I ripped down The Pleney, Les Chavannes on a Heckler all week – the best fun ever in my whole life – mind you the Heckler was burly…..Coil Lyrics, DHX Coil, Minions etc etc.

My word of advice is go coil/coil set up – you need it – saw too many peeps blowing shocks to bits!

get a second hand SX trail or Big Hit. Should be able to pick one up for £600-700. That will be fine.

You can ride any bike out there but you will have more fun/be less sore on a long travel bike.

How about an 07 reign 1? Seen a few going for around 700 mark

my brakes aren't that great on the superlight and like i say.. 185 is the max rotor for those forks. I'd also rather not trash it in the alps

chakaping – Premier Member

Steve Peat did run small rotors at the World Champs this year, but then he does use the brakes a lot less than you would, so don't read too much into comments like those!

Indeed.

And people saying things like "Nico Vouilloz did the Mega on a Zesty".

Yeah, but he's Nico Vouilloz!

Well, I rode it on a Hustler so I must be as good.

My point is that huge brakes aren't the answer and worrying about not having huge brakes doesn't help you ride.

One of my friends ran 203/185mm set-up for the first year and was boiling their brakes almost every run. The second (and subsequent) year(s) he ran 185/160mm set-up and only boiled them a couple of times. He's 18-stone in his kit.

Now I don't want to start the (rather inane and ridiculous) 'don't brake' debate again but if the OP is under 15-stone then a 185/160mm set-up on a Trail bike will be fine.

If the OP (or indeed anyone) rides within their limits they'll be fine using the same brakes they do in the UK. To be honest, I wouldn't use a holiday in order to push my limits/ abilities as I don't fancy spending time in a foriegn hospital where I don't speak [alot] of the language.

Gear is not a substitute for skill, speed is fun but so is flow. You will have a great time on whatever bike. I would go for some fat tyres and heavy tubes that's all just to save on pinch flats. Personally when I've been out to Les Arcs I've had shit loads more fun riding down fantastic never ending single track than I have going down the down hill run endlessly all day.

But then that's just me I expect.