Information overdose thus any first hand experience is much appreciated. Never done MTB and looking for a nice summer resort that has a few MTB courses for a couple of beginners.
Only interested in an easy option where you get up with a ski lift and down by gravity.
Nice village/resort is a plus. Any advice is much appreciated.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I’ve MTB’d in Austria a bit. Schladming is good, but I found it quite heavy going on my bike - I could’ve done with a bit more travel - i.e. a proper downhill bike or long travel enduro.
Wagrain has a few decent runs, but is closed this summer while they build a new lift.
The best of all of these is Saalbach. Great variation of runs from beginner to advanced. Some runs are very man made, some are more natural. You can also ride Leogang which is nearby/connected and the home of the World Cup. Saalbach also has a great system called the Joker Card. You get one if you stay in certain accommodation. It gives you access to the lifts at no extra cost and other things in the village like the pool, tennis courts, crazy golf…
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@hammerite, cheers, these were not so far on the radar, will definitely study those as well.
Reiteralm next to Schladming has some easier trails.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Verbier is typical in having added a lot of new VTT trails over the last couple of years, plus initiatives around eBikes. This is on top of things like the existing Tour du Mont Fort (TdMF) and a range of easy 'countour-following' routes, plus the established VTT Bike Park. They've also set up the VIP Pass which gives pedestrians free use of the lifts and 50% off the VTT lift pass, once they've paid their CHF 2.50/day tourist tax.
I'm not of the standard where I'd tackle a VTT Bike Park or some of the more challenging VTT trails, and like you, I'm not going to cycle uphill unless I really need to and will use the lift system primarily. But I've found that there are enough flatish trails and wide downhill tracks to keep me interested, certainly for a week's excursion. I've always wanted to do the TdMF, because there's the option to do the harder bits (including some downhill sections that would be better on a full-suspension bike not my hardtail) via lifts. Just never got 'round to it so far.
And here is a very keen fat-tyre VTT rider at the very end of the summer season above Verbier back in August 2020 (this is atypical - it is not usually snowy, but you do have to be prepared for mountain weather, of course):
After all it is free
After all it is free
Been to Portes du Soleil a couple times MTBing, and annoyingly was sposed be be going there again next week (just after the World Cup has finished there), but it got cancelled.
That's the only popular ski resort that I've been MTBing at. Although I tend to do what they call XC on the map... use the lifts to get up, and then explore all the bits typically beyond where the ski pistes are. Even done that on a hardtail rather than FS. There's still quite some pedalling up in places, and some super long traverses but still takes in many of the bike park bits. Certainly lots of beginner friendly bits there, even if the berms are enormous and the braking bumps/washboard rattles yer fillings out.
Quite fancy going back to Slovenia. That was all pedal up hill though, apart from one uplift we did in Maribor. Would like to see how the trails around Mezica have come along (they were still being created last time), plus there's Petzen a few km away across the border in Austria.
Someone posted up a vid of one of the Austrian trails the other day on the MTB thread, which looks quite doable for those who aren't after triple black diamond gnarcore runs.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
I’ve had a couple of good trips to Verbier mountain biking but it’s not really the ideal place for a beginner. I say that as someone who first went mountain biking in Verbier with only about 8 days or so mountain biking experience. There’s stuff you can do, and if you join a course they will be able to show you, but really, there are better places to go as a beginner and Verbier is better enjoyed as a non-beginner. E.g. the blue trails in Verbier are harder than the blue trails in Engelberg and harder even than the red trails in Flumserberg. Not that I’m particularly recommending those to you either, as I think both are a bit small for what I assume is a week long trip. In Switzerland St Moritz is great and I’ve heard really good things about Lenzerheide but not yet been. In terms of offering organized beginner groups with instruction in English then I suspect the recommendations for Saalbach or PDS are probably better than anywhere I can think of in CH.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I suspect most ski resorts have a fairly extensive moutian biking presence during the summer. It gives them a greater use of the lifts and of course people go there specifically to Mountain bike.
Last summer we rented electric VTTs in Les arcs and had a great time. Not only did we use the lifts to go up but the electic power was excellent in going up the small uphill bits. They were great fun.
In Les Arcs you need to buy a lift pass to take your bikes up. I think they are 21€ a day but we were using our winter season passes.
To put you in the mood I found this youtube headcam video from someone mountain biking in Les 2 Alpes. http://youtube.com/v/pltY5vS-aOY I think he had done it before
So far the two best bikeparks I’ve been to are Bikerepublic Sölden and Saalbach. I’d say Saalbach is the better for complete beginners, as the start if even the easy trails in Sölden can feel a bit intimidating and ‘alpine’. Saalbach is also a much nicer village, I think has more trails, and has a few real training/learning areas at the bottom of the Kohlmais area. It probably is busier though!
Bikepark Innsbruck has a really nice/easy blue flow trail, but that’s basically it for beginners - the above are definitely better.
I’m hopefully going to try Serfaus this weekend, but I think it’s smaller than either.
The Hahnenkamm trail at Kitzbühel is also nice for beginners and really long, but I think they only have that + one other trail (lots of gravel roads though). Apparently Schladming is also good.
From what I hear the PdS/Morzine is the biggest and best bikepark in the Alps, but no idea how beginner friendly it is, and I guess pretty busy too.
I really enjoyed the trails around Lake Garda too, plus Italian ‘dolce la vita’ (mainly aperol & pizza ) and swimming in the lake makes for good allround holiday vibes. But you’ll either have to pedal everything or find a shuttle service.
Sud Tirol and the Dolomites are high on my list too!
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Super, thanks to all! Saalbach or PDS sounds like a good place to start
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
It’s none of the countries listed in the thread title, but Vallnord bike park in Andorra is highly rated. I’ve never ridden there, but I move to Andorra in about 6 weeks time, so I might be able to give it a go soon
I’ve heard really good things about Finale Ligure in Italy, but I also understand it’s for fairly experienced riders.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:
I'm not going to cycle uphill unless I really need to
Maybe Holland could be the place to go...
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Dolomites. Selva, Val gardena, Lots of uplift, Lots of flow trails, lots of great XC, and ohhh the views and food
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
) and swimming in the lake makes for good allround holiday vibes. But you’ll either have to pedal everything or find a shuttle service.
