I took my Heckler with a coil shock and Lyrics and it could cope with more than I could ride.

Use it most weekends in blighty too.

@gps – I put a crud catcher on 5yrs ago and have never taken it off, works for me Alps and UK

Bigger forks mean you can run bigger rotors, which will help alot in stopping and arm pump

What???? My 100mm Durin takes a 210mm rotor.

Anyway, the significant thing is “How much to you weigh”? A 20stone guy needs more suspension than a 10 stone guy as when they land there is more kinetic energy to absorb.

I rode happily with 120mm rear and 140 up from on a Stumpy FSR, but I’m only 10 stone.

Remember it’s just dirt. You are a bit higher up than in the Lakes, but that just means the runs are longer, not necessarily steeper or rockier. Whatever you run, it’ll be great, the guides in my group were on 120mm hardtails and seemed to cope fine.

The Heckler’s an awesome bike for the alps, mine is getting stripped and re-built for with some bigger fork’s and a coil for 2012. The lads i went with last year took Stumpy’s and where only let down by Elixir 5’s and rubbish wheels.

Don’t worry about the bike, there are so many trails to choose from you will find something to suit you and your bike. If you have to buy something before you go buy a really good set of grips (ODI lock ons) and a couple of sets of spare brake pads.

Definately upgrade your upper body strength. Basic press ups will save your forearms, wrists, and hands from taking a battering.

You can always hire a rig out there if you want to get knarly. You can choose from a massive range of bikes starting at £75/day.

Go once, and you’ll want to go again so may as well get a bike you’ll enjoy more.
I’ve been out there on all manner of bikes now, from an intense m1, transition blindside to what I have now, a giant reign.
I have lyriks on the reign and Wang a coil shock in there for dh duties.
It coped brilliantly last year in Morzine and when back here, I stick a lighter wheelset in for xc rides.

Incidently, I swapped frames from a heckler to the reign because I found the heckler a but flexy in the back end, but maybe that’s just me…

Isn’t an ASR5 quite similar to a Fuel EX?

If I were you I’d start with a blank sheet of paper and look at your budget and your intended riding (both in Alps and back home).

Personally I’d recommend a lightweight all-mountain bike with 160mm travel and a big fork (Lyrik, Fox 36 etc) as a complement and contrast to a Fuel EX.

boriselbrus – most forks have a maximum rotor size, beyond which you invalidate the warranty. So, whether you exceed this or not is a question of how risk adverse you are and whether you think you’ll need a warranty repair job!

Not sure I agree with the “it’s just dirt” comment, DH runs maybe, but go and ride around Chamonix etc on footpaths and your talking long rock gardens and rooty sections like you’ll never find in the UK. Sure, you can ride on short travel HTs, like a 4X rider, but who wants to?

Anyway, there’s no right answer to this one, horses for courses really

OP – if you’re going in June most of the lifts won’t be open so you’ll need something you can pedal unless you want to spend all your time on just the Pleney and Chevannes.

IMO stick with what you’ve got, get some DH High Rollers and do some fitness training.

i have booked my first trips to the Alps for the summer. I now also want to buy my first FS. On the list so far

Canyon Strive
YT Wicked 150

both look great on paper but being a lanky git I think they will be too small

also considering a Yeti SB66, very expensive but, well y’know, and I like the slack and long geometry. A Heckler, Nomad, 5, Mojo also on the list

And also 29ers – particularly the Specialized Camber, Kona Satori and Tallboy

lots of test riding to be done 😀

We are going last week of June, so the Morzine and Les Gets lifts are open. I am expecting a lot of climbing, hence the want for a bike I can build fairly light. I am never going to be a gnarly DHer, but do want to expand my horizons a bit.

I see my options as:

1. Keep my current bike. Cheapest option, and will be ok for most stuff out there. Leaves me with 2 similar bikes.

2. Heckler frame to build up. Sounding like a good option. Great bike for alps, not thei lightest.

3. Asr5 frame. Takes a 140mm fork, so would be better than my current bike out there, and would really suit back home. Maybe not the best alp bike, but better long term.

4. 575 frame. Great alp bike. Reasonably light for its travel.
More than I would normally need back home, but would complement my Fuel ex really well. And it’s gorgeous!

So really, I am down to a heckler or 575 frame I think!! I travel to the states regularly with work, so have the option of buying there as well. Time to buff up my Dale for sale and keep my eyes open.

So many peaple on this thread are loving the Heckler, i bought a 2010 one a year back and sold it after 2 days, just hated the steep head angle, its meant to be an agressive trail / AM bike and i just don’t think it is.As far as i am aware the frame is the same as it’s baby brother.I just think the bike is a little confused and doesn’t know what it is.

I have a medium SX trail frame for sale – it was fantastic in the alps last year, so fantastic I came back and got myself one the right size!

I’ve been out there a few times now. The DHI was the best overall (but then it was very light and pedalable for something with that much travel) The SX was great with 160mm 55’s up front, never felt out of it’s depth. The big hit was bombproof but lacked finesse.

The new SX will be going this year with lighter tyres.

A friend of mine took his SX trail over in 2010 and 2011 – great bike.

I rode a Dialled Prince Albert with pikes in 2010 which was great fun, but I got beaten up a lot! 2011 I took my specialized Pitch with a DHX4 coil on the back. The Pitch was the winner for me.

Have you ridden a 575 or a Heckler?

Neither would be on my list at all. You may love them of course, if you have tried them.

I’d get a second hand Pitch comp and stick a coil shock and 36s on it, but then I’m a bit biased. For me the perfect alps bike without spending lots of money.

what are the rest of the group riding? STick to something similar to them.

You will get away with 120mm if you stick to the singltrack stuff, nothing that isnt a DH track there is more technical or aggressive than the peaks so you will be fine.

If everyone has a DH bike just buy one for about a grand before you go and sell it when you get back. I got a glory and it cost me £100 for a 2 week road trip. I wouldnt use it at home so bargain!

Also and most importantly if you are going in June take your winter riding kit as there is a HIGH probability the weather will be pants, i.e. wet for days

@ Whippersnapper – how tall are you? I’ve got a large Wicked 150, I’m 6’2″ and it’s fine, loads of standover due to shape of toptube/brace, but still plenty of seatpost to spare.

I’m going to morzine in July with my brother. We’re both taking norco team dhs we picked up for £500 off ebay and we’ve got a ex5 and a stumpjumper for the XC / singletrack. As I think it’s been said, the Fuel EX you’ve got is plenty enough for XC here, Get a cheaper DH bike for the DH runs and to knock about and scratch. That would be the way I would go anyway

I’ve been in Morzine for about 5 summers in a row, 1-2 weeks at a time. Normally I’ve ridden my Blur Classic with a 130mm Talas. Last year I bought a second hand 150mm Enduro, and I had 2 weeks on it at the start of the summer and another week in Sept.

For what you’re talking about doing, I’d say the 120mm bike would be absolutely fine. You can ride down everything, but maybe just not quite a fast, and it may hurt your arms a little more. If you’re going to stay on the main downhill runs for most of the time, then a longer travel bike will definitely increase your enjoyment, but only if you’re happy to pick up speed and get some air.

When my mates wanted to go on a longer xc run and spend a lot of the day pedalling, I wished I had my Blur, but for the gravity stuff, 150-160mm is hard to beat.

But if I didn’t head back there every year, there is no way I’d buy a longer travel bike than I was happy riding at home. I’ve also ridden those trails on a 80mm hardtail and had a blast.

Spent a week there with my Kona Dawg running 130 Rev’s until they popped on the last day. I quickly learned to stay away from the Pleney runs (not wanting to get in the speedsters’ way, etc), and got out into the rest of the area. Certainly felt underbiked when in town but fine everywhere else (even during a quiet run down the Swiss National – even though i didn’t find out till later what “that hairy run” was… :?).
I mean, can’t imagine the climb to do the Col Du Coux ridgeline on a HD beast would be pleasant. Still, when i go back i reckon same Dawg with some 150’s would be fine (140 Vans on now and they’re neat, too).

Buy a frame. Frame swap, sell the frame after you return. Sorted.

This way you can get something ‘bigger’ but not too big and still keep your pride and joy.

And the award for most first-world thread of the day goes to: Which four figure bike for 2 days riding 🙂

i have booked my first trips to the Alps for the summer. I now also want to buy my first FS. On the list so far

Canyon Strive
YT Wicked 150

both look great on paper but being a lanky git I think they will be too small

also considering a Yeti SB66, very expensive but, well y’know, and I like the slack and long geometry. A Heckler, Nomad, 5, Mojo also on the list

And also 29ers – particularly the Specialized Camber, Kona Satori and Tallboy

lots of test riding to be done

Mate I’ve ordered the ASR5, new importers aren’t the best from the sounds of it, but fingers crossed won’t need to go back to them. I was reading all this and chuckling as I’m pretty sure sam was on hardtails in the alps until last year?

even The DH trails are pretty smooth and at that time of year they wont be minced by wannabe robo cops braking bumps

Err, have you been? The trails are normally knackered fairly quickly, certainly on the more popular bits.

I second the advice on a coil shock, I had a 7 inch travel bike running an RP23 and it soon felt out of its depth.

If you’re spending the day at Les Gets riding the Dh tracks then I’d say get something a bit bigger. Or do what my mates did and take their short travel bikes, then hire DH bikes when they thought it necessary.

So, Ive ended up with a 2007 Heckler frame with a DHX5 coil shock – for £300!! I’ll probably get an air shock for back home. Hope she rides as sweet as she looks!!