How to plan your first overseas mtb tour
1. FINDING THE RIGHT LEVEL FOR YOU
Everyone likes to be challenged to one degree or another, but what’s important is that you identify the right level of challenge for you. It’s your precious vacation time and we want to ensure that you have the very best experience.
We rate our mountain bike and e-mountain bike tours from novice+ to advanced, based on the length of time you’ve been riding, how often you ride, types of trails you enjoy and are comfortable riding, what features challenge you most, etc. You’ll find all this information on every tour page on our website.
The next step is to contact our team of tour specialists who will be able to answer all your questions and will ask you for specific details on your mountain biking experience. This helps us to advise you on which adventures will be the best match for you.
2. CHOOSING THE IDEAL DESTINATION
Our MTB and E-MTB tours span the globe, from North America, to Europe, to Asia, and each region offers something different.
Are you looking for mountains or coastline? Forested trails or rocky singletrack? Are you interested in a big cultural or foodie experience? Is weather a big factor in your decision?
All of these questions, combined with the skill and fitness levels of each tour, will start to direct you towards certain destinations and rule out others.
Again, a conversation with our ace tour team will very quickly steer you towards the ideal tour.
3. PLANNING YOUR TRAVEL
Now that you’ve found the right tour in the ideal destination you need to start thinking about how you’re going to get there.
You’ll find the start and end location on the tour details page, then you need to figure out your flight plan or look into train or coach travel. If you’re traveling to Europe, for example, there’s likely to be some great options for taking the train to your destination and making your journey there part of the adventure.
It’s also a great opportunity to soak up the urban culture of your arrival city. Barcelona, Thessaloniki, Kathmandu, Venice, Santiago, Edinburgh… more than just the jumping-off point for your MTB adventure, these iconic cities are the icing on the cake and worth an extra day or two of your time to explore their treasures.
One important decision to make is whether you’re going to travel with your own mountain bike or rent one in-country. We have fleets of rental mountain bikes and e-mountain bikes in most destinations, which can make the travel process simpler, particularly if you plan to extend your trip beyond your adventure with us.
4. ORGANISING YOUR KIT
We have a saying here in Scotland: “There’s no such thing as bad weather; only the wrong clothes!”
Whether you’re traveling to Scotland or Namibia, it’s really important to have the right gear for your MTB or E-MTB tour. Being under- or ill-prepared can have a big impact on your enjoyment of your overseas mountain bike tour.
Each of our adventures has an associated kit list, which has evolved from input from the local guide team and years of experience of travelling to ride mountain bikes. It’s designed for your safety and comfort on tour and is specific to the weather conditions, terrain, and facilities in your chosen tour destination.
I’d also recommend pulling together all your kit and doing a few dry runs with your fully-laden back pack, so that you can get used to it before traveling, particularly if you normally ride with just a hip pack.
5. TRAIN, TRAIN, TRAIN!
You’ve booked your tour, bought your travel tickets, and organised your kit. The last piece of the puzzle is to prepare yourself and train for your first international mountain bike tour.
It’s happened to us all: you have the best intentions of riding your bike at least once a week, plus a long ride at the weekend, but somehow, life just gets in the way and you find yourself struggling to achieve that. Don’t fall into that trap! The more hours you put in on the saddle before your mountain bike tour, the more you’ll get out of the whole experience.
No one likes to be the one hanging on for dear life at the back of the group – believe me, I’ve been that rider! To help motivate you and give you focus, one of our Scottish guides, Alex Glasgow, has put together this great training plan for you to follow in the months running up to your adventure.
READY TO GET STARTED?
We have an expert team of tour specialists at our HQ in the Scottish Highlands who will be happy to hear from you and guide you through the steps to choosing and planning your first international mountain bike or e-mountain bike tour.
We’re all mountain bikers and we’ll understand where you’re coming from, don’t worry.
