Choose the bicycle to tackle a trail

The trail is a resistance race, which include both tracts on asphalt and dirt roads, white roads and technical slopes. There are a great variety in Italy, but which bicycle is the best for competitions of this kind?

The main features of a track bike:

• Comfort – it must have an erect seat and less aggressive because you will have to pedal many hours. It must also be able to absorb the vibrations of the road without transmitting them to the cyclist.
• Versatility – it must have a hybrid frame that can handle both asphalt and dirt roads safely.

In this context, it comes to mind that the perfect bicycle could be a mountain bike.
We should, however, make some changes to the balance.

The ideal one is a mountain bike front with sliding tyres with a very thick tasselation. The 29” wheels are the best because they allow maximum thrust in the flat tracts.
If the trail has a particularly “rough” path, you can opt for a mountain bike full even if in the trails on the asphalt will be extremely heavy.

In both cases you will need to equip the bike with your backpacking bags to store all the things to use during the race.

Someone associate the trail with the gravel bikes. This typo of bicycle is actually very versatile and its “racing” setting allows you to maintain high pedaling rates on asphalt and white roads, but gives up on the dirt paths.

Fat bikes have also appeared on the trails, but their use is more dictated by passion than by real needs. Pedaling on the asphalt tracts with these bicycles is indeed very challenging.

There’s no perfect bike for a trail, but there are always valid rules:

1) Never leave for a trail with a new bicycle. The choice must be a bicycle which you are accustomed to and we know deeply.
2) SPD pedals are preferable. They allow total control of the vehicle and keep the foot always in the same position avoiding inflammation and pain.
3) biomechanical regulation. Whatever the bicycle you choose, it should be carefully adjusted to our measurements.