Ride Europe with the Sunlight CLIFF: Bikepark Road Trip through Spain & Portugal (INT)

Luis Gerstner is a mountain biker, YouTuber, clothing brand owner, an exceptionally great guy, and a traveller with one ultimate goal: “to park the camper at an insane coastal spot.” Find out here whether that dream came true on his CLIFF road trip south and which bike parks he smashed along the way.

6,500 kilometres through Switzerland, France, Spain, and Portugal and back. With changing companions including friends and girlfriend, a quick stop at my vacationing parents, 5 bike parks, 7 days surfing, and 1 wedding in 4 weeks – “It’ll work,” I thought. And it did. It turned out to be a sensational trip (with even more bike parks by accident)!

Hitting the Road and Ditching Plans

The start was a bit random. But I like random. And campervans are made for random. I originally wanted to kick things off at the Chur bike park, but it was still closed in May. So, I headed directly to France towards EVO Bikepark. However, on the way I saw people with downhill bikes and full-face helmets in a tiny ski village. I asked them about the places to ride there, and they told me about the Montclar Trails – which I then wanted to check out. So, I ditched my original plan and spontaneously spent a day in the small Montclar Bike Park.

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Epic: Europe's Rampage Terrain

EVO is a legendary bike park located near Dignes-les-Bains in Provence. I was lucky enough to meet a rider from Freiburg. It’s not good to be alone on these kinds of missions; it’s always a bit scary. So, I had someone to stop me from doing anything too crazy. We had a great time at EVO and then drove a few kilometres to Les Terres Noires, the Black Earths – one of Europe’s most famous freeride spots, a place I’d always wanted to visit. And what can I say? Visually, it’s an incredibly cool spot. A black mini version of the Rampage in Utah. The video about it on Insta pretty much escalated…

Another Random Spot Stop

Somewhere in Spain. Well, more specifically, about 40 kilometres north of Barcelona, you’ll find La Sorrera. I heard about this bike park by chance and decided to spontaneously drop by. I didn’t know exactly where to go, so I asked at the local bike shop, and they said: “Sure, we shuttle.” We went up in an old van, and there really were some great trails on the hillside. It was a really special experience to ride with a few people in a park just outside Barcelona.

Time for Air Time

The 4 Riders Bike Park has been on my bucket list for some time. It’s located in northern Catalonia, towards Andorra. The landscape is stunning, and I could park the CLIFF right at the bike park – standing there all by myself. It was a dream camping spot. I was pretty lucky because the park was actually closed, but five Swiss riders had reserved it. They pulled me along the high-speed jump lines, which was amazing. Plenty of airtime in a really cool, relaxed park.

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Love at First Sight

Make a right turn. You roll down a pine-lined avenue for about 10 minutes, and suddenly, you’re in front of a huge villa with a pool: La Fenasosa. A bike park on a massive private estate in the middle of a nature park near Alicante. It completely blew me away. The trails, but also the landscape and the vibes, were truly out of this world. And the prices too. I parked directly behind the villa for 5 euros, beer cost 1 euro, and there was delicious food at lunchtime. The team there is extremely relaxed and lives in their own secluded bike community. And the trails: I’ve rarely felt such flow. There isn’t a single brake bump in the entire bike park. The ground is special, and they harden it with water during construction, making it real buttery to ride.

This is it!

After visiting my parents, who were camping in Spain, I went to Madrid to pick up a friend at the airport, and then we went straight to the Portuguese coast – only to miserably fail at surfing. But there were some really sick camping spots around Ericeira where we were completely alone, right on the coast. Opening the back of the CLIFF, looking out at the sea – that’s when you think: This is it!

Living like a God and Goddess in France

How else can you fill a month? I picked up my girlfriend in Marseille, and we went to a wedding at a vineyard near Avignon – I practiced my best man speech in the CLIFF… Afterwards, we drove back down to the seaside at Cassis.

Steep cliffs, fine sandy beach, turquoise sea – it looked like the Philippines (it’s better to stay at official campsites or supervised parking lots here on the coast!).

Steepest Finish

Les 2 Alpes was the last bike park on my list. The park is an icon: the first Crankworx location on the European continent with over 130 kilometres of trails. Plus: it’s high alpine ranging from 960 metres up to 3200 metres (!). And we even parked the CLIFF at the mountain station level. The drive up was a bit sketchy, but it was an absolute dream spot.

There was one final mission: Riding the super-steep Black Garden, the double black diamond track at Les 2 Alpes Bike Park. The steepest bike park trail I’ve ever ridden – almost impossible to stop, and the brakes were absolutely glowing! So stoked to have ticked that box. Afterwards, I got quite a bit sentimental though, as it was time to head home and say goodbye to my CLIFF.