Trail Riding Essentials

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Trail Riding Essentials: What You Should Carry On Trail Rides

Full Cycle staffers and seasoned riders, Ed and Brendan, highlight their essential trail riding tools and gear that they keep in their trunks and on them while riding!

Ed's Essentials

How do you minimize trailside mechanicals?

"While I do tend to run pretty light in terms of the tools and spares that I carry, I take the opposite approach to my bike. I use full DH
casing tires on my bike both front and rear, and have Cush Core installed in both wheels as well. In addition to that, I run heavier more durable rims on my bike. I haven't had any issues with flats since I installed the heavier tires and inserts, but due to the difficulty of installation, it would be quite a task to fix a flat on my bike on the side of the trail."

What tools and equipment do you bring with you while trail riding?

"I always have my floor pump and digital pressure gauge in my car, as I'm very particular about the pressure I run in my tires. I also keep a shock pump, a few extra pairs of gloves, extra water, and a first aid kit in the car. What I carry while I'm riding does vary a bit depending on the day. If it's a lift day, I'll pretty much just carry my multi tool and a CO2 in my pockets along with my phone. I also carry a water bottle on my frame, and a quick-link taped to my brake/shift cables. If I'm pedaling I'll also generally strap a tube to my frame, and keep tire levers in my pockets. I also carry an extra bottle of water and a Cliff Bar in the stash pocket on my bib shorts on longer rides. I do occasionally also bring a small portable barbeque in my car to tailgate some hotdogs after the ride!"

What tools do you recommend all trail riders to have with them?

"The tools and kit that you need is largely dependent on where you're riding. For most of us riding at trail centers like Camp Fortune, you're rarely more than a 20 minute walk from the car. I would recommend that all riders carry a multi-tool, tire levers, a tube and some kind of pump or CO2. The multi-tool will let you make minor adjustments to your bike like straightening your bars after a crash, and the rest will allow you to change a flat trail side. If you tend to ride in more remote locations, then you would likely also want to carry some basic first aid supplies and extra food/water."

Brendan's Essentials

How do you minimize trailside mechanicals?

"To prevent the likelihood of mechanicals happening on rides You can take a few precautions. First is to do a bolt check of your bike either the night before a ride or in the morning of, the last thing you want is to show up and find out you are missing things or they aren’t functioning properly. Another recommendation is to use Cush Core if you tend to ride any where super rough it can save you from needing to walk out of the trails as well as avoid damaging your rims."

What tools do you recommend all trail riders to have with them?

"When on a ride I try to take only the stuff I really need. The best solution I’ve found for this is having a solid multi tool, I’m currently using the One Up EDC Tool integrated in my steerer tube which can accomplish most trail side repairs one may encounter, pair this with a CO2 and a spare tube and you can get your self out of any trouble you may find your self in."

What tools and equipment do you bring with you while trail riding?

"When going for a ride I try to make sure all my bases are covered regardless of where I’m riding. This means planning for the day and bringing enough food, water and tools. In the car I like to have a floor pump and work stand especially for downhill days at fortune. Having these two items make things a whole lot easier when you run into issues. I also make sure to have a tool box loaded with the all the essentials one might need for a long day at the hill including extra bolts for my bike, tubes and quick links etc."