Go Ride: Mountain Biking in the Fall

The vibrant colors, the smell of fallen leaves on the forest floor, the crunching as your tires roll over them, the cooler air. If you’re in a region that experiences the fall season, its a great time to get out on your local trails for a ride and take it all in. Never done fall mountain biking? Read on to find out why you should and to get our best tips for fall riding.

What makes fall mountain biking awesome

Gorgeous scenery

One of the best reasons to get out mountain biking during the fall is the beautiful fall colors and scenery you get to ride through. There is something special about fall rides, your mountain bike hurtling through dense forest with brilliant colors all around you.

Beyond the fall colors, fall riding gives mountain bikers the chance to enjoy better views and more visibility of the landscapes around them because there are fewer leaves on the trees to block out your view.

Weather

As the summer ends and the weather cools, an opportunity for mountain bikers emerges. Many riders who live in climates with four seasons would argue that fall is the best season to ride in because of the weather.

Cooler temperatures, while not everyone’s cup of tea, can make for excellent riding conditions because you aren’t likely to overheat as much as if you were riding in warmer summer weather. Fall riding can be more comfortable because of this and you will get less tired and expend less energy while you ride if you’re staying cooler.

Trails

In the autumn, trees and bushes alongside trails are not as overgrown as they can be mid summer. One annoying thing about riding some trails when everything is in full bloom is the leaves from bushes and trees can overhang trails and at times obstruct them, requiring you to slow down a lot or even come to a stop to avoid riding right through a bunch of vegetation.

This is much less of a problem in the fall because many of these leaves that would be obstructing trails will have fallen, opening up trails.

This can make fall the perfect time to try to beat your personal best times on trails because sections you may have had to slow down to avoid the overgrowth can be much more open, allowing you to ride right through without touching the brakes or having to worry about leaves hitting you.

Less crowded

While many would consider fall to be the best season for mountain biking because of the weather, scenery and trail conditions, trails are often less crowded during this time of year.

This could be because people tend to be busier this time of year with things like work, school, and other responsibilities. Part of the reason could also be that the times you can ride with enough daylight are more scarce as the sun rises later and sets earlier.

If your schedule allows you to get lots of fall mountain biking in, you will benefit from the reduced traffic out on the trails. Less crowded trail systems means fewer interruptions to your ride to pass other mountain bikers and hikers, allowing you to improve your lap times and ride a bit more aggressively.

It is also very serene to be out on the trail in a thick forest with few people around. The lack of crowds on the MTB trails in the fall in a way makes the experience of riding this time of year that much better, allowing you to fully appreciate the beautiful fall colors and, the fresh air and smell of the woods and time spent in the great outdoors.

Top tips for fall mountain biking

While fall is a beautiful time of year to get your bike out shredding some singletrack, there are some tips you should keep in mind for riding this time of year.

Leaves and traction issues

First off, the leaves! While the changing colors make for beautiful views, leaves falling off the trees and on to the trails can affect the traction your tires have over the trail.

If the trails you’re riding are covered with leaves, you need to expect them to have less traction than they otherwise would, and ride more cautiously to avoid losing your tires’ grip over the trails.

Make sure you’re scanning the trail ahead for any obstacles, and that includes leaves. Recognize that the amount of traction you have while riding through leaves can be unpredictable.

It’s also important to understand that there can be obstacles like rocks and roots lurking underneath the leaves. If only part of the trail is under leaves, its best to avoid them and take the clearer path, but obviously this isn’t always possible.

Identifying the trail

The leaves covering the trails can cause another issue – figuring out where the trail actually is. When mountain biking in the summer, usually its easy to tell where the trail goes, but when trails get covered with leaves in the fall, it can be harder to tell.

This is less of an issue if you’re very familiar with whatever trail you’re riding on, but if you’re not, just take it slow to avoid finding yourself riding off-piste without knowing where the trail went.

Dress warm(er)

Make sure you dress for the weather you’re riding in. Fall weather can be unpredictable, with some nice, warm days mixed in with some chilly ones. You’ll likely need to add a sweater or other layer on top of what you normally wear during summer riding.

Try not to go overboard and overdress either, though, because then you’ll be overheating.

It’s not a bad idea to wear layers this time of year, so you can remove layers as needed if you’re too warm while you ride. It’s helpful to have a small backpack or hydration pack that can be used as a way to carry the layers of clothing you don’t need.

Start your ride earlier

A real downside to fall mountain biking is the fact that we have less daylight available to get our rides in. This means that if you’re someone who usually would get a ride in after dinner, you’re going to need to adjust when you ride.

Keep an eye on when your sunsets are locally and tailor your ride times to allow you enough time to get a ride in before you’re caught deep in a trail system after dark.

Bike lights

Another way you can still get your rides in when the fall season rolls around and the days start to get shorter is to invest into quality bike lights. That way, even if you can’t make it to the trails in time to get a ride in during daylight hours, you can still ride.

A bike light will allow you to start your ride in daylight and turn the light on as it gets dark and keep riding. You can even start your ride out in the dark if that’s all your schedule allows (or if you prefer it!).

Just keep in mind if you are riding after dark with a bike light that your visibility is still reduced, and you should ride a bit more cautiously to make sure you don’t run into any unseen obstacles.

Frequently asked questions

Conclusion

Fall is quite simply one of the best times to go riding your mountain bike. The weather, the scenery and the reduced crowds on trails all make fall a great time to get out there, enjoy nature and do some shredding. Keep our fall MTB tips in mind to make your fall riding experience smooth and fun.