I wrestle with this. I fight against a conflict. Part of me wants to carry a lot of stuff. Part of me wants me and the bike to be stripped down, light, and responsive.
The Heavy Rider: I am a professional bike wrench. I know just about everything that can go wrong with a bike, and I tend to want to pack tools and spares against all of those possibilities. Mountain bike riding also presents injury risk, so a good first aid kit would be nice. Add insect repellent, sunscreen, water, and food (must have food!) to this and the load can become impressive. (Some would say excessive.) At one point in my journey I had a mountainbike equipped with a rear cargo rack and panniers, and I still carried a large backpack hydration system. Lights. (After all, even though the ride starts at 10:00 A.M., I could end up out at night.) GPS. Compass. Map. Signal Mirror. You name it.
The Light Rider: I like a lightweight responsive bike, and I like the freedom of not carrying a lot of stuff. There is joy in being unencumbered. Carefree. Climbing easily. The backpack affects center of gravity? Leave it behind! Spare tubes? We almost never get flats!
In a more sober moment, it’s possible to reflect, how much, and what is carried sort of depends on where and how the ride is. If the ride is in deep woods, a long way from home, and a long way from the trailhead, perhaps a bit more equipment and supplies are in order. If it’s on very local trails, less is needed. Think about how difficult it is to walk out while carrying your bike. If the difficulty is likely to be extreme, perhaps more support equipment should be packed in.
Bike Type: Another factor is the kind of bike you are riding. (See Today’s Terms for more on this.) A “hardtail” can have rear racks and panniers mounted. “Full Suspension” bikes make this more difficult. The moving parts at the rear of the bike interfere with rack mounts. There are beam type racks for these bikes, but rigging panniers and such is complicated, and stabilizing them is even trickier.
The trailer option: There are trailers that are designed to be pulled behind mountain bikes. These are generally used for truly epic cross-country treks. (Consider: Do you really want to pull 50 pounds of gear up that hill?)
I don’t know if this is helpful… But my personal approach is to use a moderately large backpack hydration pack. I alter what goes into it, depending on the season, and my intended ride. I’m also constantly removing stuff from it. Things just seem to accumulate in there.
Good luck with all this.
Today’s Term(s):
Rigid, n. A mountain bike with no suspension parts. The rear triangle of the bike is solid and does not move. The forks are also non-moving, and non-suspended.
hardtail n. any bike with front suspension but no rear suspension.
F/S, Full-Suspension, n. A bike with a suspension fork at the front, and a lot of moving parts at the rear, that allow the rear triangle of the bike to move.
Dualie see F/S
Bounce Bike see F/S
Shock n. In mountain biking parlance, a device that contains a spring and some means of damping the travel. Cynically: Parts that are installed on a bike by the manufacturer to add weight, complexity, and cost.
This series, running every Tuesday, is intended to help those who are new to mountain bike riding. By no means is it an exhaustive treatment, but it is our fond hope that it will help you, the beginner, to begin to enjoy riding your bike off road.
Future Topics:
Trail Care & Maintenance
Bike Types
Your next mountain bike or Mountain Biking 201
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