Munda Biddi Cycle Tour, Albany to Walpole

Our trips will vary in difficulty but in general they are suited for intermediate riders. An intermediate rider is someone who can handle 3 to 4 hours of moderately paced pedal time each day, for several days in a row (although you can take days off from riding). There will always be slower and faster riders on every trip; in general we try to cultivate a strong group dynamic so that people understand it’s not about finishing quickly or logging as many kilometres as possible on the odometer, but about enjoying the riding and scenery in the company of other riders, and that may require waiting every now and then.

Ensuring you are on a tour that’s right for you, and ensuring you are ready for the physical and technical demands of a tour, is of utmost importance to us. It helps ensure that you will be riding with people of similar skill level and won’t be holding up the group or be held up by others – and can ride at the pace you prefer.

This can be a challenge but here’s what we do –

1. When booking, we ask each participant to tell us about their mountain biking experience. The answers are reviewed by staff and provide valuable insight as to whether or not the tour is a good fit for them.
2. We follow up with a phone call if we think a rider might not be quite up to the challenge (or might be ‘over qualified’) and discuss their skill level and fitness to discover whether they are indeed a good fit, or if another tour might be more suitable.

Whatever your level, you’ll get the best possible enjoyment by getting in shape before the trip – we’ll offer training suggestions in our pre-tour communications to help you on your way.

Posted in: Munda Biddi Cycling Tours FAQs

While there is no specific skill requirements for our mountain bike tours (apart from being able to actually ride a bike!) you should be comfortable and familiar with riding in a variety of terrains including gravel roads, small sandy sections and up/down hills. Our guides are experienced mountain bikers who will teach you the skills to ride with confidence, however, it will be more enjoyable for you if you already have some familiarity with a mountain bike.

Posted in: Munda Biddi Cycling Tours FAQs

You’ll typically start your day with a group breakfast between 6:30am – 7:30 am, then hop in the support van to get to the trailhead. We stop regularly for photo opportunities, drink and snack breaks but will always stop after a 1.5 – 2 hour ride for a delicious morning tea on the trail. Some days lunch will be brought to us and other days we will find a shady spot with a great view to eat lunch on the trail. The support van is usually close by in the late morning or early afternoon for those ready to rest and relax while the more energetic push on for some more great riding. In the afternoon there is often spare time where we can check out local points of interest, enjoy an afternoon siesta or go exploring.  When everyone has finished riding for the day we head back to the accommodation for a shower, dinner and a few drinks to celebrate a great days riding.

Posted in: Munda Biddi Cycling Tours FAQs

In efforts to make your trip safe, memorable and enjoyable the below items are a guide only. These are items we suggest you consider bringing however you know your personal needs better than we do, so pack accordingly.

ON THE BIKE:

• jersey tops (normal active wear tops are fine)
• cycling shorts with a quality chamois (padding)
• bike gloves with padding under the palm
• arm/leg warmers (only if you think you will require them)
• helmet
• cycling shoes and socks
• energy bars and electrolytes

ON/OFF THE BIKE:

• rain/wind jacket
• sweater
• sunglasses (clear lens and polarized lens)
• cycling water bottle or backpack with hydration system (2-3L water capacity)
• camera (phone, GoPro, point and shoot)
• backpack or pannier/s (if not using a backpack with hydration system you will need some way to carry extra water, snacks and personal items such as spare tubes and sunscreen)

CHILL TIME:

• swimwear
• thongs / sneakers
• small camp towel (to use for swimming etc.)
• comfortable, casual clothes for relaxing in (such as jeans, t-shirt, jumpers, shorts etc.)
• flashlight or headlamp

PERSONAL ITEMS AND FIRST AID:

• toiletries i.e. toothbrush and toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, soap etc.
• sunscreen
• insect repellent (with Deet)
• anti-bacterial wipes/gel
• first-aid kit (ibuprofen, band aids, Polysporin, tweezers)

TOOLS/SPARE PARTS TO BRING:

For those bringing their own bikes – we recommend bringing the following tools with you. Rest assured your guides will have a full tool kit, but it’s a good idea to have the following items with you in case of trailside breakdowns:

• multi-tool (preferably with chain breaker)
• tire levers
• small tire pump
• 1-2 spare tubes (our guides can’t realistically carry enough 26″, 27.5″, and 29″ tubes for everyone)
• Any rare parts that might be hard to find locally for your brand of bike

Posted in: Munda Biddi Cycling Tours FAQs

After you have paid a deposit and filled in a registration form, we will send you any extra information you may need, including a list of what to bring and how best to prepare for the tour.

Payment in full is required at least six weeks prior to the tour (bookings can still be made within six weeks of tour start date if there are places available). We will email or call you to remind you when this is due.

Finally, we will contact you prior to your tour to confirm pick-up times and locations. If you have any questions or concerns at all before or after you have booked, please don’t hesitate to get in touch so we can go through them with you.

Posted in: Munda Biddi Cycling Tours FAQs

We hope that you do not need to cancel your booking. However, if you do, our cancellation fee, based on the notice given prior to the departure date, is:

More than 12 weeks: $50 administration fee

6 to 12 weeks: loss of deposit

4 to 6 weeks: 25% of full tour cost

2 to 4 weeks: 50% of full tour cost

less than 2 weeks: 100% of full tour cost, no refund

If you have any concerns about cancelling, please take out travel insurance covering this contingency. This policy will be adhered to despite the most compelling and compassionate circumstances.

READY TO RIDE? CHECK OUT OUR TOUR DATES HERE.

Posted in: Munda Biddi Cycling Tours FAQs

Of course! If you are electing to bring your own bike, it is important that you have a bike fit for purpose. This will be different for every person, as we all have different skills, fitness and opinions and there is no bike made for every scenario. You will ultimately be the best judge on whether your bike is suitable however we strongly suggest it meet the following recommendations –

• A mountain bike with front suspension (rear suspension is also good, but not necessary).
• Well maintained and in good working order (serviced within the last 3 months)
• 26, 27.5 or 29 inch rim tyres
• Wide off road tyres. Ideally the tyres will be around the 45-55mm. Anything less than this will be difficult to ride in the sandy patches. Anything really wide is going to harder going on some of the firmer ground.
• Knobbly tread patterns (not a smooth tyre). Maximum of 2 years old.

If you feel your bike is not going to be up to the ride just let us know and we will arrange a perfectly suited mountain bike for the duration of the tour.

If electing to bring your own we will need your bike at least a day before the tour, so that we can load it onto our trailer to avoid loading bikes at the pick up spot.

Posted in: Munda Biddi Cycling Tours FAQs

It is your holiday, so if you feel like a day off, it is not a problem at all. Most days it is also possible to ride a half day if you would prefer.

Posted in: Munda Biddi Cycling Tours FAQs

Not really. We would recommend bring riding pants to prevent chaff. If you are a seasoned rider, you might also bring along your own saddle too.

Posted in: Munda Biddi Cycling Tours FAQs

This is always a tough one. When we designed the itinerary, we allowed for an average riding speed of 10km/hour. This is meant to be a comfortable pace, which will allow plenty of time for rest.

Posted in: Munda Biddi Cycling Tours FAQs