Solo biking is an amazing experience on its own where you can take in the scenery and enjoy your own company throughout the trails. To make this experience even better we’ve gathered our top solo cycling tips that will amp up the fun factor.
We’ve covered every essential thing in our solo bicycling tips that you need to consider before venturing out on your own. From solo cycling clothing to what to bring on a solo cycling ride, our tips have got you covered.
So, let’s dive right in!
Solo Biking Tips
Solo cycling is a fun activity where you get to bond with yourself. While time alone is great, it’s important to take care of some of the mentioned solo cycling tips to prevent any dangerous situation.
This is your essential guide on what to bring on a solo cycling ride.
1. Plan Your Route and Share It with Somebody
Before heading out for your solo venture, we recommend that you properly plan your route and share it with someone.
This proves to be extremely helpful in case you get stuck in an unforeseen situation. Additionally, this makes you feel safe in your lone journey without having to tag along with someone.
You can also share your live location via WhatsApp or other social networking apps to make sure the other person is aware of your whereabouts throughout the entirety of the planned trail.
2. Pack Up Your Bag with Essentials
Food, water, clothes, tools, you need to pack up everything in your biking bag!
Keep an ample supply of food and water with you so that your energy levels stay high and that you’re hydrated throughout the trip. Don’t skip out on small breaks to get the hydration and nutrition contents up.
Keep an extra jacket in case it gets cold or way too breezy when cycling. If you’re cycling in the summers, keep ice packs with you to get your body temperature to cool down every now and then. I mean, nobody wants a heatstroke, right?
And always keep the essential tools with you in case your bike starts to act up. A pair of pliers, screwdrivers, quick links, wrenches, and a portable pump are some essential tools to keep with you when packing up for a solo riding venture.
It’s always best to be prepared than to break down in the middle of nowhere and get anxious about it. Self-sufficiency is an important part of the solo riding experience.
3. Power Banks and Cash Are Lifesavers
Your phones are quite literally your lifesavers. From telling you the route to sharing your location with your trusted fellows, keeping your phone alive is just as important as anything else.
Always stock up battery chargers and power banks for your phone. Plug the power banks in the night before to get at least two charge cycles out of your battery pack.
Your phone also has your cash in it thanks to e-wallets. We recommend that while keeping your credit/debit card with you is a great option, keeping hard cash with you might save you from certain hassles.
Some places still don’t accept card payments so it’s important that you keep cash on hand just in case.
4. Learn Basic Bike Fixing Skills
As a bike owner, learning the basic bike fixing skills is extremely helpful in emergency situations.
Learning how to fix a punctured tire, deflating or inflating a tire, fixing a loose chain, all these are basic skills that a cyclist should learn.
If you’re familiarized with the fixing process and have the necessary tools with you, you can easily get out of difficult situations. So, always bring your tools with you so you can fix your bike issues all on your own.
5. Carry Belongings with Emergency Contact on Them
Safety is the first thing you should cater to when solo venturing for anything. When it comes to solo biking, make sure you have some form of ID on you.
Either keep your identification card on you or mark your belongings with the relevant information.
This makes it easy for someone to call up your emergency contacts in case of a dangerous situation. It can also help someone return your belongings in case you happen to lose them.
6. Refrain from Exploring Foreign Routes
While venturing out on your own, taking new routes can be a refreshing experience. However, we recommend you refrain from taking routes that are too unfamiliar.
These routes may not have the proper conditions for a safe biking experience. It’s best that you stick to known routes when biking all alone.
7. Make Yourself and Your Bike Visible
The next tip is to get appropriate solo cycling clothing. This type of clothing needs to be comfortable and easy for you to move around in.
We recommend that you opt for neon colored athletic leisure clothing or opt for ones with glow in the dark strips on them. This makes you recognizable for car drivers in the dark.
Additionally, add reflective attachments on your bike and on to your backpack. This ensures that there’s some identification for you when you’re solo cycling in the dark.
8. Go for More Popular Trails in Your Area
And lastly, we recommend going for more popular routes in your area.
These trails not only ensure you with the proper biking conditions but also give you the assurance that there will be people there to help you out in case of emergencies.
Popular biking trails are brimmed with cyclists every day so opting for these routes makes it a guaranteed smooth biking experience.
Additionally, there will be more people around to assist you if you get lost or happen to have mechanical issues.
Conclusion
Solo cycling can be an intimidating experience for anyone but we hope that through our solo cycling tips, we’ve helped you to gain confidence in your biking skills.
With the proper equipment and a great view, solo biking is definitely an experience that you should try out!