Consisting of 27 member countries modern Europe must certainly be one of the world most versatile travel destinations. In the blink of an eye borders are crossed and cultures blend seamlessly from one to the other – the chances of not having the time of your life when mountain biking in Europe – zero!
Covering an area of over 10,181,000 square kilometres and home to over 731 million people ‘The Continent’ has earned its reputation as a must do MTB destination. And as the second smallest continent in the world you needn’t travel far to see so much. Once covered by 80% – 90% in forest Europe has changed considerably with that amount now being as low as 3% in the West. So expect to focus much of your riding in the regions closest to the Alps, or cross the English Channel and experience Yorkshire’s wonderful Dalby Forest which has previously hosted the UCI World Championships.
As with ski resorts around the world many of the European pistes become mountain bike trails in the summer. You can take advantage of the ski lifts and gondolas to transport you (and your bike) to the beginning of some world class and truly breathtaking downhill runs. As with any ski resort you’ll be spoiled for choice for places to eat, drink, and play once the sun has gone down and your bikes are safely locked away – that is if you still have any energy left!
Away from the mountains there is plenty of mountain biking in Europe, most national parks have trails specifically built for riding often with bike hire available. From riding dry dusty trails in Andalusia to wet and muddy routes in the Lake District or true wilderness riding inside the Arctic circle to coastal routes in Turkey mountain biking in Europe is only limited your imagination and how far your legs will take you.
