Off on saturday to spend the week practising. It’s my first biking trip to the Alps and I’m VERY excited!!

So….

Who else is going? I get the impression maybe there’s not as many as last year – credit crunch?

Will be on a brown Pitch Pro with the Matt Ti Remedy helmet – come and say hello if you see me! 🙂 🙂

Only me then. Oh well. 🙂

yeeeeehaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!

im goin too

ill be on my 03 stab

apparently 33% brits 34% french 11% german and 25 % i dunno!

Me and her.

I’ll be riding something bright orange – might be a Turner, might be a Cotic Bfe

She’s on a Cotic Hemlock – look out for the pink body armour!

I’m going too! Heading off tomorrow morning with a bunch of people. I’ll be on
my 6 Point or BFe depending on how brave I’m feeling.

Can’t wait!!

Didn’t realise you should pick a Megavalanche bike based on colour. 😛

Pink body armour eh, hehe. ‘Core!

When is everyone getting there? Anyone know any other good trails to ride in Alps d’Huez?

Me me meee!
Travelling down by train on Sunday, with the bike going in a mate’s van (long story involving work shifts)

I’ll be riding a green 06 Enduro with 55s on the front (Not the trouble-prone ATA ones) and wearing a black O’Neal full face.

It’ll be my first trip to the alps for biking, but have been to snowboard a few times. I am ludicrously excited.

http://www.alpedhueznet.com/pdf/alpe-d-huez/alpe-d-huez-vtt-map.pdf

Number 26 on here, the Chemin de la Foret d’Ours, is pretty good. Requires a bit of pedalling but it eventually finishes with a fast flowy downhill through a forest, loads of switchbacks, and none of the braking bumps that the trails used for the Mega have. You go past an entire abandoned village in the woods at the end which is pretty cool.

Number 8, the black freeride trail down to Oz Station is also fun – rooty and steep, good for a bit of marmot-spotting too.

The red trail down through Vaujany is easy and OK if you fancy a gentle ride.

I have to say I feel for the guys who are there to enjoy a event and not get slowed by people who may be new to the event and who stop and look at things in the path/trail. (not been myself but have put off by the recounted tails of newbies to the event who block runs while they eye up the hazards with all the gear and no idea)

some of the regulars to the even wanted to split the even a little more now with a pre-qualifier.

have fun and good luck OP, glad to see your going out to get your eye in before hand.. don’t push it to hard at first would be my recommendation to any alps riding, i have a friend who is a good rider, wasn’t paying 100% attention and crashed on a rain gully you should have seen his shoulder!! ouchh

i have a friend who is a good rider, wasn’t paying 100% attention and crashed on a rain gully you should have seen his shoulder!!

Maybe he should have checked out the course beforehand? 😛

Nice one Mr A – very handy.

And er… cheers fozzybear for the warning. 🙂

I have to say I feel for the guys who are there to enjoy a event and not get slowed by people who may be new to the event and who stop and look at things in the path/trail

its not that much of an issue, more like an excuse your mates came up with to explain their slow time

there are plenty of places to overtake you just ned balls to do it!

Maybe he should have checked out the course beforehand?

he wasn’t on the course he was on the ride home.. i think a beer may have been involved?

kimbers never seen it that way 🙂 your more than likely right 🙂

I have seen some vids and it looked like a lot of the people were walking some tech sections that I would have happily ridden and creating a queue – bit annoying if you get stuck behind but I’m not too bothered about being competitive, just there for the experience (will still be trying to do as well as possible though).

well its a great excuse to have in the bag 😉

I’ve got plenty of excuses prepared.

I’m actually mroe worried about being competetive in the qualifier. Want to make sure I get into at least the Promo.

Yeah I would like to qualify for the promo too – dunno if that’s over-ambitious for my first go but judging by some of the videos hopefully should be doable barring any mishaps.

Don’t be fooled by headcam’s.

Enjoy it all

Yeah I know the headcams make things look easier and it’s difficult to say how I will react to loads of people everywhere and the altitude etc

Still, my mate who I ride with all the time in the Lakes has done it a few times and races DH, and I can normally pretty much keep up with him (sometimes I’m faster) 😉

How does it compare in technical difficulty to the Cwmcarn tracks? I’ve been down them on the Enduro and, while not exactly screaming, felt pretty comfortable.

It’s a lot more exposed, so be prepared to focus on the trail while ignoring some fairly pant-shitting drops off to your side, even in the lower woodsy sections. There are some proper head-scratching “how do I get down this” bits at the top of the course but most of them look worse than they are. You will get good at switchbacks very quickly, and nothing can prepare you for riding down the snow.

the qualifier is more like cwmcarn dh tho it starts fast and loose rocks on a fireroad then just lots of switchbacks a few drops etc

the race itself is mostly singletrack but after the snow/ glacier there are some pretty big rocks/ drop-offs/ tech bits

its all rideable tho if u can do everything at cwmcarn, assuming you can do it in 25C + heat and arm pump like you never imagined and a few nasty short climbs

I’ve got a bike going, but I’m staying here. Next year. Next year.

I’m sure its all rideable…its just riding it doing 180bpm, arm pump and **** 🙂

Sounds like heaven!! Can’t wait to do the Maxi in Cervinia.

and nothing can prepare you for riding down the snow.

Can riding down snow prepare you for it? 😛

I know it’s not the same, but I rode down the steep side of Garburn Pass a few months ago when it looked like this:

I can ski black runs too 🙂

Grumm, imagine riding down a black ski run after 400 other people have already gone down it in front of you. It’s quite, erm, interesting, but at least it doesn’t hurt much when you fall off.

Presumably unless you land on someone else or their bike, or they run into you… 🙂

I had an unsuccessful attempt at the “put your bike in your lap and slide down on your bum” method (might work if you are wearing a skinsuit though, keep an open mind and all that). I ended up doing the “tripod” (saddle down, legs out so you can’t fall over – in theory anyway) and found myself constantly being reminded that my calves are very tender and my pedal pins are very sharp.

I reckon the ideal way to do it is to sneakily strap some empty pop bottles to your feet at the top, ski down, then discard them once you hit the rocks. Like a no-budget James Bond.

Tripod method kind of works, as long as you don’t want to turn quickly or stop. Still it’s all part of the fun, and the snow kicking up off your feet up the leg of your shorts can only be described as ‘refreshing’.

Really looking forward to going now, although won’t be there until Monday.

Ill be there!

Cannondale Prophet, Thors, THE One Helmet Ink.
,
Staying with Ride Oisins, anyone else staying with them?!

If you put your legs out to balance then how are you supposed to pedal? 🙂

The numbers are up for the qualifier groups!!!! I’m 278 – row 4 of the second heat apparently. Uh oh!!!

http://www.avalanchecup.com/megavalanche-alpe-dhuez-liste-des-inscrits-09.html