EDITED - stupid double post madness.....
...you don't see pro's riding the swiss national without one, and they'll be better riders than you....
I think we're all pretty far from being pro's here! But saying that, I'm taking a full facer, but that's just because I've a gorgeous face to protect.....
DrP
*shuffles off to take furniture out of van so PPs tool box will fit in van....."
You've seen my toolbox. It's not that impressive!
DrP, I'm not relly pretty enough for a full facer, am I?
.DrP, I'm not relly pretty enough for a full facer, am I?
Well, WCA says "don't dismiss the family pack of condoms just yet"......
Dr 'just wrong' P
PP - that big blue thing on wheels!
PP - that big blue thing on wheels!
No you pillock, the one I took to Wales! We tried it for size, IIRC!
😉
I've just fitted my new (used) stem.
40mm.
It's silly!
Hahahaaa Hahahaaa Ha haaa!
DrP you'll need more than £30! Beer and the lunchtime food
Hora, Andy had a lovely big camper van with a fridge. We're taking our own beer, cheap form the supermarket!
😀
Oh sweeeeeeeeet. That is one heck of a roadtrip. Dammit you need to dress up head to toe in Sombrio, etc now and wear goggles around the side of your neck. Then video it and add in cool references 😆 😀
I have Sombrio shorts and gloves..... White and green Shimano shoes..... Pads.....
8)
Switching from XC jeyboy to super stoked gnarly downhill hero......
😉
HaHaa!
Just taken out new travel insurance.
1 year European cover for both of us
£10m cover
MTBing included
£65 excess
£26.23!!!!!!!
Bargain!
Who's that with please?
Is the PDS a competitive event? If it is then it might be excluded by the fine print in a basic insurance policy - that's certainly the case for the Mega.
I alway think with insurance the cheapest ins't the best, mind you that was after I got screwed over by dogtag, and they refused to payout
Grumm, not sure exactly mate, but Mrs PP got it off www.moneysupermarket.com.
Is the PDS a competitive event?
Grey area I reckon.... It's not a RACE. You can start from several different locations, and it's just one circular route AFAIK. Sort of an enduro with no particular start or finish as far as I can see.
I take your point though. It's only one of 5 days' riding for us, so I'll crash on one of the other days.... 😉
that was after I got screwed over by dogtag
You do get your own personalised set of dog tags though. Surely that's worth being forced to fly home with a broken leg? 🙂
I was with Snowcard last year who were pretty good apart from the EHIC issue I mentioned above.
Hora I believe the original plan for dressing up was that as there are four of us in a van, we would go as the A-team. With PP to be Mr T IIRC
In 1972 a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Farnborough and Puddletown underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire the A-Team.
Well, Andy can be Hannibal, PP as Mr T, DrP as Face, and WCA as Howling Mad Murdoch.
I love it when a plan comes together...
Outfits please gentlemen, outfits......
PP, you might want to pack some of those plasters specific for blisters, probably wont suffer quite so bad on a Pitch but I got blistered hands pretty much first day on my 120mm travel stumpjumper, mind you I probably hit Plenney run 10 times that day...
(disclaimer) might have been said already but cant read through 3 pages of sutff...
Wunundred!
With PP to be Mr T IIRC
Dat's why we aint gettin' on no plane, fool!
Can we paint the van?
Hora - I was playing silly bugg£rs stating the £30 mark! I'm fully aware that'll probably get me a starter and tap water at the current rates!!!
DrP
Oooh - paint the van - me likey!
COuld we have one of those famous 'STW whiprounds' and when we've enough, we can get the van pimped out??!!
This is what i'm talkin' about.....
[img] 
[/img]
DrP
I take that back.....
[img] 
[/img]
DrP
It's been a while since I did the POrtes Du Soleil - I think 2001 was the last one. 😀
Three of us took 6" travel DH bikes with two pairs of forks each - one DH and a pair of Psylos at 5" for more pedally rides. This worked out quite well - we did a week of XC ish stuff, then a week of hooning culminating in the Dragon DH race. We were able to swap between lift assisted XCish shenanigans and full on (well, not for me, for the other two) Dh type shenanigans in an evening.
We took:
* Spare wheels
* Spare cassettes, Mech and chain
* DH and XC lids, pads, flats, spds and assorted other armour
* Complete spare pair of brakes
* Bleed kits for the above, spare rotors and fluid
* 40t DH chainrings for the XC-ish stuff
* 2x spare pairs of tyres (one was large volume XCish stuff - IRC Kujos or similar)
* Spare seal kits and oil for the DH forks
* Complete toolkit, bike stand, tarp, sleeping bags, track pump, random other stuff.
If you have the space and are on a bit of a budget, bear in mind it'll be cheaper to carry spare bits over and back than buy a '98 STX rear mech for 50 euro when you're out there.
All this filled half a transit (well, 2/3rds of a transit, but as you know, Contents May Settle In Transit).
Good times.
ian Where did you get that photo of my van?
Do me a favour guys - take a film crew cos I reckon it will be a right hoot 😀
Take a spare bike. .. is that a joke!!!!
Yes, I was taking the P out of everyone on here suggesting taking just about every spare you can imagine. Obviously my dry sense of humour flew by to the side somewhere and didnt come close to a hit!
...take a film crew cos I reckon it will be a right hoot...
I agree! What an eclectic mix of people in one Merc Van!
I'm sure myself and PP will keep a nice photo diary, and WCA will have a trail of injuries to remember it all by!
DrP
Yeah I think we will be fine. Its the mix of people that makes it for me.
The van is an AVA converted MWB Merc sprinter so we should have enough space inside for everyones stuff. There is a pretty full tool kit in the van, but if people want to take extra thats no problem.
I'm just taking my Titus Motolite with TALAS on the front and Marta brakes (I'll get some big rotors for it). If life gets too gnarly then I'm going too fast. i'll take knee, shin and elbow pads and i'f I get round to it before I'll get a full face jobby.
I've only done PPDS once, a couple of years ago. I took my 4" travel Rocky Mountain ETSX with standard XT brakes (no big rotors). I had quite a few comments from others that had taken more gnarlier bikes that mine was perhaps more suitable. Especially on the days you're not doing the event, there WILL be uphill pedalling. Mind you if I was going this year, I'd take the Meta 5 for sure. And armour.
Funnily enough I had to buy a mech when I was there and just bought one from the shop in Morzine - not silly money IIRC. And they fixed my mate's Hope brakes which were piddling fluid everywhere. Great event - do they still do draught beer at the rest stops?
Have fun
Well I am just taking my Ti SS Rigid 29er or maybe my carbon fibre Scott and my new xc-jey helmet.
What could possibly go wrong?
Groan 🙄
Only joking! 😆
How did a simple question on what to take to the Alps generate THREE pages of responses?
How did a simple question on what to take to the Alps generate THREE pages of responses?
Because the whole team is on here, the trip evolved from here and we've got to test ourselves to be ready for 12-14 hours each way sat in Andy's van....!
has any one suggested bigger rotors?
we've got to test ourselves to be ready for 12-14 hours each way
PAH!! Should try 18-20hrs Aberdeen to Les Gets
minty arse lard....
portable bbq.
anti histimine
loperimide
zantac75
sudafed
diaoralyte
disprin
distress flares....
Saccades - Member
minty arse lard....
portable bbq.
anti histimine
loperimide
zantac75
sudafed
diaoralyte
disprin
viagra
Oh, we have a Doctor on the trip (he says medical, but i think timelord) and he will sort out that stuff!