Essentials That Save Mountain Bike Holidays
Understanding the Essentials for MTB Holidays is key to an enjoyable experience while preparing for your trip.
When you join a Basque MTB holiday in the Pyrenees or on the Basque Coast, you’ll spend far more time going down than up. That means you and your bike will be pushed hard on long, technical descents. The terrain is incredible — but it’s tough on equipment. Bringing the right spares and safety equipment and setting your bike up properly can be the difference between riding every day and sitting out a stage while waiting for parts or waiting for a swollen knee to go down.
Here are the essentials we recommend every rider thinks about before heading out on our trails.
Brakes: Rotors and Pads
Steep trails demand powerful, reliable brakes. We recommend:
- Minimum 180mm rotors for all riders.
- 203mm rotors if you’re a bigger rider or want maximum control.
- Fresh brake pads before your trip.
- Spare pads in your pack — descents here can eat through them fast.
- Service your brakes – change the fluid, bleed them, and ride them a few times before you come out.
- Bleeding – take a bleed kit if possible. We always have a Shimano bleed funnel for our hire bikes.
Tip: Metallic or semi-metallic pads usually last longer on our long descents.
Drivetrain: Hangers and Derailleurs
A broken hanger can end a day’s riding. That’s why we suggest:
- Two spare derailleur hangers specific to your bike model. If you have UDH then just bring one!
- If you can, bring a spare derailleur too. It’s a lifesaver if rocks or crashes take one out.
Both are small, light, and can save a holiday.
Tyres: Casing and Choice
Tyres are the single most important piece of kit for these trails.
- Auf der rocky Pyrenees trails, we recommend DH casing tyres front and rear.
- Auf der Baskische Küste, which is more loamy and earthy, you can get away with lighter casings — many of us run DD (Double Down) on the rear und EXO+ on the front.
- Always prioritise a solid rear tyre: pinch flats and sidewall cuts are common without strong casings.
- We personally don’t like inserts, they can be a nightmare if you get a flat.
Remember: you’ll spend much, much more time descending than climbing here, so a little extra rolling weight is worth it for grip, confidence, and reliability.
Pedals: Flat Or Clipless
We recommend bringing what you are used to and if you do want to bring flat pedals then spend some time riding them before you come on holiday!
- Flat pedals mean comfier shoes. This can help on the hike-a-bike sections on some holidays, such as the Pyrenees Odyssey.
- Clipless pedals help with confidence on faster, rougher trails.
- Flat pedals help with confidence on slower, more technical trails and switchbacks.
Bring what you are comfortable with. If in doubt, bring both!
Helmet and Protection
Helmets are essential of course. But should you bring full face, what about body protection.
- Most riders choose an open face helmet. This is the most comfortable choice.
- Some riders choose a full face helmet but you need to be able to wear it on the transitions. We won’t enforce it on double track climbs, but on all other climbs we will. And the law in Spain states that on the road you need to be wearing a helmet.
- We very strongly recommend knee pads. Elbow pads are optional, but on the rocky trails in the Pyrenees we would recommend them as well. Back and chest protectors are entirely up to you, but there will be some climbing on all of our trips.
Protection is essential. Over the years there have been several people who ended their holiday early due to the choice not to wear proper protection.
The Essentials Checklist
Before your trip, make sure you’ve packed:
- Minimum 180mm rotors (203mm if you’re bigger)
- Fresh brake pads + a spare set
- Derailleur hanger
- Spare derailleur (recommended)
- Tough tyres (DH casing for Pyrenees, DD/EXO+ options for Basque Coast)
- Pedals – what you are comfortable with.
- Protection and helmets – Kneepads are very strongly recommended, helmet is essential.
Why It Matters
We do our best to help every rider keep rolling, but parts for modern bikes can be hard to source quickly in rural areas of the Pyrenees. Coming prepared means less stress, more riding, and fewer lost days.
When you book a Basque Coast or Pyrenees mountain bike holiday, we want you to ride everything — from endless rocky descents to the flowy forest trails. Packing the right spares makes sure you don’t miss a moment.
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