Montana

Montana Women’s Gravel – Luxury Ranch

All Women's Gravel in Montana + The Dusty Bandita Race
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  • From $4285
  • Location Ovando, MT
  • Duration 6 Days / 5 Nights
  • Rider Level 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

All Women's Gravel Camp + The Dusty Bandita

We are excited to offer an all-woman’s gravel trip! Ready for an epic backcountry gravel adventure? Join us in Montana, where we’ll show you our favorite routes based on 20 years of pedaling around Big Sky Country. Our home base for the week is the Cliff Ranch in Ovando, just 1 Hour from downtown Missoula. We’ll ride on primarily smooth, double-track dirt roads searching for that famous champagne gravel. We’ll plunge down fun mountain descents and muscle up challenging climbs along the way. This camp includes riding sections of the Great Divide, an over-3,000-mile route that stretches from Canada to Mexico. Expect stunning scenery, quiet roads and wonderful riding conditions. To top it all off, a Cycling House chef will prepare you a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner. The trip will finish with The Dusty Bandita All Women’s gravel race in Ovando, Montana on Saturday, June 1.

Highlights

  • Five days of guided, supported gravel rides in Montana’s backcountry.
  • One day of all women’s gravel at The Dusty Bandita race
  • Accommodations at the charming 3,500-acre Cliff Ranch on the edge of the Blackfoot River.
  • Chef-prepared daily meals featuring local Montana produce 
  • Variety of off-pavement routes, including rides on the Great Divide bike route
  • Idyllic riding conditions on quiet, scenic roads

Food

We prepare delicious meals specifically for endurance athletes, emphasizing lean proteins, leafy greens, root veggies, and plenty of flavorful side dishes. We work directly with the local community to source regional ingredients whenever possible, which our chefs use to create diverse, interesting dishes inspired from around the world. You can count on us to care for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We are sure to accommodate all dietary preferences and restrictions.

Accommodations

Nestled in the heart of the Blackfoot River Valley just 1 hour away from Missoula, the historic Cliff Ranch is the home base for our adventure on two wheels. Enjoy waking up to the picturesque mountain and forest views as we take off on our daily rides.

ITINERARIES

Day 1

Welcome to Montana - Arrival Day

Guests will arrive in Missoula, and our staff will do Missoula Airport (MSO) and hotel pickups. After you register, we will email a list of suggested hotels for guests planning to arrive early. Please email us your arrival/departure plans, including flight numbers.

Everyone will have time to settle into the house and enjoy our first chef-prepared meal.

After lunch, our mechanics will work on building guest bikes or fitting people to their rentals. We will depart for an afternoon shakeout spin once all the bikes are ready, and all the guests have arrived.

Today’s Ride: Arrival Spin

22 miles & 1,100′

Day 2

Nevada Ogden Mountain

Today we have a beautiful point-to-point ride through the Nevada Ogden Valley towards Helmville. The climb up Nevada Ogden Mountain is well worth it; we are rewarded with a fun and fast final descent. We finish up with a picnic lunch on the Blackfoot River before shuttling home.  

Today’s Ride: Nevada Ogden Mountain

41 miles & 2,800′

Day 3

Ride the Divide

We start the morning with a 45-minute shuttle to Seeley Lake. The ride traverses the Seeley Swan Valley on the Great Divide bike route, offering spectacular views of the Mission and Swan Mountains. Many Great Divide riders call this the most scenic portion of their 2,600-mile journey from Canada to Mexico.

We will have an optional 7 miles of single-track along the Swan Crest Trail. All the options offer spectacular views on some of Montana’s finest backroads.

Today’s Ride: Ride the Divide

28-70 miles & 2,300-5,100′

Day 4

Big Sky Country Loop

We start our morning with a short 20-minute shuttle to Ovando.  The ride will take us into the Blackfoot Valley and meander on beautiful gravel roads with views that make you realize why they call it Big Sky Country.

Today’s Ride: Big Sky Country Loop

32-42 miles & 500-1,300′

Day 5

The Dusty Bandita

The trip will finish with The Dusty Bandita All-Women’s gravel race in Ovando, Montana. The race fee is included in the price of the journey and it’s an incredible event! You won’t be disappointed with either course and the race support, vibe and overall atmosphere of this event is something to be experienced.

Today’s Ride: The Dusty Bandita

  • 45 miles & 3,000′
  • 85 miles & 5,500′
Day 6

Adiós - Departure Day

Shuttles will run to the Missoula airport all morning, with the last shuttle leaving at 11 a.m. Please email us your departure times.

For those who don’t depart early, you are welcome to go on an optional self-guided ride on a nearby route.

Today’s Plan: Departure Day

Checkout by 11 a.m.

DATES & PRICES

DETAILS

What’s Included

  • 5 nights/6 days accommodations
  • FREE Entry into The Dusty Bandita All Women’s gravel ride
  • Transfers to/from Missoula, MT
  • Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
  • Bike build and breakdown
  • Professional cycling guides
  • Vehicle sag support
  • Ride nutrition products
  • Tools available to use
  • High-quality ride photos

What’s Not Included

  • Airfare
  • Single occupancy rate
  • Bike rentals
  • Café stops
  • Gratuity for guides
  • Personal shopping

Optional Activities

  • Core/stretching sessions
  • Trail runs or hikes
  • Fly Fishing +$
  • Swimming in the rivers and lakes
  • Horseback Riding +$

Questions?

Have more questions? View our FAQ page or call us at 406-312-5770.
SEE ALL FAQs

BIKE OPTIONS

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Rent A Bike

Traveling through the airport with a bike—and paying for it to fly—is not everyone’s idea of a fun way to start a vacation. Fortunately, we offer high-quality, full carbon bikes on all of our trips across the United States and Europe. Want to just show up and ride? Just bring your shoes, pedals, helmet, and saddle (if you want), and rent one of ours.

Available this trip:
Cervelo Aspero 2021-Tucson Rental Bike
Cervelo Aspero Road/Gravel Bike
Manufacturer: Cervelo
Type: Gravel Bike
Cost: $350 / trip
Specialized Vado SL 4.0 E-Bike
Manufacturer: Specialized
Type: Gravel Bike
Cost: $350 / trip
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Bring Your Own

Your bike is yours—we get it. Bringing your own bike has obvious advantages in terms of individual comfort. Before your trip, we suggest getting a tune-up at your local bike shop so it’s ready to roll for your week of riding. Once you arrive, we’ll be sure to have our mechanics build it and help with any necessary tweaks. Check out some helpful resources here:

Shipping your bike

Flying with your bike.

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Skip The Bike

If you or your travel partner want to enjoy the trip and explore a new destination without a bike, drop us a line and we’ll discuss options. Some trips are better suited for non-rider participants than others.

TRIP TEAM

GUEST REVIEWS

Share your trip experience with others by leaving a review.

LEAVE A REVIEW
Allison A., New York, NY
June 13, 2024
It was the best vacation I’ve ever taken. Between the great riding, the amazing other women on the trip, and the stunning scenery of Montana it was the perfect week away. I can’t wait to do another Cycling House trip. Dusty Bandita was the perfect way to end trip. It was a great race and beautiful route.
Susan B., Helena, MT
June 13, 2024
The Cliff Ranch was spectacular! Can't say enough about how great the TCH staff are!!! Hannah, Aimee, and Linsey went above and beyond, providing comfort, care and love for everyone... the ultimate customer service without treating us like customers. They were truly invested in ensuring everyone was comfortable and content, as if they were hosting new friends to their home. I'm completely sold on your business model (staying in a single location, on-site chef, amazing bike routes, superior service). Having ridden with other cycling companies, my Cycling House experiences have been by far the best experiences!
Show All Reviews
Allison A., New York, NY
June 13, 2024
It was the best vacation I’ve ever taken. Between the great riding, the amazing other women on the trip, and the stunning scenery of Montana it was the perfect week away. I can’t wait to do another Cycling House trip. Dusty Bandita was the perfect way to end trip. It was a great race and beautiful route.
Susan B., Helena, MT
June 13, 2024
The Cliff Ranch was spectacular! Can't say enough about how great the TCH staff are!!! Hannah, Aimee, and Linsey went above and beyond, providing comfort, care and love for everyone... the ultimate customer service without treating us like customers. They were truly invested in ensuring everyone was comfortable and content, as if they were hosting new friends to their home. I'm completely sold on your business model (staying in a single location, on-site chef, amazing bike routes, superior service). Having ridden with other cycling companies, my Cycling House experiences have been by far the best experiences!