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Hi.
Looking for advice on how best to deal with visiting the World Cup Downhill race in Les Gets on Saturday 22 August from those who are going, or know the resort well.
I'll be passing in the car on the Saturday, and although travelling solo, I'll have a family's worth of mountain bikes on the roof.
I would probably get to Les Gets around lunch time, and want to be on the road again at about 2100ish.
I'm looking for some ideas on how and where best to secure the bikes for the afternoon as I don't really want to leave them on the car in the big Les Perrières car park for the day.
Booking accommodation doesn't really seem worth it, given it is in limited supply and I won't be staying the night
Any thoughts on how best to do this, or do I just abandon the idea?
We were there for the week last year and the bikes were out of sight chained up in a communal bike room.
The bikes didn’t get nicked but three sets of Hope brakes were carefully removed from them. They left the Shimanos on the fourth bike.
So you are right to be concerned.
That said I’d probably just ride them into town and use one of the very public (full view is your friend I think) bike racks. Put a chain on them and they’ll nick someone else’s bikes. There’ll be plenty to choose from.
Can you put the bikes in the car?
You may well find traffic awful and parking very difficult indeed in Les Gets itself.
That sounds terrible that somebody stripped your brakes.
That said I’d probably just ride them into town
I'll be trying to manoeuvre 4 bikes, so that will be quite a challenge. Plus I'll probably want to get up on to the hill somewhere.
Can you put the bikes in the car?
I had thought of that, but I reckon all four bikes in there might be quite a challenge alongside other luggage and child seats.
I suppose as a worst case then it might be possible with a blanket over them, but I'll probably be worrying about them all day.
If they are ebikes, ride them up the fire road to the gondola middle station Secture Mont-Chery . This avoids paying and long queues for the gondola out of town. It's crazy busy, parking is tough. Biking into town could be a good option. Or shuttle busses but getting away could be tricky...
Biking into town could be a good option. Or shuttle busses but getting away could be tricky...
Good advice, thanks.
I imagined that I'll probably try and park somewhere downhill of town on the road up near Perrières and either walk/run in to town or get a shuttle.
If the queue up Mont Chery gondola are too big then I'd hike up a little bit, but if you have been before do you reckon it is more exciting trailside, or down near the finish in town?
Get in contact with @lister ( Lister's wife?) and offer them a free, no obligation test ride of four lovely full suss bikes for the day, so long as they look after them all...
Google bike box avoriaz to store the bikes? I wouldn’t want the bike with me to watch the race. It’s rammed and limits you getting to watch different parts of the track
Wheels off and on front seats? That just leave 4 frame shapes to get packed into car. Depending on bike sizes, you make get a frame or 2 across the front seats as well as the wheels.
Wheels off and on front seats?
Thanks. Avoriaz is a bit far. 30+ mins each way from Les Gets, so there and back twice is 2+hrs (and getting through Les Gets on WC weekend will probably be a nightmare). My time there is quite limited and i've already got several hours drive to get to Les Gets and a full day of driving to get to Calais after.
- Wheels off and on front seats?
I think this is what I'll have to do, maybe leave the bulky child seats outside the car, stash everything in the boot, hide it under a sheet and hope that no naughty bike thieves guess what is under the sheets.
The bikes didn’t get nicked but three sets of Hope brakes were carefully removed from them.
Heard a lot about bikes being stolen from around Morzine. The brakes over is new, though.
Shimano FTW.
Sounds like a ball ache to be honest. Watching the race would be fun but I'd only go if I was already there and could walk in.
Your additional requirements combined with the busiest weekend of the year make it even more difficult.
How cheeky is your parking? There are loads of residential streets nearby, many of them will be unoccupied holiday appartments.
Park at eg ///reframed.flashing.ignored (What3Words) and walk to the venue, about 10 mins. Bikes in the car, obviously.
I reckon that cheeky scrotes will be elsewhere.
I reckon that cheeky scrotes will be elsewhere.
Except that one cheeky scrote who will now head to ///reframed.flashing.ignored knowing that there might be an unattended car filled with bikes 🤣
If they are ebikes, ride them up the fire road to the gondola middle station Secture Mont-Chery
The dh course on that side of the valley so will be totally mobbed all weekend. I would be tempted to park away from Les gets and use the e-bike to ride in
From 3 visits, so not "veterans". Good trailside spots get full pretty early. Eg the horrible slippy mudfest corner from a couple of years ago just up from the last straight to the finish. The chairlift was mobbed and even pre bought tickets, it takes ages if you are not early.
Walked the whole track on practice days then walked up to just above the last corner before the finish. Was thinking about e-biking to the lake and bar area I mentioned then above the finish but the theft possibilities are making me think again....
I'll probably decide on the day we go.
