Master the White Rim: Essential Mountain Bike Setup Tips for the 100-Mile Canyonlands Challenge
Riding the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park is an epic endeavor, especially if you’re aiming for a single-push attempt. So first things first, bravo for taking on such an ambitious, beautiful experience!
As with most epic adventures, having the right equipment can make or break your experience, both in whether or not you succeed and in your enjoyment level. While choosing the right bike is likely the most important decision you’ll make when planning for the White Rim, coming in a close second is the maintenance and setup that you put into your faithful steed.
Because the White Rim loop traverses rough desert terrain for 100 miles, it’s impossible to count the number of things that could potentially go wrong. Yet the last thing you want to be doing is constantly stressing about what might go wrong and when. And since the most likely way your White Rim trip (and dreams) could be crushed is due to an equipment malfunction or some other preventable circumstance, we’re here to help you enjoy the full beauty the White Rim has to offer by showing you how to properly set up your bike.
Whether you’ll be using your own bike or plan to rent/borrow one, a properly set up bike for the White Rim will:
Be recently serviced and ready to ride 100 miles;
Be ergonomically adjusted and tweaked (i.e. it’s comfortable for you and will continue to be for the duration of the ride); and
Have all weight/gear properly distributed across the frame of the bike and your back.
Let’s get into the details of each one.
1. Make sure your bike is ready to ride. “Did you pack the chain lube?” “No, bro, I thought you did!”
100 miles of riding through the rough Utah desert puts a lot of demand on your bike. The dust and sand will slowly grind away at your gears, and your once well-lubed chain will start to scream like a nazgul from The Lord of the Rings. But you can increase your odds of a successful ride by starting with a properly maintained bike. See our recommended bike maintenance checklist below. If you’re new to bike maintenance, we highly recommend taking your bike to a local mechanic for a tune-up to avoid any surprises.
2. Adjust the ergonomics. “Are we there yet? My back is killing me!”
On the White Rim, it’s likely you’ll be sitting in the saddle for 6+ hours at a time, especially if you’re planning for a single-push ride. If you want to be smiling when it’s time to get back on the saddle at mile 70 while all your friends are cursing at the thought of one more mile on that seat, make sure the bike you plan to ride on the White Rim is comfortable. A bike is more comfortable when it’s properly sized for you and ergonomically adjusted to your body. If you’re thinking about borrowing a friend’s bike that’s slightly too big or too small for you, we recommend renting a bike that fits you instead. The cost of renting is well worth the alternative (pain and frustration).
If you’re using your own bike, you’ve likely already tweaked everything to perfection, but if you plan to rent or borrow a bike, we cannot stress enough how important it is to test everything and adjust it to fit you. Don’t wait until the night before to find out that your seat doesn’t go high enough or that the handlebars are too far away or too wide. Finetune and set up your bike ahead of time, and take a test ride or two to ensure that it will be comfortable after 1 hour, 2 hours, even 10 hours!
Something that’s often overlooked is the pedals. Not only does the type of pedal change which muscles you’ll use the most on the ride, it can also affect ergonomics. We prefer lightweight clip pedals to bulky, heavy flats, but your preference for long rides may be different. If you do switch out pedals, be sure to re-check your seat height. We’ve been burned by pedal/shoe height not matching dropper post height—something that isn’t a big deal for most trail rides but is a recipe for cramping legs on the White Rim.
3. Put the weight on the bike, not your back. “I brought like 8 liters of water, I’ll just carry it all in my backpack.”
This final tip seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how often it’s overlooked or neglected. Get as much gear off your back and onto your bike as possible (single-push riders: this is an absolute MUST). There’s a reason saddle bags, frame bags, and handlebar bags exist (and it’s not for style)! Storing heavy items, like water, on the frame of the bike will save your back from miles and miles of unnecessary stress—and your trip from the resulting bad attitude. We prefer a combination of two or three types of bags to get as much weight off your back as possible.
Final Thoughts
Planning for a 100-mile mountain bike ride takes a lot of time and effort. Find more useful information on riding the White Rim by heading to www.offthecouchproject.com. As always, share your best tips for long rides in the comments!