Things You'll Need:
- Motivation
- Mountain biking gear
- Mountain bike
- Water & energy bars
- Camera
- A friend
-
Step 1
You need to get your legs, butt and heart back in shape. The best way to do all three at the same time is to walk, jog or run. It doesn't matter if you do it outside or on equipment at the gym. Do whatever works for you. If you hit the trails being out of shape you'll likely only make it a few miles. You will be sore for the next few days not to mention that your butt will hurt worse the second ride and possibly even the third.
-
Step 2
Make sure your bike is in shape as well. It would be horrible to get all the way out to your trail only to realize your chain is rusty, your brakes aren't working right and your tire is flat. The best thing to do is to take it into a bike shop and have them give it a tune up before you go out. They will check everything and make sure your bike is ready to go.
-
Step 3
Just because your bike is ready to go doesn't mean the trail is going to treat you well. Make sure you have extra tubes with you in case you get a flat tire as well as a tire repair kit and tire levers to change the tire. Bring along a set of allenwrenches to tighten anything that gets loose. A multi-tool will sometimes have allenwrenches on it and you need a muti-tool as well.
-
Step 4
Make sure you bring the proper apparel for yourself if you want to be safe and have fun. You will want to wear biking pants or shorts and a biking shirt. They are meant to work with your body. If you wear jeans you will overheat. If you wear a regular T-shirt it will get sweaty and stick to you. Wear biking gloves to protect your hands from friction when you ride and from cuts and scrapes when you fall. Bring a camelbak for water. It's easier than reaching down and trying to grab a bottle while you ride. Plus you can put your first aid kit and energy bars inside. Wear either biking shoes or hiking boots when you ride. If you chose hiking boots make sure to check with your sales person that they will work for the kind of biking you want to do. Most importantly wear a helmet. Quality of life greatly goes down if you smash your head on a rock while riding. If you've never been biking this list may seem long but it makes the ride so much more enjoyable and safe.
-
Step 5
In preparation for each ride you take consider packing a few sports drinks along with your water. It will replace electrolytes fast and the sugar will give you energy to keep going if you get exhausted. It's good to keep extra water in your car in case you need to drink more after your ride. Never underestimate how much water you need. It's good to keep trail mix or energy bars in the car as well. If you don't need them then you don't need them but it's better to be over prepared.
