So, some friends have come back buzzing from the alps after a week with trail addiction.
It’s been a few years since i’ve been – last time I did the tour de Mont blanc on a yeti asr with fox f100s, magura Martas 717s and survived. The time before that was a week in Chamonix, Gary fisher sugar with Sids, xtr vs 1.8 tyres and a double chainset. I killed the Sids and the front triangle didn’t last much more than a year.
I would like to go next year but can’t justify buying a bike for the trip (really I can’t!)
So options would be: hire or alpine proof my current bike.
I generally ride quite smoothly and pick lines carefully, keeping up with people on much bigger bikes (asr5, Ridley, tall boy carbon, 5, heckler etc.)
Current Solaris has fox forx, crests, Thomson kit and Marta 98s. I think most of it should survive but thinking a dropper would be useful, some beefy tyres and a tougher back wheel – what about a 27.5 flow with a 2.35 hanz damf – then could always sell it afterwards if it survives intact…
Opinions, abuse and whitty comments all gratefully received 😉