire repairing kit

Off-roading and riding on mountain terrain is the roughest on the bike tires. So it’s possible for them to give way and you to be left with flats in the middle of nowhere.

So always carry the right equipment for repairing tires, including tubes, a portable pump, tire repair kit and a dedicated multi-tool to help you get out of such a situation. However, you’ll obviously need to learn beforehand how to use these tools to fix your tires without professional help.

4. Gloves

Gloves are a very essential gear and accessory to have while biking on difficult terrains. For mountain biking, cold-weather gloves that are highly protective and have palm pads, insulation and waterproofing, are extremely important to protect your fingers from being frozen, impacting your focus and overall riding experience.

They also protect you from cutting up your hands in case of a crash or fall.

5. Boots

While riding boots are important for any bike rides, they’re absolutely irreplaceable in mountain biking trips. The loose gravel and icy cold-water crossings are impossible to get through without protective and waterproof boots.

They are important protective gear that increases your overall endurance significantly and keep you comfortable throughout your trip and also protects you in case of a crash or fall.

6. Glasses

With icy cold air hitting your face and eyes continuously, your eyes need protection against the added dirt and wind on these paths. Irrespective of whether it’s a sunny day, glasses with clear or light-coloured lenses are an essential protection as they come in handy when rolling through a cloud of gnats or banging through an overgrown trail.

However, it’s important to have no-slip nose pads and grippy temples on sunglasses to avoid slipping or bouncing around on your face.

7. First aid box

In spite of all the protection, it’s possible to hit a minor accident, crash or fall or just feel sick during the long and tiring trip. With no one to help you, it’s of utmost importance that you carry your own medical supplies including anti-allergy, anti-inflammatory, pain meds, regular meds, band-aids, antiseptics etc in case of an emergency.