There's lots to enjoy about mountain biking, we all know that!  From new gear to getting home to a long hot bath, here, in no particular order is our list top things that we know every mountain biker loves.

• Bikepacking basics: bike repair and first-aid kit
• 13 of the best ways to attach gear to your mountain or gravel bike
• Can you spend a night in the hills and still make it into work on time?

 

1. Getting to the top of a long descent

Not because we love climbing but because most of us go up in order to come down, right? 
A good bit of singletrack makes all the effort worthwhile and you can feel good about copious amounts of cake eating before, during and after the ride (see point 9).

 

2. Being faster than your best buddy

Even the least competitive person feels a little stirring of pride when they get a chance to hassle a mates back wheel or, heaven forbid, steal a Strava segment from them! We know plenty of mates that love a bit of "I'm faster than you banter" before dropping into the trail. 

 

3. Hero dirt

Definition
When the earth has the best moisture content for perfect traction. eg. "I am just killing it today cuz of this hero dirt." (Thanks Urban Dictionary for clearing that one up)

The phenomenon usually occurs two days after rain, coupled with well-draining soil (loam) and a break in the clouds for perfect sun warmed riding conditions. It's best used with a grippy 2.6" tyre on a 30mm rim (see point 6)

 

4. New biking kit

Whether it's a brand spanking jersey, a box fresh pair of shoes or just a new chain, new gear is always good. It's just a step below - New Bike Day (see point 5).

 

5. New bike day

Ah, new bike day, do we really need to say anything about new bike day other than - yaaaaaas!?

 

6. Good tyres

We are tyre geeks here at off-road.cc, if the weather is changing you'll find us in the garage swapping out setups and fiddling with pressures. Our winter tyres of choice are a 2.5" Maxxis Shorty or a 2.6" Specialized Hillbilly up front coupled with something like a Butcher Grid or Black Dmnd or a WT High Roller at the rear. 

 

7. Dropper posts

Deploying a dropper post for the first time is life-changing for most riders, the sudden freedom to move about on the bike and get into the best position for descents is quite simply awesome. It definitely deserves a place in the top 11 things we love and luckily it's rare to buy a trail bike without one nowadays.

 

8. A good bike shop

There's not much better than perusing good local bike shop and have a natter about bikes with whoever is keen, or polite enough to lend an ear. We've whiled away an inordinate amount of time in workshops distracting the mechanics and eating biscuits. If a bike shop incorporates a cafe too there is the strong likelihood that we would never leave!

 

9.Coffee

Strava stats from their year in sport reports that us cyclist love coffee, third on this list is cake just after a post-ride beer. We don't know about you but we rarely turn down cake if it's on offer!

10. Getting filthy

Getting mucky is second nature to us mountain bikers and whilst that first cold splash of puddle can be pretty disgusting, once it's out of the way, getting muddy is all jsut part fo the game and we love it! We were also those kids that made too many mud pie's in the garden as kids.....

In contrast, if you do happen to hate the mud, click on the photo below and learn how to survive winter!

 

11. Hot baths

Following on from being filthy, we also love a hot bath. As the hot water from a shower runs over the body or when you slip into a steaming bubble bath, it's like a little slice of heaven....

N.B. we don't have an appropriate photo for this one, so here's a bike getting a wash instead

Is there anything you really love that we have missed? Let us know in the comments below!

You might also like:

• The best mountain bikes for under £600 - our top picks
• Buyer's guide to kid's mountain bikes - get the best MTB for your child
• The best mountain bikes you can buy for under £1,500 - full sus and hardtails