Mountain biking is a new way of cycling which takes the bikers into the forests and wilderness. With a mountain bike it is possible to ride along gravel roads, squad trails, or rocky single trails.
Mountain biking in Saariselkä
The surroundings of Saariselkä offer amazing conditions for mountain biking.
- The fells around Saariselkä are even and the terrain is mostly quite smooth.
On the open fell areas and in the vast forests there are hundreds of kilometers of different trails which offer the cyclist amazing experiences.
- Hundred kilometers of different trails!
Map and routes
Mountain biking trails are marked in hiking map of Saariselkä. It is relatively easy to navigate with the basic hiking map of the area and find your own path.
Equipment matters
In mountain biking equipment really matters. The better the bike, the nicer the experience!
In general, a good mountain bike needs to be durable, light, and right sized to the rider.
- Wash the bike regularly and bike life gets longer considerably
On terrain the bike might turn very muddy why it is even more important that the bike works properly. That is why it is important to wash the bike regularly, before it gets extremely dirty. Notice that driving the bike when it is dirty shortens its working life considerably.
Proper clothing makes the day
In mountain biking, proper clothes enhance the riding experience remarkably. Padded cycling pants the most important single piece of clothing for a cyclist. If you are planning to do cycling more regularly it is recommended to buy decent cycling shoes and automatic pedals.
With the automatic pedals you can use your legs more efficiently and you don´t have to worry about losing the control to the pedals even in down-hills.
Additionally, a mountain biker needs to have a waterproof top-layer and cycling gloves.
Remember the helmet
A mountain biker should always have a helmet on. On terrain even a small riding mistake can cause a serious crash. In case of a crash in the forest it is possible to hit your head in stones or roots. Even the branches of woods hanging low can hit the cycler´s head and cause an accident.