The Best Accessories For Off-Season E-MTB Riding

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Most everything you’ll want for regular mountain biking will work for riding your E-MTB (or regular mountain bike) this off-season. While you’re waiting for the lifts to start spinning at your local hill, getting those last days out on the trail feels ever more worth it–tacky dirt, cooler temps and beautiful fall colors really set the vibe. You’ll want to dress warm, get ready to be wet, and be prepared to deal with darkness–especially if you’re trying to squeeze in a post-work ride.

There’s plenty of marketing dollars behind selling you accessories that are E-MTB-specific, but I’ll let you in on a little secret–most of that is BS. The only things that do matter, and need to be specially designed to handle the added mass of a bigger full-power E-MTB are suspension components, drivetrains and brakes, and car-mounted bike racks. Of course, any of these items will also work just fine if you’re riding a regular mountain bike.

Here’s our list of accessories we’ve been testing this off-season, biding our time before we can finally click back into our skis.

Saris SuperClamp 2-Bike Hitch Rack

E-MTBs are heavy, and your car’s hitch-mounted bike rack needs to be able to handle that extra weight. Saris’s updated Super Clamp Hitch Rack is rated to hold two bikes up to 60lbs each in a sleek, secure and low-profile tray mount. Locking arms hold the bike to your car (with no frame or fork contact), and a low load height makes it easier to get a heavy bike on and off your car at the trailhead. The rack is compatible with both 1.25-inch and 2-inch hitches, and the tray tilts out of the way to access your car or truck’s tailgate. When the time comes to fully transition your vehicle to ski mode, the rack comes off in seconds, and is light enough for one person to comfortably remove and store.

Sweet Protection Bushwhacker 2VI MIPS Helmet & Shinobi RIG Reflect Sunglasses 

Sweet Protection’s mountain bike and ski helmets have long been POWDER tester favorites, and the new Bushwhacker 2VI MIPS helmet is no different. This low-profile but super-protective lid pairs perfectly with the Shinobi RIG glasses. Make sure to choose a lower-light lens for late season riding for better visibility in dark forests. We’ve even tested this brain bucket with all manner of helmet-mount lights and haven’t found any compatibility issues.

Apparel: Sweet Protection Hunter Pants & Merino Long Sleeve

Fall riding often means colder temperatures and muddy or wet conditions on the trail. Once the temperature bulb drops below 60 degrees, I’m typically riding in pants and a long sleeve. Sweet Protection’s Hunter II pants are an extremely comfortable, stretchy and weather-resistant option for sloppy days on the bike. They’re not fully waterproof, but that adds to the breathability for high-output climbs. Pair that with Hunter MTB merino long-sleeve jersey for the ultimate cold-weather riding kit.

Jacket: 7Mesh Guardian Air 

When things get really sloppy, I’m wearing a waterproof rain jacket for most of the ride to keep water and mud at bay. My favorite this year has been 7Mesh’s new Guardian Air Jacket. This ultra-packable Gore Tex jacket virtually disappears when I’m not wearing it–I can either clip it to my handlebars, or stash it in my pack. 

Shoes: Fox Union BOA 

I spent a good deal of time testing the Levo 4 with both flat and clipless pedals, but feel that for adventure riding, especially in sloppy conditions, flat pedals with extremely grippy shoes make the most sense. Fox’s Union BOA is hands-down the grippiest flat pedal shoe I’ve ever tested (yes, I think it beats out Five Ten’s rubber both in grip and durability), making this a no-brainer for fall riding. The best part? Never deal with laces again thanks to the shoe’s two BOA dials. The fit is quite narrow, so I’d recommend trying these on.

Hand Guards: SendHit Nock V2

Moto-style handguards might seem pretty silly at first, but clamp a pair of these onto your handlebars when things get wet and wild in the late season, and you’ll never go back. By covering your grips and brake levers, these handguards protect your fingers and knuckles from low-hanging branches (sharp, hard, and wet!), keeping your hands happy as you dive into those hard-earned steep descents. The Sendhit Nock V2 (yes that name is ridiculous!) are a lightweight and easily-adjustable pair of hard plastic handguards that install without having to remove anything from your handlebars thanks to a clever clamp attachment.

Bike Lights:Nite Rider Lumina 900

Riding your mountain bike in the dark might sound scary at first, but with the right illumination, it’s unbelievably fun. These aren’t your typical commuter bike lights–the Nite Rider Lumina light blasts 900 lumens onto the trail ahead of you. The best setup I’ve found is actually using two of these. Mount one on your head using this helmet mount strap and aim it far ahead of you (this light will illuminate where you are looking at all times), and mount a second on your handlebars, pointed slightly downhill to illuminate where your front wheel is pointing. These USB-charged lights have plenty of battery life for even the longest rides.

Gear Dryer: Hedgehog Wall Dryer

This one obviously isn’t coming with you on your ride, but you’ll thank yourself later when you return home with a bunch of wet shoes, gloves, and clothes. Setting up a drying station in your garage or mudroom will have you ready to go for tomorrow’s next best ride. The Hedgehog Ionic Wall Dryer is the one-stop solution to dry everything in one place, and is a portable gear dryer that actually works. Mount this to your wall, plug it in, and dry out everything from shoes, to gloves, to ski boots all at the same time.