First trip to Morzine – tyres

Morning all,

I’ve got my first trip to Morzine at the end of June and have decided I need some more robust tyres than what are on my Orbea Rallon (Maxxis EXO DHF/DHR).

The Conti Kryptotal in Endurance casing seems to fit the bill but stock (and pricing!) seems to be an issue… whats my next best alternatives?

TIA!

Do you like the DHF/DHR combo? Go for MaxxGrip DH or DD of the same if so.

Edit…and maybe pick up a Shorty for the front wheel, if it rains there the tracks can get very very sloppy!

How old are your current tyres? What sort of rider are you – clumsy oaf? Last of the late brakers? Loghtwight and delicate? What sort of riding are you going to do? More “park style” riding or longer lift-assisted XC-ish routes with some spicy DH thrown in for fun?

Personally I’d be fine on those tyres if they still had some bite on them, The only fly in the ointment (if you’re gong to be doing some long XC rides) is that some of the higher alps have some sharp edge rocks, but you’re either going to be lucky and get away with it, or you’ll get a slashed tyre and whether they’re DH casing or XCO probs doesn’t make that much difference.  Morzine tends to have everything from Forest covered mulch/loam corners to high altitude exposed hard-pack single track, so you need something that’ll do well at both. Minions are fine

I’ve already written a reply but I ran into a bad gateway.

Basically, Morzine doesn’t have a lot of rocks or even that many roots. Most of the trails are out in the open, smooth and swoopy, bermy stuff. Unless you’re seeking out the difficult stuff and going off-piste you don’t need anything special.

I’d definitely move up frm Exo casing but that’s my personal preference. With Exo’s I’m basically riding on the rims unless I run BMX tyre pressures. I don’t know how people get away with them.

I’m hoping to pick up some Kryptotal Enduro’s before I go out there but as you say, stock is an issue.

There’s plenty of roots if you leave the bike parks!

I’ve had good experiences with the heavy duty DH versions of Specialized tyres (butcher – purgatory – even their semi slick out the back one year). Used a purple magic mary last year and hit the ground v hard when it let go in a fast berm….so that is obviously rubbish and nothing to do with lack of talent at all. No sir.

Big Betty Supergravity on the rear is a safe bet. Tough and does fairly well in all conditions.

Maybe a Mary on the front – to hedge your bets in case of wet weather.

Edit: Or those new Tacky Chans look good

How hard are you going to ride? Are you going to be hitting 30 foot jumps and riding park all week? Personally, I’ve ridden in morzine about 15-20 times and I’ve never upgraded my tyres, and I’ve never felt that I was missing anything. But then again, I tend to ride the more rooty , technical trails and singletrack, and not so much on the DH, jump lines.

I’ve always used new or nearly new beefier tyres when I’ve been out. 2 reasons:

It’s a holiday, and I don’t want to lose half a day walking down a mountain with a slashed tyre. Also tyres tend to be ££££ in the Morzine shops.

It’s a holiday where I only ride and do nothing else, vast majority uplifted. Therefore tyres wear out much much faster.

Basically, Morzine doesn’t have a lot of rocks or even that many roots.

Super Morzine main tracks don’t but pretty much everything else in the area does. Linderet is rocky, Pleney is rooty, most of the off piste is rooty etc. etc.

Edit…and maybe pick up a Shorty for the front wheel, if it rains there the tracks can get very very sloppy!

I think sir means Wet Scream – 2 of them. Carry on riding like its dry.

There’s plenty of roots if you leave the bike parks!

And 95% of people don’t do that.

We don’t know if the OP is a bridleway mincer or an ex-DH racer.

I’ve been there about 14 times I know where the roots and rocks are. I’ve ridden there on 26″ hardtails with knackered old High Rollers and I would again if that’s all I had.

I should have just said “Just take whatever decent tyres you have, it’ll be fine”. It’s basically a massive trail centre unless you go looking for trouble.

If I was heading to Morzine this summer to do a mixture of Bike Park stuff and big singletrack days I would have either:

F: Maxxis DHF 2.5 Exo+ or DD MaxxGrip  R: Maxxis DHR 2.4 DD or DH MaxxTerra

or

F: Spec Butcher 2.6 T9 Grid Trail/Gravity R: Spec Butcher 2.3 T9 Grid Gravity

I would also have a mud tyre or 2 of some sort in the van and also a spare “normal tyre” (e.g. DHR 2.4) having been the victim of Alpine Bikeshops in past.

Caveat: I don’t run inserts.

DH casings of whatever tread pattern/manufacturer floats your boat.  You’re going to be uplifted everywhere and don’t need to save the weight.

No specific tyre advice really but I’ve been a few times and it can get incredibly gopping if it rains.  I’ve had instances of the bike being that glagged up that you could barely turn the pedals and freewheeling downhill was just not going to happen.  So I’d err on something, or at least have with you, a spare front for a mud fest.

Most of of the main trails in Morzine are smooth. A few of the more enduro trails are a bit lumpy/rocky.

You’ll be fine with your current tyres unless you’ve no finesse and plough through everything.

Over my first three trips I’ve got progressively braver with tyre carcass/sidewall choice.

On the first trip I scared myself into some DH casing tyres for my 130mm trail bike (I survived though, which was my main objective!).

Second trip I went for DH Casing Front/DD Casing Rear (Maxxis DHF/Aggressor)

Third trip this summer just gone I just went for EXO+ (Maxxis Assegai/DHRII) and felt happier again so personally as a ~70kg not super-aggressive rider I won’t be bothering with heavy casing tyres again. As above though it’s so personal, if you can rip a tyre to shreds in your local woods then maybe ignore my advice!

We don’t know if the OP is a bridleway mincer or an ex-DH racer.

What on earth is a bridleway mincer?

I know plenty of bridleways in the UK that are 10 times scarier than anything I’ve seen in PdS.

I ride all over the Alps for 2 months every summer and have done for the last 10 years or more.  Never change my tyres from what I use here (DHR, DHF, Purgatory, Butcher, Bontrager XR4 / XR5).  Fundamentally you’ll probably be riding the same stuff as here, just more of it (assuming you arent hitting huge jumps).  I’ve never use DH specific tyres or any dual ply, and have only had one ruined tyre that I can remember.  I’m pretty light, but do tend to ride rocks and roots a lot – Latsch, Garda,  Paganella anyone?

Sure, you’ll be uplifted, so dont care about weight, but maybe save the cash and buy a few extra Mutzigs.

EXO has been fine for us in the PDS. I used to switch to DH tyres, but once we went tubeless I couldn’t be bothered. I did used to take some Wet Screams for if it was really wet, but now we just drive somewhere drier like Tignes, Les 2 Alpes, etc as when the PDS gets really wet it’s very muddy.

I slashed a Maxxis exo front tyre on a flow trail on the les gets side. gunshot sound, instant flat, luckily I had 10m of straight to stop before the next corner or I would have been off.

double down or supergravity for me from now on.

I’d stay with a minionish tread pattern. If you do get the rain most people will be sticking to the flow trails rather than following the pros down the super steep pleney off piste – would say big mud spikes not really needed for the average holiday rider.

When you see what a tyre costs out there you will understand why all the teenagers ride every tarmac section on their rear wheel exclusively.

I split a DHR EXO+ last year, so trying the same this year but with Cushcore. For DH bike (new build) I went with DD Minion DHFs in MaxxTerra, again with Cushcore. The DH casing is only available in MaxxGrip which wear out very quickly on the back.

Most of of the main trails in Morzine are smooth

Where are these, last time I went I stayed clear of the main stuff as it felt like I had a jackhammer on my fork axle (180mm Zeb’s before you ask). Stayed clear of the main stuff.

120mm hard tail on XR4’s and a tubster aboard was fine for me (although some spokes didn’t survive…)…

Totally depends on your riding style / skills / trails you choose. Having stuck to marked trails, IMO I’ve ridden much tougher and rockier trails all over the UK.

e.g. this is a riders view of Super Morzine.

Also tyres do wear out so you will at some point have to buy some anyway.

A day of lift assisted riding is going to get you at least twice as much riding as any UK van uplift, which itself is 2-3 times more than any pedal up rides.

Its just so much more efficient.

If you take metres descended as a rough measure of wear and tear on your bike(‘s tyres, brakes, suspension), I think I often do about a third of my annual descent in 6 full days in Morzine.

So going through a set of tyres in two weeks riding (or two years real time) I wouldn’t be too upset about, same as a couple of sets of brake pads, etc.

I’d just run the tread pattern of what you usually run, just a tougher casing (double down) because who wants punctures?  Uplifts eliminate worries about weight penalties.

A day of lift assisted riding is going to get you at least twice as much riding as any UK van uplift, which itself is 2-3 times more than any pedal up rides.

🤔

I must being doing the Alps wrong. I never get anywhere near that much hm.

@agentdagnamit

I’m pretty light, but do tend to ride rocks and roots a lot – Latsch, Garda, Paganella anyone?

Good choice of locations….!

Latsch/Vinschgau is great if you fancy riding alpine stuff in December /January. Strange little microclimate that keeps the snow away.

Garda…. Find the lake a bit over crowded, but go either east or west and you’ll find similar trails, but much less traffic. Plus it’s easier to find a quiet park up with the van.

Paganella is good. Basically the same rock as around Lake Garda, limestone.

Where are these, last time I went I stayed clear of the main stuff as it felt like I had a jackhammer on my fork axle (180mm Zeb’s before you ask). Stayed clear of the main stuff.

Wot? Don’t u like breaking bumps? Dey is well good.

A day of lift assisted riding is going to get you at least twice as much riding as any UK van uplift, which itself is 2-3 times more than any pedal up rides.

I was curious about this so did some Strava digging, my last Morzine trip was 18 to 20k feet descending per day, Bike park wales a bit under 10k and Antur gets me about 14 odd k. A pedally day at somewhere like FoD gets me 4k.

As for tyres, personally I just run my normal Assegai/DHR that I have on all year but make sure they are in good nick and have plenty of sealant. I do make sure I take a spare tyre or 2 as I’ve seen the prices in Morzine bike shops!

Just had a quick look at my Strava from the Alps last year.

Typical days on the lifts were 5,000-6,000m, biggest was 6,800m in Pila – covering 75km.

Funny enough, I was saying last night I’m still on the same tyres from that trip.

In summary I’d say it’s much more important to take spares of things which might break or wear out. Mech hangers, brake pads, tyres. Make sure your bike (and body) is fully functional and ready for way more abuse than it’s used to.

Thanks for the advice all.

assegai EXO+ and DHR2 DD on order and I’ll take the current tyres as “just in case” spares

I too agree that uplift in the Alps is roughly twice as much as uplift in the UK.

Alpin – any tips on van park ups near Garda / Torbole?  I did a day on ‘Monte Zugna’ which was amazing, but you really needed an uplift.  The area you pass through on the drive up to Tremalzo looks promising.

I’m guessing Generalist pedals up when he’s out in the mountains….

@agentdagnamit

Not much around Rive/Torbole…. There’s a small, tucked away spot on the road climbing up to the east of Arco I used to use many years ago.

Nice place away from Garda (the town) that is free, next to a small lake and the German Military Cemetery near Costermano sul Garda. Some nice trails on the southern tip of Monte Baldo.

A couple of Picnic areas off the road north of Lago d’Idro that are much quieter than anything around Lago di Garda.