Gulf of Gökova MTB · Turkey

MTB LEVEL 3 / 5

Moderate to challenging daily tours in hilly terrain at distances of 16 – 30 mi./25 – 50 km and 985 – 3,150 ft/300 to 1,200 meters of elevation. The terrain in this region is very diverse and changes from place to place: technical and demanding single trails alternate with wide gravel 4x4 roads and, on occasion, quiet asphalt stretches; there are very few unrideable passages. Our tours may be adjusted on site by the guides depending on weather conditions, time schedules and the ability of the group. Various sections in the tour are offered at a higher or lower technical degree, leaving you to make the final decision.

Helmets are mandatory on our bike tours. We advised you to bring your own, well fitted, helmet as our rental helmet numbers are limited (reservation required). Furthermore, we recommend riders to carry arm and leg protectors during the bike tours. Our tours are dependent on weather conditions and the final decision is that of the captain. You are free to set aside a half or full day to swim or spend time on board the boat, instead of taking a planned bike-tour.

Due to our international audience all Islandhopping tours are conducted bilingually, in English and German.

We reserve the right to make changes to the itinerary, depending on wind and weather conditions or organizational requirements. Sometimes the tour will be run in reverse order. Our tours are dependent on weather conditions and the final decision is that of the captain. You are free to set aside a half or full day to swim or spend time on board the boat, instead of taking a planned bike-tour.

To ensure that you are well prepared for your bike tour with Islandhopping and know what technical difficult level to expect, we have created a classification for all single trails that could be ridden on our tours. The difficulty levels included in our classification coincide with the Single Trail Scale which can be found here

Blue (easy, S0 – S1): small obstacles such as small roots, small stones, some erosion, gradients of up to 40 %, loose surfaces, tight corners but no hairpins, obstacles can be rolled over. Skilful braking and weight shift required, riding while standing.

Red (medium, S2): loose surfaces, larger stones and roots, steps and shallow stairs, gradients of up to 70 %, light hairpins. Constant readiness to brake, shift of centre weight to overcome obstacles, accurate braking, consistent body tension required.

Black (heavy, S3 – S5): blocked single trails, many large boulders, and roots, smooth/slippery surfaces, loose scree slopes, large steps/drops, extremely steep gradients of over 70 %, tight hairpins. Expert level of bike control/handling required.

Helmets are mandatory on our bike tours. It is advised to bring your own, well fitted, helmet with you as our rental helmet numbers are limited (reservation required). Furthermore, we recommend riders to carry arm and leg protectors during the bike tours.

On our regular bike tours the riding pace is determined by the cyclists on regular bikes. We ask guests who have reserved an e-MTB to be mindful of this and to acknowledge that the regular cyclists need time to rest and longer to climb the hills. We thank you for your understanding.

We believe that only children with a good physical condition and a minimum age of 14 who have previous MTB riding experience can keep up with the demands of our  mountain bike tours. In addition, they should have prior experience with riding techniques needed for descending on narrow trails and technical terrain. Please be aware, that our smallest rental mountain bikes are suited to a body height of 1.50 m and above (XS frame). The Croatian law requires children under the age of 16 to wear a bicycle helmet when riding a bike.

For the best tour experience with children, we recommend our Multi-Adventure tours in Croatia or Greece. We are convinced that these itineraries provide the best all-round experience for each individual family member.

The tour which you have booked requires a bike with a fully functional set of gears. Islandhopping can offer you high quality, fully serviced rental bikes perfect for the terrain of this tour.

Should you however wish to bring your own hybrid or MTB with you, please make sure to check the condition of your breaks, gears, and tires and don’t forget to bring along a puncture repair kit and the essential spare parts for your bike (e.g. brake pads and tubes). Your bike should be in prefect mechanical working order.

We do not allow private e-bikes on board of our boats. This decision has been made due to health and safety regulations. In addition, e-bike batteries cannot be transported on aircrafts. If you wish to ride an e-bike for the duration of your tour, please get in touch with us about the rental options.

We do not recommend bringing along private road bikes, as the thin tires are not suitable for some of the road surfaces encountered on the tours.

Liability disclaimer: Radurlaub Zeitreisen GmbH. Will not be held liable for any damages caused to private bikes during loading, unloading or other logistical handling thereof.

Please do not forget that the ship is your hotel as well as a machine, which has to be maintained and operated – day and night. A certain level of noise is therefore inevitable.

Our Turkish boats do not offer a WiFi connection. If you need to connect to the internet during the tour, we recommend bringing your portable electronic device to a cafe or bar somewhere in the harbour. Free WiFi is on offer almost everywhere. If you order something to eat or drink, then you are able to use the WiFi to your hearts content.

Our tour in the Central Greek Aegean will start from Bodrum. In order to avoid any travel complications whilst crossing the borders, we request that all guests obtain the appropriate travel documentation and visas before arrival on site.

This tour sometimes takes place parallel to our Bike & Boat Gulf of Gökova tour on the same boat. One tour guide accompanies the mountain bikers whilst the other accompanies the hybrid cyclists. This type of tour is perfect for travellers who would like to spend their holiday together, but do not share the same bike preferences.