Gear List for the Ultimate Mountain Bike Road Trip
Mountain Bike Road Trip Packing List // tahoefabulous.com
I've done quite a few mountain biking/camping road trips over the past few years, and I really think that I've got my gear list dialed in. Overpacking and underpacking are both things you want to avoid on a road trip - especially a long one. You don't want to run out of clean chamois or have too much stuff to dig through when you're looking for a specific tool. It took a lot of trial and error, so I'm going to share my gear lists and what I've learned.
I've broken down my packing list into a few categories: biking, camping, apparel, and miscellaneous for ease. In this post, I'm focusing on bike gear and apparel. I'll be posting about camping gear and the other odds and ends soon. I'm basing this on our one month, 2,700+ mile road trip. We used pretty much everything we brought, and there wasn't really anything I felt like I was missing. For a shorter road trip, you might not need as much stuff, but I think that this is a good base. Here's what to pack for the Ultimate Mountain Bike Road Trip:
Mountain Bike Gear List // tahoefabulous.com
Bike Gear:
Bike: You're definitely going to need this. I love my 2016 Transition Smuggler (a short travel 29er) so much. It was a perfect bike for nearly everything we rode. Spoiler: I wish I had more travel at Whistler.
Mountain Bike Gear Packing List // tahoefabulous.com
Helmet: For a nearly perfect combination of safety, comfort, and versatility, you really can't beat Bell Super R Helmet series. The newest version is the Super 3R, but I have the Super 2R, which is just an earlier version that you can still find a really good deal on. These helmets have a removable chin bar. I love this feature, because I can leave it off for easier rides or climbs, and then attach it for more protection on the more technical rides. Overall, the helmet has lots of venting, so it's cooler than pretty much all full face helmets, even with the face bar attached. If you don't plan to ever need the chin bar, I really like Giro Montara MIPS helmet.
Pedals: I ride clipless pedals 95% of the time, but I almost always pack both clipless pedals and flats for road trips. Two sets of pedals and shoes don't take up that much room and add a lot of versatility. Even for clipless pedals, I like ones with a bit of a platform, like these Shimano PD-M647. For flats, I like these basic Race Face Chesters. They have small hex screws for extra grip that are easily replaced.
Shoes: I am recommending my biking shoes with a caveat. Once I've got the Five Ten Kestrel Pro Boa on, they are a perfect biking shoe. They're comfortable, the boa system instead of laces makes sure they're always secure, easy to walk in, shed mud well, and, if I can't clip in immediately, their slightly sticky bottom means that my feet still stay on the pedals pretty well. However, they are a little hard to get on and off, and the pull strap that's on the heel of the right shoe broke immediately on both mine and Greyson's, which is annoying but doesn't effect the function at all. I'd still highly recommend them.
Mountain Biking Gear List // tahoefabulous.com
Hydration pack: I think that a comfortable and functional hydration pack is one of the pieces of gear that's most integral to having a fun ride, especially as the distances get longer. I've recommended the CamelBak Solstice before. It's a women's specific, lumbar pack designed for mountain biking. I still love it, though the light grey color mine is has started to look pretty gross on the back. Greyson has the men's version, the CamelBak Skyline, shown above.
Click here for my round up of mountain bike hydration options!
Gloves: It's really nice to have two pairs of gloves to give each pair a chance to dry out. I don't pay a lot for gloves. I usually buy what's on sale and what fits my rather large hands. Right now, I alternate between the Giro Xena and the Giro LA DND.
Eyewear: I am hard on and terrible to sunglasses. I admit it. I've found that the Suncloud brand is a nice balance. They're polarized and hold up pretty well, but don't break the bank so I don't feel too bad about immediately dropping and scratching them. I also have very light sensitive eyes, so I tend to like my sunglasses pretty dark, even when mountain biking. I've finally come around, and I like the Suncloud Cookie with rose lenses for rides in the trees where the light is variable. For rainy/windy/dusty conditions, or just when I want to look like an enduro bro, I wear Smith Squad MTB.
Pads: For a trip like this, we went for light, breathable and smaller pads to save space. The G-Form Pro X2 are really comfortable - they're fine if you need to pedal and are about as cool and breathable as you can get.
Anti Chafe Protection: For long, sweaty summer rides, Chamois Butt'r and Body Glide are essentials.
Various Tools: You're going to want a few things with you on a ride, like a basic multi tool and a mini bike pump for repairs on the trail. However, when you're on a long bike trip, a more thorough tool kit will save you time and money. If you don't already have a bike tool kit assembled, this Park Tool SK-3 Home Mechanic Starter Kit is a good place to start. Finally, having a nice floor pump makes keeping your tires at exactly the right psi simple and easy. We have the Bontrager Flash, which has an air chamber and can set tubeless tires, but if you don't want to pay more than $100 for a tire pump, there are other options at lowerprice points.
Apparel:
Liners: First off, think of how many liners/chamois you think you need. Then pack at least one more, especially on a long trip. While you can wash these by hand, they take a long time to dry, even in the summer sun. We were doing a lot of liner algebra. "Ok, I have two pairs of clean ones, and two wet ones and we want to ride three times in the next four days, and the wet ones should dry in x hours..." etc. Liners are definitely not a one size fits all type of gear - find what fits your body best. For a combination of price and comfort, I think it's hard to beat the REI Coop Junction liners.
Baggies: I also like the Fox baggies, especially the Fox Ripley shorts and Fox Lynx shorts. Note: the Lynx only have a tiny back zipper pocket, which is dumb.
Tops: I am a very sweaty person, and mostly bike in tank tops. If I am going to wear long sleeves, I like lightweight tops like the Pearl iZUMi Launch Jersey, which is so breathable I don't even notice it. For wind, I have a Patagonia Houdini Jacket, which packs down very, very small.
Accessories: Smartwool makes good socks and low impact sports bras. For high impact sports bras, Brooks Rebound Racer (formerly Moving Comfort) is amazing.
I hope you're reading this because you're planning an awesome mountain bike road trip. Check back in for my camping recommendations. If you've been on a mountain bike or other long road trip, chime in with your suggestions.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I receive a small percentage of the sale as compensation – at no additional cost to you. I promise to only recommend products that I use and enjoy!