How to organise a group MTB tour
CHOOSING YOUR GROUP
First thing’s first; you’re going to be spending a week or more together, so in order to ensure that everyone has a fabulous time, choose friends/ family who get on well together – or at least don’t rub each other up the wrong way!
It also really helps if you’re used to riding together and comfortable with each other’s trail habits and riding styles.
In an effort to make the trip happen, you probably want to target friends and family who are more likely to commit to the adventure. Compulsive procrastinators need not apply.
Ultimately, you want to pull together a group of people who are up for having an amazing time and will go out of their way to make sure that the trip is unforgettable – for all the right reasons!
CHOOSING YOUR DESTINATION
So many places, so little time! Choosing the right destination for your group tour can take a little time. Think about your main motivations for the trip; are you looking for a rich cultural experience, like in the Himalayas of Nepal or Bhutan, for example? Or are the trails the most important feature for you and your friends, and you’d lean more towards the Dolomites in Italy?
Is enjoying the best local food and drink a priority for you?
Make sure all prospective group members are on the same page when it comes to choosing your perfect destination, otherwise you might have some disappointed faces and that’s not the aim of the game.
Also, do some research into the places you’re considering. We have lots of information on our website about our tours and destinations, but do a bit more research online, ask your friends, and just make sure that you have a good understanding of what to expect of the trip itself and the culture of the country in which you’ll be travelling.
Timing is important too. We’ve scheduled our tours to coincide with the best times to ride in each destination, so don’t set your sights on the southern hemisphere between April and October, for example; it’ll be chilly in Chile then! On the flip side, you can ride in Namibia almost all year-round.
If your group’s calendar is fairly fixed, look for tours scheduled during those months, and work from there.
PLANNING YOUR TRAVEL
The travel process can be as much a part of the adventure as the tour itself, so if you can travel together it just makes the experience all the more fun.
You should aim to book your travel tickets, whether flights, trains or buses, as early as possible. Flight prices are not known for coming down the longer you leave it.
If you plan on travelling with your own bike, you’ll need to book it on the plane when you book your tickets (if that option is available) so that you don’t end up paying a penalty when you check in. On most of our adventures you’ll have the option to rent a high quality full suspension bike, set up perfectly for the local trails, so you don’t have to worry about preparing and travelling with your bike.
We generally advise arriving in-country a day or two before the tour start date, so that any travel or baggage delays don’t spoil your adventure. It will also allow you to adjust to local time if you’ve travelled a long way, across several time zones, so that you’re ready to hit the trails fresh on day 1.
ASK THE EXPERTS!
We’re a small, but very knowledgeable and friendly team here at H+I Adventures HQ, and we’re always happy to help. So, if you need help with any of the above aspects of your group mountain bike tour, get in touch and we’ll work with you to choose the perfect adventure for you and your friends.
Pick up the phone! Speaking to someone in person is often a much more effective way to answer all of your questions than a string of emails. We are nice people (honest!) and will be happy to chat to you about our adventures and how we work, and we even have a toll-free number from the US and Canada.
Starting with your group’s mountain biking experience, we’ll talk you through the types of tours and destinations that would work best for you. You don’t need to try to figure out all the details yourself, we’ll communicate with the whole group and field any questions that anyone has about your adventure. We’ll be with you every step of the way, from first communication, right the way to the time of your trip, and beyond, providing useful info and reminders when you need them.
In addition, we have all kinds of handy hints and tips to help make your mountain bike adventure with us as smooth and enjoyable as possible, including tips on what to pack for your adventure, and how to train for your adventure to make sure it’s a huge success!
