Mountain bike paradises

The best time for you to visit a mountain bike paradise depends entirely on your own priorities. If you go during warmer periods, your days will be a little more pleasant — something you’ll be especially thankful for in the mornings and evenings. If you go during colder periods, you’ll have to take more equipment with you stay to warm around the clock. Unfortunately, however, it tends to get busier the warmer it gets and you’ll always find more people in summer than in spring or autumn. That being said, it’s often not advisable to head out into higher altitudes in the winter at all — unless you’re into the extreme. No matter when you go, just make sure you take more water with you when it's warm and more food when it's cool as the cold weather also consumes more calories.

The Way Up

The way up takes some serious strength and endurance, but that’s what you’re here for, right? Challenging yourself and overcoming that internal monologue telling you to turn around is the reason we head to the mountains. And as soon as you arrive at the top, the strains, the sweat, the swearing; it’s all behind you—now it’s all about the long way down. Therefore, we recommend intelligently rationing your strength on the way up, as getting down safely is tougher on wobbly legs. Start comfortably and in a low gear and climb your way ever upwards at a consistent speed. Allow yourself to stop when the going gets too tough, but try not to do so too regularly as that can drain your motivation by making the way up seem never-ending. And remember to drink plenty and enjoy the views—you should be as conscious of your environment as you are on the way back down; only this time it’s at your own tempo.

The Way Down

First things first: Approach it slowly. Try to start on gravelled tracks before heading on to the more challenging trails, culminating with those steeper, stonier singletracks when your confidence is as high as your heart rate. In terms of technique, take it step by step. It takes a fair amount of ability to weave your way around a switchback or to hop over rocks—and even correct braking technique requires practice. Therefore, start with easier trails and ease your way into it, as the most important thing is that you enjoy the ride.