If you are still young, even if you are too young to even have a driver’s license, then you may think that you will have to wait until you are older before you can really start mountain biking. Perhaps two of the main problems that young mountain bikers face is having the funds that they need and getting to the trails.
You could easily rack up thousands of dollars in a hobby before you ever really get out on the road or before you figure out if you really like doing it. When you’re younger and just starting out in the world on your own, you probably don’t have all the resources to throw into mountain biking just to see if you like it or not. But you don’t want to wait until you’re older to explore the possibilities either.
If you’ve ever considered trying your hand at mountain biking to get in shape, go on solo adventures, or take a group of friends on a trail but you live on a strict budget then these ten tips will help you get started without breaking the bank.
When you’re first starting out, it’s important to make the distinction between what you need and what you want in terms of equipment. While some things you’ll absolutely need, like your bike and helmet, you can go without some of the other luxuries that you can buy later after you know you’re really interested in the sport. Like most other activities, you don’t need to dish out a lot in the beginning, and you can buy new equipment as you go along and see what you enjoy using most.
1. Search For Discounts On Mountain Biking Equipment.
You don’t need all state-of-the-art equipment when you first start out, and there are advantages to getting a used bike, beyond the reduced cost factor. When you get a bike that’s already broken in a bit, it can be easier to take it on trails, and you can fix it up to learn how the inner mechanisms of the bike work. This will particularly come in handy when you go to repair and maintain your bike, which you’ll need to do regularly to keep it in good shape to last you a long time.
You also may want to experiment with different styles of mountain bikes depending on how you want to ride it. Do you prefer a lighter or heavier bike? Carbon frames are lighter but more expensive, and aluminum frames are heavier but cheaper. There’s also the wheel size to consider, and your choice of wheel size will depend on your height and what you’re most comfortable riding. Each size of wheel has their advantages and disadvantages, so you’ll want to identify what’s most important to you in a bike.
Getting a used bike, or even more than one used bike can help you spot some of things that you like or dislike. Sometimes, you won’t know that until you test ride multiple styles. This will also be a lot cheaper than buying a new one and, once you know what you like, then you can start looking for a new bike if you want to.
You don’t need to rush out right away and get all new gear either. Some of the gear you might have around your home already are the clothing essentials you’ll need. You’ll want to wear form-fitting shorts or winter cycling pants to make sure your clothes don’t get caught in the pedals while biking. Tighter fitting clothing also helps reduce wind resistance while going down hills, and it provides more comfort while riding.
Finding a good quality shirt is also beneficial, and you probably already have several to choose from in your closet. Opt for a polyester shirt that has moisture wicking properties that will evaporate the extra moisture off your skin and clothes. This makes sure that you don’t freeze from your sweat soaking your shirt, like it does with regular cotton tees.
You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on a professional shirt, though. You can find moisture-wicking shirts at any sports apparel department store. Make sure to stock up on short-sleeve and long-sleeve shirts to make sure you can wear shirts in all weathers, and you might want to stock up on a moisture-wicking zipper jacket too.
You’ll also likely have a good quality tennis shoe you can wear when you first start out biking. There are specialty biking shoes, but these can get very pricey quickly, and, in the beginning, you won’t really know the difference between your regular tennis shoe and a professional biking shoe. Make sure your shoes are in good condition with no excessive wear and tear. If your soles are thinning and going bad, this is a place you don’t want to skimp. A poor shoe can be more damaging while riding since you’re hitting the pedals at high speeds over bumpy terrain.
2. Consider The Long-Term Necessities
While you want to stay in your budget, when you do need to spend money on long-term bike-specific gear, it’s important to splurge on higher quality equipment. One thing you’ll want to make sure you get is a good chamois. A chamois is a padding that can either be sewn into your biking shorts or can be on the bike seat itself. You can choose both types if you want some extra cushion. Especially if you’re nervous about standing while peddling down hills, you’ll want padding in both places for extra comfort.
Gloves are a mountain biking essential, and it’s important you choose a quality glove that fits what you need most. In any case, you’ll want a form-fitting glove that allows you to still grip the handles without dropping them. There are dozens of types of gloves with many customizations you can choose. If you want a glove with extra padding around your knuckles, there are gloves for that!
If you want extra wrist support to make sure you don’t damage your wrist while riding, or if you fall, there are gloves that offer it. With gloves, it’s also important to get one for a few different weather conditions. Some gloves work best at 60 degrees or warmer, so if you’re riding in 30-degree weather, you’ll want a glove that’s specific to that temperature range.
There are a few high-quality gloves out there that offer protection in both warmer and colder temperatures, but they’re in the high end of the price spectrum (about $30+), so if you’re biking on a shoestring budget, you might want to pick a predominate climate you’ll be riding in the most for now.
Your helmet is one of your most important protective equipment you’ll buy, so you don’t want to skimp on this choice. Essentially, you have two different options when it comes to finding the right helmet for you. There’s the half-shell model, which is the type you’re probably most familiar with. It protects the top, sides, and back of the head only, and it’s secured with a chin strap.
The full-face helmet models are exactly as they sound. They protect your entire face and include a face guard, and these look more like motorcycle helmet. Half-shell helmets are good when you’re doing traditional mountain biking, and thrill seekers often choose the full-face helmets to protect them as they plunge off elevator lifts and down near-vertical hills.
A bike rack for your car is essential if you don’t want to lug your bike inside of your car. Be aware that if you skip on this expense, you’ll be potentially transporting a muddy or at least dusty bike inside your car and mess up your interior, which will be a whole different expense you’re looking at. It’s a worthwhile expense to purchase a high-quality bike rack. These items tend to last a long time if you take care of them too.
3. Don’t Forget Your Repair Kit
You also want to make sure you always have an adequate repair kit with you. Because you will be in the in the middle of nowhere and possibly won’t have any cell service, you will not only need to know basic repair techniques, but you will need to carry the tools with you to make the repairs. You will want to bring with you the basic tools, even if you are only going out for a few hours.
It is worth to bring a bicycle multitool, a tire pump and repair tools, brake pads, tire tubes, link chain, and any other spare part that could break while you are out on the trail. You can go to any mountain bike store and ask which parts will be compatible with your model of bike and which parts the mechanic would suggest you bring with you for safety.
As you gain more skill and knowledge about mountain biking in general, and your bike in particular, you will be able to add to your kit as you go. Always err on the side of caution when putting together your kit to make sure that what you have everything that you might need.
If you plan on going on a particularly long bike ride, such as cross-country or through entire mountain ranges, you will want to pack more extensively and include extra hardware components as well as extra usual supplies, like tire tubes.
When packing your kit, you should think of other types of items to bring to keep you safe, like a flashlight, whistle, pepper spray, and a machete. You don’t know what types of wild animals you could encounter if you decide to go out onto backcountry trails or what type of terrain you will find yourself in.
4. Purchase A Yearly Recreation Pass To Your Favorite Trails
Many mountain trail areas have a daily-use fee that you’ll need to pay before entering the area or before parking your car. These fees can add up if you’re going out often to practice and enjoy the trails. There are also bus fees if you cannot drive yourself yet and are taking you bike on a bus with you to near where a trail is.
If you want to cut down on this essential cost, consider purchasing a yearly pass to access the recreation spaces any day at any time for no additional fee. It is also cheaper to purchase passes when possible from busses as well. The bonus? If there’s a long line to get in the area, you can just show your pass and cut to the front of the line, so you don’t have to wait to pay like everyone else.
If your recreation area doesn’t have a toll booth out front and instead has you pay at the trail site, don’t think about skipping paying the fee to cut down your costs. Rangers frequently patrol the trail parking lot areas, and they give hefty tickets to those who don’t pay the fee upfront. Your vehicle could even be towed and leave you in an even worse spot.
Also, when you purchase a yearly pass, all the money goes back into maintaining the rec area to make sure the trails and roads are properly maintained. Of course, there are trails that do not require any fees in order for you to ride them, so riding on the free trails is definitely a way that you can cut on costs if you can find some in your area.
5. Carpool With Friends
If you haven’t noticed, gas to tends to be pricey. Even if you are old enough to have your own car, not only will you have to get to the recreation area itself, but you’ll need to drive to the start of the trail you want to go on. Depending how large of an area you’re going to, this can eat up a half of tank each trip!
If you want to ride trails frequently, it will be far better for you to invite a few buddies to trade off driving everyone to and from the trailhead, so you don’t have to drive yourself every time and neither will they. And, if you do not have your own vehicle, then carpooling with other mountain bikers makes even more sense.
Carpooling not only saves your gas, but it also saves you from potentially having to get a yearly pass since only one of you will need one pass. It also minimizes wear and tear on your vehicle as you take it up the mountains an it is better for the environment and lowers carbon dioxide emissions. So it is better for your wallet and the planet; plus, you can invite some friends and explore new trails together!
6. Make sure to get insurance
When you are just starting out mountain biking, you are going to fall a lot as you learn how to ride the bike on unfamiliar terrain. Whether you are just riding on a dirt trail or you are crossing massive rocks or braving vertical cliffs, you will get your fair share of scrapes and bruises to show your other friends what they are missing out on.
Occasionally, you will fall and really hit something hard and need to get to the hospital to mend broken bones or treat other internal conditions like a concussion. You want to make sure your health insurance is up to date and will include your mountain bike injuries. If it doesn’t, amend your insurance to make sure more serious injuries are covered.
The last thing you want to have happen is to sustain an injury and be too scared to go to the hospital because of the expensive copay or having to pay out of pocket. By paying a little extra each month in health insurance, you’ll ultimately be saving thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in potential medical costs.
7. Keep Your Equipment In Good Condition
It goes without saying that if you keep your bike in good condition, that it will last you longer. Even if you buy a used bike, make sure the previous owner took good care of the bike and properly maintained it. Their effort will go a long way in protecting you from future repair costs or falls from improperly maintained components.
To keep your bike in good condition, you’ll need to do routine maintenance in order to keep it that way. Inspect your tires every time before you take it out. This includes checking the wear, tread, and pressure. You want to make sure everything is in tip-top shape before you leave, so you don’t need to repair a tire on the trail.
Inspect your brakes before you go out on the trail. You don’t want to be flying down a hill and discover your brake pads are worn thin or there’s an air bubble trapped in the fluid. Inspect the pad and change it if it has worn thin. Ride your bike a couple laps around your block and test the brakes when you first get it if it is used. If it falters, it might have an air bubble that you can work out by squeezing the brake several times.
Make sure to check your gear shifter before riding. If it feels off or your chain keeps popping off, then adjust your shifter until it’s rebalanced. Make sure you know how to adjust the barrel before you rotate it. If you don’t know what you are doing you can potentially make it worse and have to take it in for a more expensive repair.
Check and clean your pedals. The last thing you want are chipped pedals that make it harder (and less safe) to ride. Grimy pedals may jam, which means you won’t be able to push them.
Inspect for cracks or breaks everywhere on your bike after every adventure when you are rinsing it off. Even hairline cracks can be dangerous if they’re not fixed. Even if you didn’t crash, you should check your entire bike frame for cracks and damage before putting away the bike. Make sure to check every bolt is tightened properly and nothing was loosened during the ride.
If there are any cracks or other extensive damage, bring it to a repair shop right away. If you bought it new, it might still be under warranty.
Clean your bike often—but not too often. You want to make sure all the gunk and grime is off your bike, but you don’t want to soak your bike in soap, water, and degreaser after every single trip. The soap and water can cause more damage to the parts and make them wear out sooner, and not every part of the bike needs to be degreased, like the headset for example. You will want to avoid using a pressure washer on your bike because it can damage parts too.
8. Make Small Repairs On Your Own
When you are looking to keep costs down, you want to find ways to be handy fixing your bike. With your repair kit you carry everywhere – that you should be bringing – you will be able to make a lot of the smaller repairs on your own.
You should know how to:
Change your tire, including after getting a flat
Inflate your tires properly and safely
Degrease your chain if it skips and the apply grease again
Change your brake pads when they’re worn
Realign your tire in case you put the wheel on crooked
Adjust your gear shifter if your chain keeps popping off while pedaling
Tighten any loose bolts with a wrench
Loosen any parts that are too tight
Rewrap your handlebars with new tape when yours gets dingy
If you don’t know how to do these basic repairs, stop by your local bike shop. If they don’t have classes available, ask a bike shop employee or mechanic to walk you through each step until you learn to recognize the signs when you need to repair them and how to make those repairs.
9. Know When To Take In Your Bike To A Mechanic
Not only if you don’t know what you’re doing to make a repair should you take in your bike to a professional, but some repairs you shouldn’t attempt regardless. You should get an annual inspection on your bike to make sure it’s in working condition. The mechanic will repair any part and make sure you’re going out on the trails safely.
A good tip to know is that the better you do routine maintenance on your bike, the less you’ll need to pay in annual inspections. Consider this a necessary expense and one you don’t want to skimp on. A quality overhauling will run you anywhere from $100-400 or more, depending on the condition of your bike.
You’ll also want to take your bike in if you have a particularly nasty fall or crash. Even if you inspect the bike yourself and don’t see any cracks or damage, your bike mechanic has a trained eye to spot even the smallest of damages. You want to immediately address these faults right away to make sure your bike stays in good condition and you continue to ride safely.
If you don’t consider yourself handy with tools and don’t care to learn how to do routine maintenance on your bike yourself, you’ll want to take your bike in more often. With some repairs if you attempt to make them and don’t know what you are doing or how to do it properly you could damage the bike or even put yourself in danger when taking it on the trail. If you have bolts that are too tight or too loose, you could damage the bike by making it too stiff to perform well on the trail or it will be too loose and potentially fall apart while you’re riding.
If you see that you are losing fluid in your bike, it is time to get it properly diagnosed by a professional mechanic. Because the fluid can be leaking from several different sources and each leak will have a different way to repair it, your mechanic will be able to tell you exactly what’s leaking, from where, and how to repair it.
If you ever don’t feel 100% confident in your abilities, taking in your bike to get it checked out by a professional is better than you making a critical error and putting yourself in harm’s way.
10. Exchange compatible parts with friends.
The key word here is “compatible.” Constantly buying new parts gets very expensive very quickly. If you’ve managed to wrangle your friends into trying mountain biking with you, not only can you benefit from carpooling and having buddies to hang out with, but you can also share spare parts with each other.
This tip works especially well if you’ve all purchased the same type of bike, which will allow you to know for sure you all have compatible parts. For example, if your friend buys multiple brake pads in a pack and one of yours is running thin, you can borrow their extra brake pad. But the parts need to be able to work for your bike; otherwise, you’re risking bike damage and potential disaster while on the trail.
This is also something that you can do if you know someone whose bike broke in a crash. If their handlebar ends, for example, are still in good condition and you think that they will fit your bike then you can ask if you can have them.