Three questions in an attempt to avoid certain death

1. Everyone suggests 2.5 dual ply tires, but which ones exactly please?

2. Would you risk carbon rims in the alps?

3. Do I need MTB shin pads?

What sort of riding are you planning? Anything dramatically different from what you normally do?

I just use what I use in the peaks. It’s no harder, just longer.

I’d say yes to the shin pads , I had a load of stone/rock strikes from all the loose stuff flying up .

Not sure what to expect if I am honest as its my first alps trip.

I have been riding at forest of dean and bike park wales using the uplifts. I have a 140mm bike with some of the new 150mm pikes, which gets me down those places happily enough, although I am not yet confident doing big jumps or big drops yet.

I have signed up to MCF lessons every day so that my riding improves. I would like to get to the point where I can do say 4-5ft drops and some reasonable size jumps.

Id have shin pads, possibly knee and shin. Tyre wise unless you are actually climbing go for something heavy duty. Dirty Dans or Hans Dampfs are tough but not exactly light. For the alps go heavy tyres with lots of protection and heavy tubes.

Carbon rims may be interesting, I wouldnt suppose they would be a major problem unless you plan hitting big jumps or you are a rough rider. At the same time with some of the rocky gravelly routes you will be getting lots of stone chips and scratchs on your rims.

1: I’m a big fan of Maxxis tyres for DH, they’re cheap(ish) and just work, would go for a minion dhf up front and a high roller out back, 60a compound if you want to use them again super tacky if you are happy with them only lasting for the holiday.
2: as long as they aren’t super lightweight and really narrow then yes
3: I’m assuming you will be using knee pads, shin pads can be a good idea as they save a lot of pain, better to get all in one shin and knee pads though as they stay put better. But they are hot if your wearing them all day.

Also, make sure you get out of the resort, the red run into Morzine only takes twenty min or so and opens up a load more riding. And the Mont Chery of Les Gets is awesome.

If you are riding the DH tracks you need dual ply, preferably 2.5. Check the weather and take some spikes if it’s wet and it’s looking a bit damp over the next 2 weeks. Putting on some Dirty Dans tomorrow iT was getting a bit wild today. Mean braking bumps and a lot of rocks getting exposed.

Braking bumps you wish. Total slopfest.

Dual ply is worth it, I have High Roller 2.3’s which are a popular choice. You could put a 2.5 on the front and a smaller on the rear. Would suggest you buy tougher inner tubes too.

Shin and knee pads are a good idea, the ground is generally hard and rocky and you get a few stones thrown up too.

Smart move on the lessons and they’ll probably show you some off the beaten track trails. Have fun.

Its my first time at morzine next week.
I have been spending money for it left right and centre but beginning to think i am going overboard!
upgrading all my pads, getting chest and back protectors and what not.

Im planning on doing some of the downhill, like I said its my first time though so I am not sure on the standard or how I match up. I am not too great with big kickers and have only really done maybe 4ft drops?
Any particular routes i should look at? (I won’t be going higher than red)

OK I haven’t actually ridden in Morzine

But I did go up on the cable car for a walk with the family

You’ll be fine. A few simple observations from my trip. I was with my 16 year old son and we were trying to work out if could come back biking. We are way more XC than you

1. There are lots of bike shops. If you arrive with the wrong tyres or cut up the ones on your bike by some new tyres

2. Jumps and drops are clearly marked and all the ones we saw had chicken runs

3. There were kids having go on hard tails. You an always walk down a bit you don’t fancy

Its just like home but longer

Genuine UST tyres have got pretty thick sidewalls too if you’re not purely riding DH.

Make sure your knee/shins are removable with shoes on if you’re planning to do any climbing. Make sure you can ride with them strapped to your bag too.

Carbon rims? Chances are they’ll be fine. Going by what you’ve said about your bike and riding style, if you’re happy riding them in the Lakes then they’ll be fine in the Alps.

If you’re going to Morzine, get off the main ‘DH’ runs too. You’re bike will be a little undergunned and there’s plenty of more suitable / fun riding outside the busy main ‘park’ areas.

Any particular routes i should look at? (I won’t be going higher than red)

Trail grading over there is bizarre so don’t focus on only riding certain “colours”. My first trip out there back in 2011 we only rode greens or blues for the first few days around Morzine and Les Gets but we struggled on them. Once we tried the reds and more they were actually easier. The easier trails were actually just unmaintained fire roads and the like. Also the main Pleney run was moved from red to black last year, but in reality it’s no harder than a trail centre red. My missus managed it easily and it was only her second day on a downhill bike.

On the flip side, trails like Serpentine over in Chatel, whilst not technical, are pretty steep and very, very fast and is harder than the green rating they’ve assigned it.

Don’t go on the new airline track as les gets – check it out on youtube.

Go for Highrollers super tacky dual ply, run at less pressure than you normally do.

Dont ride anything fast steep at the end of the day when tired , best time to crash.

I allways use knee pads,

The only difference for me between riding in the UK and riding in the Alps is that lifts give me The Fear. No matter what the trail is actually like, getting off a lift at the top of a massive mountain makes my stomach drop and it takes me a while to settle myself and convince myself I’m not way out of my depth.

I’ve always found that extra armour (that I wouldn’t wear in the UK) actually makes this worse, not better. In particular, a full-face helment scares me witless.

🙂

@cowley – you’ll be fine and spending money on body protection is a good idea, I assume you have knee/shin pads too. As above grading can be all over the place. I find the reds and blacks around Les Gets excellent (and I’m a fully signed up mincer !). The Black Canyon is worth searching out and not so hard, ditto the Black danz la gaz under the less used Mont Chery lift on opposite side of town. The 4x track is good too. Generally you can control your speed and needn’t hit the big kickers and most drops have a chicken run. Do take care on anything North Shore as it can start sensible and finish with a massive drop so look first. The blues in Chatel Bike park are fun, nice and fast & flowy. There is a lot of “off piste” too away from the marked vtt trails if you search it out.

I’ve been to les gets and morzine and there is nothing I couldn’t get down, albeit slowly, and I’m rubbish.

I think the danger starts when you pick up a bit of speed, especially on some of the more fire roadie type stuff which are alot longer and steeper then in the UK, but not massively technical. I always get caught out when I’m hammering down and suddenly the wide fireroad turns into narrow ruts. Nasty…

Am off to the area around Alpe d’Huez for a week as of Friday, with a bunch of regular and semi-regular riding buddies.

What can I expect of the riding around there, ye battle-scarred veterans of the Alps?

Just use what you’ve got but stick some heavy duty tubes in, as repairing pinch flats is annoying and you may be going a little quicker in some places. The alps are not some mythical place where equipment fails and most people are not going to morph into uber riders in a week so they break all their gear.

Shinpads yes as rocks get thrown up and they hurt when they hit your shins but that’s true of anywhere rocky I suppose.

Otherwise don’t change the set up you’re used to and comfy with as I reckon that’ll be worse. Sounds like you’re relatively new to all this so just take it sensible and enjoy downhills an hour long.

I’ve just come back and would recommend the following

Pads. Knee and elbow.
Full face, can get away without one but if you come off it’s gonna hurt
Brake pads
Good fitting gloves to save blisters
Tyres. I ran purgatorys and were fine. Bit depends upon riding style

O and the braking bumps are horrendous

1. Minions
2. No
3. Yes

Are any of you guys going to be in morzine 27th July – 7th August?

We’ll be there 2-9 august …

@moniex – have you been before, we would love to ride some trails and make some new friends

Hillbillys (like a cut spike, so still good when it dries up)
I wouldn’t (rock damage)
Knees min, shins too if you can

@ cowley33 –

we have been a few times before, but always as a family holiday so we did not ride everyday and we also ride with the kids. More than happy to meet up, we also have my mum and sister staying who don’t ride and can look after our boys (age 11 and 13).

Feel free to email me, email is in my profile.

Simone