Mountain Biking In Peru

[greasyslope]

Rideit- can you go into more detail about the riding? I believe one should expect shuttles, but is there still much pedaling? Multiple laps in a day, or super long ones? I would guess these are options, but what should one expect?

[rideit]

Each day is a little different. Usually multiple shuttles per day, ranging from ~1800 vert up to 6000 vert (downhill). The focus is very much shuttling, but certainly there are sections that require some riding and hike-a-biking. You do have to be somewhat fit to take advantage of the situation. Usually the day starts off with something relatively ‘mellow’ (but this is all relative! ) and working up in skill and length from there. Nice lunch/beer break in the middle. Usually people are good for about 4-5 hours on the bikes.
The shuttles can take an hour or more sometimes, so there is rest. That’s when I usually drink coca mate in my water bottle and eat snacks. My guides always have someone up front and someone in the back, with radios and first aid.


This is about 15,000 feet.

That said, if you want to climb, just don’t take the shuttle! (But you will need to start at 4:00 AM, lol)

[rideit]

This is a post from my guy Wayo.

https://ridemonkey.bikemag.com/threa...n-peru.295214/

[altasnob]

But locals use the trails with 125 and 250 dirt bikes sometimes to get to their fields up high, and no one cares.

The local I passed with his animals hiking over a 15,000 ft pass looked similar to this (the only person I saw on this two day section of my trek). He was wearing sandles, no socks, and it was snowing. I can't imagine this guy dirt biking. I'm talking about the poor as dirt indigenous people who don't even speak Spanish, not the mestizos.



In 10 years, when everyone on earth is ebiking, at least there will still be places in the US you can go hike that don't have bikes. There is no trail an ebiker can't get up (or analog ebiker using a donkey to get their bike to the top). It would be a shame if ebikers take over all the popular trekking routes in Peru. Hiking multiple days in, climbing 16,000 ft passes only to have grinch fly by giving you the middle finger salute while he slams a pisco redbull.

[rideit]

Yeah, I have seen thousands of those guys too. Their kids aren’t like that anymore (in a lot of places). Unfortunately, that way of life is disappearing, and the high mountain towns are emptying due to lack of ability to make a living. The cities are swelling. (Don’t get me wrong, there is still plenty of crushing poverty).
The children of the campesinos who got something of an education, and want to stay, are embracing the hell out of tourism to these far flung places. And becoming guides of various types, as it is their most valuable, monetizable resource. And often the only local way out of poverty. Things are changing, if you like it or not.

Andean Traffic Jam! (This lady had a cell phone)

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

So um, yeah. I want to do this.

[rideit]

You are individual 1, WRG!

[rideit]

My pants after a night out at the peeler bar
Attachment 426936

It was a fine establishment

[rideit]

So, this isn’t exactly what my trips are about, but it is interesting.

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/video-...ian-dream.html

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Bump

[Spats]

This sounds like an amazing opportunity. I hope that I'll be able to scrape together enough money sometime in the next couple years to make it happen!

Can't wait until grinch and his boys get down there on their ebikes. Peru, like all impoverished countries, has no sense of rules, laws, or preservation efforts of any kind. A complete free for all ripe for wealthy Americans to do whatever the fuck they want there.

I'm sure that the first question on the mind of an Andean subsistence farmer is "Do those bicycles on the trail, which are providing the local guides with more money than our village has ever seen, have a small electric motor on them that allows the gringos to ride uphill for longer?"



Furthermore, ebikes are the opposite of destructive: ebikes preserve the environment, because they substitute for car shuttles. The local trail I ride most on my ebike (which is legal, thankyouverymuch) is shuttled over 95% of the time...fewer than 1 out of 20 riders rides up it, or rides up the mountain to get to it. I see the shuttle vehicles at the trailhead parking lot, and sometimes they pass me on the way up. So they're driving a giant V8 pickup two round trips up the mountain and back to ride down it once, while my Class 1 ebike uses a few cents of electricity. But please, tell me more about how I'm the problem!

You are the reason that mountain bikers lose so many trail access battles. The Sierra Club, the HOHAs, and the equestrians are all completely united in one purpose: ban all bicycles from all trails, forever. In contrast, too many mountain bikers think it's our job to fight each other and compromise our position away before we even start.

[skinipenem]

This sounds like an amazing opportunity. I hope that I'll be able to scrape together enough money sometime in the next couple years to make it happen!



I'm sure that the first question on the mind of an Andean subsistence farmer is "Do those bicycles on the trail, which are providing the local guides with more money than our village has ever seen, have a small electric motor on them that allows the gringos to ride uphill for longer?"



Furthermore, ebikes are the opposite of destructive: ebikes preserve the environment, because they substitute for car shuttles. The local trail I ride most on my ebike (which is legal, thankyouverymuch) is shuttled over 95% of the time...fewer than 1 out of 20 riders rides up it, or rides up the mountain to get to it. I see the shuttle vehicles at the trailhead parking lot, and sometimes they pass me on the way up. So they're driving a giant V8 pickup two round trips up the mountain and back to ride down it once, while my Class 1 ebike uses a few cents of electricity. But please, tell me more about how I'm the problem!

You are the reason that mountain bikers lose so many trail access battles. The Sierra Club, the HOHAs, and the equestrians are all completely united in one purpose: ban all bicycles from all trails, forever. In contrast, too many mountain bikers think it's our job to fight each other and compromise our position away before we even start.

100% agree

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[smmokan]

The riding in Peru is fucking incredible, and it's only Day 2 (of 8). Goddamn.

[Sandbox]

The riding in Peru is fucking incredible, and it's only Day 2 (of 8). Goddamn.

Damn that is so nice!!! I’ve always wanted to go to Peru and to ride would just be so wicked.


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[rideit]

La Máxima, or Lamay?

[rideit]

I am seeking riders for a trip next early November as well. (2024) 5 Star level accomodations and food, the absolute best trails on offer.
Only requirements are to be a strong rider, and have a radiantly positive attitude! Nothing but great trails and great vibes!
(It will be my 13th trip down there to ride, I know some stuff

[rideit]

This last trip...

[Sandbox]

I am seeking riders for a trip next early November as well. 5 Star accomodations and food, the absolute best trails on offer.
Only requirements are to be a strong rider, and have a radiantly positive attitude! Nothing but great trails and great vibes!
(It will be my 13th trip down there to ride, I know some stuff

Is there no requirement to pay for said trip??? If so….


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[rideit]

[rideit]

Well, the price depends a bit on group size. I max out at eight. Six costs a bit more, but is ideal dynamics-wise.
The guided portions of the trip generally run ~$300 (can vary) a day. This includes insanely amazing lodging, private chef, laundry every night, breakfast, dinner, guides (2), transportation and logistics for the ride days, snacks, and other things.

Disclosure: I don’t really make any money off of putting these trips together, it generally just offsets my costs. However, I can offer these trips at very reasonable prices due to my relationships there, built over 22 years of going down there.

Flights from the US generally run ~$1k, flights to Cusco are usually about $200 round trip.
There is an option for a day to Machu Picchu, that is usually about $300 for the day.

I would be happy to go over any other details and answer any questions!
There are *some* nice bike rentals available, but honestly, it's a crap shoot.
I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend bringing your own bike for the finest experience, it will be some of the hardest and most rewarding riding of your life.

[LeeLau]

I am seeking riders for a trip next early November as well. 5 Star accomodations and food, the absolute best trails on offer.
Only requirements are to be a strong rider, and have a radiantly positive attitude! Nothing but great trails and great vibes!
(It will be my 13th trip down there to ride, I know some stuff

And to be able to handle altitude! Riding and some pushing at 4500m+

[rideit]

And to be able to handle altitude! Riding and some pushing at 4500m+

Or even higher! (We have ridden as high as 5,500 metres).

A little celebrating in the evening is O.K., but these are NOT places/trails that you want to be hungover or out of shape for, LOL!

[Sandbox]

Those prices are very reasonable I feel. Perhaps in 2 years for my 40th I can convince the wife I deserve it….

What’s a stereotypical bike? I saw a megatower in the photos. Fast, flowy downs or more on the tech side??


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[rideit]

Hard to describe, but you will use every mm of whatever travel you bring with you. ‘Enduro Bike’ country, for sure. Lots of rocks, ledges, relentless Inka and pre-Inka stair steps, which are square edged for many hundreds of feet at a time. Sure, people can ride a ‘Trail’ bike, but it would greatly limit your speed and fun. Climbing prowess is basically irrelevant, but a true DH bike would kinda suck for a lot of it.
I bring a 170/170 coil Altitude, 223mm rotors, DH casing tires ( a MUST, for me and most guides, YMMV) on the rear at least), and possibly Cushcore or another liner. YOU WILL NOT REGRET THAT DECISION.
Many of the rides are ~5k descents with (at most) a few hundred feet of climbing. Almost all climbing involves hike-a-bike, so no real penalty for a more descent oriented bike.
(This applies to the shuttle trails, if you want to climb 20% grades above 3000 metres, I can make that happen!)

Caveat, this is my opinion, of course, I would love to hear other impressions about suitable bikes from others, Lee? Smokan?

[smmokan]

Rideit- the pic was from El Pastor above Cusco, right at the very top where it's tight singletrack and pretty mellow. I agree with your bike choice- I would want nothing less than 150mm of travel here with very modern geometry. I'm riding my 170/165 Forbidden Dreadnought, and the smallest amount of travel in our crew is 160mm (a GG Gnarvana).

Sandbox- the trails are (or can be?) super technical. Some very steep sections, lots of chunk, lots of tight corners, and some major exposure. And that was only yesterday, my understanding is there's lots more to come. I would rate yesterday's trails as solid "BC blacks" with maybe a handful of short double black sections.