In a quandary………. I’m booked to go to the Alps in August and I’ve booked with Easy Jet to take my Alpine 160 but I’ll need to get the forks and shock serviced, new cassette, chain, chain ring, grips, the list goes on. To be honest for general riding in the UK I tend to ride my hardtail so I wont necessarily need to spend much money on the Alpine, I’ll be doing it for precautionary measures really so the bike is in tip top condition.

Anyone been in a similar situation and hired a bike instead of taking their own bike? Looking at the pro’s and cons really.

Cheers

I hired last year, pivot Mach 6 from Torico. Was a great bike and awesome STW day out.

It’s silly expensive to hire a bike out there being the main downside, it’s the same price for a day to hire a bike than it is to take your bike on the plane for a week/ however long you’re going

Plus, if you fix your bike, then it’ll be fixed…

Don’t hire from the shop under the Plenty lift – shit bikes, try to sell unnecessary stuff. The ones on the main street much better.

Done it both ways, taking my own and hiring. Pros of hiring: you do pretty much whatever you want and take it back to the shop to fix, not worried about trashing your own bike etc.
Cons: can take a day or so to get used to new bike handling, sometimes the bikes are crap, August is towards end of season so might have been trashed already…

I think I’ve been lucky with hiring as the bikes I’ve had were pretty good but prefer it on my own bike to be honest.

First time I went I hired whatever the equivalent of an orange alpine was for the week (was 2006) I never really got on with it, coil forks and shock never felt right for me but the had a blast and it was far more suited to the riding than the xc hardtail I had at the time would have been.

Last year I took my own bike but on the last day it hired a pivot Phoenix dh bike from torico (incidentally weighed about the same as my spitfire!) and while it was good fun I didn’t have to time to fiddle with suspension so I never felt quite right on it again, if I’d had a full week then I’d have maybe got it dialled in a little better but I’d definitely been more at home on my own bike all week.

It’s an ALPINE 160. You’re going to the ALPS. You’re basically taking it home.

Much better to be riding your own bike that you’re used to. Though if it needs tonnes of servicing before the trip, bare in mine it will need the same after. Mine was a wreck after a few days the alps but wasn’t too bad before. Rain/mud didn’t help.

Watch out for backwards brakes if hiring, but Morzine folk should get it right for Brits.

Cheers for the replies so far guys. With the ones that hired do you have to pay for replacement brake pads?

BTW I’m 6ft 3″ and 110kg kitted up and cracked my Orange 5 in five places the last time I was in the Alps LOL!

I too am a fan of taking kynown bike, familiarity on the toughest traios we ride all year.

Fix the Alpine and if you want you can put the new cassette/rings/chain on your other bike after. Forks need servicing and thats a days bike rental or less.

Very true jambalaya, I forget how demanding Alps trails are compared to UK trails. Its not as if i can bimble about on some gentle trails to get the feel of a bike before ‘going for it’!

It’s an ALPINE 160. You’re going to the ALPS. You’re basically taking it home

This!

For the cash it’ll cost to hire, you can fix yours AND buy spares!

Or buy a cheap DH bike, then sell again when you’re home. This may be better if you’re planning on going hard enough to break frames again…

I took mine and had it nicked last summer. Take a chunky lock with you!

Several chalets got broken in to and all the bikes were taken.

I hired bikes for the rest of the week it cost about £600 🙁

The shop under the pleny were ace for me, I had an xxl santa cruz V10 for a lot of the week. Brilliant bike, one I’m unlikely to ever buy.

The rest of the hire bikes were a mixed bag. Pivot dh bike- forks needed serviced. Morewood the spring was too soft for me and bottomed out Repeatedly. Polygon was too small and too flexible.

Get your bike serviced before and after you go.

Have fun

dantsw13 – Member
Don’t hire from the shop under the Plenty lift – shit bikes, try to sell unnecessary stuff. The ones on the main street much better

Francois Baud Sports is the one at the pleney

Santa Cruz shop and the hire fleet is excellent

Thanks for all the replies, it’s helped me decide to take my bike.

@Grupper205 take the the Alpine, I bet Jaffa can service your forks.

Godzilla – i want my forks serviced properly!!!!!!! Ha ha!