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Mountain Bike Trips

What is a bike trip What to Expect Controlling the Challenge The Menu Picking a Trip Group Sizes Guide Support Camping Lodging Making a Reservation	What is a Bike Trip  The most rewarding part of our work at Western Spirit Cycling comes from the guests themselves. They arrive the morning of their trip excited about getting away from the phone, the e-mail, the fax, and the freeway. We all lead such incredibly busy lives, often entirely insulated from the land, the weather, and the natural cycles of the environment.  On our mountain trips you will have the chance to leave it all behind for some well deserved relaxation.  What to Expect  A week of mountain biking in the backcountry gives everyone new perspective. Imagine rolling along through the vast desert landscape or gliding through an incredible grove of golden aspens, to arrive at camp where you are greeted by a magnificent vista and a Dutch oven dinner. A guided bike trip means you will have the opportunity to think about nothing, while contemplating everything.  Controlling the Challenge  Whatever type of cyclist you are, everyone is usually a bit apprehensive on the first day of riding. Will the group be too fast? Or will it be too slow? Will the terrain be too technical? Or will it be too easy? Some of our trips are perfect for those new to cycling, while others will be challenging for even the most experienced riders. We will help you choose, and once you begin the trip, you will find your own pace with just the right amount of challenge.  The Menu  On our camping tours, our support vehicle carries a full kitchen, complete with Dutch ovens and giant coolers. The Western Spirit menu is healthy and abundant. All our ingredients are fresh and plentiful. After a great day of riding, you deserve some serious meals. Breakfasts include blueberry pancakes and sausage, eggs and potatoes, French toast and bacon, steel cut oatmeal, and our now famous Western Spirit Breakwiches. Fruit salad and cereal are also available. Lunches often include sandwiches with cold cuts, cheeses and fresh sliced veggies plus a lunch salad of Asian slaw or Jane’s famous sun dried tomato couscous. We also serve turkey grape wraps, cashew chicken pitas, taco salad burritos and a greek lunch spread with tabouli, hummus and feta balsamic salad. Our dinners include grilled salmon with pesto pasta, spinach lasagna and Caesar salad, steak fajitas with all the fixin’s and Chicken Diablo, a delicious curry with lots of vegetables. Some new favorites are fish tacos (inspired by our guide's trip to Mexico), grilled tender porkchops and wild rice, and a Polenta Casserole approved of by the most discriminating italians. Desserts include chocolate fondue, hot carrot cake or Dutch oven brownies. We make it all right there in our camp kitchen before your very eyes. Special dietsare no problem, just let us know on the Registration Form you will find in your confirmation package.  Picking a Trip  If you are just getting started, and we mean right out of spin class, we have trips that are right for you. A biking vacation is a great way to improve your skills and your fitness level. We also offer tours that can only be described as epic singletrack. If your local rides have lost their thrill and you long for new switch backs, stout climbs and endless descents, meet us in Durango, Telluride, Brian Head, Tucson, Sun Valley or Bend. We have put together routes throughout the US linking our favorite rides, views, and natural wonders.  Many trips include side hikes to historic sites like Indian ruins, ghost towns, or lighthouses. Others include incredible geology like slot canyons or even natural hot springs.  Group Sizes  Most tours are limited to 13 guests and two guides, giving us one of the best guide to guest ratios in the business. On private tours, we can add guides to accommodate larger groups. Our typical trip includes several people who have come on their own; a few friends who managed to coordinate their schedules; and a few couples. Ages are all over the map! You may have a group of friends who want to join you on a trip, or you might find it is easier and more fun to make some new ones. Western Spirit guests come from all over the country and the world. In many cases people who have met on one of our tours will get together after the trip and coordinate the following year's trip to include the same group.  Guide Support  Western Spirit guides are not only experienced outdoors people, but they are also excellent backcountry chefs and skilled cyclists. They will be happy to give advice on riding technique, identify plants and wildflowers, or discuss geologic theories. Most of all they love being with people.  If you're lucky, Pablo will bring his guitar, Jane will teach you to hula hoop, Kristi will sneak edamame into the cooler, Johnny will make ice cream on the spot or Kiran will keep your kids entertained by a cereal box for hours.  Camping  Camping Western Spirit style is truly cushy. Our trucks carry all the gear and our guides do all the cooking. We arrive at camp, and while the guides set up the kitchen and prepare hors d'oeuvres, the guests set up their tents and are free to explore the area, take a nap, or have a cocktail. Plentiful fresh food, solar showers, and our Maine loungers make the starlit nights both comfortable and unforgettable.  Lodging  On a few select mountain bike tours we spend a night or two at an inn or lodge. We have picked hotels and inns for their food, their location, and their hospitality.   Let us Help  Read about our Tours and give us a call. We will check availability of a date and help you choose your trip.  MAKING A RESERVATION  When you make your decision, call us to confirm your choice and reserve your spot with a credit card deposit of $400 per person ($550 for international trips). You may also click on "Book This Trip" from the trip page to register on-line.  Your final balance for your trip is due at 60 days before the trip start date. We strongly recommend travel insurance. This can be purchased through us when you place your deposit. We work with CSA Travel Protection and more information can be obtained from their website CSA Travel Protection.

"I sure did enjoy the trip. I felt so privileged not having to do anything. I am so used to planning the menu, shopping for it, packing it, setting up camp, tearing down camp, and negotiating when, where, what, why and how with other trip participants. So to let Jane and Tim handle ALL of that was really special for me."

Bob Swintz, May 2006
1st Western Spirit trip