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After a few false starts it looks like a weeks riding holiday in Europe might be possible.can anyone recommend a destination for a typical red grade trail centre rider nothing too extreme but still fun.we typically ride Hamsterley,glentress,whinlatter or dalby with the odd bike park wales trip riding mainly blues and the odd red trail.was looking at morzine but now thinking spain or Italy maybe.thanks for any advice.
Fun, flowy, Laggan Red sorta stuff? Pod Smrkem in Czech, or Silkeborg in Denmark. Both around 9 hours from Hoek van Holland. Both could be combined with Winterberg or the Sallandse Heuvelrug if you wanted to break up the journey a bit.
How quickly can you get the Barcelona? BasqueMTB has one place left for their Super Tremp trip starting saturday 9th.
Finale ??
This is s great question
Although i have been to Moab
Just go to Morzine and get it over with. Massive trail network, loads of lifts. Most of the marked trails are surprisingly tame and there's endless options for spicing it up a bit.
What time of year?
I’d also suggest Morzine. there’s a great deal of variety and the area on the avoriaz side is great for progression. Just beware that some of the features that turn up on what should be blues are perhaps a little purple.
I can attest that there is plenty for the red/blue trail rider in Morzine/Chatel/les gets.
Are you looking for self-guided with lifts? Shuttle buses a la Finale? Or all-in accommodation and guiding?
If the latter, White Room in Les Arcs area seem to cater well to different abilities and have tons of techy singletrack to choose from.
Having read the good reviews on here, I'm planning to book with the White Room for my first Alpine mountain bike trip next year, probably in August. 55yr old, distinctly average rider with below average fitness. They're gonna love me.
B. 🙂
Les arcs is good lots of marked stuff and off piste to go at if you want to self guide. You can also do a day trip upto val disere as it’s less than an hour up the road. Personally I wouldnt go anywhere near morzine, too busy, too many braking bumps, too many wannabe dh racers. It has a great atmosphere but there are better place for trail riding imho
If you're an average rider, and you're new to the Alps, I'd probably start with somewhere with a big bike park and a few green and blue runs to get the hang of it.
The natural alpine riding is epic, but it's quite full on, and I think you'd get the most out of it once you were a bit more confident.
Ciclo Montana?
Not been for years because of family life & less time to ride these days, but used to love my trips out there.
Tons of trail options and Mark & Jackie are fantastic hosts.
Does depend what you like riding though. Some of it is way beyond my tech level, although I am firmly in the trail-centre mince camp of riding skill. Can be proper amounts of climbing as well, although there's normally one uplift day.
I’m of a similar category have done Morzine in my 40s. Most recently, I sort of fell out of love with the riding there as it was rammed and very hard going with braking bumps. On one of my earlier trips we hired a guide for a day and went on an amazing day, albeit can’t remember where (pre Strava).
We have since done a couple of trips to Bike Republic in Solden but came back from the second trip a little disenfranchised with it as the trails are limited. I had been banging on about the place, but possibly rose tinted glasses and the return there was a bit underwhelming.
White Room was in the radar for 2025, maybe with my son, but it’s a full week out of work and I’m concerned that after day three, I’d be absolutely shattered and then you start getting into fatigue mistakes.
if going with friends, Finale Ligure is quality, went last april , going back in May for a week, its setup so well, although online you wouldn't realise it. 10-15 euro a van uplift, (2 -3 a day) two points nato base @ 850m, or Din/forte
can fly into genoa from manchester sunday & wednesday (stansted) then 45-1hr on train.
so many good reds and blues. didnt find them that techy, the blacks on the other hand..
it’s a full week out of work and I’m concerned that after day three, I’d be absolutely shattered and then you start getting into fatigue mistakes.
You really need a week away riding beforehand to get in condition 😉
We went with White Room 3(?) years ago and the setup is spot on - food, guides, accommodation cannot be faulted.
If you are genuinely a red trail rider then I'd definitely recommend having a detailed conversation with them before booking. Speak about what you are after and check that they are able to provide that on the specific week that you are wanting to go.
I say this as the week we were there, the guests were split into 2 groups. The "less gnar" group (for want of a better term) mostly ended up doing long very XC rides. To the extent that they asked to join the "more gnarr" group for a couple of days at the end.
The flip side was that the second group was pretty full on (for me, at least) definitely above red grade for a lot of the trails.
I managed (for the most part) but wouldn't go again purely due to that.
Coincidentally I'm looking for a location / outfit with majority uplift (I'm on hoiday and unfit!), red-ish level trails and, hopefully decent weather. Any suggestions?
Thanks for the responses so far and keep the suggestions coming please.im definitely going to check out the white room.i fancy finale or ainsa as the off the bike part of the trip seems a bit more chilled than morzine but not sure if the trails are above my skill level I don't mind pushing my limits a bit.is there plenty of trails at either of these locations to ride all week at my level?
TBH on a lot of these holidays you're always going to be pushed 'a bit' - that's kind of what it's all about, then you come home and you're some kind of riding god. Better fitness, better technically. But no-one wants to come home broken and the guides don't want that for you either. Another shout for white room. Their days either end of the main season are more 'out there', van uplifted rather than lift, plenty of pedaling and as much tech or as little as you might want.
Food and accommodation are spot on.
On most of these things they, and therefore you, have Wednesdays off.
Oh - should add that we went to punta ala and while it was a great holiday I thought it expensive for what it was. Having said that I have friends who've been to finale and spent less than we did.
A Classic Bikevillage Tarentaise trip ( https://www.bikevillage.co.uk/) would be a perfect introduction to Alpine singletrack.
Apart from knowing every single trail in the area (and therefore able to pick the best trail for abilities/group/weather on the day) Sam is a very good coach and always has very good guides working with him.
Superb accommodation in Landry, great food, riding from (or to) the door or van/chair uplift as appropriate.
The main reason I keep going back is Sam's genuine love for sharing and riding the best singletrack you can find!
We've been to quite a few of the places mentioned plus others over the last 30 years. Of the Alps providers, I'd also recommend Sam at Bike Village as probably the most professional guiding we've experienced. He had also changed to using a separate (and very good) accomodation and food setup but still retaining the family chalet feel. This means you aren't living 24/7 with the guides, keeping a bit more separation between the guiding and hosting which seemed to keep everyone happier and fresher (in other setups it sometimes feels like you are encroaching a bit on their family life).
Love Ciclo Montana in Spain. Czech MTB is also very good but more super trail centres / quality local woodsy trails rather than Alpine. Not sure I'd be doing a trip to Silkeborg just for the MTBing unless they've grown some mountains since we were last there.... 🙂
Well, Bike Village sounds awesome. That’s something else to think about.
The “enforced” rest day on the Wednesday sounds a good idea…
should add that we went to punta ala and while it was a great holiday I thought it expensive for what it was
Could you share more about the cost aspect please?
Our first trip was Les Arcs with a day at La Thuile, before heading over to to Aosta. Les Arc had plenty of options as to how hard you wanted to push yourself. I’m also a mainly red trail with the odd black thrown in.
La Thuile especially track that goes away from the main park was simply stunning. It’s left a big impression on me
Madeira could be worth looking into although I was there with a mate who's been going for years and did the guiding, not sure what level of trails the likes of Freeride Madeira would be including if you book with them
Am I allowed to suggest you come ride with me in Norway? Shameless self promotion here but perhaps Norway is not an obvious choice because of the cost and the weather but 1) the Krone has gone to shit so it is much cheaper for people to visit now and 2) We are in the warmest and driest location in Norway!
https://www.anyexcusetoride.com/
Another vote for Sam at Bike Village.
We're going back again next year with them for a week based out of Landry then a second week again with Sam but based in Aosta.
As mentioned above it works really well stopping with Serge and Kerry looking after all your off the bike needs then Sam and the guides taking care of you during the day.
As for ability they can cater for everyone even if it means a group split for just one rider.
My bonus laps with Sam and Graham this summer were just brilliant.
Sam really does know his way round a huge area .
We did a week with MTB Verbier last year and really rated it (so much so we went back to Verbier this summer and we're riding around Mont Blanc with them next summer).
They cater the riding to the group(s). We did an "Enduro" week which uses the lifts, a bit of climbing and a couple of van uplifts. There were a couple staying that were looking for more cross country riding which they accommodated and our group rode together most of the time with a couple of easier options at times to split off onto for an easier afternoon etc for those that wanted it.
I've done the Morzine / PDS thing and enjoy if for a couple of days but find I get bored of it. I'd probably enjoy it more if I could jump...
re Morzine being crowded - when were you there? Are the Alps resorts busy with riders all through summer or just weekends/the euro August holiday season?
People complaining about braking bumps must never leave the marked trails.
I’d be interested in some info on where to find interesting stuff to ride out of the bike parks?
The only thing I know of is La Bourgeoisie.
I am surprised nobody has mentioned Chamonix. I have found it great for all skill levels and basing yourself in Chamonix town gives you the whole valley to explore. You have Vallorcine, Argentiere, Les Praz and Les Houches all cn be got to by car or train or pedal power. Chamonix town has great bars and restaurants (although a bit expensive) and plenty of companies do airport transfers for you and bike.
we have once done the PPDS weekend which was really busy. Tended to do late June, and I think it has just got incrementally busier year on year. You can get fairly long queues on the lifts and over time, I’ve got older, other riders have got younger and it’s quite often a case of some young gnar up yer chuff wanting to get around you. We haven't done Morzine biking since well before Covid, say 2018. Things may have changed.
It’s a shame really, as I love the town and we had a fantastic family holiday there in 2019, and took the kids biking on greens. Which aren’t greens by UK standards.
Solden Bike Republic was pretty quiet. The town is lacking any sort of atmosphere in summer.
Weve been going to the Alps almost every summer for the past twenty plus years and inevitably end up in the Portes du Soleil area. I really try to find other places but the Porte do Soleil trail network is so phenomenally huge it just can't be beaten. I'm an average red grade rider who definitely prefers to keep my wheels joined to the ground and the place delivers that in spades. We soon learnt that Morzine itself is not the best place to stay. Yes it is central, has all the facilities and then some but it is just too busy for us, we far prefer to be out of town. Top choice is always Les Gets (but not in the village centre), followed by Val Des Adrossieres, Essert Romand, St Jean D'Aulps and Chatel. Although we've flown out a few times for e.g PPS or 'lads weekends' we nowadays always drive. It's not too bad to do and you get to carry all the stuff you might conceivably need- spares can be a biy pricey. Although flying is faster you will be lucky to get any runs in on the day you arrive/ leave so I don't think you really save much time at all.
Thousands of riders visit annually, for good reason- a huge trail network of great rides. Locally to the bigger centres (Morzine, Les Gets, Chatel, Avoriaz) the trails are really well used and towards the end of the season may well have braking bumps in places. I always thank the trail maintenance teams when I see them, they do a great job. Braking bumps are a feature of some of the popular trails, much like roots or drops or berms can be. Modern suspension should make short work of them but if you can't cope you could always drop down to a gentler grade. However, once out of whichever centre you are staying in the trails become SO much quieter. After twenty years riding there I've never once thought 'I'm avoiding this, the bumps are too much'.
It is ridiculously easy to cover 100km/ day of lift assisted blue/ red grade XC riding. Buy a 6 day non-consecutive area pass if you can.
Just to echo the above, and as I said earlier, Morzine is a wonderful holiday destination.
My two youngest had great fun riding there, getting taken up on the chair lift and some (not so gentle) blues and greens.
FWIW, the day we had with the guide hasn’t been topped yet, and we always did three days so there was always an urge since then just to “smash out laps.” What we should have done, really, is get a guide again and have a different, but equally big day out. But, planning etc, busy lives, limited time.
In a way, that’s why a catered, guided trip is probably my next holiday. Turn up, with bike, and follow an experienced guide who knows the area. No worries about food, routes, or anything, just enjoy. You may pay a premium, but, for me, would get a much better experience.
Another recommendation for Sam @ Bike Village from me. Been a few times and great guiding, food etc
Bike Village for me too! I went on a few other bike holidays in Italy and Spain beforehand which were a bit much for me and then did 3 years in row of bike village. Still challenging but much more tailored to your needs. Friendliest vibe ever. Beaututiful locations. Nice variety of riding.