There is absolutely nothing like heading out on the road with your vehicle and traveling to some gorgeous track somewhere, whipping out your bike, and then doing a spot of mountain biking. If you have a mountain bike then you are going to need to head out on the road. On this page I want to run you through a couple of the things that you will need to think about when heading out on that trip.
Firstly, you are going to need to get an idea of the type of place you want to head. You can do this in a couple of ways. In the past I used to pick up dedicated mountain bike magazines and have a flick through the pages. Most included a fair few maps of trails. However, most of these were not local. Nowadays you can just head online and get all sorts of advice. Do not forget to print off some maps. You are going to need to follow them.
Now, most people head out there with just their mountain bike and a bit of safety equipment. You can do this. However, if you are serious about mountain biking then you may want to take a couple of extra items on the road with you. It will make the trip not only safer, but it is going to be a great deal more enjoyable.
• Your Trail Map. We have already covered this. You need to know where you are going on that trail. Obviously you will want to have a road map too if you have not explored that area before.
• Spare Inner Tube for your wheel. You never know when it could break!
• Bike Repair Kit. This will include a wheel pump; puncture repair kit and various useful tools.
• Your Cell Phone just in case you need to get in touch with somebody.
• A First Aid Kit. I am sure that very few people head out on an epic mountain bike trip without getting a few cuts and scrapes.
• Food and Drink. Do not forget to bring plenty of water!
The last thing that you need to think about is the transportation of your bikes. In my mind, there is one solution that is better than all the others out there. This is the idea of using a bike hitch rack. These are incredibly simple to use. They just slide right onto your hitch and fit in securely. They come in a variety of different sizes allowing you to hold anything from one bike to three or four of them.
Remember, if you are searching for a bike hitch rack then I really do suggest that you carry out a bit of research into the various options available. Do not forget to read a couple of reviews too! After all, you need to make sure that what you pick up is absolutely perfect for the job, right? Remember, you want to keep an eye out for whether a particular rack will work on your vehicle or not.