Bike
MTB
5 of the most incredible places to ride in the world
The spots on Planet Earth you cannot afford to miss on your mountain bike.
Putting skills to the test
© Miles Holden
Whether it's sifting through old Lonely Planet guides, browsing travel sites or simply throwing a dart/knife at a map of the globe, winter is the best time to plan the year's two-wheeled adventures. But where to go?! Here's our guide to the far-flung places we reckon look like some of the best prospects for a mountain-bike adventure.
1. New Zealand
L'entrainement se poursuit
© © Miles Holden
Alpine singletrack
© Sven Martin
Brook Macdonald showing how good it CAN be...
© Miles Holden/Red Bull Content Pool
This was relatively easy as it feels like every man and his bike are currently in NZ. It's the middle of the Kiwi summer riding season at the minute and the country features what is being widely touted as some of the best riding on earth. It's quickly becoming a popular 'training camp' for the pros of the UCI World Cup desperately seeking year-round endless summer escapades.
The country also plays host to the incredible Gorge Road dirt jumps just in case you get bored of all the downhill runs and singletrack.
Essential spots
- Gorge Road dirt jumps, Queenstown: Possibly the best dirt jumps on Earth.
- Gravity Bike Park, Rotorua: World-class DH and slopestyle riding on Mount Ngongotaha.
- Rainbow Mountain, Rotorua: Ascend Mount Maungakaramea for incredible views before descending amazing trails and dipping your toes in the geothermal pools of Kerosene Creek.
2. Canada
Evening sun
© Mattias Fredriksson
Canada had to feature, didn't it?! And whilst all the fuss usually centres around Whistler and the North Shore, we reckon that Retallack is well worth a mention too. An area made famous by its back-country skiing, it is now seeing a growing popularity as a top freeride destination.
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The old mining hills and expansive slopes make it perfect for build-it-yourself shenanigans. It mightn't be for the faint-hearted, but, trust us, it'll be worth it!
Essential spots
- Whistler, BC: The mountain biking Mecca is perhaps the most famous spot in the two-wheeled world. Get a lift pass and ride until your wheels are square!
- Coast Gravity Park, Sechelt: The Coastal Crew backed and designed freeride park offers a dizzying array of big bike freeride lines.
- The North Shore, Vancouver: The place that arguably gave birth to freeride. It's not all skinnies and woodwork (in fact, very little of it is) but the trails are virtually endless.
3. Wales
The Fly Off - a massive gap jump over rocks
© Duncan Philpott
When it comes to riding in Wales, you're spoilt for choice. Man-made spots include its vast swathe of modern trail centres and of course Bike Park Wales, one of the UK's premier mountain bike destinations. But it's the scope for endless 'back country' escapes that we love. Do the work, ask around and the trail riding gold is soon revealed.
The Welsh riding scene is incredibly active and has produced two of the world's leading young racers in Mike Jones of Chain Reaction Cycles/Nukeproof and Taylor Vernon of GT Factory Racing.
Essential spots
- Bike Park Wales, Merthyr Tydfil: The UK's first bike park redefines how much fun you can have on an enduro/trail bike and offers options for all.
- Revolution Bike Park, Llangynog: Home of Red Bull's Quarter Master and Hardline projects. Need we say more?!
4. Norway
The Geiranger fjord
© Mattias Fredriksson
Tarløysa Mountain – The big one
© Mattias Fredriksson
Finding the right line
© Sven Martin 2012
In terms of international mountain biking, Norway is perhaps most famous for the Hafjell Bike Park, but its stunning fjord-hugging mountains mean that there's so much more to explore. The Sunnmøre Alps, in particular, feature incredible trail riding but only once they've emerged from their 10 metres of snow.
Essential spots
- Hafjell Bike Park, Hafjell: The under-threat bike park is the famous home of Norwegian World Cup racing and hosted the World Championships in 2014.
- Åndalsnes, Romsdalen: Picturesque even by Norwegian standards, including a stunning waterfall.
5. Finale Ligure
Enduro World Series – Finale Ligure
© Sven Martin/Red Bull Content Pool
Fabien Barel takes the stairs
© Sven Martin/Red Bull Content Pool
Curtis Keene
© [unknown]
From the minute you leave Nice Airport and begin skirting the Mediterranean coast, you'll be in love with Finale. By the time you reach the beach, having descended one of its many world-class rocky trails, you'll want to stay forever. There are few places on earth that can claim to marry this quality of riding with this kind of backdrop. It needs to be experienced to be believed.
Essential spots
- There are an estimated 150 trails in the hills surrounding the town, so we'd recommend getting a guide to help you explore them.
- The town is taken over once a year by the Enduro World Series (EWS), so why not go and join in the celebration of everything two-wheeled?!
