The Alps???

[BluePeace2]

Have an of you been Mountain Biking in the Alps? I've recently started riding with my BF and he's getting all excited about going to the Alps next year to do some riding. One of his friends suggested going to a hotel that will take you on rides but you don't have to go every day.
Has anyone done this or know anyone. Any tips for places to go and any input on the riding there.

[furryduck]

Hi Blluepeace,
We are off to the french alps end of august for a long weekend, to cycle up the alpe de heuz, cant give you any information at present as we havent done it but i can give you details of a web site for a guest house that is very good and a good price, let me know.
furry duck

[alpinerabbit]

I haven't (not a mtb'er - yet!), but a friend has:

Engadine in Switzerland. Tour the national park...

http://www.scuol.ch/de/navpage-NationalparkSCUOL-TourNationalparkSCUOL-29884.html

Or bike with this guys' school - a former mtb pro:
http://www.frischibikeschool.ch

[Bron]

Have an of you been Mountain Biking in the Alps? I've recently started riding with my BF and he's getting all excited about going to the Alps next year to do some riding. One of his friends suggested going to a hotel that will take you on rides but you don't have to go every day.
Has anyone done this or know anyone. Any tips for places to go and any input on the riding there.

Lake Garda in Italy is very popular with my mountain biking colleagues.

[divingbiker]

I am so jealous.

[lovelylibrarian]

My husband is French and we are always looking for things to do in France when we go visit his family. MTN biking in Alps sounds like a great idea. The only issue would be renting bikes... I don't think we could take our bikes from San Francisco to France unfortunately... :(

[BluePeace2]

you could take them but it's not so fun. My BF and his father used to go to Palma every year to go road biking and took their bikes but it's not super fun or easy. My BF was lucky and got a hand me down bike case :) everyone here that is a burger knows everyone else so I'm sure it came from one somebody interesting :)

[tattiefritter]

Are MTB meccas. I personally haven't been riding there (I went to Spain instead :D) but I know several friends who have and it caters for all sorts of abilities. There is everything from good cross country trails, to World Cup downhill courses and full on bike parks if you like getting airborne. If you go in the main summer season then the lifts will be running and you can use them to take the sting out of climbing as they have bike carriers fitted. The only point of note I would make is that even the easy trails seem to be steep, not necessarily technical but even fireroads can be steep so any bike you have will need good brakes! Any descents also tend to be pretty long.

The town is fully set up for bikers in the summer and bars and stuff are all open. There are bike hire/repair shops but it is probably worth trying to arrange something before you go if you go down this route, particularly if you are not average size. Everyone I know has taken their own bikes to be honest. It is a magnet for Brits in the summer, you may or may not like that!

As a start point to what the riding is like have a look here, my friends have all been out with Endless Ride, there are lots of other companies/guiding available too.

http://www.endlessride.com/php/morzine.php

[Ciao]

Depending on which part of the Alps you mean...

Do a simple google search on "italian cycling hotels" and you'll come up with a couple of organizations of hotels that cater to cyclists of all types. (like www.italybikehotels.it (http://www.italybikehotels.it/en/))They have bike maintenance services, spas, massages, special foods, tours, etc... :D

[bluebug32]

Jealous!

I'm off to Italy in a week, but for more of a family vacation, so little biking will be had.

[Grog]

My husband is French and we are always looking for things to do in France when we go visit his family. MTN biking in Alps sounds like a great idea. The only issue would be renting bikes... I don't think we could take our bikes from San Francisco to France unfortunately... :(

Renting mountain bikes in France is really easy. When I was there, trying to rent a road bike (in Grenoble, at the foot of the Alps) I found TONS of mountain bikes (called "VTT" for "vélo tout terrain") but very very few road bikes.

[DirtDiva]

What tattie said! There are heaps of guiding companies and chalets and what-not in the area. Definitely on my "places to ride sometime" list. :)

[kbs]

I live in the Alps!

The best riding I've done anywhere is at the North end of Lake Garda. Riva or Torbole are good bases, the tourist info office there has maps and route descriptions or there's lots of books available, just in German.

Otherwise, have you thought about doing a transalp? Going from the start of the Alps in South Germany to Riva on Lake Garda.

See here for more info www.transalp.info/english/index.php