Forum menu
As per the title, any fellow STW bikers hiding out from the Covid (and winter) in Madeira?
I'm out here at the moment (I spend my winters here) and will probably remain here until the end of the Spring. I've got some local riding buddies who I meet up with weekly for some dh and enduro riding in the mountains, but keen to hook up with any fellow brits out here.
Same also applies for road riding as i keep both types of bikes out here.
Cheers
You lucky sod.
I went out to madeira for a long weekend of uplifted riding a few years back, it was ace.
There are definitely worse places to be right now.
I did an uplift day with my 6 of my friends on Saturday (15 euros a head). It was great fun.
Needless to say, it's pretty quiet out here now with few tourists. I did bump into the ladies Ghost Bike Factory XC team up in Poiso late last week. They look pretty fine in the flesh/lycra.
You jammy <insert expletive> OP!
I’m tempted to report your post out of pure envy.😉
Was there for a week last Feb. Feels like the last time life was normal (actually extraordinarily good cos it was in Madeira). Looking forward to a time when I can return.
I WISH! Was booked to go December last year, but COVID said no. Went the year before for a week, was amazing. That Madeira ice is wild though!
No, not been allowed to go this year.
Now tell us how you manage to spend your winters out there?
Get out of the forum *points her arm while shaking her head*
We don't need your kind here with your amazing life showing off!
Lol @ comments.
As to how I get to spend my winters out here... I have a house in Funchal (just below Monte). It's pretty well located, 20 minutes drive up to Poiso and 20-minute walk down into the centre of town. I am also run a business that can (usually) be operated remotely, so I can split my time between the New Forest and Madeira.
I would necessarily call it an amazing life, as I still have to work 50-60hrs a week (to pay for it all), but I will admit that having the flexibility to take a morning off to 'commute' down from Pico do Ariero to Machico via some of the EWS stages can recharge the batteries.
My choice of bike-wagon is also about right for the pace of the island. Back in the UK, I have a stereo-typical VW bus to clog up the car park in Peaselake. Over here, I have a nice 50yr old Mercedes with a full Thule bike carrier setup on the roof... definitely turns a few heads.
Going back to the riding... ref 'Madeira Ice', yes, this is pretty sketchy stuff. I was riding the Avalanche route at the weekend (through he chutes) and I still have my Minion SS on the back so it was sliding around all over the place.
I'm currently riding a 2020 Canyon Strive CF out here which does the job pretty well, but if I were buying again, I would probably go for a Torque or even a Sender. I bought the Strive as I had originally planned to fly it backwards and forwards to the UK and use it back home (the Strive is an excellent 'one bike does all' solution), but I ended building a Transition Smuggler for the UK (which is absolutely perfect for the riding I do in the Forest and Surrey Hills), so keep the Strive out here full-time and now 'commute' between islands with the road bike instead.
I just need all this Covid-stupidity to clear up now, so I get back to building up my air-miles.
For anyone planning to come out here for some riding, definitely hit it up Freeride Madeira (Brendog's mates). They make the whole thing super-simple and will get you out the very best trails quickly and with ease (with minimal pedalling uphill).
Deffo agree about freeride madeira.
As an aside how are you managing the 90 days in 180 rule now that the uk has left the EU? Do you just spend 3 months in madeira over winter and back to the uk for 6 months and never set foot in the eu again until next winter?
... I am a man of many passports.... 🙂
100% on Freeride. Top guys and an amazing service. Even better if you can get enough mates to come to fill the bus, 7 I think. FFIW, it seems like perfect enduro bike territory to me. I had my Nomad 4, which seemed ideal. However a couple of our group were of 150ish trail bikes and were totally fine.
The most common bikes out here with the locals are Spesh' Enduros and Scott Ransoms as this is what the two main bike shops are selling.
Having said that, with the average wages here being so low, it is pretty amazing what some of the guys are able to achieve on absolutely archaic machinery. Last year, I was following the local downhill racing series and some of the bikes were well over 15yrs old, yet the guys riding them were absolutely flying.
I was riding down from Poiso last week with a train of guys, one of whom was on something that is best described as an ebay special (ie. sub Halfrauds level of shiteness) and togged up with a motorcross helmet, some hockey armour and a pair of running trainers. He was pogo-ing all of the shop, but stayed on down the steepest and rockiest of descents. Stick him on a modern bike, and you wouldn't see him for dust. This genuinely is one of those rare places where the average rider is probably better than many of the pros over in mainland Europe, but they just can't 'break out' of the island.
Having ridden here and in the Alps, I would say that Madeira has it well and truly licked. It's cheap to fly here (usually), cheap to stay here, dirt cheap to eat/drink and the riding is off the scale. You could probably do a week here for the cost of dinner in Val d'Isere