I would add to take extra care on the Swiss National- no end of people were binning it at the top last year.

flats or spuds is THE debate. Go with what you feel comfortable with. You can go out for the whole day if you plan it well- maybe up the super morzine, down into lindarets, up the mossettes to the Swiss side, across to the top of Morgins , ride that then head back across taking in the Crosets runs? This will help but you’ll see plenty of people to ask and you won’t get stuck
http://www.portesdusoleil.com/images/upload/portfolio_img/Portes-du-Soleil-VTT-2010-V3–HD.PDF

Just make sure you don’t miss the last lift, and if it looks like a storm get back to where you can ride home, there is no messing when the lifts close.
Drillers advice is spot on- ignore the horror stories of using a set of pads a day unless you are way out of your depth. Take the time to look around and remember its better to ride a section carefully then lift it back up and try again rather than try a flatout blind run and bin it first time out.
And after all that you’ll be ambling around on the 3rd night looking at the immobliers windows and working out how you’ll raise 150k euros to buy a place.

Definitely go for the dual ply tyres and spare mech hangar,take it easy and don’t try to keep up with anyone. Try to ride over to morgins for the day and definitely have a beer on the way home.

great info -thanks everyone. I’m running a 50 and a 34 up front and a 12-27 block on the rear. I just don’t have the leg strength to keep a descent cadence on hills (and i know I need to train!!). Can i just drop a say 12-34 nine speed block on the back?

yeah- thanks for your help.

its a good start- straight away realise I have lost the o ring from the back caliper!!

Whatever you feel most confident with. I ride clipless on road , flats on Dh and 4x and clipless XC but the XC are the shimano with a big platform so I can unclip when I see a techy bit just in case.

To the right of Mont. Its a shithole with a few decent bars and cafes, a knocking shop and a shedload of druggies and alkies that you can look at when you sit behind the big fence in Canteen drinking your fairtrade Chardonnay.

I’d recommend buying nothing unless you need a new cloths horse. Stick to the old school combination of press ups, squats, crunchs, burpees and variations of these. If you have a tennis ball or smallish football get in the press up position but have 1 hand on the ball, do a press up then when back in the rest position move the ball to the other hand and so on. Get in the plank position on your elbows, then do alternate knee strikes 10 each side. Lie on your back and raise your legs and arms at the same time to make a V shape- repeat 10 times. If you buy anything at all then agree get a swiss ball but look at MMA style plyometric training on the web. Most strength and conditioning coachs use very little in the way of equipment.

not upset at all – but if a wanted ad goes up and theres no reply yet the poster has logged on and posted on other topics just wonder why. No big deal, just pondering over a few pear ciders.

pmsl- used to spend hours looking at this site when I worked nights!!

agree with Ton- pay someone. It’ll be the best money you’ll ever spend.

cue for lots of generic ‘lovely chassis’ and ‘like to ride that in the local woods’ type remarks. Incidentally if you look really hard you can just see a bike in the right hand corner

he got tired of being followed by the cameras so retired to a static caravan in Prestatyn

Oh nad weve got another holiday on friday,think ill just sit in Asda`s car park and see the masses in the zoo

ore maybee uppload sum kined off spellchek on to you’re compooter?

Steve Parrish has PEN1S – it was on a big Merc last time I saw him at Donnington.

I’ll never buy hope again- the V2’s I had worked sporadically and i couldn’t get back on formulas quickly enough.

Haven’t ridden nanos but the pins in the Shimanos pulled out very easily when I had them.

dialled alpine

Django.

go independent – reach 4 the alps do a real nice chalet just off the main drag in Morzine and you’ll not go hungry , theres an abundance of reasonably priced cafes and restaurants within walking distance. If you want some guiding Lee who works for them can help you out.

bongo films.

Rob at Coolbus (www.thecoolbus.co.uk) is the answer- not only is he a thoroughly good guy but if you ask him very nicely he might even help you out with a bit of guiding.

Buy a good secondhand pure dh rig. So many people buy a new one, go to Cwmcarn/Gawton/Fort Bill , shit themselves and sell it that you’d be either rich or foolish to buy brand new first time out. Depreciation on dh bikes is at least 50%.

I had some Elite Parabolics- they force you to think a little more than a turbo because you have to balance , you can go up and down the gears as you would on a road ride and both wheels are turning so its feels like you are out riding. Unfortunately I found it as boring as any static training device and sold them.

ha ha- I’m looking for the niche brand that makes me ride uphill like Lance and downhill like Peaty but without the years of training and natural talent. So far I’ve found only bikes that make me ride like Augustus Windsock uphill and Jeremy Beadle downhill but the quest continues!! And I tried that Peruvian bike but the tyre clearance wouldn’t let me put those tyres made of swan fat and whale blubber on.

Nobody has mentioned the real reason for riding in a t-shirt – ‘ how else do I let people know I saw Iron Maiden /GG Allin/Boyzone (delete as appropriate) on the 95 comeback tour’?

And that striped shirt, shopping basket shot couldn’t say ‘teacher’ more if it was tattooed visibly.

clunge

Baristas in Bristol city centre , you can get it beans or fresh ground in any quantity. And the owner is cycle friendly.

txt me on 07929236621, I know the perfect person , can show you the work he has done (and continues to do) for me and I’ve absolutely no connection with him whatsoever !! Matt.

C&D Oil do the collections of ‘spent’ cooking oils and such like in South Wales-drop them a line.

Wellington is a good shout, the Lounge , Planet Pizza and the Bristol Flyer all on Glos. Road.Then further down Cafe Kino (in new premises) If you want a curry try the Thali house in Montpelier.

You’ve answered your own question – controlled crying. Obviously she is not hungry (has slept through before) and assuming shes not wet or in discomfort you need to put her to bed as normal and as painful as it is ignore the crying- she will cry herself to sleep. The reason she doesn’t sleep through is she knows you will be there as soon as she cries. If its any consolation you will feel like a Jeremy Kyle parent for the first 2/3 times but its worth it.

It was worth it just to see that Nova- if that can do more than 50mph loaded like that I very much doubt it would be able to stop. 50mpg+ like that is impressive though, the money saved can help pay for the new clutch every 5000 miles and the chiropractor bills for the poor folk in the back. What about an old peugout?

Surprised hes got a discount if its on the ctw scheme. Its always worth bartering more but imho i wouldn’t be put off by that dent.

Hope brakes are like Italian sportscars- if you end up with the set made on friday afternoon they will frustrate the hell out of you. I had a set of V2’s and despite servicing (by a proper bike shop)still experienced the variable bite point issue, which is un-nerving in the UK but absolutely terrifying in Morzine. I personally didn’t feel they were worth the money and sold them.

tell them to knock 50% off for cash and ride away smiling.

you can use reward15 to get 15% off over £50 if thats any help?

Got elixirs on my xc bike , had k24’s on my dh, went to hope but just returned to Formula. The K24’s performed faultlessly, feel better then my Elixirs and imho are the ones to go for.

Why would you be surprised when he talks to his mates on an uplift?

He didn’t talk to anyone. Like it or not he represents the biggest mtb mag in the UK , if he worked for me I’d expect him to be a bit gracious and try to promote the sport, not act like he was too good to mix it with the commoners. Of all the people who are ‘players’ in the industry I have met he is the most ignorant , arrogant and aloof. Just my opinion but reason enough for me not to buy the monthly pile of adverts and self congratulatory toss that is mbuk.

though agree with xiphon for the power of it ‘back in the day’.