Hi all,

Delighted that me and some mates are heading to the Alps next summer. In advance of that I'm keen to pick up some late season bargains now, and wanted advice on what protection is advised.

I feel sure that STW being STW, answers will vary from 'I ride naked – helmets are for vegans' to 'I hollowed out my fridge freezer, and wore that as protection', but feel I must ask anyway.

Key questions I guess are:
– is a full face recommended?
– if so, is there any way to confidently buy a full face online without trying them on?
– do you tend to go for knees and elbow pads or the whole body suit option (plus knees)?

I'm not generally too fussed about this kind of stuff, normally just Kyle Straits on the knees for a trail centre weekend, but do like to whang it downhill a bit, and will be riding a hardtail… 🙂

Thanks in advance.

– is a full face recommended?

If riding chairlift assisted, then yes! ie, if you're just going down!

– if so, is there any way to confidently buy a full face online without trying them on?

No. Fit is vital.

– do you tend to go for knees and elbow pads or the whole body suit option (plus knees)?

Up to personal choice, really. I'd go for knees first, then elbows then a spinepad.

Are you really going to be riding that far beyond your current capabilities?

I have the kit and wear it a bit in the Alps but tbh I often wonder why…I rationalise it that it gives a bit of confidence (awaits TJ flaming) and you can get a bit tired etc.

cynic-al – you make a good point.

I guess I plan to be pushing my upper limits. 😐
It will be lift-assisted, so I will be riding more downhills, and will be fresher – for the first few at least – having not had to earn them by climbing.

So I think it will definitely be at the edge of what I've ridden before.

what Tyres are you taking? 😉

high rollers 🙂

I'd buy a full face and then go on an uplift day and asses yourself what else you might need. We are all different I didn't wear any knee/elbow/spine pads when I was in the alps, mainly because I was used to wearing a helmet and gloves at uplifts and racing at home so it was what I was comfortable with.

Iain

My son and I did the Alps thing for the first time this summer…. I have a Trek EX9 and my son a Ti On-one.

We went to Les Arcs for a couple of days and had a great blast … But we decided to ride within our limits and only fell off once each. The trails were a lot les technical than the stuff we have ridden in the UK but they were bloody big and steep… as a result we found ourselves going a heck of a lot faster than we were used to and accidents would have been quite uncomfortable. For that reason I felt that I wanted my knee and elbow pads and a "Giro Hex or Xen" type helmet would have been prefered by me… I really didn't feel a need for the full face jobbie.

The local however were all fully padded up with full face and full armour… we were also the only people that we saw clipped in (clipless).

The thing that we would both have changed was tyres… we had our normal tyres (fire xe pro)but we should have put on much, much, heavier tyres… after all we were not going up hills so weight is not an issue and the ground was pigging rough …. the very heavy duty braking would have been helped with a very chunky tread.

One day we booked a couple of downhill bikes at Tignes… they came with the full protection.. full face helmet.. full body armour (or gimp suit as was muttered)and had 20cm of travel. Both my son and I really looked forward to that day…

Well we did it … The lad loved it .. I hated it (aparently it was the fastest that anyone returned a bike)… I suffer from claustrophobia).

After a couple of runs my son was passing anyone, said it was like riding an armchair compaired to his hardtail.

Alps well worth the trip.

Thanks Iain, that's helpful.

Eyepic – brilliant 🙂 Sounds fantastic. Will think and ask around about tyres.

Some knowledge of french maybe?

Quand je suis alle dans les Alpes Francaises J'ai porte des Kyle Straight knee pads. Mais si je faisais du downhill tracks je porterais un full face helmet et des elbow pads.

The thing is that even if you feel you don't need/want the extra protection, an off may spoil or shorten your holiday.

For lift assisted XC I would wear leg and elbow armour and a full face helmet. You can always stick a normal XC helmet into your bag as well in case you hate the full face or decide to ride up some hills.

Think of the nastiest steepest technicalist rockiest rootiest widowmakerest descent you have ridden ever in your life.

You nead what you neaded for that.

Except factor in that it goes on for much longer and you will be tired from riding all day.

simples

BUT if you a wanting to spend, buy nice brakes

llama's got a good point. If your brakes cook badly and give up, you might need all that extra protection.

We (and most of our guests) wear open-face lids + knee & elbow pads.

@eyepic – I wanna go now!!!!!! 😛

Definitely wear arm and knee protection as a minimum.
I don't wear a full face lid as I mainly ride a mixture of XC and old fart's downhill (i.e no big jumps or other major airborne lunacy but everything else at full wack!) Probably get a full facer for next year though.
Big knobbly tires (2.5 Minion DHF's on both front & rear are the mutts…) and loads of spare brake pads.

We stopped at Sainte Foy… which I belive is where Stevo is based… There are some cracking trails around that part of the world and I have to say there is no way in Gods Earth that I will not be going back there again.

I have only 2 regrets
Regret number 1….I didn't know my way around at first… but as we were there for 2 weeks we esentially used the first week sussing the place out. If I were going for a single week I would consider getting professional assistance.

Regret number 2… I saw the worlds most apauling marmoset in Super U (a local supermarket)… should have bought it for a mate. Just to take the P.

What I would say though, is that some of the best riding (for me at least) was not the stuff wazzing straight down the mountainside.. but some of the more picturesque (sp) stuff through the woods etc… we did some cracking little (800 meter decent)rides from St Foy Station uplift down into the village below…. Down what I belive were old goat trails.. through the woods then between houses etc … It isn't all about who has the biggest balls but also can be about just having a fantastic time.

I didn't upgrade my brakes just changed my pads, but a good mate upgraded the power of his brakes by getting bigger discs (and also changing his pads).

Can't recoment the Alps enough…. but remember the Alps has trails for all riders.

Think of the nastiest steepest technicalist rockiest rootiest widowmakerest descent you have ridden ever in your life.

You nead what you neaded for that.

Except factor in that it goes on for much longer and you will be tired from riding all day.

I went over the bars on the middle of my last day of three riding..somthing and nothing of a route but I was starting to get exhausted….had the knee and elbow pads and wearing a xen. Landed on the side of my face and if there had been a rock sticking up then it would have been a mess….defo full face IMHO and I will be buying one for next year. It might be a tad hotter but only needed the once to be worth it…it's great riding though…have fun!

If you ride DH normally then wear what you'd normally wear. If you're going XC, then you'll want a regular xc helmet. Pads are upbto you really I've never worn any. It's not that bad the alps. You know it's still dirt and stuff.