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Hey people, 
this website is currently under construction. 
I hope we can launch the updated website in a few days! 
Simon, the Mountainbike Traveller

Products & Projects 2017

Products &Projects 2017

Biking is passion
MTB-Traveller is not a tour operator, a bike shop,
an information platform or an equipment manufacturer. Mountainbike Traveller is
living a passion.

Bikes are what we love!
Mountainbikes, touring bikes, laying bikes, folding bikes or road bikes; we love them
all. We love to optimize and repair them, to create and individualize them. We love to
find new trails and, of course, we love to ride them! Bikes are what we love.

To travel means to discover
Sightseeing and good life are an important part of every journey. To travel is much
more than that. Discover hidden treasures, make your own experiences discover your
destination on your own path to form your proper own view.

Make it personal
Everyone has different needs and wishes. Therefore, we create everything as personal
as possible. If you have a bike out of our manufacture you are as involved in the
construction process as much as you want. If you book a tour with us, we can
individualize it 100% to make it your dream tour!

Keep it simple
Better is the enemy of good. Sometimes the simple things are the best. Therefore we
don´t need the most dangerous trail, the latest high-end bike or the fanciest restaurant.
We need a good ride, a good bike and good food. Keep it simple.

Respect your destination
To respect the world we are living in should come natural. We enter in sensitive ecoand
social systems. We want to enjoy and protect them at the same time. Ecological,
local and self-made is our credo.



Where to find us?
Pensao da Bina in Santa Apolonia is our home. It's not a public store, but the
base for all our activities.
Our tool box, bike shower and the mechanic stand are on your disposal. Feel
free to clean, care or fix your bike in our garage. If you need any help, we are
always happy to assist and maybe we got the right second hand replacement
part for your problem.



We are always here every Thursday 18:00 – 22:00. But we are here much more
often. If you are around, knock the door at Rua Caminhos de Ferro 54. If we
are here, you're always welcome to join.


Bike Tours
Feel life in the big parks and the small alleys. Riding through normal
neighborhoods and to extraordinary city views. Cruising along the river and
through the city on the smove way or on trails as rough as the Atlantic through
Serra de Sintra. With breathtaking views to Lisbon, Cabo da Roca and the Tejo-
Delta. Up and down the hills or all along the coast through the most beautiful
landscape between traditional agriculture and rough cliffs to Ericeira
Lisbon is out home. Lisbon is where we ride everyday. We do mountainbike
tours for beginners and experts, citytours, multiday tours along the coast. We
got hardtail and fullsuspension mountainbikes, as well as E-Bikes and always
fun for a ride.

Bike-Packing Equipment
Bike touring and bike-packing equipment in Portugal is still hard to get, too
expensive or of poor quality.
We want to have the most important parts and equipment such as racks, seats,
panniers or handlebars in stock. First or second hand. Branded products, noname
or handmade products, but always value for money.
Do not consider us as a bike shop. For the usual Shimano replacement parts,
you will find a better place to go. Come to us if you search for a solution for
your travel bike.
Find our current products in the shop or send us your request and we will get
what you need!



Travel Bikes
When travelling by bike, you have a unique relationship with your vehicle.
Sometimes brave warrior, sometimes pretentious diva, always your most
faithful partner. If you and your bike fit together and take care of each other,
this relationships brings you safely, healthy and on your own path where ever
you want!
I travelled about 20.000 km in three continents on two different bikes and
learned the difference between the diva and the warrior the hard way. In the last years, I built up several travel bikes to cross Europe, South America and South-
Eastern Asia on different budgets.
Which packing system and tires are the best for you? Which geometry and what
equipment to carry? Weight equilibration and riding position, locker and
replacement parts. So many factors play a role while finding the best bike for
your needs! It’s not necessarily about high-end components, but about finding a
faithful partner for big adventures.



Panniers / Alforjas / Satteltaschen
Besides your body and your bike, bike bags might be the most essential
item/accessory for a successful bike trip. They beware or cause damages on our
stuff, help or challenge you in organizing yourself during the day.
A point where I search for some independence and individuality through
handmade solutions. Handmade rolling bag panniers has been the first bike
bags I produced. This year, hopefully, a few others will be added.



Sintra Trails & Mountainbike Portugal
Mountainbike Portugal shows some tour advises all over the country and
provides a little overview over the most important bike resorts of Portugal. With
tour discriptions, some GPS-trails, Pictures and useful advises to travel by bike
in Portugal.
Sintra Trails is the mountain bike guide for Serra de Sintra. Lisbons hometrails
are a great bike ranch for beginners and for experts: Easy to reach and full of
single- & doubletrails, combined with stunning views all over the coast. Sintra
Trails, shows the best trails, the most stunning views, water sources, pictures,
GPS-trails and everything to discover Serra de Sintra on your own!


Work Shops & Bike In
Biking is a team sport. Together we push each other to our best, together we
enjoy the best. Together we have the best ideas and the highest security.
Therefore, we organize workshops and catch ups to come together and live our
passion! Together with friends who are experts in their area we plan workshops
for bike & yoga, tasty biker food and a bike mechanics.
Additionally, we do a bike-event every month, tip based or a very fair fee.






Individual & long term rentals
You are in Lisbon only for the summer?
Need a bike for your next trip to the Algarve? You don't have space for your own bike? You don't want to maintain a
bike? You don't know yet if you want to buy a bike?
Whatever might be the reason, you still don't have a bike: Temporal residents,
tourists, Erasmus-students or weekend rider, we have individual rental models
for city-, mountain- and travel-bikes for every need.
But we got much more than bikes. You need some outdoor-equipment? We got
everything from the camping-kitchen and GPS-systems to tents and sleeping
bags.

Portugals four corners III: The northeast





Only a few days after leaving the sweltering Alentejo and a little stop over in Lisbon later, we find ourself in Guarda, in the northeast of the country. Nothing reminds of the hot times just a few days ago. The difference in culture and landscape is undeniable. Clear sky but a freezy wind give some winter impressions already. Well aware of the uncertain weather in the north this is still a little shock! Nevertheless after a hot coffee in a sheltered corner we are ready and happy to hit the road again.


North of Guarda we have the first up and downs which give a good introduction to the hilly north. From the first moment beautiful green scenery alternate with huge depressing burned valleys. In 2016 occurred more then 200 bush fires and burned down more forest than the last years accumulated. This is visible every moment, or better to say in every second moment.
The next day brings some further changes. The air is not as cold as the day before. Therefore overnight the blue sky changed for a drizzle once in a while. The long up and down to the beautiful and famous Rio Douro give the start signal to the upcoming mountains. Until Mogadouro we keep our self near the spanish border. But the weather remains changeable, the reason why we decide to skip Miranda do Douro, where Rio Douro enters Portugal in a deep ravine to find his way to the Atlantic in Porto. Instead we go the most direct way up to Branganca. Not a bad decision: After an endless downhill to Rio Sabor we leave the main road and find a small road without any traffic, but with great views to the hills and rivers around us. Just in time we reach Bragança and avoid the first heavy rain on this tour. Instead we change out tent for a cozy hotel room with the long-desired hot shower.





The city of Bragança is embedded in the green and lonesome Natural Park Montesinho with hills up to 1.200 m. The pretty historic city center of Bragança is over-topped by the castle of the Duke of Bragança, one of Portugals most important dynasties, indeed is worthy to visit and gives a good impression of the wealth and importance this city had in it's time. Today the city center is surrounded by several industrial zones and is still the regional center of northeastern, but just a poor leftover from it's history.



Independent where you leave Bragança the all-dominating color is green: Oaks, Chestnuts, walnut, pines cover the entire region. The best to experience this calm zone might be the Natural Park Montesinho north of Bragança. Endless forests with hidden, lost in time villages dominate the mountains along the border. This time of the year it is a natural paradise: chestnuts, walnuts, blackberries, figs and grapes cover all needs of fresh vegetables.
To spare some uphills, as well as some kilometer, we decide not to enter the Natural Park right in Bragança, but to leave the city in the west. Right behind the city we got lost in time. Small villages full of stone built houses and individual and hand-worked fields accompany the up- and downhills before we reach the National Road from Bragança to Braga in Vinhais, another regional center, best known for it's dark and tasty chestnuts. After a few kilometer we leave this main road and finally enter the almost deserted National Park Montesinho. Deep river valleys and steep uphills take turns and offer marvelous views over the hills until Spain. Sparsely populated, also the options of possible roads is limited, but each one is an amazing. Villages are rare, hospitality is more intensive therefore. After a few tough hills we leave Montesinho behind in it's east by a long downhill. Along the way we pass by beautiful villages like Sao Vicente and Paradela. The historic villages, good coffee, local honey and the rare circumstance of sunshine force us to slow down and spend the rest of the day on the way down before present got us back in Chaves.

Portugals four corners II: The southeast






From Lagos to the east we find several villages which stand for mass tourism in Portugal as no other: Albufeira, Portimao or Faro are the beach tourism destinations on the portuguese main land. Since the highway charges a toll, all the traffic returned to the city centers and turned the national road into a traffic jam. Not the best conditions for bike touring, what is why we decide to skip the south cost. Early in the morning we catch the train in Lagos. After a few hours, with a change in Faro, we reach Castro Marim on the spanish border. 


In Castro Marim, only 70 km from Faro starts an extraordinary route for easy bike touring. Along Rio Guardiana a diverse cultural landscapes with charming little villages and fertile fields charactarise the landscape. Several indicated, but unpaved roads lead us deep through the lonesome landscape along the river and also the roads, beside of the main road, are low frequented. Now, at the very end of the summer all the roads are ours and even in the high season it's not to compare with the roads along coast. Alcutim, with the it's twin town on the spanish side of the river and Mertola, enclosed by a city wall are the cultural highlights and invite for some smooth days far away from the tourism boom along the coast.

When the bush-covered hills of the Algarve ends, the Alentejo waits with wine yards and the heat of the interior. Long straight roads bring us quickly through the flat landscape to Beja, the regional center for the vaste lonesome of the southeastern Alentejo. With a pretty castle, a car free historic center and it's small and curvy alleys it's worthy to see. But for us the most important is the train station. Beside of the route to Faro, this is the second train which goes down to the south of Portugal.

Train connections from Beja to Lisbon are quite quick and cheap (approx 10,-). Depend on the time different connection trains are to take. The trains in Beja are regional trains, no restrictions for bike transportation exist. Depend on the connection trains this maybe different after changing the train.

Portugals four corners I: The southwest

Southwest Corner: Saboia - Odemira - Odeceixe - Aljezur - Sagres - Lagos






We start our tour far away from Lisbon and it´s city rush this time: next to Odemira, at the southern Alentejo. From the beginning on the ways are roads are quiet and within a few hours we reach some of the most spectacular beaches and cliffs of Portugal at Cabo Sardao. Well known as one of Europes surfing hot spots, Costa Vicentina is also for cyclists a real pearl. 

Even if there are no longer ups and downs along the coast also mountainbikers can find some fun & action on this tour. This time we are prepaired for touring and remain mainly on the road. Just from Cabo Sardao to the south we hit the unpaved road along the cliffs. It´s simply to spectacular to miss! High, rocky and gray cliffs are always nearby. Storks and seagulls cross the huge bays. After only one smoove cycling day we reach Odeceixe, a beautiful village and a breathtaking cliff beach, which marks the regional boarder to the Algarve, Portugals most southern region. Here, where the cliffs start to turn into smoover sandstone, we leave the dirt road and return to the main road. This road during the peak season can be quite crowded, now in October it´s a calm local connection road.
We continue the road down to the south, cross the historic village of Aljezur, where beaches as Arifana and Amoreira invite for a swim. But we want to go forward and decide to go ahead. Half a day later we stop at the cliffs of another incredible cost: Carrapateira. A little off the direct way to Vila do Bispo and Sagres, but it´s worth all the way. The road is less transited, the landscape is vibrant and changing all year long and especially round-way on dirt roads from the village to the cliffs is unique!
A last uphill and an extended downhill later it´s time: We reach Vila do Bispo. In normal conditions the tough part of the way down to Portugals south-end is done now, but you always have to count with the wind around here. Today the wind is on our side so that the last 10 km to Sagres become a self-fire success and we are in Sagres for dinner in time.
Specially the view over the cost in the north of Sagres are awesome, but the wind is freezy and the Atlantic cold as ice. After a good dinner with friends and a recovery breakfast there is nothing else to do for us and we head off, now eastwards to Lagos.
 
Now, obviously, we have to pay for our fortune with the wind the day before. The flat 10 km from Sagres to Vila do Bispo can become one of the toughest on the entire way to the south. And even from Vila do Bispo to Lagos is still quite windy. After 40 km against the wind we are happy to climb down to a little hidden beach around Lagos and enjoy the late summer sun for a calm afternoon on the beach.


The way from Lisbon to Sagres I probably made about 10 or 15 times already. But I don't get tired. Beautiful scenery and Portugals warmest beaches and best weather. Combined with uncountable number of trails and roads; always a pleasure to ride here. Specially in the offseason many beaches are empty and roads are more calm.




be aware of the baggage restrictions in the trains!

Manteigas - Serra da Estrela Mountainbike Center


It's always raining when I visit Portugals highest mountains at Serra da Estrela. So I'm little surprised this morning, when I hear the first raindrops after the hot portuguese summer. OK, nevertheless time to ride mountains! 8:30 am, I catch the train from Lisbon to Covilha at the foot of Serra da Estrela. Weather cleared up a bit, but anyway the next days will be dominated by a mix out of sun and rain. It's only beginning of September, but in higher locations autumn already arrived with freeze winds. So I decided to keep it literally low this time and discover the self-called “mountainbike center” of Manteigas, east of the peak. 

 Manteigas is a bit hidden between some lower crests in the east and can easily be reached on a calm asphalt road or by the indicated long distance trail of “Grand Rota do Rio Zezere” coming from Tomar and ending and the source of Rio Zezere in the Serra da Estrela. Manteigas – in compare to Seia in the north and Covilha in the south – is a small and calm village without bigger industry. Anyway it provides us with all we probably need: some bars, coffees and restaurants and a little supermarket and bakery. But not only therefore it is my favourite start point for tours to higher located Penhas de Saude, Nave de Santo Antonio and Torre. Manteigas opt for mountainbiking for touristic development and the surroundings of Manteigas provide several indicated mountainbike trails and a plenty of hiking trails which are great to bike (at least down the mountain!) Even if bottled water from the region is famous, is rare to find some on the way! Fill up your resources down here!

Covilha – Manteigas by road
There are several different ways to go to Teixoso. The one with less traffic is the one next to the mountain, indicated to Vila do Carvalho. In Teixosos we find a cross road with indication to Vale do Amoreira and the first climb. After the first up and down we find the small village Verdelhos. Following down the valley we reach vale de Amoreira. Left of the river on asphalt, right of the river on an initially good and then more difficult trail. Now follow the road to Manteigas and 10 km later we arrived. For sure this is the easiest way to reach or leave Manteigas, several other ways already provide a good warm up for the mountains.

 Covilha – Verdelhos – Manteigas by trail
 The other option of course is to leave the asphalt already next to Covilha. In this case we leave Covilha in the same way but after a while, on the end of a steep uphill, when a sign shows us the beginning of the natural resort of Serra da Estrela, we turn left and leave the asphalt behind after a few meters. Initially we continuer climbing but after approx 3 km we urgently have to turn right in a sharp corner into the smaller trail. Otherwise we will keep up climbing and end up somewhere in the bushes later on. Meanwhile following this trail always down we have a nice warm up for the upcoming mountaineering days and end up in The other option of course is to leave the asphalt already next to Covilha. In this case we leave Covilha in the same way but after a while, on the end of a steep uphill, when a sign shows us the beginning of the natural resort of Serra da Estrela, we turn left and leave the asphalt behind after a few meters. Initially we continuer climbing but after approx 3 km we urgently have to turn right in a sharp corner into the smaller trail. Otherwise we will keep up climbing and end up somewhere in the bushes later on. Meanwhile following this trail always down we have a nice warm up for the upcoming mountaineering days and end up in Verdelhos.



UPHILL
Manteigas – Covao d'Ametade – Penhas de Saude
The most logic way seems to follow the river to the source up the river. Where shortly after the village already appears the big grey walls around the peak. The indicated hiking path along the river, initially is a wide dirt road, quickly turns into a narrow and blocked singletrail, which for the average rider means to push the bike a lot and returning to the road quite soon. To go this most direct way I would advise to go back to the (also not very busy) main road and following the panorama zigzag up the mountain. The latest moment to return easily to the road is when the trail leaves the last buildings behind and a little bridge crosses the river. Manteigas – Boca do Inferno – Nave de Santo Antonio For more trail riding we follow the indicated bike trail to the south side of the river in direction of Boca do Inferno. Which by the way is the perfect spot to fill up your bottles. Shortly after we start the real uphill. Climbs with more than 18-20% are very normal in this area and almost not to avoid. Get ready for it. The indication makes it easy to find your way. Once we did the main part of the uphill we find a little crossroad with an indication sign. If we follow left we go down south-east to Leandes where we find “Grande Rota do Zezere” (see below)
If we turn right on that crossroad instead we continuer climbing a bit. After a long slight uphill we reach the road from Manteigas to Torres near Penhas da Saude. In the summer month, when the ground is dry, after only a few meters up, we can leave the road behind again by turning right. On a tough but beautiful trail we cross Nave Santo Antonio and end up on the plateau.


DOWNHILLS
Be careful on the downhills! All trails are quite steep and even some of the doubletrails are difficult mountain terrain. Be careful with not indicated trails. Even big dirtroads suddently can end up in the middle of nowhere. Thanks to the tough ups and downs that can quickly cause some hard extra work!

 Penhas da Saude – Manteigas (direct)
Above the village of Penhas de Saude is located the small water reservoir Lago do Virato. On both ends of the lake dirt roads leave the road to the east. After a while this trails come back together and start to go downwards on a technical singletrail. A little later, we find the way we climb on the uphill via Boca do Inferno. On the first crossroad we continuer left to Manteigas. Instead of the bike trail we follow the yellow-red indication for hiking trails now. Initially this way cross the beautiful plateau with the characteristic rock formations. Later it snakes down, sometimes as a narrow singletrail, sometimes wider as a bumpy and historic rock trail or a classical forest trail. Challenging steep, but with a lot of flow and fun to ride! Every couple of minute we cross the bigger dirt road. In case that the hiking trail is too rough, just follow this unpaved road and you also reach Manteigas. Otherwise just keep your eyes open and the indication will show you the most direct way down to Manteigas.

Penhas da Saude – Boca do Inferno – Manteigas
An easier way to Manteigas is already described as the uphill passing by the waterfall Boca de Inferno. On the above mentioned crossroad this time we follow right now, in direction south. After a long slight uphill we find a second crossroad where we turn left now and start the real downhill. From now on we can follow the bike-trail indication again and after a while where we always decide for the most downhill option, we find an asphalted road which on the right brings us to Boca do Inferno and Manteigas and on the left to Vale do Amoreira.


www.mountainbiketraveller.blogspot.com/2015/09/serra-da-estrela-portugal-high-end.html
www.goo.le/photos
www.aldeiasdoxisto.pt
www.centrodebtt.cm-manteigas.pt

Sintra Ericeira: Gran Lisboa a full!









I love this tour. It combines the amazing coastline with
steep cliffs and lonesome beaches with the forrests, rivers and
untouched nature of the interior.

Read more »

Obrigado, bombeiros!

More then 3.000 mainly volunteering fire fighters are fighting against 200 bush fires all over Portugal. Time to say thank you to those who spend time and risk life to fight against this disaster every year!
All funds we raise from today, 11th August, to the 21st August will be directly dedicated to the voluntary fire fighters.
Need to fix, clean, adjust your bike? Want to borrow a bike or ride a tour with us? Get in touch, come around and donate!

Bike Traveller Reunion

Come together and live your passion together!

 ever 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month
18:00 – 21:00 @Armazem d'Apolonia

Rua Ciminhos de Ferro 54
Santa Apolonia  
 

Bike travelling is so much more than just being on the road and paddle. It´s about preparation, mechanics, equipment, skills, fun and adventure, but more than all it's about passion!

In a very few places I met that many bike travellers as I did in Lisbon. Moreover I met so different bike travellers. People made 3 weeks holidays or travelled the whole world. They carried dogs, kids, surfboards or entire businesses in their panniers or trailers. So many people with so many stories to tell! Some of them just came as a flashlight simply to make my day a bit more interesting, others remained in my life as friends and inspirations.

This is the spot where you always find Schwalbe Marathon tires and some improvisations in stock ...

What a hugh brain pool for bike travellers if we bring that people together! So much specific knowledge, so much experience, so much passion! New travel routes, bike fixing, baggage systems or just dreaming about the wide wide world: There is always something to work on, let´s get started!

Come and join us!
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