So You Wanna… Try Quad Biking

Ian and Lorna Shaw have lived in Tenerife for four years; they have been married for seven years. They own the Quad Bike Park in Arona and work with Paul as guide and mechanic and Andrea who does all of the public Relations. Ian and Lorna came to Tenerife for the weather and an easier way of life, which they are both still waiting for!!

“A Unique Experience – Family Fun”.

Ok, so it is a well known fact on all of the islands, that driving on our roads is a bit… well you take your life into your own hand!. The Highway Code does exist here, but not in any way, shape or form that the Department of Transport in the U.K. would recognize, as for negotiating roundabouts, don’t get me started!!! So, I gathered up 6 far too over excited residents and holiday makers to give them a chance to drive Spanish style, but legally!!

The Quad Park covers about 50 acres of land and is the only place where you can ride off road on the Island. It is suitable for everyone as you don’t even need a licence and will provide hours of safe fun for families or groups. Mind you, for all those Stag Parties out there, you are supervised at every point. Sorry guys! As Ian says, “People come here time after time from all over the world including America, Iceland and Russia, so we must be doing something right. We do corporate events all the time and if the group is too big to send out all at once, we split them up and they can have a go at rifle shooting as well as biking. We do a really good BBQ as well! We work closely with Team Factory arranging days out for large groups”.

Steve, April, Gabi, Kim and Katie are all residents and all except Gabi drive here, more of which later. Tanya and Chris are both here on holiday, and keen to try something other than chilling out on a beach.

The Quad Park is up in the hills and should be able to offer spectacular views, but the amount of dust generated by 6 over enthusiastic drivers and two ‘minders’, made appreciation of anything other than your own hands, impossible.

Before being let loose on their automatic 260 and 300cc monsters, our intrepid explorers had to undergo strict safety training, a talk on what not to do, no overtaking, bumping or jumping. Everything Gabi wanted to do!

So, after signing a safety waiver and donning their helmets, they were all ready to take on the world. It has to be said that Tanya looked more than a little wary as did April, but like the brave little troopers they are, off they trotted to meet their nemesis!

Initially all drivers are taken off for a warm up over gently rolling tracks like so many baby ducks, to give you a chance to work out where everything is on your bike. Then, after your initiation, all hell breaks loose; speed is of the essence and grinning manically all accelerated with a vengeance. Watch out if you are last in your group, you WILL be covered in dust, or mud, depending on the weather. Not that you will be cleaner than a really clean thing if you are placed anywhere else for that matter.

The tracks consist of tracks, hills and, bizarrely, a row of barrels which you will, hopefully, drive over. I should point out here that girls, for heavens sake wear a decent bra and t-shirt, unfortunately, one girl from Linekers Bar, didn’t and treated her team mates to ten minutes of topless riding. Of course no-one told here, least of all Paul, bad, bad man as they were enjoying the view too much!!! You have been warned.

Although our tour took about 35 minutes, there are longer tours available and if you really enjoyed your time and want more, extensions are available.By the time our explorers returned they were grinning from ear to ear and dying to go out again! “Absolutely brilliant” was Aprils’ comment, “Wouldn’t want to do it with piles! It is much easier if you ride standing up” from Steve and Kim thought it was the dogs dangly bits!!!! Gabi thought is was really good but wanted to go faster. Which was worrying, he drives a small moped which sounds like a motorized hairdryer! As our team was deemed to be of mixed ability and nerves their trip was fairly slow, but as each excursion is tailored to fit its participants the speed your time out could be far speedier. Even Tanya, who was a bit nervous beforehand, thought it was great although she warned that “if you have sunburn on your nether regions, it might be an idea to give it a miss! It was being afraid of the unknown, not knowing what to expect, but once you get going it is really easy. “A fantastic adrenalin rush” was Chris’s comment.

Katie, who bowed out of driving as she had a bad back, which miraculously disappeared when, offered a ride by Ian. She was riding pillion with the best of them and was delighted to be told to hold on to whatever she liked. Huge smiles all round! “It’s like riding a Banana Boat; you have to grip with your thighs! But it is a wonderful way of seeing the scenery, through the dust”!

Quad biking is available to everyone no matter what their ability. Indeed even if you are disabled but have good upper body strength, there is no reason why you can’have a go. Having said that, it would be wise to let the staff know what exactly your capabilities are. A recent visitor to the park turned out to be brain damaged and refused to relinquish his bike. The spark plug had to be removed while he was still riding to make him stop!!!

At the end of your tour you will be given the opportunity to buy a picture of you while you were out and about, with a diploma to state you have completed the course, all of this for a fantastic €5. Be warned though, if you do not buy your picture and you look pretty good in your t-shirt, your picky may well end up in the hall of fame placed out of public eye in the garage. Most of the pictures feature girls. Strange that!.

So, all in all it was a very successful day out all of our explorers said they would go back. You will go home filthy dirty and absolutely starving but at least you can say you have driven in Tenerife. And survived!!!

35 mins