For a French Alps bike....mainly concerned with running gear and brakes.
S-works enduro frame 2006
456 summer season frame 2008
Coil Pikes (409)
Coil Revelations (426)
DTSwiss 5.1 wheels (tubed with Maxiss High Rollers)(Pro hope 2 20mm front hub, XT rear hub)
Mavic 729 wheels (tubeless with Kenda Nevegal's) (20mm or QR front superstar front hub, Hope XC rear))
Xt dual control shifters / brakes
Saint shifters
LX shifters
Deore M525 disc brakes
2 x 200mm discs with adapters for F&R each
2 x 160mm discs With adapters for F&R each
rest of the stuff doesn't matter to me
In an ideal world I'd have 2 bikes fully built and have to spend no money but might have to do a bit of borrowing form one to the other just for the trip.
My choice out of that lot would be:
Enduro frame
Pikes
Mavic wheelset
Saint shifters
Deore brakes
200mm discs both ends.
Should be a great bike down the hills that you can also ride up if need be.
whatever you prefer going downhill on. I ran a 456 with coil Pikes and 20mm 5.1s last time at Morzine and it was fine. I suspect the Enduro might be smoother though.
What matthew H said, but get some high rollers to run on the wheels. Nevegals did grip when I was in morzine last year, but High rollers were better in the wet (and it was VERY sloppy all week)
summer
pikes
DT + HR's
Saint
Deore
200mm discs
thats what I'd do 🙂
swamp things for when it's really wet and wet screams for when it rains properly
Hi rollers. Some people refer to the Nevegals as 'Kenda Surprises', as you never know if they'll grip or not.
Personally, I suspect they just like the funnyness of the phrase. I've used both Kendas (blue grooves and nevegals) out there for a couple of years. I prefered the hi rollers, but they'd both be fine.
Any merit in using XT calipers instead of the M525's apart from looks and weight?
888s a DH frame and Swampthings / minnions 😕
The M525s have more mass, and in theory should cope with the heat better. In practice, I have no idea. I killed some saints in the alps (seals went)...
braided hoses on the brake lines.
Are you taking both bike?
Also what type of riding are you looking to do VTT, Chatel Bike Park, Pleny Black, Mont Cheri
Excited thinking about it......
Excited about going to Morzine it should say not the bike build!!
Used the XT calipers there last year with no problems but not sure I could be bothered with dual controls this time as I've got used more to normal shifters again.
Ideal world would see me ditching the dual controls and getting standard brake levers and shifters. I'll keep an eye on CRC etc..
Anyway, S-works Enduro (shuttle in low BB, slack head mode) Pikes, DT Swiss 5.1 rims on Pro hope 2 (F) and XT (R) on with high rollers wrapping them up. Dual control shifters and XT calipers on it at the moment with the 200mm rotos. Just some flat pedals and a chain guard go next but they have to get here first.
Nowt like being prepared, I'm not off there until July....