Bike Forum
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Biking in Chamonix - advice please
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Posted 2 years ago #
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ring or email tom (he is off to corsica for a week soon so be quick)at the shop
http://www.zerogchx.com/index_en.html
they will post to the uk
Posted 2 years ago # -
thanks gooner.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Zero G were always very good to us, but in the last couple of trips we found that they overhiked their rental prices. I always take a bike out there, but my mates were baulking at the fees and vowed to get a bag and take their chances with the baggage handler numpties.
If you do take a bike in a proper bike bag, make sure the bike is bubblewrapped and pipelagged. Gaffer tape the lagging on too. Make sure that you have done absolutely everything to avert any risk of damage!
All the bike shops out there charge a lot for parts. Everything was overpriced compared to here.
We had some cheap £200-£250 XC bike one year (not from Zero-G - they'd run out). The shop charged £100 for four days rental, but I had to fix the brakes and set up the gears to stop the chain derailing and jumping gears. It took a few goes to get it working just right - well i'm not used to setting up bikes properly in the middle of a ride and without a workstand etc. Then a spoke broke and they charged 30 feekin Euros to put that right. The cheek of it! It was a ski shop in Les Houches if I recall. Surly bxxtards too!
In my 30 years experience visiting France, the people there generally don't do customer service!(massive understatement). Such a shame, given all the positives of the country.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Peasnotwar, that was a very informative thread.
Gooner, il be there the same week as you, and planing on doing holy trail on friday 26th, theres probably 4 of us, 2 of us have done it a couple of times, we shall be at the top by 10.30 ish, if your not in a big group and want to come along with us your welcome. Also i get a good rate from the nice guys in zerog!Posted 2 years ago # -
Damn! I wanna go back and ride Chamonix!! It is cold and wet here, and my last ride had plenty of snow on it.
Hmmm bit futher to go from NZ... but the trails there are sooo much fun!!
Posted 2 years ago # -
The French are 10 times surlier in l'arve vallee (i.e Chamonix and outlying posts) than generally the rest of France. It's a known (by the french too) fact.
I love the Mont Blanc Massif, and the Aiguilles Rouges (i.e. the other side) for the climbing and ski touring etc. Not biked there though. But absolutely hate the circus of the valley. Typically the residents are so far up their own backsides it's laughable. And that is the expats and the natives. I accept that that is a mass generalisation though
Posted 2 years ago # -
forgotmename,
we'll take you up on that
there are 3 (maybe plus another 2 arriving wednesday night)is that 10:30 at Brevent (ie the seci=ond lift from chamonix town)
i'll be on a black heckler with yellow wheels!
Posted 2 years ago # -
I've been having an interesting "discussion" with a chap who's lived in Chamonix for the last 8 years and reckons that there is no decent riding there
!!!
What an idiot.Posted 2 years ago # -
I contacted Tom from Zero G, he very kindly let me know that you can buy his book on chainreaction cheaper than him sending it from France
Posted 2 years ago # -
Gooner, done, yep at the top, second lift, looking forward to it already. Theres probably 4 of us, hopefully including Lazy, if he makes it down from mont blanc!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Massive thanks peasnotwar! Plenty to be getting on with there. Mugsys its like any "extreme" place, there are people there to get into the hills and people there who just like the lifestyle and mincing around in bars where they know everyone.
Posted 2 years ago # -
link for Tom's book "Mountain Bike Guide - Chamonix"
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=33195
Posted 2 years ago # -
I've just ridden the les houches dhill track, just like tuesday I tried the black variants but 2 steep for my single pot brakes. it was giod. I also rode rhs of the 1st ns and then cery tight wswitchbacks, and I beared left, les aillouds, 2 finsish with loose shale stone shoots. I walked probably 100m but it still had plenty of rideable tight and sweet rocky singletrack.
Posted 2 years ago # -
They have just introduced buses that take bikes up and down the valley as the train gets a bit over subscribed
http://www.chamonet.com/whats_new_article.php?id_whats_new=4995&id_back=1
Posted 2 years ago #
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