Viewing 29 posts - 1 through 29 (of 29 total)
  • Trip to Morzine – kit considerations help
  • razorrazoo
    Full Member

    Looks like I’ll get the go ahead for a few days in Morzine early summer. Not having taken the bike abroad before I’m trying to get an idea of hidden costs on top of the travel, accommodation etc, and also give myself the opportunity to scour the classifieds for any kit I may need.

    I’d be taking my own bike (Zesty, 160mm Yari’s, 1×10). What bits of kit aside from helmet and riding kit do I need to take (spares etc)? Also I assume I’m going to be better off getting some dh casing tyres (on Snakeskin Hans Dampf at the moment)?

    Also transporting the bike – buy or hire a bike bag?

    Any advice on what I need to factor in is appreciated.

    nickjb
    Free Member

    Spares are pretty readily available in town but at around full rrp. There’s some great shops in town. We usually take a load of bits but that’s tricky if flying. Worth taking bike specific stuff like spare mech hanger. Tougher tyres is good but not essential. For transportation by plane I’ve always used a cardboard box. Free, lightweight and I reckon they get treated better than bags.

    yacoby
    Free Member

    I always run dual ply and think I have got one puncture in three years. Not totally required, I have seen people do OK with *new* single ply, but as soon as the casing gets worn it is puncture city.

    Spares wise – if you can take a bike 😛

    If you can’t do that take anything that is hard to get for your bike. I took spokes (I have straight pull ones) and mech hanger. Everything else you should be able to buy in Morzine (but at a price). Other things I have found useful is a set of brakes and rear mech.

    Something that other people probably won’t mention though is I take compeed. If you have your forks setup wrong/hard grips/whatver (or you just have soft IT professional hands like me) then you can blister your hands kinda easily. More of an issue when I had terrible forks. Yaris seem pretty good so I assume you would be fine. I also throw in some basic dressings that I have bought cheap from Amazon so I can patch myself up and keep riding for minor cuts and scrapes.

    Bike bag – If you want to be cheap just get a bike box (the cardboard ones) from an LBS. They should give it you for free

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    P-Jay
    Free Member

    Check your dates first – lifts open fairly late in Morzine, last weekend in June, maybe last but one.

    There’s a load of shops in Morzine and having a French bike will help if you break something frame specific, a lot of the hire fleets there are Lapierre, but they can be pricy, I buy a supply of brake pads from Superstar, Kevlar ones work well for me. New riders to the Alps can sometimes take a while to adjust to the length and steepness of the trails and drag brake to make it easier for their brains to adjust (I know I did) it’s murder on brakes and body.

    Weather can be poor anytime in PDS, I’ve had weeks when it’s rained everyday, so have a lightweight jacket.

    Even if you’re into trail riding rather than DH, it’s no easier going on the trails – full face is a good idea and knee and elbow pads can mean the difference between riding with a sore bit or sitting in a bar watching the lifts going up and down with an injury, they’re far from 100% protection of course.

    Give you’re bike a really good going over before you go, you’ll be getting months worth of descending in days so any little thing you’ve been living with here is going to fail on you very quickly. The shops can be great, but if you stroll in with a broken whatsit begging for a while you wait fix because you’re on hols, don’t be surprised if you get a French shrug and asked to come back after lunch, which lasts most of the day it seems.

    kiksy
    Free Member

    From my experience, in order of importance:

    Dh casing tyres
    Compeed
    Mech hanger

    Otherwise just make sure your bike is running at 100% before you go, and take the tools you’d take with you for a big ride out in the middle of nowhere, chain tool/link , cable ties etc.

    kayak23
    Full Member

    Defo the Compeed. I found that fatter grips helped a lot with painful hands too.
    Oury grips or new Brendog thick Death grips.

    If you get a wet week, some mud tyres can be a Godsend as can enough spare riding kit to keep it on rotation. Some even wear a waterproof boiler suit type thing. If it’s wet, it’s ridiculously wet… 😯

    buenfoxa
    Free Member

    I’ve used an Apollo box from Halfords for my past two trips to Morzine – think about how your bike was originally sent when new!!

    I’ve always taken two mech hangers, spare mech, spare tyres, few tubes, tubeless sealant, two sets of brake pads and tools I don’t normally carry in my car such as BB and cassette removers just in case.

    Other than that, I made sure I have two sets of complete clothing so one can dry out. Think I took three sets of shorts and jerseys aswell. Last year we have 3 days of rain, luckily late afternoon but as said when its wet, it is wet but generally dries out quickly. I’d take a set of waterproofs aswell.

    razorrazoo
    Full Member

    Thanks for the tips, some good advice here.

    I think I’ll invest in some new tyres and make sure I have spare tubes, brake pads etc, and possibly get some new grips (need some anyway).

    Couple of questions on the advice provided;

    – Compeed – will definitely invest, what products are recommended, from what I see they are foot focused plasters?

    – Bike boxes – I like this idea (cheap) – are there special spacers / packing materials which should be used to protect various parts? Any tips for effective packing?

    Thanks

    nickjb
    Free Member

    For packing in a box take some extra tape for the way home and put plant round the box to improve integrity especially if it gets wet. Cereal packet cardboard taped around the sliding surfaces of the shocks. Body armour or clothes around the frame. Take off the rear mech and zip tie it to the seat stay. Spacer where the wheels go (bit of tube with qr through it). Disks off the wheels if you can be bothered. Faffy but probably the most bent part in transit. Finally tools and spares in the box but not loosely. Boxes can get ripped so fix everything to the frame. I put the loose bits in a drawstring bag then tie it on.

    buenfoxa
    Free Member

    – Bike boxes – I like this idea (cheap) – are there special spacers / packing materials which should be used to protect various parts? Any tips for effective packing?

    I got a box big enough to keep the rear wheel on and I bubble wrapped the whole bike (cheap bubble wrap off of eBay). Taped the box using fake gorilla tape and then wrapped it in parcel wrap. I took a spare roll of tape for the way home.

    Box choice is important – Apollo boxes seem the strongest – my local Halfords let me into the back to choose a box.

    Never had a problem transporting my bikes this way!

    BillOddie
    Full Member

    Take as much spare bike clothing you can including a proper waterproof, it doesn’t have to be fancy and breathable but it does need to be waterproof and you shouldn’t mind if you have to Jetwash it. Take proper thermal baselayer.

    Brake pads, take all the brake pads, I would even go as far saying bed a few sets in before you go.

    Spare spokes, mech hangers, mechs are all pretty small but could save you major inconvenience/cost.

    Take a brake bleed kit and spare olives inserts, a big crash with resulting hose seperation from lever can be a proper pain if you don’t have the right kit.

    If your bike gets through BBs quickly, change it before you go, same with suspension bearings/bushings.

    Give your forks a lower service too.

    I have run EXO sidewalled tyres tubeless with appropriate pressure and single ply tyres with tubes in the Alps. The former would be my suggestion. Dual plys are horrid if you plan on doing any pedaling.

    MostlyBalanced
    Free Member

    As above, take both summer and winter kit. In the four times I’ve been to the PPDS I’ve riddeen in 30 degrees and sun and 2 degrees and sleet. Friends have laughed but I always take mudguards. Even if it hasn’t rained there will be snow melt and if you have far to ride back to your accommodation or you just want to sit in a bar before going back it’s far nicer with a dry arse and your backpack not full of grit.
    If it’s really wet ditch the full suss and get a rigid, plus tyred bike. That’s what I was wishing I was on last year.

    EDIT: When it’s really wet a mate of mine swears by his motorcycling waterproof onesie.

    kayak23
    Full Member

    – Compeed – will definitely invest, what products are recommended, from what I see they are foot focused plasters?

    They are for blisters, it’s just that usually they occur on the feet, but work very well on your hands too if needed.
    The thing to watch is that your hands must be absolutely clean and fully dry.
    I used to get in a routine of applying mine after I’d caked myself in sun lotion.
    Wash the hands thoroughly, dry thoroughly and apply to bad areas trying not to sweat. 8)
    I would sometimes cut them up into smaller bits when I only had small areas affected. Thicker grips did help mind.

    Marin
    Free Member

    Ibuprofen

    deadkenny
    Free Member

    Personally – drive. Can then take what you like.

    Spare tyre or two.

    Sidewall protection on single-ply tyres is fine. Depends what you’re doing. Just DH then maybe tacky dual ply but there’s a lot in PDS which isn’t really that kind of riding and soft heavy draggy tyres may be a hindrance.

    Personally I’d ditch the Hans Dampf as if it rains and gets sloppy (which it can indeed get very sloppy), they’ll clog up instantly. But that’s just my personal issues with the tyres. Myself – Maxxis stuff. Minions and HR2, with EXO sidewalls.

    If you’re tubeless, take plenty of CO2 carts… unless you’re flying, in which case you can’t. Also sealant and spare tubes just in case.

    Also a track pump, but that’s difficult with flying also. Tool kit, ditto going to be heavy in the bag flying. Though you need tools to put the bike back together again out of the bag anyway. That said, last place I stayed, the chalet was bike focused and had a full toolkit free for use.

    Spare mech maybe. Spokes if you have less common or weird spokes they might not sell in the shops (though Mavic you may be okay with as the French love them).

    Spare chain or at least Power/Master/Missing links in your bag. Likewise spare gear cable and a cable cutter.

    Spare brake pads – lots.

    However, you can forget most of this as a lot of stuff is available in the shops, but they will be at RRP price or higher, and without the tools you’ll be getting the shops to do the work which will be at a high price and may not be done then and there if there’s high demand.

    That said, if you go Passportes weekend and have the ticket, you can pop into the maintenance stops for repairs.

    If it’s wet, your bearings and drivetrain will get destroyed. Plan for having to replace everything on return 😉

    Dango
    Free Member

    Beer tokens – many

    razorrazoo
    Full Member

    At the risk of breaking the cardinal ‘what tyres?’ rule. Not having used Maxxis for a while (but pretty sure that’s what I’ll end up buying) what’s recommended?

    Minion DHF front and HR2 rear the best combo? Also in which version of each (inc width)?

    chakaping
    Free Member

    I’d go for a Magic Mary on the front, which will be reasonably capable whether it’s wet or dry.

    If you like the HD on the rear, get the Supergravity casing version – that’ll be tough enough and you’re more likely to use it again afterwards (I have one on my enduro bike most of the time).

    kiksy
    Free Member

    At the risk of breaking the cardinal ‘what tyres?’ rule.

    I go Mary Super Gravity Vertstar front and Mary Super Gravity Trailstar rear.

    Last year was muddy slop and the start of the week, then bone dry for the rest and that combo was great. That was 99% DH stuff though. In addition, the front tyre looked brand new after a week, and the rear only slightly scuffed. I am fairly light though.

    razorrazoo
    Full Member

    MM is another good option, thanks.

    P-Jay
    Free Member

    Minion DHF front and HR2 rear the best combo?

    That’s what I go for.

    tymbian
    Free Member

    I had a MM front & Ardent rear.
    The Ardent would squirm about a lot. I couldnt get any decent 29 tyres anywhere ( only NN ). 29″ were very difficult to find full stop. Not a great choice of 26 either afaik.
    Spare Pads.
    I ended up running a Shorty on the back.

    pedlad
    Full Member

    If running tubeless get a repair kit – I saved my mate a long walk back to the lift and home afer his wouldn’t seal without it.

    therag
    Free Member

    I’ve always taken spares inc pads, tyre, mech hangers, spokes ect, but only ever needed the tyre after ripping a single ply.
    The bits one of our group have needed but not taken include a jockey wheel, a pedal, helmet peak,a snapped pivot bolt and a crank arm.
    Packed in a cardboard box and protected with pads and clothes.

    razorrazoo
    Full Member

    On 27.5 so spare tyre choice should be ok. Will be there late June when Passports is on. Really looking forward to it now.

    Some are flying and some driving so I’m sure the drivers will have tools and us flyers will just need the essentials.

    jambalaya
    Free Member

    I have been lucky and never broken anything but have ridden with mates who have smashed mechs, wheels etc. Worst I had was a bent brake rotor. That being said anything on your bike you think may be tricky to replace out there is worth considering. A short trip just replace brake pads with new and you’ll be fine imo. Check they work well, no bleed required etc. I have dual ply hr which are bullet proof, however last time out I kept my Hans Dampfs on – tyre wear depends a lot on how you ride. Also I run fairly high pressure at 30-33 as I mince around. Fork and maybe Shock service. Check bike every night (with a beverage in hand) stuff gets a battering/rattled lose and suffers more in a day than 2 months of riding at home ime.

    Packing advice above, depending on bag you may want to remove rotors (bad packing from me resulted in brand new kashima rear shock with a scratch 🙁 ) Pipe lagging useful. Note I duct-tape down tube and neck (headtube/downtube join) to try amd protect bike from lifts / rocks thrown up.

    Ibuprofen is useful, lots of it !

    Going early is ok, check lift schedule full PdS links are only open end June but tons of riding around Les Gets and Morzine for 4 days min. We’ve gone mid June before.

    Have fun 8)

    chilled76
    Free Member

    Loctite everything before you go. A week of riding out there shakes bikes to bits if you don’t in my experience.

    razorrazoo
    Full Member

    Another consideration. Armour, what’s recommended?

    Putting the DH days behind me I’ve long since sold my upper body suit and usually just use fox launch knees and elbows. I assume I’ll probably be best with some hard shell knee/shins. Is a full body suit a must or will I get away with a back protector vest and the launch elbows?

    tpbiker
    Free Member

    I’ve gone 3 times to morzine. Unless I was taking the downhill rig (which i did last year) I’d avoid full on dual ply dh super tacky tyres.

    I had them on my enduro for the Passports and it was awful..struggled to keep up with mates I was way fitter than as soon as any pedalling was required.

    Would happily exchange a few punctures for the versatility a lighter tyre provides..

    I’d also say its not that rocky out there, or at least I haven’t noticed it is. Mates have gone out with standard tyres and ridden most of the marked runs without any punctures. Pads worth bringing, but again I have done plenty of days there including the Passportes in torrential rain and mud and I didn’t wear out mine over the holiday.Not even close.

    Its brilliant, and you get a seasons worth of descent in a month, but I didn’t think any of the riding was that hard, and I’m rubbish.

Viewing 29 posts - 1 through 29 (of 29 total)

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