Checklist of Mountain Biking Essentials and Tips for Marin Mountain Bike Trails
- Check your bike before each ride - chain lubed, air in tires, brakes working, tires secure?
- Dress in layers and pack a wind/rain coat, wear gloves, and suntan lotion in season.
- Hydration system such as camelbak - you can lose over a quart of fluid per hour.
- GU or Shotblocks every 30-45 minutes make a huge difference when you're cycling hard.
- Basic first aid kit, space blanket, and ace bandage for compression of bruises.
- Bike tool, like the Topeak Alien II or Crank Bros, tire levers, extra tube, patch kit, and pump.
- Sunglasses for cycling - much better protection for your eyes than regular glasses.
- Obvious, but always wear a helmet . . . too many people don't, and I've see some close calls.
- Cell phone - don't answer it if it rings, but have it to make a call if necessary.
- Map -- Check out the great Marin Bicycle Map published by Marin County Bicycle Coalition for sale at your local REI and available through www.marinbike.org.
- Headlamp, bike light, or small flashlight, particularly if you're cheating dark on late rides.
- Bike computer and/or GPS - not essential, but fun to map your ride and track your progress against rides that you're following. Also good for watching your speed - 15 mph speed limit on most trails - and more important, take it easy until you know trails first.
- Put good tires on your bike, like Kenda Nevegal or WTB tires - Marin trails can range from hard-packed fire roads, to loose gravel, to "devil cookies" (big loose rocks"), to muddy singletrack when it's raining. Check out your local bike shop or online retailers.
- As far as bikes are concerned, I've seen everything from hardtails and cyclocross bikes to 8" full suspension downhill bikes on the trails described here. For most of the fireroads around Mt. Tam, a hardtail or "cross" bike is just fine. If you on the upper reaches of Eldridge Grade (i.e., last 2 miles of it before you near the peak) or on parts of Rocky Ridge or want to get the best experience bombing through some of the area singletrack, I'd opt for a good cross-country bike with 3-5 inches of travel.
- Read Ned Overend's (After "Endo", that's the greatest name for a mountain biker) excellent book on mountain biking skills - see link below. The pictures are somewhat dated, but his tips on balance, turns, weighting and unweighting will definitely improve your bike handling skills and confidence.
- Tell someone where you're going, and to be safe, ride with someone.
- Trails, weather, conditions, and trails information on these pages change without notice.
- Ride within your limits and use common sense.
Comment on the rides you love at 
