My wife and I would like to go away riding for a week soon. I’m an experienced rider, but she’s a relative newbie. She has a 160mm enduro bike, but hasn’t had the chance to get out on it much yet, and the winter slime and cold weather isn’t exactly inspiring.

I’d love to take her somewhere a bit drier and a bit warmer, and get 5-7 solid days in on the bikes.

The catch is that her lack of experience lends itself to a lack of confidence, and as such the idea of a guided group puts her right off. She doesn’t want to be the rider that’s making everyone else wait around all day.

So where can we go, where we can get an uplift, but we don’t have to ride in a group?

South Spain/Portugal/Italy/Canary Islands? I’ve been looking for a while and have failed to really come up with anything viable… short of going to NZ!

Thanks!

I suspect you might struggle. Anywhere doing van uplifts will probably be a group thing and any chairlift uplifts will be a bit snowy and cold at the moment. Great idea for summer though. Maybe a coaching day and a day at BPW instead, to get ready for a summer trip? Its not that cold a the moment but is a bit damp.

Yeah, a week off in the UK with some FoD/BPW/other uplifts and a bit of good old-fashioned riding up seems to be the choice at the moment.

If the priority is winter sun and dry then the Canaries are an obvious choice. No uplifts afaik (maybe Tenerife?). Fuerteventura or Lanzarote for less hilly terrain.

NZ – sorry !

We do uplifts by minibus here in Tenerife, but it would be riding as part of a group. I will say though that we do work on a pretty chilled out basis, so enjoy the view, have a coffee, enjoy the ride but no rush to the end.
Saying that, it can be pretty challenging riding as it’s so rocky and very slippery in general, so there is a risk of damaging any fledgling confidence if she’s not really ready.
There are plenty who frequent here who can tell you how they found the riding here.
But any questions just drop me a line, email is in my profile.

Based right on the beach with plenty of Winter sun to enjoy. Definately drier and warmer. We have enough guides so your wife will be in a small group of the same ability. Coaching tuition will also increase her confidence and ability.
Stunning singletrack rides with bus uplift during the day & fun après-bike on the coast at night.
Just 540 Euros for a packed week!
Sierra MTB fantastic biking since 1992

How soon could you fit us in for a week Alan?

How soon could you fit us in for a week Alan?

We have spaces from January 21st onwards.

Sierra as above.

Basque MTB do winter enduro trips. Doug posts here but check them out on facebook, have a trip on this week so photos and write ups.

https://www.facebook.com/BasqueMTB/posts/12413900226131

EDIT: just re-read and not sure “not following guide” is an option for Basque …

Alan as above…
Or…
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g189167-d7198723-r239558209-Freeride_Mountain_Biking_Madeira_Island-Funchal_Madeira_Madeira_Islands.html

Been twice now but not as a package holiday, booked a ride/ bike and uplift. On the last trip the group inc
Used Germans, Swiss and Austrians, some like your wife were not “experienced ” riders. I rode with different people on the two days I biked. One of the girls in the group(German)had only ridden off road once before in a bike park!!
e-mail them and enquire. They are based in the newer hotel region of Funchal which is a bit of a hike down into town, they do collect you from your hotel.

Still to upload pics from that trip and a few others.