@theroadwarrior, different springs in the forks and shock I should think.

As said, Lighter springs all round, at 65 kgs standard suspension is too hard.

One of the benefits of the tues, as I see it, is that the bike is set up for rider weight. I am pretty light so any off the shelf bike will probably need new springs. Leaning heavily towards the tues, anyone ridden one?

Personally, I would go with the rc3. The vengeance coil is a pretty good fork but nothing like as good as the marzocchi. Can’t comment on the bos other than, even in France you don’t see too many.

Buy the bag at crc, have it delivered to the shop.

I put some on my sons DH bike. They seemed pretty good (he is only 24kg though). Dead easy to bleed as well. Good value I reckon.

Orangutans
Chimpanzees
and
[/url] 050[/url] by ianvincent[/url], on Flickr[/img]

Bears are the best animal ever!

Normal air forks.

Vallnord is amazing, and pretty near to other resorts too.
Maybe visit Les Angles while you are there, Grandvalira of course, and even La Molina in Spain is ‘down the road’…

Done them all. This summer we pretty much visited every resort with a bike park in the pyranees.

Next year we will be there for the world cup 😀

I paid 5 for my bongo, not converted though.

I gave my son the choice of Valnord or whistler for next summer hols. He chose Valnord 😯 He loves it there.

Nice little vid, shows the bike park pretty well. I didnt recognise any footage off the cubil lift, was it not open? If so, its a pity as the runs up there are ace, cubil is probably my favourite run at Valnord.

No tax between eu countries.

I have an evo and reckon its a pretty good bike. The suspension is really good for the price, componentry is effective rather than bling, the angles are pretty good and it is not as hard to pedal as you might imagine. I would definately buy another.

I spent a lot of time in France this year and rode it everyhere, early in the year XC and AM with a lot of climbing and then in the bike parks when I broke my bigger bike.

Looking at the spec of the meta, the spesh looks abetter deal. But, the springs are pretty soft so someone heavier than say 75kgs will deffo need to replace them with something stiffer.

Hope that helps

My advice stands; stop trying to be her friends, start being her mum and dad

I don’t consider them exclusive, certainly not at this stage.

I think it is really, at that age kids are a bit like dogs. They need to be shown where the boundaries are and they are always trying to push it. Giving in to them on something like this (unless there is a fundemental issue with the quality of the nursery) is just being wet and storing up all types of trouble for the future. Wait to be friends until you have them trained.

Personally I would think about taking the bike without wheels and getting a set of hubs of your choice with Flow EX rims. That way if you do damage one you know you can get spokes, rims and hub parts easily

Good point,

Cardagne/Capacir,
Descent from col de lhosa to Olette, back on the yellow train.
Formigues> Refuge camporelles>GR back to formigues.
Black from col de Lhosa.

Plenty of other stuff as well and a bike park at les Angles

Your subsequent role as support staff to your ever-demanding child could entertain us all for years.

😆 😆

I have been to both switchbacks DH and ride portugal on my own. You are more likely to be in a group with switchbacks. Both are good though.

Riding is probably harder in portugal and its a bit cheaper.

Well after all that, I had finally decided that it would probably worth it. Spoke to my son last night and…he dosnt want to go next year!

He wants to go to Valnord for the world cup! Danny Hart better not be injured or he will be gutted.

Ryan air, because I think Michael O’Leary is a total c___!
Renault, for being crap!

Cant think of anyone else that gets me too worked up.

luchon at weekends only

The bike park no longer exists in Luchon and the marked trails off the lift are rubbish. Some obvious guerilla downhills though.

Maybe places like Rubion and Auron in the south. There is a lift in Toulon (mont Torgon, i think) that has trails off the top of it (open all year round)

Austria seems to close late.

I have a thule on and its fine with 2.5 High Rollers.

I don’t think it’s being picky at all. Canyon bang on about their bikes being ready to ride so they should be, no matter how good value they are. If the brushings are knackered they should be replaced at canyons expense.I don’t see why anyone could think it acceptable that you end up out of pocket making a brand new bike fit for purpose. If they don’t sort it out there is something seriously wrong with their customer service.

Mine, only in that I paid for them but:

[/url]
005[/url] by ianvincent[/url], on Flickr

Big hit grom

[/url]
003[/url] by ianvincent[/url], on Flickr

Kona shred 2-4

I always thought that MDMA could actually cause depression as it can lead to a reduced serotonin (sp) level (one of the causes of depression).

It’s good to hear from someone who can make a direct comparison.

So, if your kids could easily ride all the reds at Deux alpes, had no problem clearing an 8 ft table, had a bike suited for the terrain, had loads of experience of riding European bike parks etc, etc. Would the trip to whistler justify the extra cost?

I had been riding with the family at Les Deux Alpes two weeks prior to the Whistler visit, 2 kids 11 & 13. I like 2Apes but you cannot compare it with Whistler (it isn’t fair to 2Alpes). Would I take my kids to Whistler? Only if I enrolled them on a tuition programme on full sus. bikes

What sort of trails were your kids riding at deux alpes?

I had a look at one in Decathlon, not that light. Apart from that seemed pretty good.

Yes.. they are not your European or UK trail centre tracks..In excess of 250kms of purpose built bike specific trails.. not goat tracks or walking trails that you ride down.. real mountain bike trails!

This is the dilemma, I am sure that if whistler was in Europe it would be an annual destination. He loves the fast open aerial stuff and there seems to be plenty of that at Whistler. However, places like Deux alpes have a fair bit as well, are easier to get to and are way cheaper in terms of lift passes and almost everything else.

We would only really be able to ride the parks as he (and I) would struggle to ride up hills on the bikes we would be taking with us. Whereas in Europe we can take two bikes each in the van and do other stuff if the mood takes. Those kids camps sound good but at $150 a day aren’t really an option. A trip to Canada would probably work out three times as expensive as our usual 4/5 weeks in Europe and be shorter.

I can believe that Whistler is better than anywhere on the continent but what I am asking is “is Canada worth the big premium over a european holiday?”

The algarve, the downhill is excellent and the weather is in the 20s over christmas usually. I think Freeride Portugal has changed its name now but they were really good.

I thought the riding there was better than Malaga.

[/url]
IMG_2831[/url] by ianvincent[/url], on Flickr

I bought this off Khani last year, lived in it for 9 of the last 14 months (sabbatical year with numerous French road trips). Its been ace 🙂 Budget alternative to the VW.

Saw a brand called Oxygene in France this summer, possibly the perfect proper camper for carrying bikes.

http://www.oxygen-camping-cars.fr/fr/7000-c.aspx

As for language, why not speak english full stop

That will really work in France 😆

Dosnt hope have their own sales organisation in France (well one guy and a van)?

Anyway, mabye the problem is not the use of distributors per se, but the way French distributors operate. From what people have told me, Race Company or Tribe dont seem that good and they control quite a few brands between them.

If you have access to a van, you can do it even cheaper. There are lots of places to park up and doss, and the French are pretty cool about it.

He is starting to get some confidence and beginning to get wheels of the ground/ride at speed

Go with the scott voltage and eventually stick a decent air fork on it.

If you go to one of the big resort areas (Tignes, Deux alpes, Alpe d’huez or the portes du soleil) you don’t need guiding. There is plenty to do.

If you go to one of the big resort areas (Tignes, Deux alpes, Alpe d’huez or the portes du soleil) you don’t need guiding. There is plenty to do.

The Isla bike is only worth the weight saving if it will be ridden relatively sedately. If your son likes to ride downhill or to jump then it is not the best option ime. The lightweight comes at the expense of solidity. The forks on many of the 24 inch bikes may not be great but they do make a massive difference on rough terrain. For general mucking about, the Scott voltage has probably the best geometry (it’s like a mini chameleon) and is pretty tough. It can also take a decent fork if you want to upgrade it.

Decathlon