Roadtripping With Bikes

Guest Post By: evo

Jake and I have always considered getting a couple of bikes and adding a bike rack to our van set up. We haven’t quite made the move yet, although still hope to in the future. So, we’ve called in some bike experts to help our readers who love biking!  Today’s guest post from evo is all about roadtripping with bikes.

So you’re going on a road trip, and you want to take your bikes. That makes sense, after all, half the fun of riding bikes is exploring new places, whether that be pedaling new neighborhoods on your cruiser, new trails on your mountain bike, or new roads on a gravel bike.

Roadtripping with bikes is always a good idea, but a little bit of planning ahead can make your life a lot easier, and save you some big headaches. We’ve spent a lot of time roaming the roads to find new bike destinations, and these are some of the biggest things we’ve learned to help simplify the process of roadtripping with bikes.

---

Consolidate your gear

Biking requires a fair amount of gear, beyond your bike itself, you’ll need a bike helmet, and any bike clothes, like padded shorts, or jerseys.

And you don’t want to forget your bike shoes, or any tools or spare parts.

So we like to consolidate all of our bike gear in one big bag. That way it’s harder to forget something important like socks or a spare tube.

And, on longer trips, it’s really nice for everything to have a place to live. It’s a lot simpler to grab your bike and your bag of bike gear, instead of wandering around trying to find everything you need to ride.

Get all of your bike gear and clothing in one place, make sure you’re not forgetting anything, pack it all in one big bag, and then put it away after every ride. It’s the best way we’ve found to avoid driving five hours only to realize you forgot your helmet.

---

Carry your bike strategically

If you’re going on a road trip with your bike, you’ll probably be carrying it on some kind of bike rack.

When traveling with your bike, there are a few main factors to focus on, including convenience and security. Convenience is pretty straightforward, if your bike is just on a platform-style rack on the back of the car, it’s easy to grab for a quick ride. If the wheels are taken off and it’s being stored in the car, it’s a lot more work to get to it.

So, if you’re going on a trip where you want to take a bunch of shorter rides through the day, driving between, a rack on the outside of your car is a good choice.

That said, security is just as big a priority as convenience. Nothing ruins a trip like a stolen bike. The safest place for your bike will always be out of sight inside your car.

If you’re lucky enough to be traveling in a van, it’s pretty easy to store bikes inside. For smaller cars though, you may have to take the wheels off and figure out a system.

Leaving your bike on the outside of your car, unattended is always a bad idea. Locking your bikes on a rack can add some security, but it’s important to remember that bike locks mostly keep good guys honest.

If someone is intent on stealing your bike, a lock won’t stop them. Make sure to loop locks through the frame and wheels of your bikes, and make sure your rack is locked to the car as well. Too many folks have returned from a meal only to find that their rack was stolen along with the bikes locked to it. It’s better safe than sorry when it comes to securing your bikes.

Security also means ensuring that your bike will not end up flattened on the highway as roadkill. We recommend investing in a solid bike rack rather than relying on flimsy racks that attach with straps. Hitch-mounted bike racks are our favorite, they give you a great balance of convenience and security.

On any road trip you’ll be dancing between these factors, trying to find a balance that works for you. Everyone will come up with a different system.

---

Plan your rides ahead of time

Even if you’re going to ride in a totally new location, it’s a good idea to have at least a rough plan of where you’d like to ride. There are a bunch of online tools that make this easy, like Trailforks, Strava, and MTB Project.

For mountain biking, one of the best resources is Trailforks, a free app that lists mountain bike trails, along with info on difficulty and length. You can use it to plan loops, figure out which direction to ride trails, and estimate how long your rides will take.

You don’t need to set your itinerary in stone, but a rough idea of what trails you want to hit, and where to park to ride them is really helpful.

It’s also a good idea to head into local bike shops and chat with riders there. They can give you good info on what trails are really good at the moment, how to ride them, and where good camping spots are. Local knowledge always makes roadtripping with bikes much easier.

Bike road trips don’t need to be stressful and challenging, instead, if you do a good job of packing and planning ahead, it’s pretty easy to go have a great time exploring new riding locations. 

---

Guest Post Author:

We are evo –  a ski, snowboard, mountain bike, surf, wake, skate, camp, and lifestyle retailer based in Seattle, Washington, USA, with stores located in Seattle, Portland, Denver, Whistler, and Salt Lake City (coming soon). evo explores the collaboration between culture and sports – our aim is to bring all things relevant to the urban, action sports lifestyle into one creative space. Whether it is on the website, on the phone or in our stores, our aim is to make all who come into contact with evo feel welcome and excited about their experience.

---

Save ‘Roadtripping With Bikes’ For Later