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Looking for any guidance / top tips from anyone having been riding in Madeira. Off there for a family hol in August and will be taking the opportunity to get away for a day (or maybe two).
Have done a bit of digging and there seem to be a few companies that offer straight bike hire or combined with guiding - was thinking guided as will get more bang for my limited available time. Potential for uplift in those temps not entirely unappealing either.
Preferred riding is good, fast flowing singletrack with a bit of technical riding to keep it interesting.
All input welcome and appreciated...
Bumped into Brendog the other day and he and the lads highly recommend Freeride Madeira. Im there in August too and have booked the 14th and 17th with a group ride as Im there on my own. Guided definitely needed as everything is off the beaten track, not sign posted and I believe also quite alot is on private land. Not a big commercial thing yet still very niche over there, but supposedly amazing.
If only this website was affiliated with a magazine, and that magazine contained articles about riding both in the UK and other locations, perhaps then that magazine would have contained an article about riding in Madeira recently.
Shame it isn't though.
Freeride Madeira is the way to go. Really good guys, good trails and well happy to adjust to what you need. Did a 50 mile peak to sea route with them a few years ago ... I was the only one on the trip and it was properly amazing. Definitely ticks all the boxes of preferred riding that you mention wiz74. Uplift to the 2nd highest peak on the island, ride to the sea on cracking flowy trails.
As above freeridemadeira is good.
I joined them for 2 rides whilst I was there, bookings were slow and need 3 riders to make it worthwhile for them. We ended up with a full minibus on each day with people like myself on a day trip. What type of trail you end up doing will be defined by your co-riders, some of mine were first timers! 2 couples were also on honeymoon 😀
I hired a bike, Spesh Enduro, worked out at 95euro(£75) 2nd day was measured @ 36km with 2 uplifts during the ride.
My hotel was a 20min walk from their shop but they come and collect you, and on time. T shirts and Ls tops can be bought from the shop. The Ls top worked out at £25, doubt you can buy one here for that!
They prefer contact by email rather than FB message.
Good way to see the island if you don't hire a car.
All - thanks for the input - appreciated. Had already done some research (which included reading the affiliated magazine Toby1) which had pointed in the direction of Freeride Madeira as one of the options - just wanted any additional info from STW before committing - which I have now 🙂 Cheers!!!
You won't regret going with Freeride Madeira. A group of 8 of us spent a week with them earlier in the year - Fantastic riding in an amazing place. You wont' believe the variation in terrain in such a small place and as technical as you want it to be. Great bars at the end of the day and lunch stops too if the mood takes you 🙂
Happy to put in another Freeride Madeira recommendation. I did 3 days with them last October and am back again later this year.
Wife gets to do her own thing and I do a few days of riding.
Wee sample of what we rode. Group consisted of some first timers so route reflected that.
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End of day 1, beer by the beach.
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