10 essential items to take with you on your MTB outings

When we go out cycling for any route or training we should take with us all the essential equipment to be able to return home by our own means, but the necessary material can be very different according to the conditions of each route so here you will find what for us is the basic equipment for a regular day outing without bad weather.

As you will find below, we will not include your own equipment, such as gloves, helmet, etc, in this collection of essentials.

What should you take with you on your mountain bike outings?

Whether in a jersey pocket, a fanny pack, backpack or on the bike itself, here are at least 10 things that we should carry with us on almost any mountain bike outing

1.Multi-tool

They are increasingly compact and lightweight. And it should be essential to carry at least one on any outing with which we are able to tighten or unscrew any part of our bike and that incorporates a chain tool. We do not know at what point we will have to adjust the stem, the handlebars or even a spoke. The simplest adjustment could mean that we would have to walk home if it were not for one of these multi-tools.

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2.Replacement inner tube

Perhaps the most common inconvenience among cyclists. Flat tires are as much a part of cycling as the bikes themselves. While it's true that with the new tubeless systems, flats are often fixed "on their own" with the fluid in the tires themselves, you never know when a major puncture might surprise you. It is essential to always carry at least a replacement inner tube, so make sure that the inner tube is compatible with your wheels!

The latest ultra-lightweight inner tubes mean that wearing one of these does not cost anything, even on the jersey itself.

3.Tire levers

Those who have travelled many kilometres on their legs and have had to change many wheels will probably be able to remove and mount the tyre with their own hands. For those who are not 100% sure of being able to do so, they should carry a pair of plastic tyre levers that help a lot in this task.

Try to make sure that the tyre levers you carry with you have been tested and do not bend at the first attempt to apply force.

4.CO2 pump or cartridges

Once the inner tube and tyre are fitted, the wheel must be inflated. For that we can take with us a small inflation pump or some bottles of CO2. We must be careful to ensure that both the pump and the cylinder are compatible with the valve on our wheels. If you choose the option of carrying bottles, bear in mind that each bottle is only good for one time and that, depending on the size of your wheel, you will need a bottle of one size or another.

5. Smartphone

The smartphone is already a device that we don't usually take off from in our daily life, so it would be a bit strange not to take it with us on our bike trips. However, we would like to remind you that it is vital for us to be able to communicate if necessary or even to use it as a GPS.

6.Quick release link

The chain of our bike is another sensitive element that can be damaged. If our chain breaks and we do not have a chain tool (incorporated in the multi-tool we proposed above) and a quick release link, we will have to walk back.

7.Flanges

The flanges only weigh a few grams and carrying some of them with us can mean the difference between coming back riding or having to call to be picked up.

8.Water and food

If we are going on a short outing, between 1h and 1.5h, and through a well-known place, we could leave without anything to eat. But it is advisable that we at least take a gel or a bar because a fade can come when nobody is expecting it.

Like the food, very short would have to be the exit to be able to leave without water so we will say that it is almost obligatory to take at least a jerry can with water and/or salts. 

9.Documentation

Very important. We must always leave with some official identification document. If we have a federal license we will also have to carry it with us.

Remember that with some restrictions imposed during the pandemic it was even necessary to justify where we resided if we were asked to do so.

10.Money

It never hurts to bring some money and think that if you suffer a breakdown that you cannot repair yourself you will have to return by public transport or taxi. You can also use it to invite your colleagues for a drink at the end of the route.

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