May 2009, and the Old Men on Bikes returned to Portugal!

We enjoyed our holiday last year with Enduro Republic, and we just had to return to Cabeco de Vide for more of the same.

Dave and Dawn welcomed us on arrival with some beers and a chat about our holiday, before we headed off to the restaurant for dinner (we ate with the locals – much cheaper and great service!)

Enduro Republic have a great set up with good kit and great Honda off road bikes. As last time, Vic and Alan rode the 230s with the lower seat height and easier to get the leg over. Sandy rode a 250, and with the higher seat and always looked for a suitable place to put his foot down when stopping.

Dave’s great knowledge of trails in the area allowed him to follow routes that we had not seen on our first visit, and as before we lunched in superb local restaurants.On our first two days riding, we covered a variety of trails in marvelous weather conditions. The scenery (when we could look) was great, and much more lush than on our previous visit.

We rested on the third day, and Dave joined us for a tour in the car of the picturesque towns in the area. It was really interesting and a relaxing alternative to the bikes.

Our last outing on the fourth day took us over the border ridge and into Spain. The tracks were the most challenging of the trip, but we were generally prepared after the first two days riding. The lunch in Spain was most welcome before we headed back to Portugal.

We took more video footage of our exploits on this trip. Both Sandy and Alan had helmet cams and Dave used a video camera when he could. The result is that we have hours of video, which Sandy sifted through.

Yet again, Dawn and Dave were marvelous and friendly hosts, and the holiday was excellent (despite the odd bruise).

Another great adventure!

And as the Old Men on Bikes ride into the sunset, I hear you ask - “how long can they keep it up?”

P.S. Dave and Dawn no longer operate their holidays in Cabeco de Vide