...should I fear for my life and limbs!?
Bike Forum
Les Arcs this weekend and it's looking wet...
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Posted 10 months ago #
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I actually find it can be more grippy there in the wet. The steepness usually drains it pretty quickly.
Posted 10 months ago # -
Dry here at the moment, wet the last few days but the trails are absolutely fine. So long as the lifts stay open i.e. no thunderstorms, you should be good.
Posted 10 months ago # -
I'm off too! (mountain bike chalet) who are you going with?
Posted 10 months ago # -
Query - when it's wet in the Alps, what do you do? Stay in? I usually find it quite $hit in the rain, frankly. I don't mind riding Surrey Hills in the rain but the Alps, well that's different. It's so miserable when there's no visibility (though there is nothing as gnarly as a ridge descent in the mist, actually...). 99% of the reason I ride there is the views.
Chamonix might be different as it's so rocky that it doesn't get that muddy. We'll be doing tree runs in Les Houches on Sunday I think - might be a bit boggy at that end of the valley in which case we'll just spend all day eating cheese & sausage in town. One of our number will have spunked 60 euros on a hire bike for the day though so we're obliged to stay out all day really...but it's shit in the rain.
Posted 10 months ago # -
Me too ! Trail addiction eagles nest - on one 456 ss with z150s
Posted 10 months ago # -
One of our riding group has a place in 1950 so 7 of us are heading out there early in the morning and flying back Tuesday evening. Bike packed up last night with super tacky DH tyres so should find grip if there is some I hope!
Can't wait - first time I've MTB'ed outside of the UK and on chairlifts!
Posted 10 months ago # -
Sweet! You'll like it!
Posted 10 months ago # -
I just got back from there the rain is fine, it pissed down every night but was sunny in the days and drained really well, we had an amazing hailstorm one night too, like conkers they were.
From experience, take a couple of sets of pads and don't use a 165mm disc on the back it's not enough especially if you're big!
If you aren't being guided, I've a few trails I can point you toward. If there is thunder they shut the higher lifts by the way.
Also have a go on the airbag in 1600 hilarious! !
Posted 10 months ago # -
Col de Cou in the mist last year
Fun, yeah, but this is how it f***ing should have been
gah!
Posted 10 months ago # -
I currently have bat wing michelin wildgrippers on (hello the 1990: called for their tires please) just chucked in a comp 16 and a tioga white tiger - the mrs has a white tiger out front and a quite worn comp 24 out back
It will be fun - i have a set of mud mads too but they are shite on rocks
so they can stay at home ! Everythin else in my collection is either sub 500 gram xc race tires or 29er - except the surly larry an endo
Joolsburger - hope i get away with 180/160 minis - although used to do annoch mor sda races on 165 c2 front and rear
Posted 10 months ago # -
We're base in Peisey-Nancroix which i'm told is fairly quiet
Went to morzine last year and was pretty underwhelmed (i know, i know probably didn't see the whole area) but not a fan of motorway runs so les arcs should be interesting
Posted 10 months ago # -
Les Arc pisses all over Morzine
Posted 10 months ago # -
203/185 rotors here with fresh plus spare pads and a newly fitted double and bash setup so think the bike will be fine - just need to worry about me!
Posted 10 months ago # -
Les Arc pisses all over Morzine
wkd!
Might see u guys out on the trails or in the pub
Posted 10 months ago # -
It is very quiet in Peisey that is where we stayed. It's well worth having a meal in l'ancolie restaurant which is truly excellent. Or driving up the valley a little way to the Chez Felix for food and beers.
I'm 17 stone and 185 165 was nowhere near enough as you build up some momentum there!! I was boiling water off my hubs FFS!
You'll have a great time it's just brilliant and there's so much more there than there was a few years ago when I last went.
Posted 10 months ago # -
Les Arc pisses all over Morzine
Agree. I stayed in Peisey. Liked it a lot.
The one thing the place lacks (or at least it did in 2003) is a good bike shop.
Posted 10 months ago # -
30 quid for pads in Bourg!!
Take pads! I blew a set of SS kevlars in one run. Sintered is the way to go.
Wish I was back there now. Bah.
Posted 10 months ago # -
sintered!
god it all changes round here.. "Organic the way to go.. you'll boil your brakes with sintered"
I've got 4 sets of organic
Think my mate has 160mm discs.. will he die
Posted 10 months ago # -
Yes, yes he will
I used a set of kevlars on the front for a run off the back of vallandry around 5km and at the bottom they were gone. Rear sintereds lasted the 4 days replacement sintered fronts the same. However I am a heavy bloke and frankly I was on the brakes a lot as once I'm up to speed stopping is an issue!
Did boil mine but they worked ok most of the time only lost them once, but they did get hot the rear one has gone blue!
I'm sure you'll be fine as I expct you're lighter and none of my mates had any problems.
Posted 10 months ago # -
i paid 16 for my last set here (intersport, shimano xt).
was wet yesterday and had a good ride - makes a change from all the dusty stuff we've had the past couple of months.Les Arc pisses all over Morzine
definitely.plenty of nice stuff in la plagne too, but as with the whole valley, you've just got to know where it is. the sign-posted stuff, ime/imo isn't that good...
oh, and finally, there's a lot more to the area than just Black 8 (which some people seem to ride non-stop) and the DH course...
Posted 10 months ago # -
I stand corrected. I was told they were more than that lucky I took some with.
Posted 10 months ago # -
I've used organic pads in the Alps for years. Never had any problems in any weather condition. Sintered suck IMO and IME. They overheat and squeal like hell if it's damp.
Your mate will be fine. I know a guide still on V's.
Maybe I don't drag the brakes.
Posted 10 months ago # -
All this chat is giving me itchy feet, we are heading out to trailaddiction on 23rd.
Enjoyed Morzine in the wet last year so les arcs in the (fingers crossed and don't say it too loudly) dry should be good.
Posted 10 months ago # -
Hoping its good for 17-24th September, also hope I'm ok on a hardtail with 180mm rotors! First time, so excited already.
Posted 10 months ago # -
Despite my braking woes I have to say it was as much fun as I think it's possible to have on a bike. Grinning from ear to ear most of the time!!
Posted 10 months ago # -
After watching vids - glad i build up a 160 ht just for this - a fully rigid woulda been nae fun out there !
Posted 10 months ago # -
If the trails are anything like the ones in Meribel they drain pretty quickly even after the monster thunderstorms we've had in the past week.
Intersport in Bourg should sort you out with all the spares you might need.
Posted 10 months ago # -
Wet?!?!? You pussy!
I was there early June (I know... too early, all the lifts are closed etc) and there was a foot of snow as low as Bourg one day.Actually snow wasn't the main problem on the trails - it was all the trees it brought down which made it.. erm.. interesting
Posted 10 months ago # -
Forecast improved slightly - heavy rain Snday afternoon now but dry otherwise.... getting VERY excited now!!
Posted 10 months ago # -
The weather in the Alps is very localised and almost impossible to predict. It can be pissing down with thunder and lighting in one valley and the other side of the mountain it's blazing sunshine.
You'll have a blast.
Posted 10 months ago # -
Have fun folk! I was there the week before this one with The Mountain Bike Chalet. Two tips though: don't rely on anyone on having Hope pads in the area, although XT (available locally) will work fine. XT do not come with a pin so don't lose it (like I did!). Another: if you go for a day to Tignes (which you can with TMBC) be sure to borrow one of the Canyon bikes for an afternoon.
Posted 10 months ago # -
and have a steak aux girolles in L'alpage above 1800.
Posted 10 months ago # -
This is my video of my final day in Les Arcs with Trailaddiction last year.
It had been really peeing down all night and then in the morning until about 10am when we went out.
Trails were a bit wet and sketchy for first couple of hours but dried up remarkably quickly and the riding was just as good as it had been when dry the rest of the week
Posted 10 months ago # -
god it all changes round here.. "Organic the way to go.. you'll boil your brakes with sintered"
Dry == organic, Wet == sintered IMO
Posted 10 months ago #
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