Trails & Travel

Discovering Year-Round Riding In Portugal

15.10.2016
by

It was the end of September and over in the UK the autumn chill is just starting to bite, signifying the end of a long warm summer. Often at this time of year in many countries throughout Europe the harsh realisation that warm after-work weekday rides have all but disappeared, as we have to start thinking about layers of clothing and mud-filled rides. There is a place, however, where the summer continues, we headed over to Lagos in Portugal to find out why it had become so popular for end of season and winter riding.

Miguel (left) Jim (right) these guys run a tight ship and great holidays.
Miguel (left) Jim (right) these guys run a tight ship and great holidays.
Jim has this uplift truck along with another.
Jim has this uplift truck along with another.
Portugal is a great country with some unique heritage.
Portugal is a great country with some unique heritage.

Jim Carol, originally a British DH racer from Shropshire in the UK, moved out to Portugal for the surf back in 2005. Being a self-confessed trail building nut and mad-keen mountain biker, Jim immediately saw the massive potential over there for incredible riding and set about creating his own bespoke trail riding business. To say Jim works hard on the tools and riding bikes is a real understatement, as he is not unfamiliar with working 60 days consecutively, either flat-out digging trails or riding hard, as a trail guide or skills coach.

Some of the open rock sections up the tops of the mountains were fantastic.
Some of the open rock sections up the tops of the mountains were fantastic.
The Romans built so many of the mountain's terraces seen everywhere, still in such good condition.
The Romans built so many of the mountain’s terraces seen everywhere, still in such good condition.
We take a moment to appreciate the view!
We take a moment to appreciate the view!

From the start when Jim got set up running his business “The Mountain Bike Adventure Portugal” he put his life and soul into creating what he sees as his masterpieces when it comes to trails, ranging from a 10 k smooth and flowing steady trail to some seriously gnarly rocky DH trails, where the terrain wouldn’t look out of place at some world-cup downhills. We had three days over there, staying at one of Jim’s recommended nice traveller’s hostel type places, this being equipped with all amenities, the best of which being a swimming pool! Lagos is also a holiday destination, so night times can get as interesting as you want them to be, but riding in the 28° heat the following day after a skin-full of strong drinks can end up being quite a task; as we found out!

Jim certainly doesn't hang around on a bike, knowing every millimetre of his hand-built trails.
Jim certainly doesn’t hang around on a bike, knowing every millimetre of his hand-built trails.
The view from our digs wasn't half bad, Portugal is known worldwide by photographers for it's pink evening light, beautiful!
The view from our digs wasn’t half bad, Portugal is known worldwide by photographers for it’s pink evening light, beautiful!
What bike would you take to Jim's trails, anything from a short travel 29 to a full-on DH rig really!
What bike would you take to Jim’s trails, anything from a short travel 29 to a full-on DH rig really!

Jim has all types of pricing, from half day trail rides up over the beautiful coastal paths for € 20 to full days uplifting up in the mountains for € 60 per person. Also available for those who don’t fancy bringing bikes over is a full fleet of Saracen enduro bikes to hire at a rate of € 10 to € 20 per day. We experienced their kind-of guided uplift rides, where Jim or co-worker Miguel would talk riders through each technical part of the trail, prior to sectioning them for the first run; after that we could bust out a day of full runs.

We loved the digs, full-on holiday mode was adorned!
We loved the digs, full-on holiday mode was adorned!
Jim's great and simple home-made bike trailer.
Jim’s great and simple home-made bike trailer.
Trails were so dry and dusty.
Trails were so dry and dusty.

Jim weighs up the riders in the first few hours, starting on the tamer trails, then progressing onto the rougher, more techy stuff if he feels they have the ability to handle them. To be honest, we wouldn’t recommend the more DH rocky trails to those without a fair degree of skills, we could go as far as to say it would be amazing training for elite-level racers for getting to grips with tougher rough rock sections.

The only overcrowding we saw up in the mountain village!
The only overcrowding we saw up in the mountain village!
Some of the rock sections were verging on trials, so tech!
Some of the rock sections were verging on trials, so tech!
Portugal certainly is a fantastic place to get away from the cold UK in winter!
Portugal certainly is a fantastic place to get away from the cold UK in winter!

We were picked up from the digs at 9am and ferried over to the riding spots with the twenty-minute drive up the (recently fire-damaged) mountain to a traditional Portuguese café for beautiful strong coffee prior to the morning’s riding of the DH trails. Even in late September the air was hot and dry and the dust made for some interesting following of your buddies down these amazing tracks.

Trails were so varying from place to place.
Trails were so varying from place to place.
Riding through the remote Portuguese villages was fantastic.
Riding through the remote Portuguese villages was fantastic.
Lunch was a nice fresh produce "on the fly" affair.
Lunch was a nice fresh produce “on the fly” affair.

Lunch saw us chowing down on local produce in the form of a picnic brought along for wherever we chose to stop, before cracking on with more runs of the tracks. The going is so fun, but tough on bikes and riders, and at the end of the day we had all well and truly had enough; ready for some local food and fantastic nights out in Lagos and it’s surrounding villages.

We don't think you could be disappointed by Portugal's terrain.
We don’t think you could be disappointed by Portugal’s terrain.
The coffee up in the mountain village was to die for!
The coffee up in the mountain village was to die for!
Some trails lay black and charred from the recent forest fires, but they are still open and feel surreal.
Some trails lay black and charred from the recent forest fires, but they are still open and feel surreal.

We had a fantastic time, a real break from the UK’s quickly changing “end of season” dull and wet weather. We rode and drank hard, certainly burning the candles at both ends, probably needing a holiday at the end of the holiday when we got back home! We would like to thank Jim and all his very hard working crew for such a great time and would highly recommend it for any biking travelers wishing to get away from those “end of summer” blues, especially as, being a holiday destination it would also be a great place to take partners and kids who wanted to just relax and enjoy the sun.

Shades or tinted goggles are certainly a necessity for the trip over!
Shades or tinted goggles are certainly a necessity for the trip over!
The coastal paths are also a great chilled out half-day's riding.
The coastal paths are also a great chilled out half-day’s riding.

For more information check out: The Mountain Bike Adventure Portugal

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