Looking to escape the UK this year? Here are ten great summer biking holiday destinations
Steve takes a look at some of the best places across the globe to ride your bike
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With spring in the air and summer coming up fast, many off-road devotees out there are looking for dreamy offshore summer adventures, rides, and trail-friendly cycling destinations.
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- Video: Daryl Brown's Summer Surge
There are thousands to go at, though we decided to shine a light on a few we’ve personally ridden, and also those that fit the right weather frame, and are perhaps less known than the much-hyped classics. Here are eight varied destinations recommended by the off.road.cc team.
Cappadocia, Turkiye
The magical fairy-tale-like landscape of Cappadocia, in central Turkey, is often overlooked by mountain bikers, and even more so by gravel riders, which is pure sacrilege. No doubt you've seen a few videos of late from the likes of Kriss Kyle riding through surreal like landscapes on winding trails as hot air balloons soar above - yes, that amazing place is Cappadocia. The trails they use do indeed carve their way through surreal landscapes in the heart of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, though they don’t even scratch the surface of what lies in wait beyond this.
The riding – Rolling, and gritty singletrack in the central area, remote gravel trails beyond this. Ideal for XC and trail riding, and is also rather good for gravel riding.
When to ride – Anytime from April-November is good, though it can be hit and miss on odd days early and late year. Gets pretty hot in July-August.
How to do it – There are numerous flights from UK airports to Istanbul and then connecting to Kayseri and Nevsehir. I recommend Turkish Airlines, which also carry bikes free to these destinations (as long as it’s an international through flight).
Do get in touch with www.argeus.com, the undoubted local travel and cycling experts, who also have a great fleet of hire bikes, transport, top local guides, and who can sort out everything you need. If you’re looking for a bike-friendly cave hotel experience (a must-do) check out www.kalekonak.com.
Moab, Utah, USA
Moab, in southeast Utah, is one place that every mountain biker should visit at least once in their lifetime. The Town is one of the great and original MTB destinations, and is set in a wild west-like desert environment, surrounded by some of the country’s most spectacular National Parks.
It’s also close to the Colorado border and the famous Rocky Mountain bike towns, so it also makes for a great stop off on a bigger double-state road trip.
The riding – Lots of old school cross-country, and a fair amount of great gravel to have a go at too. From the famous Slickrock Trail to epic single and multi-day adventures, this place has the lot and on tap.
When to go – From May to early November is good to go, though it can often be very hot during July-August.
How to – Fly to Salt Lake City, from where you can rent a car or take a shuttle directly to Moab. There are loads of great bike shops in town, which also offer rentals, guiding, and shuttles – check out www.moabcyclery.com and www.rimcyclery.com for starters.
Rallarvegen and beyond, Norway
Norway is home to some of the world’s most dramatic mountain and fjord scenery, which is laden with epic gravel roads, just made for long gravel/MTB days out and bike packing. The Rallarvegen (Navvies Road) was built alongside the Oslo-Bergen railway line long ago, and is a Norwegian National Heritage monument, and one of the country’s most popular weekend cycling challenges.
The prime 79km sector from Haugastøl-Flam runs on a rolling high gravel trail through amazing scenery. A fit rider can manage it comfortably in a day, or you could turn it into a weekend family adventure (bike rental and accommodation options are available locally). From Flam onwards, there are numerous extension options available for the more adventurous off-road bike packers out there.
The riding – Rolling, well-surfaced gravel suited to gravel/hardtail MTBs. The extension options are a bit hillier and wilder by nature. An excellent resource for this, and extension options is www.cyclenorway.com,
When to go – The prime time in this region is June-September, and it’s not doable during winter.
How to – There are some direct UK-Bergen flights available, though Oslo is better connected. From either you can take your bike by train to Haugostol. Norway is very expensive on the ground, so you may want to look into camping and hostel options.
Alpujarras, Spain
Lying between the mighty peaks of the Sierra Nevada and the southern Spanish coastline are the Alpujarra Mountains. These are quite arid in places and dotted with sporadic pine forest and picture-perfect terraced white villages. Traversing this sizeable, lofty range are countless dirt roads and trails, many having been mule and trading trails in the not-too-distant past.
Naturally, this terrain and its web of trails make for superb riding of all sorts, and almost year-round, too, an overlooked natural off-road riding gem.
The riding – Endless dirt roads and singletrack, made for any kind of riding and styles – and if you know where to look, this place is perfect for trail/enduro style riding too. Check out www.ridesouthernspain.com for organised options.
When to go – The best time to ride here is from April to late September, though it can be hot lower down during July/August.
How to – The easiest airport for the region is Malaga, from where you can either arrange a transfer or rent a car if you plan to go solo. Head for the area around Lanjaron and Orgiva if you plan to go solo..
Livigno, Italy
Livigno is to be found deep in the northern Italian Alps and has a long and varied history with all things cycling, especially with mountain biking. Surrounded by mountains, you can literally ride in any direction and find great natural and hand-carved XC and enduro trails, although the gems are surely the endless flow trails of the Carosello 3000 Mountain Park and Sitas Mountain area, which are all linked neatly together by the superb local ski lift network.
The riding – Superb and well-marked trail network, with something for all levels of off-road riders, with the flow trails being especially popular. Check out www.mtblivigno.eu for more details on the infrastructure.
When to go – Mid June to mid September is the best time to ride here, and is also when the summer lifts open for business.
How to – Either travel via Bergamo or Milan airports (Munich and Zurich are also not too far), and then either arrange a transfer or rent a car. Accommodation in town is plentiful, and most can be found on the booking sites. Check out www.livigno.eu for general info.
Verbier, Switzerland
The Swiss Alps are home to some of the finest mountain biking on planet dirt. One of the early ski resorts to summer mountain biking was Verbier, which sits high on a mountain east of Geneva and just across the French border, making it not only a superbly located and accessible destination. It’s also linked to nearby Swiss resorts and is just off the Tour de Mont Blanc MTB route.
With a retro-chic feel to it, Verbier is a magical, but slightly pricy place, with a superb network of every kind imaginable trail, as well as its huge Bike Park Verbier.
The riding – High natural Alpine trails, hand-cut bike park, with a good lift network to connect them. Something for everyone here. Check out www.verbierbikepark.ch.
When to go – Late May – late September is the best time to ride here, and the lift network opens from mid to mid-September. Check out www.seeverbier.com for info on trails.
How to – The best airport for Verbier is Geneva, which is very well connected to the UK and elsewhere. From there, either arrange a shuttle, rent a car, or take the train and shuttle bus/cable car to reach town. It’s worth checking out www.MTBverbier.com too for all-inclusive options.
Basque Country, Spain
The northern Spanish slice of the Basque Country is rich in cycling culture, and has its own quite unique Basqueness and culture, and is surprisingly well blessed with off-road enduro-trail style riding too. The scenery and terrain in the coastal hills around Hondarribia are pristine stuff, a mix of Pyrenean foothills meets a rugged and green coastline, which also has great trails.
The area has some of the best food in the world too, and with dollops of culture and history to top things. This makes for a great short week break destination with guaranteed great riding on tap, as long as you know where to find it.
The riding – Enduro/trail style, technical terrain, quite steep and made for those in search of a double shot of adrenaline, though many of these trails are hand-carved and “secret.” This means to get the best of things here, you need a guide, so do check out www.basqueMTB.com
When to go – May to September is by far the best time to ride here.
How to – Either fly to Bilbao or Santander and arrange a rental car or shuttle, or take a local bus-rail combo to get to Hondarribia. Brittany Ferries also has services from Plymouth/Portsmouth to northern Spain.
Bali, Indonesia
Bali is a very popular destination for just about everything, and it’s also a pretty fine place for biking, of all kinds. Once you head inland from the main southern coastal area, things change drastically in terms of scenery and terrain. This terrain rises through paddy fields and jungles to its central volcanic peaks. There are loads of tiny roads weaving around the interior, and between them and some great natural trails, some tame and pretty, others natural enduro trails. Most of which need a little local help to find.
The combined attractions of Bali make it a great destination for mixed bike-beach-cultural and family, and couples holidays.
The riding – There are all sorts of trails to be found dotted around Bali, though the gems are the real off-road trails which can be hard to locate – hence a guide/tour is a wise option. Check mtbtrabnsbali for Bali Bike Park (enduro) riding, www.infinitymountainbikng.com for short tours, and if you fancy a longer and easier going option, you could check out www.baliboundtravel.com.
When to go – Early May-late September are the best times to ride here, though it can also be good during April and October too, even if occasionally wet.
How to – Fly to Denpasar, Bali, most connecting through other international hubs. Shuttles to and from accommodation are easy to arrange in advance, or simply take a taxi from the airport. The trails are very spread out, so most will need transport to reach.
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