MOUNTAIN BIKE GEAR & TOOLS
While the bike is essential to mountain biking, it’s not the only equipment you’ll need. Riding rough trails or in bad weather will require some additional protection, clothing and gear to enjoy your ride and keep you safe. Before you ride you also need to set up your bike properly and afterwards you have to maintain it in good condition. This requires tools, some of which are specifically designed for mountain bikes. In this section we’ll take a look at all of the most important gear you’ll need in your first few years of mountain biking.
PROTECTION
Helmets
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A helmet is essential as it can save your head from serious injury. Which is why a helmet is mandatory on almost all trails. When choosing a helmet you’ll want to look at a few key features: CE certification, protective range, weight and ventilation. Any helmet you buy should have the CE certification, as it guarantees that the helmet meets European safety standards. Weight and ventilation are more of a comfortability factor and correlate to the amount of protective range.
Here’s a rundown of the most common mountain bike helmets:
As you can see, generally speaking the rougher the trails, the more protection you’ll need. That being said, if you feel more confident wearing a full face helmet on a cross country trail, go for it!
There are a few other features on a helmet you may want to consider:
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Head & chin strap: allows you to adjust the fit of the helmet. A good fit is crucial for optimal protection.
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Peak/visor: to protect your eyes from sun glare and rain.
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MIPS (multi directional impact protection system): for improved protection
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Recco system: Makes it easier for emergency responders to find you when you’re lost or injured.
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A detachable chin piece: Allows you to convert your half shell helmet into a full face helmet.
Gloves
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Mountain bike gloves provide grip, comfort and protection. There are many different brands with different types of gloves in the market. In summer you might want to wear fingerless gloves and in winter a set of full finger gloves with extra layers to protect against the cold. It ultimately depends on your own personal preferences and riding conditions.
Eyewear
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Eyewear can protect your eyes from the sun, rain, mud and small branches sticking out on the trail. There are two choices for mountain bikers: sunglasses or goggles. The latter provide more protection, are heavier and usually worn during all-mountain, enduro or downhill riding.
Ribbed shorts
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Sitting on your saddle for hours or riding over roots and rocks can be quite punishing on your bum. Hence why many mountain bikers wear ribbed shorts or pants. These have a soft padding to make your rides more comfortable.
Pads
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If you’re taking on some seriously gnarly trails or if you don’t want to worsen an existing injury, you can add some extra padding to protect your body. Knee, shin and elbow pads protect your limbs and come in different forms. Some provide light protection and are breathable, while others are heavier and protect against hard impacts.
Back protection
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One of the most common protection items is the back protector as your spine is a sensitive part of the body. Just like pads there are light and heavy variants. You can also wear a full vest that will protect your back, chest and shoulders. There are even backpacks with built-in back protectors.
TOOLS
To fully maintain your bike and make some necessary repairs you’ll need the right tools for the job. While there is an abundance of mountain biking related tools, we’ll go over some of the essentials and the ones you’ll probably use the most.
Allen keys
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Most bolts and screws on a mountain bike require an Allan key. Exactly which sizes you’ll need depends on your bike’s design, so get a wide range of them. They’re often found on multitools as well, which are useful to bring along on your ride.
Torque wrench
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Some nuts and bolts on your bike will require a certain torque, specified by the manufacturer, to tighten. A torque wrench is a tool used to control and apply a specific torque to a fastener such as a bolt or a nut. Applying the correct amount of torque will assure you that everything stays in place while you ride rough trails.
Regular pump
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Your tyres are going to need some air to roll smoothly. It’s best to have a large floor pump in your shed to quickly fill a tyre with air and to keep a small hand pump with you when you’re out on the trails. Make sure your pump has the right fit for the valves on your bike.
Tyre gauge
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A tyre gauge is used to measure the pressure in your tyres. The indicators that some pumps have are often inaccurate, which is why we recommend using a tyre gauge to get the precise amount of PSI you prefer. Make sure it fits the valves on your bike.
Shock pump
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A shock pump is used to measure and alter the air pressure in your suspension (both front and rear). A shock pump will have a small button on the side to very precisely reduce the pressure in your suspension.
Bike grease
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Grease allows moving parts to operate smoothly, but can also be used to make removing certain parts, like pedals, easier. You can buy general use grease, but it’s better to go for bike specific grease. Grease designed for specific components offer an even higher quality.
Tyre repair kit
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A small tyre repair kit will help you to quickly fix any punctures. It should also include some tyre levers, which are useful in other situations. Additionally, you might want to carry a spare inner tube with you in case you want to easily fix a flat tyre out on the trails. Tubeless tyres require a different type of repair kit.
CLEANING TOOLS
Your bike and its components need to be regularly cleaned in order to expand their lifespan and keep everything working in good order. Besides some common household items, you’ll also need bike specific cleaning tools.
Bike specific cleaner
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Regular soap can damage some bike components and the paint job, so use a bike specific cleaner instead. As the name suggests they’re specifically designed to clean your bike and its components.
Bike specific degreaser
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Bike degreaser strips grease, grime, muck, and other sticky residues from the drivetrain. It can either come in the form of a spray, liquid or aerosol:
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The spray is used by applying the degreaser on the drivetrain, letting it sit there for a few seconds and then rinse it with a brush and some water.
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The liquid form is applied directly onto the drivetrain with a brush or chain cleaner.
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Aerosol degreaser is a very aggressive variant. You’ll only have to apply a small amount on your chain and it will eat all the dirt away. You probably don’t need this unless your chain is very filthy.
A small brush, toothbrush, sponge or bike chain cleaner
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You can use something as simple as a toothbrush to clean your drivetrain, but a bike specific chain cleaner will be more effective. You will need a liquid form of degreaser for the chain cleaner.
Chain lube
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Chain lube is used to prevent corrosion from happening in your drivetrain and to allow for smooth shifting. You can use either a spray or a liquid. However, the spray has the risk of reaching your (disc)brakes which can cause squeaky brakes and a severely reduced stopping power, so avoid this at all times. The liquid form is directly applied on the chain and is therefore much safer to use.
A dirty drivetrain like this will not shift smoothly and wear out its parts quicker.