anybody tried the mega on a hardtail?
I am planing to enter next years event and have decided against buying a bike for it. I ride a 456 with revelations and think it would be OK for most of it. the other option I have is an old trailstar lt with a bomber 55 ( which I may convert to coil spring instead of the inconsistent air set up it has at the moment)set at 160mm the head angle is slack as hell and I think the extra weight of this setup could be a bonus on the rocky bits. What do you think ?

nope but look at this[url=http://www.youtube.com/user/shwampy#p/a/u/0/QIVm8VtiV6c] ( or full version)[/url] to get a better idea if you think it’s doable. Can’t say the first few mins look much fun negotiating the crowds and that’s just the qualifier! Not as lumpy as I was expecting but with quite a bit of getting on and off.

There are many people who have ridden the mega and will continue to ride the Mega on hardtails. Granted you wont be as quick as some of the other riders, but you have just as much fun

I’d agree with Shindiggy. Not my bag doing it on a HT, but if you’re used to it then don’t see it being an issue, it’s not really a hugely technical track.

was a proto dialled alpine not ridden by someone from dirt for a mega article?

It was, I think it was something like 2007?

Bill Thackray.

One of my friends is doing it on a hardtail. Got his cast off from a broken wrist end of last week. Still got a couple of little pins in, but he reckons he’ll be fine.

Yeah why not, I wouldn’t do it myself, but then I wouldn’t ride a hardtail on any trail. You’ll have a blast, the mega is great.

If you are not used to riding dh tracks on your hardtail, no. The fatigue you’ll suffer will make it extremely unenjoyable. I’ve ridden the qualifer track (rougher of the two) on a 4″ forked jump bike and it was ok however I’m used to years of riding UK dh tracks in the wet on hardtails. I wouldn’t want to race it on a hardtail.

On that vid it looks like they changed the route so the first bit is all on fire road – when I did it after the fire road switchbacks there was a rocky section.

I’m sure it’s doable – not sure how much fun it would be. As above, it’s mainly about the fatigue, not that any bits would be unrideable.

I imagine your chances of pinch flatting would be pretty high too.

I’ve watched loads of videos on Mega, therefore I’m an expert.

The real question should be “What tyres for riding over fallen riders”

🙂

Friend of mine rode it on his hardtail last year. DMR Trailstar with Fox 36s up front, but then he’s a super smooth rider. I couldn’t keep up with him on my Enduro.

Heh, that’s my vid in post 2!

yup, perfectly doable on a hardtail, this will be my third year on one. As other have said fitness is a must. Spending over an hour and a half on hardtail on rough terrain is tough on the back.

Also popular rumour has that the Quali course will change this year. Will be faster and more ‘downhill’ apparently.

Mega Avalanche just look so bonkers – like a really bad cat 4 road race meets rushhour at Oxford Circus tube going downhill in the high Alps. 😆

Trailstar with longer than 125-130mm forks isn’t too good in my experience. Raises the bb quite a bit – even going up to 140mm on mine can be a bit dodgy.

Have ridden the Qualifier track on my BFe. Lots of fun, and I reckon the glacier at the top of the main run would be hilarious. I remember seeing the Howies guys doing it on hardtails and they were SOOOOOO fast down the snow.

I absolutely wouldn’t want to *race* on a hardtail though. That would simply be brutal – take all the fun out of it – unless of course you’re an absolute fitness monster with forearms of steel and kidneys of granite and enjoy punishing yourself.

Did it 14 years ago on an Orange fully rigid no flex stem it was errrr fun i think.

Whatever you ride you’ll still be quicker than the Germans. The majority of them don’t seem to like taking their super bling 6″+ AM bikes over rocks. Weird.

http://dirt.mpora.com/news/dialled-bikes.html

Robbie Rickman from Cotic has done it too. His write up here –

http://robbierickman.blogspot.com/search/label/Megavalanche

its doable. do it.

I did the Mega on my Evil Sovereign with 140mm forks last year – perfectly doable, just hard work on legs.

I’d had a week in Morzine followed by the week’s run up to the Mega to get fit/competent and didn’t have any trouble. Main recommendation would be the biggest DH tyres you can fit on your bike to avoid pinch flats and take some of the sting out.

Duration is the main issue, so if you’re fit enough to descend flat out for an hour and a half, you’ll have no trouble. Definitely worth the slight discomfort for bragging rights over the friends on 160mm bikes who you beat.