Two Very Different Days Mountain Biking in the Azores with Wheels on Fire
- Emma Butler
- Apr 18
- 7 min read
My wife, Jen, and I spent about a week on São Miguel in the Azores, and while we had loosely planned for hiking, exploring, and eating as many tarts as possible, there was one non-negotiable: we wanted to ride bikes.
We’ve been lucky to ride our bikes on a few different trips and find that those adventures often end up being one of the most memorable parts of the trip, and this was no exception!
We booked two half days with Wheels on Fire, a mountain bike guiding company run by Jallas and Juliana, and it turned out to be exactly the kind of experience we’re always hoping to find when we travel: well thought-out, adventurous, and very clearly created by people who care a lot about riding and the place they live.
Also (very importantly for us), what they offer is very adaptable. Because like a lot of couples, we do not ride at the same level!
Day One: Getting right back into it, downhill-style
Julianna and Jellas picked me up at our hotel in Ponta Delgada and we drove to the mountains above Sete Cidades. The weather was (apparently) classic “Azores in spring”, meaning it was raining and became foggy as soon as we started gaining some elevation.
Note: One of the cool things about Wheels on Fire is that not only do they take you to the best trails on the island, but they also provide you with a bike, helmet, knee pads, and gloves. I opted to bring my own gloves but not having to carry all that other gear around with me while we were island-hopping was a real bonus!
After throwing on some gear (rain jacket included) and getting a feel for my bike (a Commencal Clash: 170/180mm travel with 27.5” tires, which is a very different setup to my own bike), I headed out on the trails with Jallas. This was not a gentle “ease into the season” kind of ride. It was more of a “welcome back, let’s goooooo, send it!” situation—but one that I fully welcomed and embraced. Nothing quite like saddling up and getting right into it! 😤
(I usually start the season in the comfort and privacy of a daytime ride during the week on a trail called “The Trap”, where I lap it a few times to remind myself how my bike/legs work outside of an indoor setting. The snow and ice we had across March and early April in Edmonton this year definitely didn’t allow for that before this trip!)
There was a really good mix of fun and challenge right out of the gate. Steeper technical sections, some larger features, and a few drops that I wouldn’t normally line up and hit this early in the year, especially after some time off the bike!
What made it work was how Jallas approached everything. He didn’t just blitz through features and expect me to figure it out mid-trail (or just hit them without any warning). We would stop, look at lines, talk through what made sense, and get really clear on what approach would give me the best chance of success. If there was a gap jump, he’d explain the speed needed to clear it, and also make it very clear when taking the ride-around was the smarter call. (I listened to that advice most of the time, and the one time I didn’t I obviously lightly cased the gap. 😅)
At one point he mentioned that I looked more comfortable on technical terrain than jumps, which tracks for most of the riding we get to do in Edmonton! We have plenty of roots, but not nearly as many opportunities to practice getting airborne. That will change with the Edmonton Mountain Bike Park opening this year though!
We also covered a surprising range of terrain in one day. Higher up, it was wet, foggy, and fully in a lush forest environment. There were definitely a few times where the slickness of the trail added another fun challenge to maneuvering the bike! Lower down (closer to the coast), things opened up into drier, dusty, steeper trails with more exposure into an area where some of the island’s downhill races are held.
One of the best parts was how Jellas structured the riding. We didn’t just ride a trail once and say “well, that was fun” and move on. We’d lap trails multiple times, which meant a chance to see it, understand it, and then actually ride it with some confidence and flow. It’s such a simple approach, but it always makes a huge difference.
We use that approach during our four week clinics and private lessons as well. As the common saying on bike park signage goes: pre-ride, re-ride, free ride!
At the very end of the day, after a bunch of high fives and a look back up at the steep trail we’d just come down, I pointed behind me and said, “So for tomorrow with Jen… none of that kind of stuff.” 😂
Day Two: A beginner-friendly plan for Jen
The next day we headed out with Juliana, and the experience stood out in a different way.
Instead of trying to find a compromise ride that kind of worked for both of us but fully satisfied neither, the day was clearly shaped around who we were as riders. Which meant Jen got something that felt achievable (and safe!), while I got to have a great time soaking up all the views while watching Jen’s confidence increase.
We rode a mix of terrain: some easier singletrack, sections of doubletrack with loose, bigger rock that required a bit of focus, and then long stretches along the cliffs on the north side of the island that felt almost surreal.
There were definitely a few moments where Jen stopped, looked at what was in front of her, and had to decide if it was within the realm of “scary but doable” or “absolutely not today.” Julianna was clear that both options were always on the table, and Jen choosing to walk something never felt like a big deal.
It helped that stopping also meant taking in the view, which was absolutely distracting in the best way. Ocean stretching out beside you, cliffs dropping away, everything green and open and just truly a lot to take in. The kind of scenery that seemed to make Jen forget everything she was nervous about the night before this ride!
Juliana was constantly paying attention in a very quiet, unobtrusive way. Small suggestions, slight changes to what we were riding, nothing overbearing. Just enough to keep things progressing with helpful check-ins about Jen’s comfort level without ever being overwhelming. She also showed us a really cute pig in the forest.
The whole ride felt supportive without feeling too managed, which is a hard balance to strike!
Why this worked so well for both of us
The riding itself is awesome. São Miguel is one of those places where the terrain changes quickly enough that it feels like you’re riding through multiple different landscapes in a single day. You can be in a damp, foggy forest one minute and riding something dry and coastal not long after.
Also worth noting: you can ride in the rain there and not ruin the trails! This is a detail that will mean a lot to anyone who rides in Edmonton and therefore spends a lot of time discussing whether the trails are dry enough to ride or not…
A big reason this experience stands out is Jallas and Juliana.
They keep groups small, they pay attention, and they genuinely adjust the experience based on what they’re seeing from you as a rider. There’s no pressure to prove anything, and no sense that you’re being pushed into terrain you’re not ready for.
At the same time, they’re very good at helping you realize you’re capable of more than you might think. I know if Jallas hadn’t been confident in telling me “you can totally hit this drop” that there is a very real chance I might not have attempted (and cleared) as many features as I did! Having a guide (or coach) who observes your riding and can let you know if something is within your capabilities is such a huge boost for trusting yourself to actually be able to do it.
Jallas and Juliana made it possible for two people with very different skill levels (and different experiences with anxiety) to come away from each day feeling equally excited about what they'd just done. That’s not easy to pull off, and I’m so grateful we found them when searching for “mountain bike guide companies in the Azores”.
Why we’re still thinking about this trip
This trip reinforced something we come back to a lot. Mountain biking doesn’t have to look one specific way to be a good experience.
Progress > Perfection
It can be technical and push your limits.
It can be scenic and slightly outside your comfort zone.
It can include walking sections, and still feel like a great ride.
A trip like this can also work really well for people who aren’t at the same level, which is something we know a lot of riders quietly wonder about when their partner or friend group rides at a different level to them.
Being able to have two very different days like this, and still both feel completely satisfied with the experience, was pretty darn special!
This trip got us dreaming about travelling on our bikes with YOU
Spending time riding somewhere like this inevitably got us thinking about what it would look like to create similar experiences for our own GTRC community.
Not in a luxury, polished, five-star kind of way, but something a bit more grounded. Good riding, good people, and the kind of days you talk about long after they’re over.
We’re not there yet and currently very focused on mountain biking in Edmonton, but this experience felt like a real glimpse of what could be possible for our team and our community in the future! 👀
