I'm doing Passportes Du Soleil this year.
Reckon i will be underbiked on my 5010 V2?
I'm running a 150mm Pike up front so pretty happy with that, just a little concerned with the 130mm rear travel.
Any thoughts from the STW massive?
Definitely not. It's mostly XC.
It'll be fine, I did it last year on a Horsethief with 120mm rear and 140mm front.
Christ its not even XC. Apart from the bit into Chatel I reckon you'd be better off on a cross bike.
(I actually think the route is fairly boring - its not long enough to be a real challenge and most of the riding is boring fireroads and stuff. Unless I'm doing the wrong one?)
OP not at all, as above its grand days xc in company, start early and leave time for free food stops and mechanicals. Make sure you seek out all the options and take black Tobaggon back into Linderets from Swiss side. Make most of trip and ride a few trails in days before/after.
Ideal bike imo - I smash mine around the steepest EWS stuff of the Tweed Valley and it's ace so will be fine on the PDS route, especially with 150mm up front!
Thanks for the replies folks.
We are sure to do plenty of other stuff after the PDS event.
Hopefully my 'skills' will make up for the lack of rear suspension on this other stuff 😯
Did it in 2000 (when it was called the Freeraid) on a '97 100mm travel FSR with V brakes.Did it the next year on a GT I drive of similar spec. Biggest bike I ever did it on was a 2004 Kona Coiler with 5"/120mm and, at last (!), disc brakes.
Enjoy it, you've got a great bike!
[i]I'm doing Passportes Du Soleil this year.
Reckon i will be underbiked on my 5010 V2?
I'm running a 150mm Pike up front so pretty happy with that, just a little concerned with the 130mm rear travel.
Any thoughts from the STW massive? [/i]
I thought we'd agreed that 150/130 is underbiked for even BKB, never mind the Alps! 😉
Should be grand.I enjoyed it in 2012 on an On-One Scandal including all the optional bits (very worthwhile). 140mm on the front. Snapping the seatpost on the first descent became more of an issue after 9hrs stood up..
Over-biked TBH. I get round on my 1999 mount vision...
Did it on my 160mm enduro bike 2 years ago. Was well overbiked. Would have been much quicker on xc bike i reckon. That said, I'd want a bigger bike for all the other riding there is to be done out there.
What flange said.
I thought the area was very overrated for the trails. No doubt loads we didn't do, but Les Arcs was loads better from the word go.
...bike will be fine for PDS, enjoy the day...
Used my f29 for it last year deffinately the right sort of bike for me. Alot of xc and road sections linking the downs and the f29 coped fine on the roughest downs.
it's a good day out riding if it stays dry. I did on my Trance, 120mm front an back, and was fine. There are some black runs which I chose to avoid however the reds were perfectly rideable.
Enjoy it.
I ride mine in Les Arcs - you'll be fine for the PDS.
Sounds perfect, it's a tough ride but it especially if it's very hot or very wet on the day, but it's surprising low on mega super gnar downhill stuff. Worse part was getting rattled to bits on the endless rocky fireroads, ****ing ruined my forks and forearms they did - least painful was to just let the brakes off and let it happen, 100000000000mph drifting about looking over at huge drops at your side and hoping it didn't turn into a field of boulders because you couldn't really tell your eyes were rattling so much.
I've never felt the need to do it twice...
Not been since 1999. We happily rode the same route with rim brakes and elastomer forks....
when we went it was a total mud bath. Totally underwhelmed by the riding to be honest, nothing at all technical, just lots of long reasonably smooth downhills, which were fast but uninteresting.
The atmosphere was ok, but could have been better. I'd put that down to the horrific conditions however.
We stayed in Chatel, and even during the passportes it must be the quietest town in the Alps. On a sunny day, staying in Morzine, I imagine it would be significantly better. Worth doing if you are out there anyhow, but I wouldn't plan my trip around it.
Hey Tom.Nash as a side note did you have any issues getting your rear shock set up right?
I'm struggling to find the correct psi.
If i get 30% sag it feels really harsh, and i let air out so that its plush i end up with about 40-50% sag.
Did you have to fettle?