Hi SamC, canny help you with the riding down by the Verdon, but assuming it’s St Gervais in Haute Savoie, then you’ve got loads to go at there. I’d recommend buying the IGN maps 3531 ET St Gervais and 3531 OT Megeve to get the best of the area (or online mapping of your choice)
From St Gervais itself the Bettex lift has access to the “whizz” flow trail which, though it’s not going to keep you amused for more than a couple laps, is great fun for those couple of laps. You then have trails from the top that can take you down to Megeve. Alas Megeve has really cut back on their lifts this year, however below Jaillet there are a variety of built and natural trails, whilst the Rochebrun lift is more of the natural trails, a little bitty unfortunately. The Mont d’Arbois lift then brings you back up to the top of the Bettex lift and the Whizz flow trail.
Heading south from Bettex there’sa bit of a hoof to a couple of great trails that descend (eventually, you have to traverse a bit first…) to LEs Contamines. Typrically it’s the harder to reach further away one that’s the better descent. Les Contamines also has its own bike park which is fun enough for a few laps, but then there’s easily a full day of lapping the lifts to tick off all the wee singletracks marked on the map. If you then head up the valley further towards the Col du Bonhomme you get a right cracking descent back down the Roman Road to Les Contamines, best done early or late to minimise the number of walkers to maximise flow. Conviniently there’s the Nant Borant refuge up there to sit with a coffee/beer/icecream whilst you wait for the traffic to quieten.
Then there’s Chamonix just over the hill. It has a bit of riding too… I’m not sure what the tramway costs for uplift, but bikes area taken on the 1st and last 3 trains of the day so I’ve included a load of great trails from the tramway below.
Some links: http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2014/les-contamines-no-bad/
http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/tag/st-gervais/

Having read through the many good suggestions, I think Parling probably got it right with the first sentence.
Best biking destination: Europe.

tuskaloosa’s shout for the bike book is going to be the most useful bit of advice you’ll get, Tom the author works in ZeroG in the centre of town so you can even chat to him when you buy it. I think ZeroG have pulled out of bike rental this year, however their mechanic has started a new shop “slash” at the other end of town where you can rent high end kit for reasonable prices (Trek Slash 29’rs etc) or there’s Legend CHX for Giant/Santa Cruz rentals.
The bike ban is only really relevant for Brevent and Flegere. Le Tour and Les Houches are pretty much unaffected, at some point I’ll get round to writing an article explaining it, but in the meantime here’s 10 of the best descents in Chamonix, a mix of lift and pedal access, and only 3 are off limits just now. http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2016/top-ten/
When are you out? The UTMB race at the end of August/start of September makes the LE Tour area a bit too busy and the Vallorcine gondola close just after that.

September’s my favourite time of year for riding in the alps. Weather’s a bit more stable, trails are quiet, you’ve got a whole summer of riding in the body so you’re riding well. Perfect!
Can only speak for the western alps where I live. Chamonix lifts close a week early this year, so the 17th and 24th September are the main 2 closing days (mind there’s no bike ban in September… here’s all the bike accessible lift dates for the valley: http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2017/turning-over/ ) Verbier is open through to late October, as is St Luc and some of the Zermatt lifts. Then there’s all the wee lifts in Switzerland (Dorinaz, Saleve, Bex and more) that are public transport so open all year round, and just happen to have amazing riding from them. Add in near enough year round (well, the way the last few winters have been) uplift riding from the likes of Aosta Valley Freeride and you’re laughing!

Don’t fret too much….
The train is due to restart tomorrow, and the bike buses will be running by July too. Vallorcine is always the last lift to open (and first to close), 1st July this year but the pedal back over the col isn’t too bad (harder than taking the lift though) Prarion is having maintenance work done but is due to also open on the 1st July. Bellevue is taking bikes and there is no word that they are going to stop that.
Brevent and Flegere will again both be closed during July and August, in theory there’s no legal trails to ride from these lifts during the bike ban months, so that’s one that just has to be sucked up. Flegere is also closed to bikes just now due to maintenance work, but Brevent is taking bikes.
Plenty to ride still… more info over at: http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2017/turning-over/ (that’s the loft openings page, random info appears as I get round to it)

As you’ve got 2 months to play with, as well as all the great “bigger” and well known places, I’d also be looking at a lot of the wee ski areas that are great fun for a day, but after that get a bit tricky to find good trails without too much effort. In a van you can just link together a few of them on your way to the better known spots where you can stop for a few days. The smaller places tend not to have quite as many amenities, but make up for it in being less fed up with cheap bikers/climbers/skiers turning up and trying to do as much as possible for a as little as possible. The Alps book should be good for getting a good idea of where is near where. The book’s cover trail is one of the least good trails in Le Tour, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good trail!
I can only really recommend the stuff near home, but here’s a few places from my blog that would be worth stopping for a day:
La Clusaz (check most videos by Kilian Bron for a better idea about here): http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2016/gone-surfing-la-clusaz/
Megeve/Combloux: Possible changes to the lifts that are open this year, best check. http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/tag/megeve/
Les Contamines: The end of a quiet valley, but a really scenic spot: http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2014/les-contamines-no-bad/
Les Sept Laux. Near Grenoble and another 12euro daypass resort: http://www.les7laux.com/fr/il4-info_i24-reprise-du-shape-vtt.aspx
Further from Haute Savoie I’d add Val d’Allos which is great sweeping singletrack with subtle features through the trees in the bike park and just great sweeping singletrack on the natural trails and Valberg/Guillems where the EWS stopped at last season. Both these spots could be easily used to make a scenic drive from Sestriere/Sauxe doux/Briancon area to Molini/Finale if you want to go through the mountains all the way.
I’d also say if the budget stretches to it, then a day with the Aosta Valley Freeride guys near Pila and La Thuile will be inspiration for many further rides.
Oh, and Chamonix is quite good too!

Why is a frame warranty of “only” 2 years a problem? Surely if a frame lasts 2 years of regular riding any failure after that is going to be user fault rather than a manufacturing or material flaw?

Anyways, as above, if you like the reign then cost up buying the cheapest reign and swapping parts between bikes to then sell off your old frame and less good Giant bits n bobs. Should come in at about your budget.

For pics of La Thuile riding, just look at any of the EWS footage. If you want some words to go with the pictures, links to trail maps, opening dates etc; check some of the posts from chamonixbikeblog[/url], there’s also stuff on Pila and some other Aosta riding on there.
If your kids are good with Morzine reds then they’ll enjoy most of the riding off the top chair at Pila (maybe don’t bother with the iXS DH course tho….) and fine with most of the blue/red stuff at La Thuile. I wouldn’t say La Thuile is that steep or tech, but I live in Chamonix, so it’s all relative. If you like the off piste stuff around Pleney then you’ll like any of the black trails at La Thuile.

La Thuile is properly amazing for a bike park! For trails just pick upone of the free “piste” maps at the lift office and follow that. The EWS tracks from either year are great (and marked) but really you can’t go far wrong.
Day trips to Pila and towards Bourg in France are well worth it, as is a lot of the pedal/uplift style riding towards Courmayeur and Aosta itself.
I live less than an hour away if there’s no traffic so can’t help much on accomodation, only ever slept in vans in the carpark, but airbnb is generally good for Italy, tho make sure you’re staying in La Thuile itself as any of the satellite towns are a bit of vertical away.

And some swearingly enthusastic words and pictures on Aosta Valley uplift riding from a Kiwi mate: http://dirtynomad.com/euroenduro-iii-day-3-big-mon-ton-love/%5B/url%5D

I’d second the suggestions for Aosta valley. Not only is the accommodation cheaper, the food better, and the coffee Italian coffee, but La Thuile is basically exactly what you describe as being after. Fairly quiet, well marked trails, great trails with no death jumps/gaps. It is a little cut up on the EWS trails, but the rest are fine. Combine a few days in La Thuile with a day in Pila (which does suffer from braking bumps and dust in the 2nd 1/2 of the season) and a day with Aosta Valley Freeride doing uplift and you should have a near perfect alpine bike trip.
La Thuile: http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/tag/la-thuile/%5B/url%5D
Pila: http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2015/pila-pinningpining/%5B/url%5D

The St Gervais suggestion isn’t too bad an idea either, but the trails aren’t as well signposted and the trails aren’t as complete as they are in La Thuile. Google for GPX files on the annual megeve “MB Enduro” which is on good trails with variety each year. Don’t forget Les Contamines a little further up the valley. The tramway up to Col du Voza gives access to the Chamonix valley, but it’s expensive and in theory bikes are only allowed on 1st and last trams (in practice unless it’s hoaching you’re fine)
Les Contamines: http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2014/les-contamines-no-bad/%5B/url%5D
Most of Chamonix/St Gervais/Megeve area: http://www.pinkbike.com/news/glorious-failure-one-day-one-lift-pass-2016.html

Cheers Tony. I’d seen a little about the EOmtbing and hopefully it’s going to make working out if your guide is actually qualified to do their job or not a lot easier in a few years time. For just now though I thought it was still work in progress, I think they’re planning on it being fully EU wide by 2018.

@ P-jay, I think you miss heard the comment in the syndicate video. He was telling Josh he was the last person to win a WC race on 26″ wheels.

I used to do the camping thing, but last few trips have been air bnb. Flats are so cheap there off season and it makes lift much easier. Some inspiration here[/url], as if it’s needed in Finale, awesome place :D

Edit: There’s some shuttle company links in the post linked above, but they’re all pretty good to be honest.

Antennae’s referenced my original post where I broke the bad news that Brevent was closed to bikes, then updated it to say that thanks to some negotiation, it was open again. Then the Marie (local council) changed the rules for the bike ban to exclude the previously permitted routes from Brevent and Flegere, so the lifts became off limits again. Hence, they are 100% off limits to bikes until the end of August.
Unless someone changes their mind again.
I’ve been trying to put up semi regular updates ofwhat’s open, what’s not, what’s riding well and what’s changed at the chamonixbikeblog instagram account. It’s not been as regular as intended as I’m trying not to use too many photos of a set of handlebars and some singletrack.

Ah yes, should probably have re-re-updated that thread, sorry antennae! Bikes are not allowed on the Brevent or Flegere lifts during the bike ban months of July and August as there are now no bike ban legal trails from the top, hence we canny go up and play. Le Tour/Vallorcine, Grand Montets & Les Houches are all good, and us locals now get free use of St Gervais, Les Contamines, Megeve and Combloux, so it’s not all bad.

Basically anything at Le Tour, EXCEPT posettes, is fine, and the same at Les Houches, as long as you apply the usual chamonix rules of don’t dress like a stormtrooper and tear through groups of walkers. Posettes is a local sticking point and it makes life a lot easier for the local guys who do a great job at trying to keep access for bikes through the valley in the face of some very hostile locals if folks could not ride it during the bike ban, and certainly not in the middle of the day when it’s really busy with guided groups of walkers.

The parking by the Prarion lift in Les Houches has a designated area for TdMBers so you’ll be fine leaving the car there. You don’t need to use the lifts for the tour, but if going anti clockwise (currently the best direction I think, but not by much, and based on whether you take the Martigny variation from Boviner or not on the clockwise)it does speed up the first day. Pedalling up the Chamonix valley is a pretty boring start to the tour, (though descending, GR5 is a pretty good end) so if going clockwise I’d probably park either in the Le Tour or Grand Montets carparks, again both are fine for leaving cars in for a week or so, then either get the bus back or take Petite balcon nord back up at the end of the tour.

EDIT, and all 3 parkings are free

Not sure how much is extortionate, but there’s a few places where you can get a pretty good bike for less than 30€ a day here in Chamonix, try checking some of the options on this: https://www.chamonet.com/cycle-hire/%5B/url%5D

Here’s a link[/url] to opening and closing dates for a load of north western alps resorts. Most of Chamonix, fair bit of Verbier, and all the wee unknown swiss Valais lifts will still be turning. More than enough for a week!

Rides from the top of Brevent would be the obvious choice, but there’s too much snow there just now.
Still a fair bit of snow round the back of Le Tour towards Trient, but it’s passable with care. Vallorcine will be open by then to help you get back.
What passes have you booked? The bike pass only covers Le Tour, Les Houches and Grand Montets. Flegere and Brevent are back on for bikes thanks to some local negotiating, but the bike ban will be in effect by then anyway.
Check the blog here for ideas at each lift area and see what takes your fancy. http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/ride-guides/%5B/url%5D
Depressed in Chamonix :-(

And now for some good news!

CdMB have changed their mind (thanks to lots of local advocacy work) on not letting bikes up the Brevent/Planpraz lifts. From today (22/06/16) it’s ok to upload with bikes at Brevent and Flegere.

As ever though, this can be reversed, so please play nice! The local word is that bikes abide by any requests to not ride certain areas due to the works on the new lifts (the reason for the interdiction in the first place) and that everyone is nice and chilled out on the trails, so try not to look too much like a storm trooper, maybe leave the full face at home (if you’re going fast enough to need it you’re going too fast and if you’re not confident enough to ride a section without it, just walk it) and generally be friendly!

Yay for good news…

Just had a look on the verticalp website. Not sure exactly what your plans are Burchy1 but the funicular only gets you part of the way, to get from the valley floor at Chatelard to the dam you need to use all 3 bits. Part way up might be grand for your plans though!
The top part of Le Tour is currently open, but closed for bikes as the bike park is still partly under snow. The lifties reckon it should be open for bikes this weekend (18th June).

@Burchy1 I’ve never heard of anyone taking their bike on the funicular, doesn’t mean you can’t, but as Agentdagnamit says, it’s blinking expensive and pedalling up on the road isn’t that bad (and free) or take the post bus which, as with most swiss buses, take your bike too for 1/2 the fare you pay for you.
@flap jack, yup, all the fun trails off the Brevent middle lift are banned in the bike ban July and August, and the trails like holy trail/aiguillette des houches from the brevent top lift are banned all year as you go into a national park where bikes ain’t allowed. However, the 4×4 track all the way down is one of the lift companies official mtb routes, so you just claim you’ve been riding that all day!
Chamonix is heaving with tourists most of the year, most of whom spend money with little extra infrastructure needed, bikes cost the lift company money to accomodate so there is some reluctance there. The most important thing about the Brevent lifts is that they reopen in the autumn for 2 or 3 weeks when everywhere else is closed….

I’ve not ridden over that way (portes du mont blanc) a huge amount, just a race and some day trips, and the IGN maps aren’t a massive amount of help as they don’t seem to cover a lot of the small trails through the trees.

The little I have seen (and there’ll be plenty exploring this year for sure, the potential for massive lift aided routes is huge) is fairly good, generally not that steep or rocky, but lots of more flowy riding in the woods. The views are pretty good too being that bit further from the big hills so you get a better perspective on them. Think slightly more mellow Hugh’s Way and Pipeline style trails and you’ve got a good start. Add in some of the flatter gradient stuff and bike park/flow trail from Samoens/Les Carroz and you’ve got it more or less (from what I’ve seen).

As ever there’s some words and pictures on the blog…
Megeve/Combloux: http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/tag/les-portes-du-mont-blanc/%5B/url%5D
Les Contamines (A little unsure if this is included free in summer, but it is in winter) http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2014/les-contamines-no-bad/%5B/url%5D

After an evening of grumbling amoungst Chamonix’s VTTists, it seems the reason is that a new lift is being installed for next winter and the 4×4 track up from the valley is now closed to all (pedestrians and cyclists) so as the lorries can trundle up with the equipment. As the 4×4 is the official lift company approved descent for bikes, bikes are now not allowed up the lift. Why Flegere is now on the interdite list I’m not sure, but it doesn’t seem to be closed inpractice so hopefully that doesn’t change.
The arrete municipal than stops biking in July & August lists the Brevent couloir as one of the exceptions to the bike ban, so it might be there’s an arguement to be had there that gets access granted again.
Saying all this. It’s ust a lift, it’s really no that important in the grand scheme of things, and we’ve got the whole St Gervais/Megeve/Combloux area included in the lift pass this summer.

They said both sections, bubble to plan praz AND gondola up to Brevent itself> The CdMB website says VTT interdite at both Flegere and Brevent tough.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGjeEVwmGB-/?taken-by=chamonixbikeblog

You should be ok with either, but if looking for new rubber just the trip then dual ply is a good idea. Most of us (I’ve lived in Chamonix for 5+ years, and am really hoping not to get sent home later this month) run a mix of maxxis shorty, minion dhf/dhr and high roller in dual ply or sometimes exo casing. As jambalaya says, bit of everything and it depends where you’re riding, but when it’s rocky……it’s really rocky!
The old blue and associated trails at Les houches don’t exist any more, but the new trails from parion gondola are better anyway. And the non purpose built trails are all better again

To put a further stick in your spokes, you need to be a full guide to take folks off piste skiing in the alps, and I think in the carpathians too, so either it’s 5 years min and a huge amount of money getting your high mountain guide ticket, or guiding in Scotland or Spanish hills, or ditching the skiing bit of the plan, which is where you’d make most of your money. As said above, we all think of doing it, but in reality it’s a huge amount of work for very little financial return….and I say that as a 7 year resident of Chamonix who’s worked for and is friends with folk who’ve done it. Still, it does work for some people, so do some more looking and don’t discount it just on the basis of a bunch of singletrackworlderers!

I’ve got a aluminium strive, I’m very happy with how it rides, but that’s quite personal. What I can add is that tbe customer service has been excellent…..in France where I live. The 2 times I’ve spoken to the uk distribution guys it’s been terrible. I. On my 3rd sharpshooter, which sounds bad, but the bike defaults to 160mm dh mode and its really not that bad to ride about like that while you wait the couple weeks for the new unit to arrive.
As for mechanical hangers, you don’t pay 30euro let alone 30sterling here posted, but for sure add a couple when you buy the bike as spare!

Can’t help much with the PDS side of things but for the Tour du Mont Blanc, it’s hard to say if it’ll be an easy 3 day bikepack or not as it’s so fitness dependent. None of the trail is that technical (by alpine standards) and you can easily speed things up through the Italian section by staying on the valley floor through Val Veny and Val Ferret, but where’s the fun in that….
If 100miles/166km and 30,000foot/9000m climbing sounds reasonable in 3 days with all your camping gear then you’ll be fine. However, July/Aug is the peak time of year for the tour and it’s a bit frowned on to camp. You’ll get away with it, but you might get asked to move on and threatened with the gendarmes if you don’t. It’s not that expensive to stay in refuges, think 20 to 40 euro a night with dinner and breakfast, and means you can do the ride with just a day pack which makes life a LOT easier.
Either direction is good, both ways mean hard climbs and excellent descents. I’d err to going anti-clockwise if going for 3 days as the direct Bovine descent to Champex-lac isn’t great, but if you drop down to the valley base on the better trail to then pedal back up to Champex-lac it’s a lot more meters and kms. Whereas the new (well, newish, they changed the trail in 2013) climb from Champex to Bovine is fairly easy going, esp when compared to the old way, and the descent to Trient from the top is smashing.

The Pila website isn’t the most up to date alas, but for the last couple of years they’re closed on the 1st weekend of September, sometimes re-opening the 2nd weekend for a DH competition, hence it’s likely they won’t be open….but far from certain. The website seems to put up the summer opening & closing dates a few days before the summer opening, which has been the 3rd weekend in June last 2 years, but again, could be different this year.

You can shuttle the lower 1/2 of Pila quite easily if you’ve got enough people and suitable transport, and the Aosta valley freeride guys will be more than happy to guide and shuttle you at that time of year too.

Chamonix will still have almost all it’s lifts running then, Verbier quite a few. St Luc, Zermatt, Dorenaz and all the wee transport lifts in Switzerland should all be running too.

I’d add yet another vote for camping mer de glace…..but feel I should mention that the couple running the site were replaced after summer 2014 and that it’s not quite the same as it was before. Same great location mind and plenty reasons to recommend it!

Hi Prahran, the lifts usually start up on the 2nd weekend of June, so you’ll be a bit early,but the train is running which gives about 400m of height gain all for the price of about 5euro a week if you get the “carte d’hote” from the tourist office, and close on 800m of vertical for about 6euro or so if you ride all the way down to Le Fayet, which covers lots of interesting natural trails.
Through the tunnel the aosta valley freeride guys’ll be doing uplift and guiding, down the road La Saleve will be open and over the col into Switzerland Dorenaz will be running too.
Or you could do some of the classics which take a bit of pedalling but nothing too bad. Merlet, Loriaz, Caillet are all smashing and less than 700m of climbing.

You’ll be heading over at the best time of year, the ultra trail finishes the weekend before and town empties, the trails are quiet and all legal again and all but 1 of the bike friendly lifts are open. You should go!
For trail ideas check the usual 2 links, the chamonix bike book[/url] and chamonixbikeblog[/url]
The bight life won’t be the same as it is the week before, and certainly nowhere near the height of winter, but most bars and cafes are still open so you should be fine, def more lively than any of the other choices near by which close up shop at the end of August.
Pila, Verbier and bits of the PDS are all less than 1hr away and will still be open at start Sept too.

You could add La Saleve[/url] to the list, open all year, but only really enough riding for 2 days. Combine it with Chamonix though and there’s plenty. Mind Chamonix lifts start closing at the start of September and there’s only uplift at Les Houches by the end of September. Les Houches could keep you going for a few days for sure, but only if you want to ride natural trails, the built stuff is fairly limited.
Thanks to the late arrival of winter this year, at xmas time you could ride the lifts at Les Gets, Verbier and Pila, 3 countries, 3 days….

Hi Stevea
You’re right, most of the trails in the Chamonix valley are banned for mtb in July and August. There are a few of the classic trails still open though and for a day or 2 they would easily keep you occupied. The trails at either end of the valley, Les Houches heading towards St Gervais and Le Tour heading into Switzerland are not part of the Chamonix ban however, and there are more than enough trails there to keep you going!
For more help check out the chamonix bike book[/url] and the chamonix bike blog[/url] both of which have info on bike ban compliant trails.

As a wee aside, please please please don’t ride the Posettes trail during the bike ban as it’s a really contentious issue locally and we’re kinda keen not to loose what access we have right now!

I’d go for the XT over the RS, but it does depend on what you ride mostly. For UK sized descents then the RS will be fine and many folk prefer the modulation (I prefer the feel of shimano and canny see what everyone finds so on/off about them). For long alpine descents they can get a little inconsistent over time, but not too bad. The biggest factor if you’re pairing them with other bits from the SRAM stable is how nice and uncluttered you can get the handlebar to be thanks to the matchmaker!
Completely unconnected, I also have a pair of 5 month old Guide RS brakes for sale….

Good to have more people writing Anus, I started my blog partly as I was fed up reading all the inspiring skiing and climbing blogs kicking about the web and there being nothing similar for biking. 12mm/hr rain here in Chamonix, should be filling the glaciers in nicely, def looking at lower altitudes for the bike from now in though. Should be better for you around Grenoble.

Chakaping: I’ve started an instagram where I’ll put more regular ride photaes and let folks know when a new blog post is up. Most rides don’t get a blog post, but there’ll probably be a fair bit of useful trail conditions/hints cropping up there….just maybe not december to february! You can follow away at https://www.instagram.com/grahampinkerton_chamonixbike/%5B/url%5D

Grand to see more blogs appearing for alpine riding to give ideas for trips, and sharing the idea that autumn in the alps can be the best time of year (except for when it’s the worst….)
Another couple for bookmarking if it helps, bit further north mostly, are mine: http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/%5B/url%5D (Got a nice wee 1500m descent a couple days ago, though I think that’s riding at that altitude done for the year) and Oli Carr’s, http://chainmark.blogspot.fr/%5B/url%5D who gets some cracking exploring done when he’s not busy being a bike guide.