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f.a.q's |
| when is your mountain bike season ? we normally begin the season at the end of may and run until october. |
| what is included in the tour price ? hotel (minimum 3*) in a shared twin room, 4 course dinners, full alpine breakfast, airport transfers, mtb guiding or self guided support including maps, route bets and gps data, mechanical support, intra resort and trail head transfers, local taxes and resort support staff. |
| what is not included in the tour price ? lunch, drinks, bike rental, lift/mountain train tickets, insurance, spa entry |
| do we have to have a guide or can we go it alone without a guide ? you can choice to ride with or without a guide, or do a bit of both. we will supply route data and gps/maps etc and provide vehicle support. |
| can we have some days with a guide and others on our own ? yes, generally you can decide that on the day. |
| what happens if our group has mixed ability levels or some are not as fit as other riders ? many of our itineraries are designed to allow for different ability levels and it is sometimes possible to ride part of a day. we also can split the group into two sections allowing for different ability levels (often still meeting up for lunch etc.) |
| will i be riding within a bigger group or on my own ? you can choose to do either, you may ride alone, or follow a similar itinerary to others under our supervision in a larger group. |
| do you stay in a different hotel each night ? our La Dolce Vita safaris use several hotels during the tour, and our Alpine XC and 20,000m Freeride generally stay in the same hotel in Livigno, but this can be altered to suit the individual requirements. |
| will i have to carry any luggage on the ride ? No. We transport your luggage between hotels. The only stuff you need carry on the ride are your personal items in your day sack, camera, spare top, snacks, water etc. |
| can i bring my children along ? We can provide itinerary which would allow for young teenagers to ride with parents and you can try the special Young persons guide to freeride camp, where your children get looked after in a special supervised mtb camp and you are free to do other things, or join in. |
| can i bring my partner who doesn't ride, or isn't very confident on a bike ? Yes. We often have couples of split ability and our La Dolce Vita tour makes an excellent training tour to build technique and bike confidence whilst never being to limiting for the more experienced biker. Non riders can enjoy an alpine holiday with many other things to do in the area including all other mountain sports, duty free shopping, spas, museums, galleries, food and wines etc. |
| how much money will i need to bring for extras like lunch and drinks ? lunch at a mountain rifugio will be on average no more than €10 day. Wine and alcohol are very cheap (duty free) average €8 ltr wine at dinner. |
| how much are lift tickets and how often do we use them ? an average per week for Alpine XC €30, La Dolce Vita €20, 20000 Freeride €50 |
| i am planning on traveling alone, can I join a bigger group ? Yes. We also run special tours for individual bikers during the season. |
| shall I bring my own bike or rent when I get there ? As you wish. Although, it is often much less hassle to rent. We rent some of the world's best mountain bikes, built for the riding in this area. If you bring your own bike then most budget airlines charge about £25 each way for a bike (but do not gaurantee your bike arrives with your flight) and you will need a bike bag or box (ask at your local bike shop). We can help with the rebuild your bike at this end. |
| what kind of bikes do you have for rent in Livigno ? We supply top spec' full suspension bikes by Santa Cruz, Yeti, Kona, Rocky Mountain, Giant and Specialised. You can also change your bike mid-week if you fancy something a bit different. |
| how much is bike rental ? A top spec full suspension bike would be on average €40-€55 day depending on the rental duration. |
| what if I am not fit enough to keep up with the group ? We aim to get to know our clients on an individual level to minimise this sort of thing happening and we design the tour to take these aspects into account. A lot of the riding is gravity fed on the easier tours so fitness is not such an issue. We also can split the groups to take this into account if necessary. |
| can the itinerary be changed during the trip ? Yes. If you fancy days off or you want different itinerary options we will talk them over with you on the day.All of our tours are highly customised this way. |
| what will the weather be like ? You should aim to treat riding in the Alps as you would a mtb ride in the UK in summer. It also can snow at any time in the summer on the higher passes above 2500m, and it can equally be very hot. |
| what clothes and bike equipment should i bring with me ? Bike clothes as you would wear in the UK, waterproof jkt, bike shoes, your own pedals and saddle if you wish to rent and have specific shoes etc. small day sac, bike specific spare brake pads (disc), gloves and mtb helmet. water bottle or water sac, day snacks. |
| what do we do for lunch while on the rides ? we normally aim to stop for lunch in one of many great little mountain rifugio en route. sometimes we organise a barbecue along the way (if the route passes near a road head) |
| do i need tools and spares, what if i have a breakdown ? Our guides carry bike tools and the landrover support has a full tool kit, spares and a bike stand. we can often repair most things on the trail or worst case get to you on the hill. you should carry your own spare inner tube, disc pads, puncture repair kit etc. as you would in the UK. Major bike problems can be sorted at one of the many good bike shops in town or by our staff in the resort. |
| are there any good bike shops in Livigno ? Yes, lots. Dealers include Kona, Scott, Specialised, Cannondale, Yeti, Commencal, Bianchi, Ridley, Giant, Trek. All at duty free prices. |
| what is there to do if i decide i don't want to ride on some day's ? Go to luxury spa's, try other mountain sports, duty free shopping, museums and galleries (St.Moritz), cable car and mountain train excursions, eat and drink in great mountain restaurants.. |
| can i extend my holiday to stay longer ? Yes. You can keep riding all season if you wish, one week is never enough. |
| what other things can you do in the area to extend my holiday in Italy ? Some people extend there tour of northern Italy by touring the Italian Lake district, Lake Como, Lake Garda (great water sports, see our bike and sail week), biking in Garda and Liguria, Venice....its also a very romantic place just to be a tourist, with Verona and Venice just a short drive away. |
| how do i get to Livigno ? Fly to Milan Bergamo or Zurich and we collect you from the airport. You can also drive from the UK which takes about 12 hours from Calais with duty free petrol half way in Luxembourg and in Livigno. |
| ALPINE XC SPECIFIC QUESTIONS |
| on Alpine XC tours how much climbing and how far do we ride each day ? Depends on the group requirements. From a minimum 4hrs, 35k,500m climbing, to a maximum of 8hrs, 70k and 2000m climbing. We will supply a suggested itinerary as a start point for the tour and work together during the week on the right profile for your group. |
| do you stay in a different hotel each night, or is the tour based in one place ? Normally not for the alpine XC tour but it can be arranged by request (depending on group size). We use hotels in Livigno. |
can I combine the La Dolce Vita tour with some of the Alpine XC to make it a little less challenging ? Yes. Take a bit from both or ride some great XC terrain and end up in a roman spa to soak your muscles and scrub off the dirt. Alpine XC doesn't have to be all hard work and suffering, it can be cool and chilled to.
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LA DOLCE VITA SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
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| in the La Dolce Vita is there a lot of uphill cycling ? No. We use uphill assist from cable cars, swiss mountain trains and landrover's to start high and access great trails which generally follow a downhill course, sometimes dropping down over 2000m during he course of the ride. Later in the week we aim to ride over some easier passes as your fitness improves, but these we introduce when we have assessed the level of ability and fitness. |
| how much climbing and how far do we ride each day ? Depends on the group requirements. From a minimum 3hrs, 20k, 200m climbing, to a maximum of 6hrs, 40k and 800m climbing. We will supply a suggested itinerary as a start point for the tour and work together during the week on the right profile for your group. |
can I combine the La Dolce Vita tour with some of the Alpine XC to make it a little more challenging ? Yes. If you feel ready for some slightly more challenging terrain we will incorporate it into the day as and when you wish.
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20,000M FREERIDE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
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| how much climbing and how far do we ride each day ? From a minimum 6hrs, 50k, 500m climbing, to a maximum of 8hrs, 60k and 1000m climbing. This is a demanding itinerary which needs a high level of commitment and fitness in order to pass the 20,000m descent in the 7 days. |
| how difficult is the terrain ? No more so than some good bike park trails in the UK such as Coed y brennin. Lots of narrow single track, rough boulder trails, exposed and narrow trails in remote settings, technical riding both up and downhill. Loose surfaces, sometimes snow (on high passes), high altitude riding with a freedom from vertigo an advantage |
| will i have to take jumps and be skilled in freeride techniques ? No. The trails are not freeride in the North Shore sense of the word, this is big adventure riding in a natural high alpine setting. Drops off's, challenges and jumps can be found, it is up to the individual if you decide to do them. The Kona Freeride park in Livigno has several (world championship 2005)downhill course's with all the expected features - burns, jumps, table tops, north shore etc. and can also be incorporated into the week. |
Whatever your experience we customise each bike safari for you.
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