5 Gear Items You Need for Your Next Mountain Biking Adventure

August 20, 2021

1. Bike Helmet

Whether you are on the open road or your favourite single track in the woods, you need a helmet to stay safe cycling. The Bliz Alpha is an ultra-breathable helmet with a specifically designed Airflow Ventilation System™. It’s lightweight (220 grams for a small) and has a shell made of polycarbonate for high-impact resistance.

Price: $129.99

2. Vest Pack

With a capacity of 15 litres and space for a reservoir up to three litres, the UltrAspire Bruce XT is a versatile vest for mountain biking, racing and climbing. This reinforced wrap-around style pack features a smooth surface, sweat-proof quick stash pockets and strategically placed compression. This pack also comes with an insulated bladder pocket to keep fluids cool or hot on your cycling adventure.

Price: $234.99

3. Bike Lube

Keep your bike chain clean and lubricated to help avoid shifting issues and lengthen the life of your bike. mountainFLOW’s new line of plant-based bike products is biodegradable and comparable to any petroleum-based bike lubricant on the market. The All Weather, Wet and Dry eco-products work effectively to make your ride fast and smooth.

Price: $13.95

4. Bike Shorts

Tentree’s InMotion Bike Short has rave reviews, comes in beautiful colours and features technical polyester and elastane fabric that will propel your ride. Made from recycled post-consumer garments, each pair saves 0.87 litres of water and 0.18 kilograms of CO₂. This Canadian brand also plants 10 trees for every product sold.

Price: $50

5. Gloves

Head to MEC for an assortment of bike gloves. Options include Castelli Entrata Unisex Gloves, a fingerless style with protective padding and grippy palms; Race Face Trigger Unisex Gloves, which have full coverage for mountain rides; and Showers Pass Crosspoint Waterproof Knit Wool Unisex Gloves for rainy day commutes.

Price: $34 – 119

Bike Maintenance

Here are some tips for maintaining your city cruiser or mountain bike from the folks at mountainFLOW:

Maintaining a clean and well-lubed is the easiest and cheapest way to keep your bike running at peak condition.
A bike chain is much more complex than meets the eye. Inside each chain link are a series of pins and rollers. These inner pieces need to lubricated to allow the chain to run smoothly and shift cleanly between gears.
To lube your chain, apply a small amount of lube to a clean chain, pedal backwards to allow the lube to work into links and wipe any excess lube. Any lube on the outside of the chain will only act to collect dust and dirt and so it should be removed with a rag.
Whatever you put on your bike will ultimately end up in the environment. Some of the lube will come off while riding and the rest will be washed off during cleaning. This is why it’s so important to use a biodegradable and non-toxic bike lube. mountainFLOW’s products are made from plants and, unlike most bike lubes, do not contain any petroleum.

This article was sponsored by Rock Gear Distribution