It would be great to hear your experiences. I’m looking to do a European-ish holiday. I’m creeping late middle aged, semi fit. I like flow, berms, small to medium jumps, natural singletrack and a big nature sense of occasion. Not into massive booters, front wheel swallowing braking bumps, changing brake pads every other run.  I guess my kind of riding heaven is probably not a bike park and will probably need to be guided. All enlightenment gratefully received!

Speak to the White Room – they have some things right up your street.

I like the same kind of stuff – went to Finale a few years ago & found it a bit, ahem, “challenging” however that could have been down to a communication breakdown that lumped me in with a group of mentalists that were riding down stuff i’d need to abseil…

One place i’ve seen vids of that looks amazing (to me) is Livigno – Hans Rey designed some of the trails there I think & you can jump the gondola up then it’s about 50k of groomed swoopy singletrack back down, scenery looks pretty good too.

J

Bike Verbier. They are first class in every way.

+1 for White Room MTB Their Classic Singletrack Week sounds like just what you are looking for.

I did my first overseas biking trip with them this summer, 100% recommend it.

FYI your age and riding style sounds very similar to mine too.

Thanks guys and girls, all good stuff. I’m not seeing any love for Morzine so far. I guess that’s more downhill oriented?

Basque. Nothing rad about it (edit despite the pic down there VVV) – just ace, van-assisted, mostly natural or modified trails run by organised people from a brilliant base in Hondarribia. It ain’t big mountains but it is by the sea and it’s not an expensive place to go out. Some ‘late middle aged, semi fit’ compatible pedaling required.

Home

+1 http://www.bikeverbier.com

I’m not seeing any love for Morzine so far. I guess that’s more downhill oriented?

There is a lot of downhill there, but there is a lot of everything. Plenty of flowy singletrack away from the bike parks and easy to get away and into the wilds if you don’t mind a bit of climbing. We tend to do a mix there. A few days playing in the bike parks a few days getting out a bit. The lift network is huge so you can use it to help you skip a bit of climbing but still be away from the bike parks. Best thing about the place is that there is something for everyone from kids stuff to crazy jumps. Pretty easy to access without a guide, too. From your post it sounds like you want a guided trip with someone like White room, Bike Verbier, AQR, though.

This was the Hans Rey video from Livigno with Brian Lopes.

Looks really good.

Ride Slovenia for natural stuff and have a day over at petzen. Cracking trails there.

Another vote for The White Room. I like similar stuff to you and I found them a good fit. Amazing trails, wonderful scenery, really well run operation and great food and accommodation too which makes a difference!

I wouldn’t recommend Ride Slovenia. I found it far too technical for me. Some riders loved it but wasn’t for me and by your description of what you want, I’d say not for you either.

Flow?

http://riviera-bike.com/Mtb

There are most things nearby if you base yourself in Morzine, I found the Les Gets side more ‘Flowy’ in general and far less battered about by volume of riders passing through. That was early in the season though.

I’d really like to try somewhere like Livigno too.

Thank you all, some great stuff there…so much to ride, so little time!