I’m going to Morzine this summer for the first time, can’t wait. But I’ve got the which bike do I take dilemma

I’ve got a nukeproof dissent dh bike and I’ve got a transition scout with 150mm fox 36 and a Cane creek coil on the back with 130mm travel

I’ve been told that we will be going to all the bike parks, so which would be best for the job? I like the idea of the scout

I thought the dh bike would be best but Will it be limiting on what I can ride?

Cheers

Both bikes have their pros and cons, but if I had the choice I’d take the DH bike.

I’ve ridden there on both a Five and a Bronson, on some trails I’d rather have a DH bike, but on others the more nimble bike was great fun. But at the end of the day unless you are planning a lot of pedalling (which the bike parks don’t have) then where else is a better place to ride your DH bike.

I’ll be on my Bronson this year, but if I did have a DH bike I’d take that instead.

Either, both.

It’s certainly a place you can use a ‘big bike’, if you have live with dragging them thing around town all week, why not?

Take one type, rent the other if you feel the need on a couple of days.

Clearly, you need a new bike.

There are lift-assisted cross country route options. Are you just sticking with the pure downhills or do you intend to explore, take in the scenery and get to the other bike parks by bike?

Depends what sort of riding you like. Anyway the answer is DH, where better to use one.

Depends how brave you are too. The DH bike won’t turn you into Troy Brosnan, buy if you’re a good DH rider, at times you’ll need the bounce

Take the DH bike, no question.

For one, it will justify it’s existence.

For two, there are so many tracks in the PPdS area worthy of it.

I’m sure you’d still have fun on a 130mm bike, but you’ll be knackered much quicker.

I used to take a DH bike every year for ages but I’ve also ridden everything on an old Cotic Bfe so I reckon you can use almost whatever you want.

DH bike is good fun for flat-out, trucking but none of the tracks strictly require one, plus just travelling around on one is a bit of a drag. There’s also tonnes of stuff away from the main trails that you might want to check out.

I much prefer it these days, going on a bike that I can easily travel around on then still give it hell on the descents. I love downhill and I’m always itching to buy a new DH bike but my current bike just does everything better.

I’ve been told that we will be going to all the bike parks, so which would be best for the job?

If you are sticking to the bike parks then there is no reason to not take the DH bike.

There’s a ton of great riding that requires a bit of pedaling, but equally there are so many easily accessed lift assisted trails you’ll likely not even see them all in a week.

I haven’t been for years, but there were always loads of easily accessible off-piste tracks you could ride on a DH bike.

DH bike, fo sho
If you’re going later on in the summer then the bigger bike will iron out the braking bumps too, by iron out I mean make them slightly less juddering

I guess it depends how good a rider you are. I went for 1st time last year took my smuggler & Vitus e-sommet, I could not get over number of people on DH bikes mincing down blue runs where they would be better on an enduro bike.

could not get over number of people on DH bikes mincing down blue runs where they would be better on an enduro bike.

When I use to go I’d be one of those mincers. But then I’d also venture down some of the proper downhill tracks and was very glad of the bigger bike.

If the op can only take one bike then take the dh bike. If you aren’t going to use it in morzine what the point of even owning it!? Enjoy ..it’s ace

could not get over number of people on DH bikes mincing down blue runs where they would be better on an enduro bike

I couldn’t get over the number of people on DH bikes mincing down blue runs while I overtook them on my steel hardtail.
😎

(Tbf, I broke multiple spokes through the 10 days we were there. A Big Bike would have been better)

I went a few times years back. Brought a 160mm Rocky Mtn slayer. Was good fun but got really beaten up with all the braking bumps. Rented a DH bike for one day. It was much better fun.There’s a lot of stuff that was fine on the DH bike that i wouldn’t have the Skill\guts to go off on a 160mm bike. Also the Braking bumps “disappeared”. If you’re planning on also going to the bike park in Chatel you’ve a fair bit of ground to cover but most is flat or lift assisted to get there.

Take the DH bike. There is literally nowhere better in Europe to DH.

If you take the shorter travel bike you’ll regret it, as I bet you’ll be riding around thinking “This would be SO much better/more fun on my DH bike”.

Preferred my Yeti ASR5 (140/120MM travel) to the Santa Cruz DH job I hired there. Take the Transition.

In my opinion.

Take the DH. I always take an enduro to the alps, but morzine is probably the one place I’d go for a smash and go big dh bike. There’s some fantastic stuff that something a bit nimbler helps you get to, but if you’re going for bike park then you’ll be far better off on a DH bike and if you start linking stuff up there’s no real long pedals.

After a few days of braking bumps, you’ll just be thankful of a bit more cushion if nothing else. The steep hard stuff if your a decent rider will be a lot better on a dh bike.

Trip 1 giant reign 150/150mm. Fork rebuild
Trip 2 giant reign 150/175mm coil at the back
Trip 3 canyon Dh bike. Free hub went had to buy a new rear wheel after a day traipsing round the shops
Trip 4 canyon dh bike until it got nicked then v10, pivot dh bike and morewood dh bike.

Top tip- take a big lock and use it overnight. The chalet I stayed in on the 2nd and 4th trip got broken into and all the bikes got nicked. Rumors said it happened to several other chalets with bikers on trip 4.

The dh bikes were much better than the reign. How recently the forks had been serviced made a bigger difference than almost anything else on the dh bikes I rented.

I pedaled to Morgins each time. While it took ages to get there it wasn’t much harder to get there from morzine on the dh bike as there are multiple lifts 😀

I’ve also been on a trail bike (maybe 5 times) and enjoyed it, and enjoyed a rental dh bike less, but now I have a DH bike, I wouldn’t hesitate to take it above anything else. The trails there are poorly maintained and fairly punishing, a big bike simply takes more of the beatings and lets you have fun for longer than something else. Its easy enough to get around pretty much all the pds on one as well, as long as you dont mind the odd 5 mins pedalling slowly along the flat (theres not any significant unavoidable climbs I can think of off the top of my head)

Hi all

Thanks for the replies, really appreciate them all

Think that the dh bike will be the one I take then by the sounds of it!

The worst climb was from the top of the Zore lift to the Hotel before you drop down to Lindarets. However, there is a new trail down to the bottom of the Seraussaix lift which then chops out half of the climb across.

DH bike or enduro bike, with DH casing tyres. 10,000ft of descending in a day is fairly easy and will weed out any issues in the bike, so make sure its perfect before you go.

You’ll have a great trip on either, and they both have their pros and cons. I plan to drive this summer so I can bring both bikes.

I had a day last year where we just lapped the Pleney. It was one of my favourite days riding ever. I immediately decided to buy a DH bike after that. Swiss DH, Champery, Crossets also up there with the best days riding. Can’t wait to get back.

However, there is a new trail down to the bottom of the Seraussaix lift which then chops out half of the climb across.

There’s an even newer trail that makes it even easier.

Up Zore

Do the serrassaux green

Get the lift up

Roll down the fireroad as you normally would if heading to lindarets

After a hundred yards, where you’d normally go right-ish along the PDS route, there’s a new trail on the left that takes you down into lindarets with much less climbing.

Drops you onto the road eventually and roll downhill to the start of the lindarets valley

If it’s all uplifted, take the DH bike.

If you’re intending to do more exploring, take the scout. It sounds like you’re planning on hitting all the bike parks, can’t see why you wouldn’t just take the DH bike.

Reading this thread is kind-of making me want to go back there now.

Reading this thread is kind-of making me want to go back there now.

I’m counting the days…

I’m not sure if it’s the riding or the chicken waffle burger that’s making me want it the most !!!

After a hundred yards, where you’d normally go right-ish along the PDS route, there’s a new trail on the left that takes you down into lindarets with much less climbing.

We were out early in the season, guessing that wasn’t open yet or may have not seen it? Will keep a look out next year.

We were out early in the season, guessing that wasn’t open yet or may have not seen it? Will keep a look out next year.

It’s very poorly signposted. I believe it’s an old walking trail that’s been reassigned as a bike trail. Nothing exciting but it saves the horrible flat/ uphill trail to the Col De la Joux Verte

here it is on Strava

https://www.strava.com/segments/15773544?filter=overall

DH bike makes most sense if you want to get the most out of it

For long days on big tracks you want the big bike, especially toward the end of the day when you are tired and mistakes are creeping in!

chakaping

Subscriber
Reading this thread is kind-of making me want to go back there now.

its got me checking out DH bikes on ebay, now if I could just convince my wife…..

I’ve only been once and injured myself on the 2nd day so can’t comment too much. But I was on a Trail Bike and remember some of the routes I did involved some pedalling uphill. Obviously there is stuff that doesn’t require any at all but you’d probably have less choice.

A lot of other’s in my group on Trail Bikes were doing some big 70k+ rides going to Switzerland and back. Mostly Ski lift assisted with some climbing. The ones with DH Bikes in my group didn’t do those types of rides and never seemed to go far from Morzine, so there is probably much more variety with the Trail Bike in terms of where you can go.

The very popular trails around Morzine are definetely very rough though with lots of braking bumps so can see a DH Bike being an advantage on those. So I’d say a DH Bike for sessioning type rides or Trail Bike for exploration type rides.

as @grannyjone alludes to above it depends what you are going to ride when you are there.

It’s very easy (but IMHO opinion boring) to stay in Morzine all week riding the black/red Pleney side or the blues and reds on Super Morzine side.

If that is what you are planning it will be 100% lift assisted so you may as well take the DH bike.

If however you fancy travelling all over the PDS area to Avoriaz, Les Lindarets, Les Gets, Chatel, Mossettes Morgins, Champery etc and over into Switzerland and back then the more pedal friendly bike will probably be better. You may occasionally wish you had a bit more travel on some of the trails but you wont regret being able to pedal some of the transfer trails between trail centres/DH bike parks without killing yourself in the 30/35/42 degree heat (as it was for me in 2015).

I’m fortunate enough to have been there about a dozen times over the last 15 years and know my way around well. My recommendation would be to try to hook up with someone who knows their way around and is willing to show you around a bit.

I’ve met so many groups of mainly northern lads looking lost who are searching for some mythical other location than Les Gets where they have spent five days riding and it’s only on their last day that they hear there are some other trails to explore but which require a bit of navigation and pedalling to reach.

If however you fancy travelling all over the PDS area to Avoriaz, Les Lindarets, Les Gets, Chatel, Mossettes Morgins, Champery etc and over into Switzerland and back then the more pedal friendly bike will probably be better.

Different strokes for different folks. I’d be gutted to turn up somewhere like Morgins and realise I’d left my big bike at home.

*for the record, driving to Morgins is far better as you get a full days riding in instead of spending most of it getting there and back

If however you fancy travelling all over the PDS area to Avoriaz, Les Lindarets, Les Gets, Chatel, Mossettes Morgins, Champery etc and over into Switzerland and back then the more pedal friendly bike will probably be better

Realistically, the only pedal involved for the above is the top of Super Morzine (Zore) to the Col De La Joux Verte. It’s a 15 minute push/pedal on a DH bike and 10 minutes on a Trail/Enduro bike

Getting between places isn’t the reason to take a DH bike

Morzine to Les Gets = downhill all the way apart from a 30 ft small hill

Les Gets to Morzine = downhill all the way on the road

Morzine to Chatel & Lindarets = downhill all the way apart from the Zore to Col De La Joux Verte section

Morzine to Switzerland = downhill all the way apart from the Zore to Col De La Joux Verte section

What @MTB_IDLE says really, we hired a local guide for a couple of days, took us over to La Bourgeoise and a couple of descents into Samoens, highlight of my trip. But as others have alluded to, depends on what you want.

Boardinbob speaks much sense!

The first time I went I took a Cove Hustler with 140 mm Pikes while most of our group had DH bikes, it was out of its depth on nearly everything! The second time I had a 160 mm travel Yeti, which was OK
The last 6 times I’ve been I have had various different DH bikes and enjoyed the riding much better and a combination of push/ pedal over to be Linderets or to the Mossettes lift has been fine!

The lift system is easy to work out and if you get stuck ask for a few pointers, even the French are quite helpful 😉
A full day on the Pleney is a must, there are some really really steep sections just off the Blue Family route

Useful information above. Kinda diverting from the subject, does anyone have any recommendations for medical travel insurance? Pretty sure my standard policy won’t cover a visit there.

Thanks Matt