We are looking for inspiration and a new destination. Uplifts are preferred, good weather, good food and possibly bike hire. Like Lake Garda but not Lake Garda?

My last 3 overseas trips were with White Room so that’s about as high a recommendation as I can give, really close to perfect for me. I don’t know what Garda’s like for riding to be fair so can’t compare

5/10 Les Arcs.

Poorly researched by me – we wanted Morzine, but with a change of sceanry and it’s just not.

Trails are great if you like very steep, techie and narrow – I like fast, flowy and wide.

Weather was appalling which was very unlucky as it’s usually one of the better resorts in the Alps for sunshine.

We stayed in a lovely self-catering chalet but again didn’t do our research and whilst where we stayed was beautiful it was also pretty much also closed for summer which meant an hour long round trip to Bourg for supplies or eating in the 2/3 places that were open.

I’d go again if it enough of my mates wanted to, I really liked the bike park trails there’s just not a lot of them and would probably enjoy the techie stuff more if the conditions were better but I’d stay with the White Room or something, I like a bit of nightlife and it was a ghost town where we stayed.

Chatel – got back Friday 6/10 but not through any fault of the trails. It rained heavily for one day so we sacked riding off for that one, then the next day one of the guys broke his wrist and I ended up playing taxi to Annemasse and back again. Other than that it was pretty good and I was a bit gutted to leave as I was really getting into the swing of things.

Chatel – 2 years ago. Awesome weather, dry dusty trails. 9/10. Would have been 10 but the braking bumps were brutal.

Can’t rate Bike Verbier high enough. Every aspect of their setup is first class.

9/10 Bike Verbier

Pros: Every type of trail from steep tech, to exposed high alp ribbons, to endless flowy alpine buffed laugh out loud magazine covers’ trails through avalanche strewn boulder fields. The riding is just the best there is. Hosting and guiding amongst the very best, everything is as pro as it can be from the food to the workshop in the garage. Chalet is a home from home.

Cons: There’s no night life in the village (if you want that sort of thing) no pubs or bars or restaurants (apart from a pizza place). The price is pretty steep.

Cycling Holiday Spain – CHS

A roadie trip…. I’ve been on a few really good organised/guided bike holidays but the set up at CHS probably trumps the lot. All guides are (or have to be) enthusiastic riders but Noz and his brother Juby couldn’t do enough for us – the enthusiasm but also the hospitality, the organisation and tailoring of each day…. Home cooked breakfast, lunch and 3 course dinner; protein shakes and massages after the rides; guided riding to suit all the guests abilities – either with car support and/or Noz riding out too.

Its labelled as a “training camp” but anyone who enjoys road riding would love it here – either to train hard or just to ride in hot sunny weather with fantastic climbs and descents.

Facilities were fantastic too with swimming pool, sauna, pool table, projector tv, tennis court, bbq…..

10/10

Road trip through Oz high country all shuttled at Bright, Falls Creek, Thredbo and Mt Buller. Rain was a bit of an issue and lost 2 days to crap conditions which wasn’t great. In the end too much driving. 6/10 next one will be a bit tighter with logistics

One week with http://www.bikeverbier.com last summer. Mind-blowingly good in every respect, just like every other year. 10/10

Scottish Highlands – Dunkeld, Aviemore, Torridon, Applcross, Kinlochleven.

Self-guided, camping and youth hostel.

Best bike holiday ever – six days of killer trails, amazing scenery and varied riding terrain.

10/10

White Room – Stevo’s Tour of Tarantaise
Overall, it worked really well as an introduction to the variety of stuff available in the area.
Our group were polar opposites of what P-Jay described though and we were keen to escape the bike park stuff. (The steeper, rockier, techier and narrower, the better).
Tour incorporated a lot of top-notch trails like LaVarda & Spiderpig as well as some lesser known stuff that was equally good.
A small amount of hike-a-bike too to access the more remote ridgeline descents. These were often the stand-out trails too, so well worth the minor effort.
The tour concept, staying in a different location each night, was a good one but the necessity to collect/drop bags by road on most days meant that it would have been logistically as easy to stay in one location and move people to the start point each day.
The only minor drawback of the tour concept was that to connect the best trails up occasionally meant bike-park trail sections were unavoidable.
I’d give the Tour of Tarantaise (as a specific offering) 9/10
and I’ll definitely go back with Whiteroom.
Next time, we’ll probably be talking to Stevo about a custom package for the group. Dedicated use of a Landrover and trailer for the week would probably suit us better to maximise the tech. 😀
Whiteroom as an org, I’d give the full 10/10
Excellent food, free beer & wine. Great.

Comparison with Garda is a difficult one. It’s a different geology.
I’ve done Garda about 3 or 4 times and love it. Not better, not worse, just different.

Aosta Valley Italy. Pila etc. 10/10 Great trails self organised.
Ben Jones last year Tour Mont Blanc. All fantastic natural trails, different place every night, good variety, some epic hike a bike. It’s an adventure. 10/10

Dales Bike Centre in Yorkshire, self organised with a bunch of mates. Definitely a solid 8/10, great breakfasts, trail suggestions and guidance. Accommodation is definitely posh hostel rather than hotel but that’s all good when it’s a bunch of mates and that’s all you’re there to do anyway.

The local scenery is amazing, and there’s a couple of pubs within walking distance in either direction for a decent pint and some food. I’m heading back there at the start of September and am very much looking forward to it 🙂

just got back last Sunday. road riding in the alps to follow Le Tour. Self-organised (well actually my riding buddy organised it but same ting).

We stayed in Oz en Oisans (station) and tackled the Col de la Croix de Fer, a 27km, HC climb plus a few others including the iconic Alpe d’Huez (yeah, I know, Le Tour didn’t go up there this year but it’s a great climb).

8/10 in that we missed a days’ riding (we had planned to ride the day we arrived but couldn’t book into the chalet until 5pm that evening for some strange reason).

Also, top tip; don’t book a chalet that’s at 1,300 metres altitude as you have to finish every day’s riding with a 45 minute climb…

Last guided holiday Trail Addiction Destination-X 8/10 – Areches-Beaufort. Riding and company (I was solo traveller) where excellent and village was lovely and unspoilt. Hotel was a bit simple but the price was excellent as last week of their season there so should not complain.

Last self supported trip Chamonix and Verbier 7/10. Only marked down as self guided you’ll never do as much (plus getting lost for an hour on Hugh’s Way) and obviously no van uplifts. Thoroughly recommended as a double header esp during Chamonix Bike Ban weeks when not all is accessible. Verbier opens early and closes late too. The two resorts are an hour apart by car.

Note criticism of BV above re nightlife, even the main resot village is very quiet in the summer although for a few beers you can pick a designated driver and drive up (BV now down in the valley). Switzerland is generally not the nightlife destination of choice. TBH on a guided hokiday I am generally trying to to embarrass myself by going to bed before 10 each night.

A definite Spinal Tap 11/10.

Organiser both incredibly skilful and handsome.

Did 2 days at Pila, 1 at La Thuile and then a week out of a chalet in Bourg Saint Maurice.

A terrific mix of trails, some park park stuff and some off piste tech.

Organised and lead by me as I am lucky enough to have been to the Alps every year since 1998…. yep, i’m old.

The reasons for going independent?

Cost – Overall cost per head of around £640 for the 10 days or £500 for the Bourg week.

Trails – I like a mix, both Bike Park and off piste.

Group – I have found that trips with companies tend to follow a pattern…. Great trails but normally the dropping in hierarchy is screwed by someone and the general pace/amount of stopping is not what I’d like. Long, fast runs are my preference, not slightly held back paced with lots of stopping. I know why it has to be like that, I just don’t want it on my holiday.

Accomadation – Great little apartment in Pila, very little nightlife but knew we had Bourg to come or i’d have booked in Aosta. Bourg a great town, food and drink with some good banter with friends old and new.

Seriously, putting a trip together is hard work and brings its own pressures. The holiday companies out there do a great job and ensure you get to ride great trails.

Just use some common sense and spent sometime on research…. well known Park areas will have braking bumps and jumps. Tours in Tuscany or somewhere similar will have diverse and more natural trails.

Whatever happens…. enjoy.

Jamba, totally agree about nightlife in Switzerland I was too knackered to go out anyway as well, but some folk like that and want it as part of the holiday