I am looking for a weeks fully guided riding in the first week of July. We have been white room several times and really enjoyed it. However first week in July might be a bit variable the weather front. As this is my wife's first mtb trip in 6 years I want to maximise good weather ridding, also something different might be nice. So a bit of research came up with the other options above.
So has anyone been with whiteroom and riviera or basque? Looking for predominately uplifts, happy with a bit of climbing, technical but not full on downhill riding, good guiding and nice accomidation/food.
Any other options I should consider?
Thanks
A wonderful dilema, 3 great choices. My thoughts (having not ridden with any of them 😳 )
White Room (have skied with them twice, great) you've been twice so definitely try someting new
Rivierra, met Jo co-owner on a Surrey Hills ride with Nirvana as she was picking up a new bike. Delightful and a good rider. Location is popular with shop owner and regulars and the riding varies including fairly straight forward to super tech. Great to be by the sea
Basque. Been following Doug on facebook, looks fabulous and is on my wish list (they do trips as early as Jan / Feb too). Early July should be fine and not too hot. Have to fly really I think.
Other options .. Bike Verbier .. your list is a strong one
We were out with RivieraBike for four days this July, fits your requirements to a tee. Hotel very good for a bike holiday and it's a very beautiful and atmospheric part of the world.
Write up: http://unduro.co.uk/riding/that-riviera-touch-finale-ligure-and-molini/
Rivierabike is very good, wen't there in october. Big selection of trails, the trails our group rode were around Molini, steep/technical. There was another group there who rode more towards (and on the coast) where the trails are a bit tamer.
Guiding was perfect (had Rene), stayed in the house at the top of the hill - clean, plenty of space, never wen't hungary - food in the hotel was very good.
Riviera is just fantastic, trails, food, guides and the town itself.
As Jamba says though, I'm sure you'll love all 3.
EDIT - I didn't really like the stuff on the coast as much, there was one daft bird in our group who was desperate to ride there, that's why we went tbh. She wanted an ice cream after her ride. I preferred riding proper mountains further inland meself, and having a beer after....
I think White Rooms have ruined me tbh. Haven't been to the others, partly because every time I go to book something, I think, but how can it be better? And then I think, but I don't just want to keep going back to white room til I die. Stalemate!
Can't recommend them too highly tbh, it's exactly my idea of a perfect riding week.
Having done Riviera Bike and Basque MTB trips in the past, I would say Basque MTB are a more polished operation, with superior accommodation in a better location, and it was a better holiday in pretty much every aspect. That's not to say Riviera Bike wasn't great - just that Basque MTB was better. Also probably a bit more suitable for a couple rather than a group of lads. Hondarribia(sp?) is a hotbed of gastronomy and has a lot more going on than Molini for the 18 hours of the day when you're not riding your bike and you're still on holiday.
If uplift is your number one criteria, you may prefer Molini. I went to Molini with a bunch of [s]lazy bast[/s] gravity hounds who think because you've paid money to a guy with a van it means you don't have to pedal anywhere, so it might depend who else is on the trip the week you go. I'm sure both companies tailor their offerings to the requirements of individual groups.
Thanks for the comments. Still undecided!
Ridden both Riviera & White Room - both great trips. Riviera is a little more technical, has consistent great food. White Room has great trail days on a variety of terrain, a good chalet but food not as good as Riviera. White Room can offer park riding for the days when you're beaten, Riviera can't.
Both were great trips.
Have you considered [url= http://rideslovenia.com ]Ride Slovenia[/url]?
Probably not as 'fancy' as your other places but the riding over there is awesome!! As is the scenery and the country is pretty dam cheap, €1 coffee, €1 I've cream, €2 beer!
Check out their website for some videos, photos etc, also on Facebook and Instagram
Andorra? Vallnord Been a few times with singletracksafari. bit of a long transfer but worth it when you get there. Park and natural riding.
Just seen you are taking the wife tax free shopping and a huge spa
If uplift is your number one criteria, you may prefer Molini. I went to Molini with a bunch of lazy bast gravity hounds
Was I on your trip? 😉
I loved Molini. Not much in the village but it was nice to to have distractions/temptations. The small bar was perfect for a couple of beers before bed. Proper steep and techy though so make sure that's your bag(s).
Great choice on those 3 though, pretty much what I'd have chosen.
Might try basque next time.
Sounding like riviera might be a bit too techy for us. Can get down most things but need a break every now and then! Might do a coin toss on the other two. Thanks
Been with Rivierabike a few times. My favourite riding spot and the trails were better than ever last year. It is pretty techy but I've met some more 'sedate' groups having fun there.
I have also heard very good things about Basque mtb from those who've been.
I've been with both Rivierabike (twice) and then Basque Mtb. The first time I went to Riviera, we did a huge variety of trails from easy stuff to more technical stuff. It was just amazing good fun. Second time at Riviera we did more technical stuff probably because that was the bias of the group. Still fantastic though. And you can ride down to San Remo for tourist stuff on your day off.
When I went to Basque, I hadn't ridden the mtb much that year before the trip and struggled with how technical it was. It seemed most of it was steep or both steep and loose and I couldn't get into the flow of it. It also seemed we spent more time in the van getting uplifted for relatively shorter trails than we did at Riviera.
There was a festival on in the town when we were at Basque which was good fun. As pointed out, accommodation was marginally better at Basque.
So I'd say Riviera was better for anyone of a lesser ability, more flowing trails and variety - but still loads of technical stuff for those who like tech stuff. Basque still good, and possibly better night life but I found even the easier trails didn't have as much flow and we didn't get as much riding time.
Been with Rivierabike twice and cant recommend it enough, awesome riding and awesome food 🙂 ...would love to go back but can never seem to get something organised :/
Went to Hondaribia with BasqueMTB last July and it was ace. Great accommodation, riding and guiding.
Been with Rivierabike twice and cant recommend it enough, awesome riding and awesome food ...would love to go back but can never seem to get something organised :/
Give it a year or 2, I'll come with ye Brian!
How much descending/altitude do you do with Riviera? This is rambly but one thing that put me of basque a little was that they say "up to 3000m descending" and that's less than 75% of my average day's descending at white room, and half what I did at Pila. Obviously it's not all about vertical metres, otherwisewe'd just rde down escalators, it's just an indicator... DO you finish each day dusty and knackered, or do you always want one more go?
They seem well located and priced too...
I went on one of the hottest weeks of the year and they uplifted everything.
We were all ballbagged at the end of every day. I think I managed 4 beers one night and my brain was screaming at me to go to bed during the last one. Even the frankly tremendous espresso couldn't save us!
Ady's wife is possibly one of the nicest people on the planet too!
Ady's wife is possibly one of the nicest people on the planet too!
Yes, it was Jo I met on the Nirvana shop ride.
How much descending/altitude do you do with Riviera? This is rambly but one thing that put me of basque a little was that they say "up to 3000m descending" and that's less than 75% of my average day's descending at white room, and half what I did at Pila. Obviously it's not all about vertical metres, otherwisewe'd just rde down escalators, it's just an indicator... DO you finish each day dusty and knackered, or do you always want one more go?They seem well located and priced too...
12000ft a day of descending only. The tracks are quite long with steep sections throughout, most tracks were 2-3 miles, the longer ones out at 7.
Uplift left the garage at 9.30 and we were typically arriving back between 5-6pm, shattered wanting beer and food!
That is pretty much to the word what I want to hear 😆 Cheers!
Shattered. The obvious problem with this Northwind is matching up a group of varying ability and fitness. When I did the TA holiday I was generally able to skip a last run so I didn't hold everyone up. On the rest day we all did just that, we where so tired we didn't ride. I had a good conversation with Bike Verbier last year and I agreed I would not book a week they had free (not all lifts open) as the other riders wanted to do lots of climbing everyday and I would not have kept up).