What could be better than a mountain bike holiday?
Endless trails, lift access on tap and a chance to get away from the sludge of Britain. In theory it’s the perfect getaway. In practice it can be more of a logistical nightmare than solving a Rubik’s cube while riding a bull.
The friends you ride with week in, week out are suddenly replaced with a rabble of headless chickens with all the reliability of a Skoda.
Of course, we’re not saying you shouldn’t do it, some of the best times in Dirt’s history have been had on our annual road trips, but just be prepared for tantrums, last minute panics and an awful lot of faffing.
As with all things in life there are ways to avoid the worst of the hassle, and what better way to express them than in an internet list (because God knows there aren’t enough of them)?
Cheers to our friends at Whitelines for the inspiration
Commit to a date early
The date will be the hardest thing to pin down. Holiday leave gets booked up fast and summer is, of course, the busiest time of everyone’s year. Get this nailed down and then worry about where you’re going after.
Most bike parks are generally open from mid-June to late-August (although the seasons have been getting longer in recent years). The trails will be quieter and in better condition at the start of the season, but the weather could be more changeable.
The Doodle planner can be useful for this – if everyone marks off the days they definitely can’t do, then the likely options will soon present themselves.
Although the organiser will be making the big payments, it’s up to all of you to ensure you pull your weight. Don’t drop the ball or you could end up with bad karma for the rest of the trip.
