Morzine – bike options: rent/buy/take out

I know this has been done before but I couldn’t find any recent posts on the subject.

Rode Morzine last year on my trail bike, had a great time but wrote off my forks. Replaced with Pikes.

I’m looking at my options of what to ride this year. It seems my options are:

Take trail bike again
Buy a cheapo secondhand dh bike and sell on return
Rent out there

Option 1
pros: I know the bike and enjoyed it last year
Cons: carriage cost, tyres,pads and the inevitable post big mountain holiday service

Option 2
Pros: can buy well before the trip and get everything setup beforehand with some ride time
Cons: budget wise id be looking at the bottom end of the market so I fear buying a lemon and either having a rubbish time on holiday or being well out of pocket after

Option 3
Pros: no carriage cost, no maintenance cost, less hassle
Cons: many people seem to think most rentals are “well used” . 😉

I found this place:

http://mtb-rental-morzine.fr

Specifically http://mtb-rental-morzine.fr/en/mtb-rental/2-mtb-freeride-scott-voltage-fr-720.html
Which seems like a great deal and they claim is a “new product”

Does anyone have any experience with that shop?

What would you guys do?

79 euro a day… seems expensive to me if say you go for a week?

In an ideal world option 2 would be great if you could buy a second hand bike, not have to spend money on it when it turns out to have a few problems/needs a fork service, ride it without destroying it in the alps and then sell it for minimal loss (the same or even profit) after. That would be great, but you’d be lucky if it work out so well.

Renting is an expensive option and the bike you get your hands on might not be as great as you’d hoped and there is always the fear of what it might cost if you bin it.

I always opt on spending (investing) the momey on my existing bike. There’s the cost of a fork and shock service, some tyres and being a bit overbiked most of the year… but the last point isn’t such a bad thing.

If you’ve actually got your own bike, then I can’t see why you’d rent. Option 2 could be an idea though, with a possibility of breaking even or making money, depending on what sort of bargain you can find, and how lucky you’ll be when you come to sell.

Cheap Morzine bike off Pinkbike ftw (just keep it for every holiday instead of punting it if you like it)

79 euro a day… seems expensive to me if say you go for a week?

I looked the other day and 6 days was about £275. Costing in transport ,tyres and service didn’t think this compared too badly. They’ve not got availability now for when I’m going so it’s a bit irrelevant 🙂

If you’ve actually got your own bike, then I can’t see why you’d rent.

I can see your point, but last year I ruined my forks , as did 2 other people on the trip. Previous friends visits have resulted in taco’d wheels , torn off mechs , smashed rings etc.

This is to be expected to a degree , but I’d like to avoid spending nearly as much as the holiday just fixing the bike up afterwards (which is what happened last year)

I can see your point, but last year I ruined my forks , as did 2 other people on the trip. Previous friends visits have resulted in taco’d wheels , torn off mechs , smashed rings etc.

This is to be expected to a degree , but I’d like to avoid spending nearly as much as the holiday just fixing the bike up afterwards (which is what happened last year)

Well, it’s a bike, it’s supposed to be ridden. If you ruin your forks, then they’re either shit, or you are 😉 I’m also sure you have to pay for any damage you cause to a hire bike.

Well, it’s a bike, it’s supposed to be ridden. .

I 100% agree. 100% . I ride quite a lot, and there’s always something breaking or wearing out, the bike has been in a permanent state of “not quite right” for about 6 months. Only the cranks and pedals are original and its 20months old. Anyway that’s a separate rant! 😈

If you ruin your forks, then they’re either shit, or you are

Defiantly both 🙂 forks were Suntour Epicon 140mm, damper split open and spewed its oil everywhere

My brother hired a bike last year from Torico as he flew out and was happy with the service and it saved him trashing his XC bike.
We just took or Trail/AM/Enduro bikes and had a great time.

Quite a few friends have bought cheap DH bikes just for the Alps and then realise it’s more fun on their up to date trail bikes after all

Tom KP

I’m looking at my options of what to ride this year.

How about your options of where to ride this year instead?

You’ve already been to Morzine, so why not explore one of the many other areas of the Alps where your trail bike is actually the best option? 🙂

Previous friends visits have resulted in taco’d wheels , torn off mechs , smashed rings etc.

Which the hire company would surely expect you to pay for, wouldn’t they?

I’m also sure you have to pay for any damage you cause to a hire bike.

Ah yes, beaten to it.

How about your options of where to ride this year instead?

Really enjoyed Morzine last year, and didn’t feel I even saw it all. So many great places in the alps, but with a bit a knowledge of Morzine I now have an idea of what tracks I liked so can focus on them this year.

Previous friends visits have resulted in taco’d wheels , torn off mechs , smashed rings etc.
Which the hire company would surely expect you to pay for, wouldn’t they?

I’m also sure you have to pay for any damage you cause to a hire bike.

Totally true, my logic for this was that I’m only 60kg, and not doing big jumps or anything, so the chance of damaging a DH bike/rims etc would be less than a trail bike.

I might just see if anyone I know has a DH bike for sale, which I can then test out to make sure its not shagged, but if not just take the trail bike and take the hit on wear.

All the other rental shops I can find are much more expensive than the http://mtb-rental-morzine.fr one, so I think renting is out of the equation.

Quite a few friends have bought cheap DH bikes just for the Alps and then realise it’s more fun on their up to date trail bikes after all

Yeah I’m thinking this. My trail bike is decent spec, and the DH bike I’d be looking at buying would be 7-8 years old and likely ‘well used’. Plus there seems to be a lot of 26″ DH bikes on Pinkbike which have been for sale for months, I really don’t want to be stuck with a bike I only use 6 days a year.

I think it depends on what you want to ride when you get out there. If its just hammering the DH runs then get a beater DH bike off pinkbike and sell it or keep it. There are a few interesting options for around £5-600. If you want to trail ride as well then take your own bike.

I bought a cheap but decent DH bike to use out in the alps etc but I like using it in the UK too so it kind of makes sense for me. Plus when I do go to the alps its to ride the DH runs as I am not so concerned with getting the miles in on the other trails.

I have done Morzine twice once on a trail bike and once on a freeride/DH bike. I much preferred the latter. I would rather take my own bike than rent when I was out there.

They found that a modern trail bike (150-160 travel) with up to date suspension, decent components and modern geometry out performed older DH bikes with older suspension and components. It also means you can pedal a bit further and hit up places like Morgins which can be a bit of a slog on a DH bike.

I reckon if you’re going to taco a wheel, your just as likely to trash one on a hire bike ad on your own and you won’t ave to pay extortionate alpine prices to get yours fixed. It’s a seller’s market out there, they know that the only other option is to not ride and ruin your holiday so they can charge what they like. Also I was chatting to one of the French owners (the littl shop in Morzine Town Centre that always sells TLD and hires Morewoods near Super Morzine) and we were chatting about their trade prices vs Super Star and CRC, etc and he’d make more profit buying SS brake pads at retail full retail price than buying Shimano at trade (I spent ages having a nose through his supplier catalogs) as they have to buy such a variety and in relatively small numbers.

I took both my new canyon torque and my carbon nomad over there last year, used the torque one day and the nomad for the rest of it – so much more fun on a trail bike than a full on DH bike. Take the highest spec bike you can over there and ride that – don’t bother renting

Option 1 if you like your bike and drive there. No extra carriage cost and you can take as much spares and tools as you like / can fit in the car. Better if there’s more than one of you to split the petrol and tolls.

Thing with rentals is they’ll be well used indeed, and not really set up how you like it. Though could turn out a better bike than what you’ve got. If your bike is just perfect for you though, then take it.

Post ride maintenance, just have to deal with it. Shouldn’t be much worse than post weekend of UK riding. Brake pads and some cleaning. Steer clear of the publically available jet washes, or those with taps turn the tap lever to a lower pressure and try to avoid hosing the bearings too much & wipe dry.

One year mine did need everything doing, but the stuff needed doing anyway and the trip out there finished it off. If something may need servicing soon but okay to ride, leave it and service after is the way I do it.

Don’t rent for a full week. My other half did and it cost her about £500.
Buy a 2nd hand DH bike for £500-£750. and either sell it there or bring it back and sell it.

In terms of rental places, I can recommend Torico and the Alpine place (red signage). Both UK run and the better bikes out there. I found that with the French run shops, their bikes had had a hard life and were pretty badly beat up.

Alternatively, beef up your trail bike with bigger brake rotors, dual ply tyres, short stem, wide bars, fit chain guide and increase the travel of your pikes with a replacement air cartridge (£30).

What’s your trail bike OP?

Does it match the riding you want to do in t’Alps?

What’s your trail bike OP?

Giant Trance 4 (140mm), but every component bar the pedals and crank has been upgraded. 😆 150mm Pikes and Monarch+.

Only 2 of us in the group last time had trail bikes, everyone else was on DH bikes. I didn’t feel underbiked and had a great time. Its more just that the wear and tear on the bike was pretty high (hence why everything has been upgraded) and it ended up costing me nearly as much as the holiday to get it sorted. Sure, I could of sorted it for WAY cheaper as I used it as an opportunity to upgrade.

My bike wasn’t the only one to take a beating, only 1 bike in the group came out unscathed (which ironically was the 130mm trail bike!)

If Torico are good, a 4th option is to do the first few days on the trail bike, then last few on a rented bike…….

In terms of rental places, I can recommend Torico and the Alpine place (red signage).

Is this the place?

Homepage

Torico have already been booked out of DH bikes for when I’m going. 😕

I’d only get a temporary dh bike if you’re already familiar with DH bikes- they ride very differently to a trail bike, and do take quite a while to get used to the different riding style, and to start to actually enjoy it.

Not sure why ‘wear and tear’ should be so expensive on your trail bike? I took my trek remedy to the alps twice last year, and only needed to change pads (once per week I think). OK, and a new rim from a big crash, which I laced myself. A super tacky minion front tyre still had plenty of life left too. I’m not a heavy rider but don’t treat the bike lightly and had some pretty hard road gap casings on it.

For the cost of renting out there, you could take your own bike, ride it to death, upgrade everything and bring it back with lots of upgrades!

I’d say take the trail bike 🙂

Is it possible that you wrecked the cheap kit that came on your bike and you’ve now upgraded with more durable stuff?

If you’re wrecking decent quality wheels and forks on a trail bike then a secondhand freeride bike might be a better option TBH.

Kiksy – that’s the place. Nice folk in there. Torrico might be booked out but they quite often have a bike free for a day or two but you need to be there the day before to find out.

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Alternatively, beef up your trail bike with bigger brake rotors, dual ply tyres, short stem, wide bars, fit chain guide and increase the travel of your pikes with a replacement air cartridge (£30)

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Is it possible that you wrecked the cheap kit that came on your bike and you’ve now upgraded with more durable stuff?

you broke some cheap budget forks (sell for far less than the cost of a weeks bike hire) and replaced them with far better more expensive forks, so you can’t think of the Pikes as the cost of repair- you upgraded.

I went 8 years on the trot and always took my trail bike (had 3 different bikes over that time), but usually with heftier tyres and bigger rotors.

I’d drive down and take my own bike and all the spares I can lay my hands on. Or even buy some off CRC and leave in their packaging. Anything I didn’t use I’d send back when I got home.

If driving take a spare set of wheels, plenty of pads, rear mech(s), hanger(s) and the tools to fit.

Spare rear shock too if you have one.

😀 Last time I rode Morzine and Les Gets, I used a single speed hardtail with 150mm Marzocchis; not much to break at all, apart from myself. It was still good fun; especially overtaking the body-armoured-up mincers with downhill bikes on the Pleney 😉

Option 1 for me, because

In the Winter I’m lucky if I get 4 hours a week on my bike, In Summer maybe 7 (weekend ride and one evening) due to work/family commitments, a week in the Alps I’ll probably ride that a day, it’s lots of fun, but it’s also lots of progression and confidence building = speed for me – I’ll lose more of than when I get home if I don’t use my usual bike.

I’ve also considered buying a cheap DH bike and selling it again when I get home, but when I first started going to Morzine you could always find a rough looking A-Line, Big Hit or the like for £500-£700, they weren’t the best bikes in the world, but because of the sheer amount of travel the frames had and the massive 2.5/2.7 tyres you could wang on them meant they were fast and fun on steep stuff, but nowadays big trail bikes are so good they’re quicker than cheap DH bikes and weigh a lot less so it’s less tiring to ride. Not to mention I’m much fussier about maintenance now, I’d end up spending a fortune on making it all work well and never get that money back, might as well spend it on my bike or rent one.

Rental bikes in Morzine tend to be A) very expensive B) a complete wreck C} both.

Not to mention I’m much fussier about maintenance now, I’d end up spending a fortune on making it all work well and never get that money back, might as well spend it on my bike or rent one.

This is exactly my fear with buying one!

Or even buy some off CRC and leave in their packaging. Anything I didn’t use I’d send back when I got home.

This is an excellent plan!!! 😀

I used a single speed hardtail with 150mm Marzocchis; not much to break at all, apart from myself. It was still good fun; especially overtaking the body-armoured-up mincers with downhill bikes on the Pleney

*swoon*

I guess it depends on the type of riding you will be doing but for trail riding I would go with Option 1 and take your own bike with the new pikes on.

I went to the Alps with the White Room last summer and hadn’t been for 10 years before that so was a bit out of touch. There are loads of threads on here about what to take, spares, pads, tyre choice etc. In the end I took my own bike and a few inexpensive spares, (spokes, mech hanger, brake pads and the like) and rather than buying dual ply minions (like nearly everyone suggest) I put on some HRIIs with exo walls and normal tubes. I figured that when I got back home I would use the HRIIs again but would never use the heavier Minions for general trail riding so they were a waste of money.

The riding with the White Room was superb, pretty demanding at times and pretty full on! During the week I only replaced one pair of brake pads, (Im 15 stone) and that was it. Bike (with pikes) performed flawlessly and didnt need any more work or service when I got back. Apart from a couple of burped tyres I dont think anyone in our group had any mechanical issues and unless you are unlucky you should be ok with a few cheap spares.

IMO of course.

Thanks for all the replies!

Reckon I’ll do as suggested and just take my bike and maybe rent a day or 2 if I fancy it.

Seems maybe our group just got unlucky with breakages! 🙂

(I’m also a cack handed muppet with zero mechanical sympathy it seems! )

Apart from a couple of burped tyres I dont think anyone in our group had any mechanical issues

We had 3 sets of forks die (2 DH, 1 trail) , 1 shock, 2 tyres shredded (single ply), 2 mechs torn off, a bash guard cracked and a broken chain guide. Went through some pads but that’s expected, especially as it was so hot and dry this year.

Thanks again for the advice.