You have no doubt heard about people going, or planning to go, on mountain biking expeditions, and this is a subject that is becoming more and more popular of late in mountain biking communities in particular. But maybe you can’t quite figure out what expedition mountain biking is and how it is any different from or touring or bikepacking.
Mountain bike expeditions are essentially touring off-road on dirt trails or no trails at all. Instead of staying in hotels or anywhere else, you usually bring a lightweight tent or something along to sleep in at the end of the day, but you try to take as little with you as possible.
Mountain biking expeditions can be exciting, invigorating, and are definitely something that you should consider making the time to do. However, before you start making plans you should probably get to know just a bit more about this amazing part of mountain biking.
The Differences Between Expedition Mountain Biking And Touring
Expedition mountain biking is often categorized as a simple a form of bikepacking, and this is because it fits much better into this kind of biking than it does with touring. However for some kinds of bikepacking you are traveling to the head of a long bike trail in your car, getting on your bike, and then going on what is sometimes a several day trail only to get to the end – or back to the beginning again – so that you can get back to your car and go home.
True expedition mountain biking on the other hand is something that has more of an actual destination in mind, hence the word “expedition” in the title. The very definition of expedition, should you care to know it, is: a journey or voyage undertaken by a group of people with a particular purpose, especially that of exploration, scientific research, or war.
With that said, just add the fact that this is done on a mountain bike added to what the word expedition means is pretty much the perfect way to sum up what mountain bike expeditions are all about. To give you a practical example of what this means, if you were to go to visit Peru you could easily go on a mountain biking expedition with Machu Picchu as your destination in order to explore it on your mountain bike before you leave.
This is why expeditions are getting so much popularity of late. Some people who are not really into the idea of just mountain biking around in a circle, and fail to see the point of mountain biking at all when there is no real destination, can still fall in love with the idea of expedition mountain biking. This means that there are more people than ever enjoying mountain biking who would not have considered it before.
The fact that these expeditions are off trails and that they must be done on mountain bikes also puts them in an entirely different category from touring which is done almost strictly on roads and on touring bikes. However, sometime touring does have a specific destination in mind, so there is still that in common.
Reasons That You Should Consider Going Expedition Mountain Biking
What is not to like about going on a mountain bike expedition somewhere? It not only combines adventure and travel, but you get to do it all with mountain bikes all while going to a place that you want to see and explore. The mountain biking packs that you use on expeditions often do not cost nearly as much as touring packs do, nor do you have to spend money to buy a touring bike, making this a cheaper option for a hobby than touring is.
One of the features to expedition riding is that it is a great way to get unplugged. Since you are off of the roads and more in the middle of nowhere, this means that there is just as often no internet connection and nothing like that which can distract you from enjoying yourself, really get a chance to see what is all around you, and to get to explore the place that you made the trip to see.
Getting yourself unplugged from most of the electronics that we tend to use on a daily if not hourly basis is in addition a great way to relax and get it tune with nature. It also gives you a breather to take stock of where you are headed and to re-prioritize things for yourself so that when you get back from your expedition you can pick up your work again with a fresh perspective and new energy.
On top of all of that it is a great excuse to go see that place that you have been wanting to without feeling bad about not being in the gym more during your break from work. In fact, it is even better than the gym since it gets you out into the fresh air of the great outdoors. It can also be fun to do as a family trip so that you can spend some quality time on the trail with each other.
What Do You Need To Take With You On A Mountain Bike Expedition?
A large portion of what you will take will depend on how long your expedition will be and what type of terrain you will be going over among a lot of other things. The first thing that you will need no matter where you are going is a good, sturdy mountain bike that is in good condition and which is not in need of any repairs or anything.
While you might be tempted to wear casual, everyday clothes on a mountain biking expedition, you should at least try to keep in mind that you will be on your bike all day long and casual clothes that are not make for being on a mountain bike and that they are far more likely to get uncomfortable at some point. That being said, you should plan on wearing cycling clothes, undergarments, socks, and shoes to avoid any unneeded rubbing during your long rides.
However, if you plan on spending any amount of time off of your bike, then you can pack other clothes as well. Swimsuits are a good idea if you will be by a lake that is safe to swim in, and can provide a great break from being on your bike. You could also pack some flip flips or sandals as a cooler shoe option for when you are off of your bike.
You will also need other basics like a helmet, with bike gloves being particularly important for you for griping the handlebars all day. You should also look at what the temperature will be and pack some leg and/or arm warmers if the weather will be cold and add some ear warmers and a sweater if it will be really cold. If it looks to be rainy, pack a good rain jacket and make sure that anything important is backed in a waterproof bag of some kind.
No matter what the weather is you should also have a hydration pack with plenty of water. Pack as much extra water as you can just in case you bike crashes and you need some extra water in order to have some to rinse off any scrapes before bandaging them up or rinsing your hands off of you touch anything sticky.
Food is another absolute necessity right below that of water, though depending on where you are going on your bike expedition there may be places where you can buy this. However, you should not count on it especially if you have dietary restrictions of any kind.
You should also get a good pair of sunglasses since you will be out in the sun all day, as well as sunscreen which is preferably of a kind that is specifically made for sports so that it will not melt off when you sweat, and a camera or a POV camera so that you can have either some pictures or videos to remember your trip by.
You will not only need your phone, but you will need a charger for you phone that has an adapter to it so that you can charge it from anything, even overseas, and a small solar panel if you will be on the trail for an extended amount of time without access to any place you can plug into. Insect repellent is also a necessity, and you should consider taking the things that you might need for a bath in case you get really muddy on the trail.
Other, more random things that you might not have otherwise thought of are your toothbrush toothpaste, soap or something like germ-X, and above all your own toilet paper since there is not likely to be bathrooms that have this for you out on the trail! Eating utensils might also be a good thing to have to eat your food with.
There is also electrical tape which you can use to tape things like your air pump to the frame of your bike where it will be both handy and will not tack up any space in your bags. The reason to go with electrical tape for things like this is that you can use it without having to worry about leaving any sticky residue behind.
For taping almost anything else, pack some duct tape that is preferably waterproof just in case. Zip-lock bags have a number of different uses, such as putting your phone or anything else in one if it starts unexpectedly raining as a way of keeping them dry.
Grocery bags are much better sized for putting any trash in that you make along the way. Zip ties and elastic bands also have too many possible uses on the trail to list all of them and they don’t take up much room or add a lot of weight.
When it comes to the things that you will need in order to repair your bike on the trail, the least that you should have should be a spare tube, a tire patch kit, a spare chain, a hand pump, and a multi-tool that you can use to make any needed bike repairs with.
For medical supplies you should have anti-bacterial wipes, ibuprofen, band aids, gauze, tweezers and medical tape for starters. An ace wrap in case you twist an ankle or wrist can also be handy, as can a tennis ball and foam roller for your tight muscles at the end of the day. There are even creams that you can put on blisters should you get any, so you should find a cream you like and pack it too.
How To Plan And Prepare For A Mountain Bike Expedition
One of the things that you will need to do in order to prepare for a mountain biking expedition is yourself. Part of this is also knowing yourself and what you can actually do in one day. Do not assume that just because a trail says that it will take a certain number of hours to do that you will surely be able to do it in that amount of time.
So, to help you plan how far you are going to go in your trip, you need to be able to know how far you can actually ride in a day. To estimate this you should pack some of the things you will be taking on the trip with you and go on a trail you are familiar with at a moderate pace that you feel you could keep up all day. Then see how long that takes you and factor in any differences in the terrain that you intend on mountain biking across.
If you want to go on a long expedition that last for several days then you should probably at least consider hitting your local trails more often in the weeks leading up to your trip in order to get into shape a bit more. If you don’t then you ought to factor in that you will be sore and unable to go as far on the second and third days, which is something that you should count on anyway.
While it is obvious that you will be taking some spare parts with you just in case your bike has any problems on the trail, this is not all that you will need to do to prepare in this area. You should also make sure that you actually know how to do the various repairs correctly.
This is why part of your preparations as you get ready to go on your mountain biking expedition should include either going to classes to learn how to fix things on your mountain bike or at least watching plenty of videos and trying the different things out yourself. After all, having a spare chain is a good thing to have if you are going on a long expedition, but is absolutely pointless if you don’t know how to put it on.
This is especially important since you must keep in mind that with most expedition riding you will be miles away from anything and it is highly unlikely depending on where you are at that anyone will be coming along to help you. This means that you are all on your own unless you are going on an expedition with someone else, in which case you should verify that at least one of you has hands-on experience with replacing the different parts.
For this same reason you want to make sure that you go to a few classes about basic first aid if possible. Doing this first will also help give you a much better idea of what you should pack when it comes to the medical supplies that you are most likely to need while you are out on the trail.
In this case if you are only taking one person with you then both of you should learn first aid, and at least two people if you are taking a larger group. The reason that this is important is because if only one person knows first aid and that happens to be the person who gets injured or unconscious for whatever reason, then there needs to be at least one other person who knows what to do.
If you are going on your trip alone, then you should always let someone know not only where your route will take you but how long you should be gone, that way if something does happen someone knows to get you help and where to send the help to.
When planning where your trip is going to take you to, you will want to consider the season that it is there if it is in a different country. You also want to do your research and find out what airlines are easier to take you mountain bike on.