A destination of choice, in the opinion of most people who have ridden there it’s possibly Europe’s best riding spot. It’s got everything you could possibly ask for as a mountain biker and, even better, you can climb off the bike and sit down to amazing food at a fraction of what you’d pay over here.

Richard Williams of Riviera Bike.
Photo © Ben Winder

We sat down with Richard Williams, publican turned events professional turned trail guide for Riviera Bike, to talk how you end up in such a place, what it’s like, and why he can’t go back to his former life now.

Bike Magic: So a bit of background – who are you, how old are you, and where are you from?

Richard Williams: I’m 32 years old at the moment, and I had a bit of a strange upbringing. I didn’t really come from anywhere, as my parents were military diplomatic service, so I grew up all over the world, really, then got dumped in boarding school. So I guess that’s where I’m from, Stamford – I spent ten years in boarding school there, then university and then I lived in London.

BM: What were you doing in London?

RW: I went to university first – I had to spend a year doing art school to do graphic design, so I spent a few years of university there, and then got into the pub trade. I ended up working in nightclubs and stuff – I loved all that life, but I ended up buying a little pub in Battersea and had that for two and a bit years before I sold it. Then basically I got a bit of money from that, so I thought rather than take my parents’ advice and invest it, I’d go and live a little, so I moved out to Meribel and pissed around for a year and learned how to snowboard really well – something I’d always loved but never had the chance to do. I did that as long as I could, then came back to the UK and went back into the pub trade and the nightclub trade as an area manager for Virgin, and I hated it. Being in the great outdoors for a whole year, I couldn’t go back to the office thing – it ruined it for me. But it was the best thing I did really, because it set me onto the path I’m on now. So from there I got into event work – started off just in the summer and became a lackey just working with marquees and things like that. I absolutely loved the outdoor life and that sort of stuff, so I just worked my way through and ended up right at the top, working for quite a large Europe-based event company, doing that for about eight years really.

BM: What made you give all that up and move to Molini?

RW: Well the Italian government were running a sort of competition because there was a disproportionately large number of females to males up in the mountain villages, so I thought, you know… that’s where I need to be going! No, that’s a lie.

London life wasn’t really panning out how I hoped it would – having had the opportunity to live in quite a few countries, I never really enjoyed living in England that much: it’s very expensive with most of your money going on rent, and what little money you do have left over at the end of the month – and I was on a really good salary running the company – you either save and don’t live, or live and don’t save.

I didn’t really have any ties. I picked up a mountain bike about five years ago as I got bored of snowboarding, and it took over my life. One thing came to another, and I decided to combine the two, and after a few fortunate events with my boss Ady (Aidrian Nash, Riviera Bike owner), I just decided this was definitely the thing to do.

BM: So Ady in one sentence? What’s a mountain bike company owner like…?

RW: Grumpy, Welsh… No, I shouldn’t say that. Ady in one sentence is very hard-working, forward-thinking, an entrepreneur, and my boss. He’s done an incredible job really – he’s really put this place on the map. Before he got here a few locals knew about it – Roberto Vernassa had done the downhill (in nearby San Romolo) and some of the tracks, but he’s really worked very hard to forge it as a destination of choice for UK riders, and it’s testament to him that it’s so popular – we’re booked up all year.

BM: So how would you describe this area?

RW: Very remote, I wouldn’t say backward, but lots of little villages ruled by farming life, high in manual labour and things like that… And a lot of Italy perceive it as backwards, so people don’t really bother coming down here. But to outsiders, it’s absolutely stunning: it’s got amazing topography, an incredible area not just for sport but to relax in. It’s very quiet – there’s not a huge amount of tourism at the moment, and while there’s more in the summer, if you compare it to Nice or Monaco down the road, it’s very underdeveloped. So just a beautiful, tranquil little place.

The riding is phenomenal. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done – it’s just got everything you could possibly want. Twisty, turny, flowy amazing trails through the trees that incorporate pretty much every terrain imaginable. You have to come here to believe it. The return rate for customers is almost 100%. Do I need to say any more?

Here’s a video to demonstrate just how good the riding is around the area:

BM: So is this the dream job? What would you sum your job up as?

RW: Essentially I’m a full-time guide. It is a pretty dream-worthy job in all respects, really. I’ve traded London with its fast-paced life, good money and city living for a completely departed existence, living in a small village with a couple of hundred people. So the change has been a bit of a culture shock, but it is all about the lifestyle. It’s a very simple life – you’re out and about all day every day and you’re not back until about 7, but you don’t really see it as work. I don’t see many people getting out of bed every morning really being able to say they’re looking forward to going to their office-based 9-5… I certainly didn’t.

BM: Could you ever go back?

RW: No, not at all. I came here with a very open mind – I gave it six months because it’s so different to what I’d been doing, I didn’t know how I’d take it. I was pretty certain it would be fine, but I did have an open mind. Within a few weeks I knew this was for me. I went back in the winter just for a few weeks to catch up with my friends in London and it really brought home every reason I moved away. I couldn’t imagine going back – I’m here for the long run.

BM: What’s a day in the life of Richard Williams, pro bike guide like?

RW: Essentially, we have people who come for weeklong holidays. That’s the main structure to what we do. So what I’m doing is guiding people, looking after them and showing them the trails we have in Molini. We’ll take them up in the van or do a bit of climbing and get to the head of the trail, and I’ll show them down and tell them how to get there. It’s a lot more involved than that though – there’s the teaching element, the coaching element, there’s the medical side of things, organising people – it’s all-encompassing basically.

BM: What is the plan for the future?

RW: This is definitely the career path I want to go down in terms of the industry and being out here. With my background in event management, we’ve already spoken about doing events down here and bolstering the pre-existing enduro circuits – that would be a good thing to do.

Also hopefully setting up something more adventure-based, working in line with Ady, being able to do more point-to-point tours, enduro holidays where we take on board all the different areas here rather than just a couple – I think people would really enjoy being able to sample all the Riviera spots because they’re so different to each other.

For myself, I’ve got a couple of ideas – I’d like to create a professional outlet for World Cup teams in this area, I’m possibly looking at the hotel in San Romolo [where many of the downhill teams spend time training], converting it into somewhere with a gym, sauna, rehabilitation room, somewhere where you can have full working with garages and working space… something like that, so that everyone can be housed in one big unit and go out and train together from there.

The important thing is not to step on people’s feet here – Ady’s been very good in taking me on board and teaching me the ropes, and Roberto too… so you don’t want to suddenly set up shop next door and try to compete – that’s the way to do things. Maybe something completely different to something that’s already being done here.

BM: Finally, three or four reasons why the UK rider should come and spend a week out here with you?

RW: For one it will develop their riding dramatically – they will come back a much more competent and accomplished rider*. Secondly, it’s nothing like a resort or a big uplift centre – you experience the local culture, the people here – you feel like you’re part of the village. I really do recommend that people try it – I don’t bother with bike parks any more. It’s better here, it’s cheaper, it’s beautiful, tranquil… and the weather. The coast is right on your doorstep… I could go on but you’re best just coming over and finding out for yourself.

www.rivierabike.co.uk 

*Ed. note: And with more of an understanding of the effects of local Grappa…

Les Arcs is the name given to a collection of resorts in the French Savoie region including Bourg-Saint-Maurice, Arc 1600 and Arc 1800, Arc 1950 and Arc 2000. There is riding to suit every taste but it’s the epic singletracks that make the place so great.

Les Arcs riding is all about the singletrack treats.
Photo © Andy Lloyd

While the look of the four Arc ski stations is unappealing to say the least, the mountains in the area are huge and the more traditional villages are incredibly pretty.

Bourg-Saint-Maurice, the main town in the valley, is vibrant with plenty to see and do and abundant accommodation. Most mountain bike visitors choose to stay with any of the bike specific holiday firms, which are increasing in numbers (although there are still only a few) and none of which choose to base themselves in the Arc stations – there are many nicer places nearby! Trail Addiction is based in Paisey-Nancroix and Bike Village is in the village of Landry, both of which are traditional and pleasant.

Alpine hillsides are rarely as fruitful in the way of singletrack as that of Les Arcs. The area covered by the lift network is vast, with open expanses up high and tall trees on the lower slopes and rides offering up to 2,000metres of descending…

It’s a huge area so we recommend always riding with a guide or taking directional advice from your chalet hosts. There is a trail map, but the hunt for the best non-official trails is what makes this area the Alps’ underground riding hot spot for those in the know. Riders and guides here are fit, skilled and knowledgeable so they will always know where to point you for the flowiest goodness.

There is no better way to describe the riding of Les Arcs than sublime. For those coming from Britain, the loamy soil and the riddle of tree roots that make up the majority of the lower trails will appeal as being similar in nature to British riding, but of course on a much grander scale…with lifts to the top for run-after-run. You can also head out into the big, spectacular wider area of mountains with ease for all-day epic rides and stunning views. It’s quite a special place.

Talking of lifts, one of the better ways to access superb terrain is to ride the trails that run off the funicular railway. The train can be picked up from the valley floor on the outskirts of Bourg, it runs all day and will quickly cover 800metres of altitude, depositing riders at the head of many long singletrack rides back down. Particularly if you don’t want to ‘mess around’ with any uphill riding this is a good way to get a lot of time on the bike.

There is riding to cater for every level and for all tastes. The official downhill tracks consist of digger-formed berms, rollers and jumps with the most challenging track being that of the Avalanche Cup downhill race, which boasts towering corners, super high speeds and massive launches. Cross-country rides can offer anything from valley-floor trails to beastly climbs into the backcountry and more-or-less any terrain imaginable. For singletrack fiends there are endless delights in the shape of soft, loamy trails under the forest canopy with technical rooty, rocky challenges a-plenty and rarely a hint of man-made structures or, indeed, other trail users. Rides are generally long with descents ranging from 15 to 50minutes and above.

Trails for the large part traverse the mighty mountain but incorporate rocky, rooty sections making them best suited to all-mountain bikes with kneepads and backpack a must.

Fly to Geneva or drive from Calais – it’s roughly a 9 hour trip but don’t forget to factor in the French road tolls when considering price.

www.TrailAddiction.com
www.BikeVillage.co.uk

Sauze d’Oulx is part of a development group of Italian mountain bike resorts known as The Alpi Bike Resort. There are 7 other resorts within the group but Sauze claims the best trails and infrastructure.

Trails from the Rocce Nere lift start way up high, but the majority of rides in Sauze take place in the trees lower down.
Photo © Matteo Cappe / Life Cycle.eu

Sauze has long been popular with British tourists in the winter months, at one point being one of the busiest resorts in the Alps. The summer, however, is a different case as the town reverts to quiet mountain village status; the majority of the lifts close and the slopes turn back to meadows. There is, of course, evidence of the bustling ski season with some high-rise accommodation but the town remains pleasant with plenty of trees and grass to keep it feeling like a mountainside community. The old town section is also very pretty.

In recent years the town has seen the potential for mountain biking and has taken the initiative not only to build a network of fantastic trails but also to host one of the most prestigious and important events on the enduro racing calendar – the Enduro des Nations. This event and several features in high-profile magazines has boosted summer tourism, although it still remains peaceful with a relaxed air to the town.

Being Italy, restaurants are abundant and the food is quality and always plentiful. A reason to visit in itself.

The trail network in Sauze mostly revolves around the terrain on offer underneath the two lifts that function during the summer months. These are both chairlifts, the Prariond-Sportinia and the Rocce Nere.

The chairlifts are fast and take you to an ultimate altitude of over 2500metres, although the majority of the trails are accessed from the lower Sportinia lift.  From the summit views stretch seriously far, it’s a great place to start a ride.

Trails are mostly of a flowing nature with the hillside being a much mellower gradient than that of some French resorts and the natural features of the mountain are used well with rises, crests and fades making the ‘rollercoaster’ sensation that much more fun. There are berms where absolutely necessary and the odd jump thrown in along the way but the trails, although purpose-built, really do retain the ride character of natural trails.

Rocks are present but not overly abundant, tree roots feature on some of the more challenging trails and open sections send you flying down ribbons of narrow trail through the long grass. There is one ride that is completely the opposite of those previously described though, which consists solely of jumps, berms and wooden stunts, just to keep things interesting.

Still relatively ‘undiscovered’, another bonus to riding in Sauze is the lack of traffic with the trail conditions certainly benefiting. Braking bumps are non-existent in Sauze, so too lift queues.

This really is one of the best Alpine riding spots for those with a penchant for flow and definitely for riders with bikes at around the 160mm suspension travel mark.

Fly to Torino and take a train to Oulx train station at the foot of the mountain – it’s a ten-minute taxi ride from there.

Scotland offers some of the most demanding and challenging mountain biking this side of the Alps. With the success of places like Coed y Brenin in Wales during the mid-1990s, the Scottish 7 Stanes project soon followed, and has been a hit with mountain bikers ever since. There are plenty of other trail centres outside of the seven that make up this 7 Stanes as well of course, plus the fact that mountain bikers have the right to ride any trail in Scotland thanks to the country’s forward-thinking approach to roaming laws, all meaning there’s absolutely tons of riding in Scotland.

Here’s five of the best cross-country trail centres that I think everyone should ride on a visit to Scotland.

Think I’ve missed some? Or would you rather ride wild trails? Have your say in the comments section below.

Maybe you aren’t a trail centre rider at all? Wilderness only? Let us know either way.
Photo © Andy Lloyd.

Regularly appearing at the top of ‘best UK trails’ lists, Kirroughtree has a good choice of trials that will suit all ability levels. With a decent skills area and a number of trail options, it’s an ideal place for skills progression. Even the 6km green route is worth riding, and warms you up for the 14km blue trail with rock drops and some good singletrack. But that’s all just preparation for the red and black grade trails, which are real corkers. The red-graded Twister has fantastic flow while the black has the now iconic rock slabs that have earned it the McMoab nickname and countless photos in magazines.

More here.

Catering for beginners right through to experts, Mabie’s trails are really nicely built, making it (in my opinion) one of the best places for a ride in the UK. There’s a skills area for honing your essential trail skills, and a good cafe for fuelling up. The red-grade Phoenix is a challenging 19km trail and once you’ve passed that, the Dark Side ‘north shore’ trail is a stern test of your balancing skills.

I first visited Newcastleton when I raced the inaugural 24 Hours of Exposure 24-hour solo event. The trails are a good mix of tough climbs and switchback descents and they’re not too man-made, with a very natural feel. Perfect for racing then, but also perfect for those riders who want a slightly mellower ride without an intimidating rock steps or other obstacles.

More here.

This trail centre is best known for The Slab, which is the star of the red-graded Hardrock trail. At 25km distance it’s a good test of your fitness, and will likely take a couple of hours to get around at a leisurely pace. You’ll spend a good deal of time sizing up The Slab and the Terrible Twins, both steep granite rock slopes and both of which make it well worth the visit for something a bit different.

More here.

This is probably one of the best known trail centres, which is located in the Tweed Valley. From the car park there’s all the facilities you need to get you going in the morning. As for trails, well there’s everything you could ever wish for; from a skills area to a full complement of green, blue, red and black trails. The blue-graded trail is one of the most fun around and the 18km red trail, which is mostly singletrack, is a real hoot. It’s got everything a mountain bike trail should have, from climbs to jumps, berms and speedy downhills to rocks and roots. And then there’s the 29km black trail with sections like Deliverance to push you to your limits.

More here.

Where do you rate to ride in Scotland?

Check out our Zona Zero travel guide to find out more about BasqueMTB and one of the tours they offer.

Place: San Remo
Country: Italy
Number of trails: 10+
Predominant riding style: Enduro and downhill
Level: Advanced

San Remo is a town on the Italian Riviera and home to some of Italy’s top enduro riders as well as some fantastic trails.

Riding high up above San Remo.
Photo © Andy Lloyd.

Less famous in terms of mountain biking than its counterpart two hours east along this well-known coastline, Finale Ligure, the town of San Remo is best known for its casino and the glamorous clientele that it attracts. In terms of cycling, most tourists only know the town for its prestigious Milan – San Remo road race.

Stretching up from the shores of the Mediterranean to a height of more than one thousand metres, the mountains, which in their lower reaches hold the bustling and often steep back-streets of San Remo, enter an all-together quieter stage once past the perilous and oh-so-very-Italian A10 motorway.

The climb up is lung busting at best but the rewards are worth the effort and within an hour you can be a million miles from the bustle and pace of the town and deep into forest, which clings to the steep sides.

The trails mostly traverse or plummet. That’s to say, this isn’t exactly a cross country riding paradise and you’ll definitely be wanting a bike of at least 140mm travel, a backpack with spares (rocks, stumps and more will be keen to grab at your bike at all times) and some knee pads.

Although the riding is tough – with rocks-a-plenty, drops and jumps – it is also plentiful and much frequented by not only the local riders but also numerous pro riders from all over Europe. These pros flock to the area for its tough, long and physically demanding climbs and descents, and to test products on trails that have the ability to beat up bikes of all kinds.

There are plenty of enduro style trails, which involve bobsled style runs through gulleys filled with rocks and slabs of rock, big exposed sections of tree roots and often sandy terrain.  Trails range from 5 to 15 minutes and several drop you right at the edge of town.

The most famous riding, which is high up in the hills, is at San Romolo – a small and pretty village. Hidden in the trees is a classic downhill track, which has hosted a who’s-who of downhill racing; Nicolas Vouilloz, Danny Hart and Fabien Barel amongst the famous names who have trained and tested here. Be warned though – this one is full-on!

Guiding in the area is more-or-less a must as there is no official trail map and most of the trails are fairly well hidden. Life Cycle Events provide a guiding service with their uplift days and are also very helpful in pointing any visitors in the right direction of the trails. Contact details are below.

Flights to Nice (France) are cheap and frequent, Easyjet fly up to four times per day from London airports. From Nice it’s less than an hour’s drive or a similar length train journey directly from the airport.

Villagio dei Fiori in San Remo is far enough away from the centre of town to be a pleasant retreat and the ‘posh’ campsite is hugely popular with travellers from all over Europe. There are camping pitches (albeit on hard ground), caravan and van pitches and small apartments to rent, all of which lie beneath a canopy of Eucalyptus trees and back directly onto the Mediterranean sea.

Life Cycle Events do not run package trips but they work closely with Villagio dei Fiori and are friendly local Italians who run an uplift and guiding service. These guys often host top riders from France and Italy so if you’re lucky you could be riding with a World Champion too! The company is headed by Manuel Ducci who lives in the centre of San Remo and is one of Italy’s top enduro racers, as well as being a very nice guy and proficient in English.

To book uplift and for help securing accommodation, contact Manuel Ducci of Life Cycle Events on info@life-cycle.eu

Place: Molini di Triora
Country: Italy
Number of trails: 10+
Predominant riding style: All-mountain/enduro
Level: Intermediate and above

Molini di Triora is a small mountain town only 20kilometres inland from the Italian coastline (the Riviera), but a million miles apart in terms of culture, one of the two main reasons for its popularity among British mountain bikers. The other being the stupendously good trails.

It’s a stunning area and the town of Molini is surrounded by forest-clad peaks.

Famed for its witches, this should give some insight to the town’s deep-rooted history and quirky appeal. People are happy and friendly and life is slow and enjoyable. Food is sublime, cheap and plentiful. Sunshine is abundant in all but the deepest winter months and in summer the many rock pools in the gently flowing river that dissects the valley are enjoyed at all times of day by locals and tourists alike.

The Santo Spirito hotel in Molini is worth a stay for its intriguing past and welcoming hosts alone. Most mountain bike visitors stay here.

‘Quaint’ villages are abundant in the area around Molini, which sits in the Argentina valley.
Photo: Steve Jones

Aside from the beauty and history of the place, the main draw and the reason that so many Brits flock to Molini is for the flowy and fun trails, many of which are hidden from the fierce summer sunshine as they lurk beneath the forest canopy.

For many centuries the area was mainly accessed on foot, and thankfully so as this fact alone has left numerous long and spectacular flowing rides through the trees that end in or near the town. However, there are some trails that have been cut-in by local riders and all the trails have an annual make-over thanks to the work of Adrian Nash and his team from the tour operator, Rivierabike.

Climbs are mostly on sealed roads or taken care of by shuttle services included in package holiday deals and for the most part drop you directly at the trail-head; the riding around town is of an up-then-down nature. Corners are perfectly cambered, rocks litter the trails (but are mostly weathered enough so as not to cause too much of a problem) and the naturally rolling nature of the hills here gives the trails a flow unlike anywhere else in Europe.

The area is best suited to intermediates and above as trails mostly encounter rock sections, small drops and switch-backs.

Easyjet fly regularly from airports across the UK direct to Nice in France. From Nice, transfer times are around one and a half hours.

Adrian Nash runs Rivierabike in Molini di Triora, organising package deals that take in the trails around town and the surrounding mountains and starting at €535.00 for a long weekend.

For more information visit www.rivierabike.co.uk

Zona Zero is the development of one town’s passion for two wheels. Bordering the Spanish Pyrenees, the town of Ainsa is a true classic and a throw-back to old times and the mountain biking surrounding it is unmissable.

The place

The town of Ainsa, with its cobbled streets, castle and pretty square atop the hill, is one of beauty and most interestingly one that retains a ‘real town’ feel. The charm of the area has barely been influenced by the tourism trade, which is certainly present but not overly imposing.

Coffee is strong and cheap, meals are hearty and reminiscent of southern Spain’s basic but pleasing cuisine. A tranquil and wide river flows through the lower part of the town and an arched bridge across it makes for a picture-postcard scene.

The riding

There is a small but devoted scene of local mountain bikers unlike any we are used to in the UK. Riders of all shapes and sizes share the hillside and the sport brings the townsfolk together in riding and maintaining the ever-growing number of trails.

The local government made the forward-thinking decision to signpost and advertise the area as a mountain bike trail centre and it is now growing in popularity amongst Spaniards and foreign tourists alike.

Trails vary from short loops around the town to epic descents from high up in the Pyrenees mountains, which sit as a backdrop to the town. All the rides are clearly detailed on a trail map and are well marked with coloured wooden posts and signs. The longer rides are reasonably arduous but never venture a huge distance from civilisation, so it’s easy to return to town or to a sealed road if necessary.

From up high, rocky traces of singletrack negotiate steep mountainsides with an epic backdrop of cliffs and in springtime snow too. These longer trails really are fantastically adventurous and take you on a journey from summit to valley encountering every terrain imaginable in-between, along with tiny traditional hamlets and rest-stops along the way.

Expect dusty rollercoasters down low and sometimes precarious singletrack up high. But above all, be ready for an adventure to remember.

How to get there

Easyjet fly to Bilbao; RyanAir fly to Zaragoza.

Where to stay

Apartamentos Casa Rivera.
www.casariveraainsa.com
info@casariveraainsa.com

Hotel Meson de L´ Ainsa
www.mesonainsa.com
meson@pirineo.com
+34 974500028

Hotel Dos Ríos
www.hoteldosrios.com
reservas@hoteldosrios.com
0034974500961

Hotel Sanchez
info@hotelsanchez.com
www.hotelsanchez.com
+34 974 50 00 14

Guiding firms in the area

Basque MTB offer packages that visit or reside at Zona Zero.

In their words:

“We offer guiding in this area, either as part of our Backcountry Pyrenees tour or we can offer guiding based just in the surrounding area. We offer uplift to get the most of the singletrack and ride the best trails in the surrounding area. The Backcountry Pyrenees tour in particular offers what I think is the best of this area and the surroundings but even based in Ainsa for the whole week there is a large area which we can ride in, both within Zona Zero and in the surrounding area. Generally we offer Enduro style weeks with around 2000-3000m climbing and 10,000-15,000m of descending over the 6 days. We can transfer from Bilbao or Zaragoza depending on the tour.”

www.basquemtb.com

The Basque Country is the autonomous region of northern Spain that reaches into the southwest corner of France. It hasn’t long been known as a mountain bike hot spot, but with a dedicated mountain bike holiday provider in the area its reputation is growing fast.

The Basque at its best. Memorable sunsets, cliff-top rides and superb trails are the norm here in the warmer seasons.

About the Basque Country

Once a united, the Basque area has long been separated between the two countries, but the community, with their dialect and determination to once again live as a separate enmity to their ‘guardians’ of France and Spain clearly define themselves as a race of their own.

Perhaps the most famous name from the Basque is that of San Sebastian – the lively student town riddled with passageways, eateries and lively bars. Perfect beaches border the Basque Country and the area is almost as known for its surfing and stunning beauty as its troublesome past.

Not all the trails are coastal, in fact there are some sizeable mountains further inland and great rides to go with them. But we all like to see the sea, don’t we?

The riding

Mountains rise directly from the sea in all but the most northern part of the Basque. All along the coastline lie walking trails, many atop high cliffs that give an extraordinary and different feel to a bike ride than found almost anywhere else in the world. These trails are not simple coastal paths though, they include technical forested sections, steep descents and in places small fishing vessels bridge gaps. Where else can one surf clean waves, sip beers by the beach and ride snakes of singletrack all in one afternoon?

Head inland and the mountains rear up to headier heights, some of over 1,500metres, which is especially enticing when you consider that the Atlantic is visible from most high-up vantage points in the Basque. There is a mix of mellow but pleasing Oakland trails and rugged mountain slopes with equally as brutal trails to access peaks and high-up abodes. These trails are far removed in location and terrain from the coastal paths but add a layer of diversity to the Basque that makes it a truly superb holiday destination for British mountain bikers.

Just pick the right season – the weather can be just as unpleasant as the UK during winter.

San Sebastián is the perfect place to finish a ride with plentiful bars and restaurants and a busy nightlife.

How to get there

Easyjet fly daily from Stansted to Bilbao.

Guiding firms in the area

Basque MTB is run by Scottish ex-pat Douglas Mcdonald. Guiding is expert, well considered and Doug is a polite and passionate cyclist.

Packages include airport transfers, accommodation, guiding and breakfast and start at €580.

All photos in this feature © Douglas Mcdonald