with 22 riders we’ll self implode into splinter groups after the first run at BPW. Afan will be even messier; again we’ll be riding in like minded groups. So far (fraud aside) the votes seem to be stacking up for Brechfa.

argoose – Member
I demand a recount

Slip the counting officer a CRC voucher and you can have as many votes as you like.

argoose – Member
Brechfa

You’re disqualified for voter fraud

Right I’ll tot up the results when this thread withers & dies. So I’ll let the STW mob decide where we ride.

karnali – Member
I wondered about a 5 but thought 120 may b too short up front?

One of the reasons I’ve ditched my Talas on the 5 (they weren’t reliable either) was when I dropped the front end to 110mm from 140mm it felt like I’d stuck a plow on the front. Horrible. 120mm might be better but I don’t imagine so.

If I had hip problems I wouldn’t go for a single pivot bike like an Orange; the Fuel would be much more easier on the hips/back. I like the 5 but it aint comfortable.

I’m running that combo. By chance rather than design. No complaints. Bit too large for XC, ok for freeride-ish, bit too thin for rocky/DH.

cblair246 – Member

Just wondering what the other more well known trails there are? Also quite fancy a day in Tignes so thats another day gone.

One of the most famous trails at Les Arcs is La Varda. A beautiful ride, great technical descending, which will take 2 – 3 hrs. But its exposed in places and isolated, so something you’d not want to ride alone. If you’re happy riding something like the Rangers Path, Snowdon you’d like it:

Cougar – Moderator
Tell them she’s died. Imagine their joy in a couple of weeks when she comes back!

(Assuming they’re not familiar with zombies)

😆 Post of the day! Surely Cougar’s a top contender for an agony aunt spot at a national red top.

jambalaya – Member
In my opinion the best way is to take a guided holiday, when you add up all the benefits (often inc van uplifts) they are good value.

Jambalaya is spot on. After 2 guided trips with TA in Les Arcs and BBB in Whistler, we had a semi-guided holiday in Chatel last year which was a bit crap as the guiding wasn’t up to par. We’re returning to TA for Dest. X. If you’ve only got a week you don’t want to spend half your time trying to find the good stuff (and without local knowledge you’ll never find the ‘secret’ trails).

Unsure of where to go, intially thinking about Les Gets/Morzine but now thinking more Les Arcs as we prefer out on the mountrain riding with bike park/marked trails to complement this. Does this sound like the right move to the Alps hardcore?
Can anyone supply any trail maps in the back country around Les Arcs?

I’ve ridden the BC stuff at Les Arcs twice: guided. I returned solo and tried to find some of the trails again: it was tough. Buy yourself some IGN 1:25000 maps and try and figure out the trails. Unless you’re an experienced orienteer it’ll be fragmented riding, unless you enjoy that sort of adventure.

At Alpe d’huez, Vall d’allos & Font Romeau (Pyrenees) I got VTT maps from the tourist office and then mapped the routes using memory map (I bought IGN 1:25k mapping) & loaded onto a garmin etrex. With a paper map & gps it’s possible to ride unguided trails, just needs a bit of research.

I bought one of these: Vectiox NW from eBay

and when he landed at the harbour the following week he drove round to the school, found out where he was teaching and dragged him out the class room up and down the hallway and punched him a number of times whilst shouting if he liked it, and threatened to throw him in the irish sea if he ever found out he had laid a hand on me or any other kid in future – from then on my time at that school was great, my dad was a hero.

Fantastic story. Every kids dream after they’ve suffered at the hands of a bullying teacher.

For me: small primary school N. Yorks. Mid 70’s. Headmistress made one pupil stand outside her office facing a radiator, his trousers & pants around his ankles for saying school meals weren’t nice.

Teacher in 3rd year would hit your knuckles with a wooden brick if you got maths questions wrong. For some reason I didn’t like the teachers.

I think it’s good teachers aren’t allowed to beat & abuse my children, that’s the parent’s job.

Rode Les Arcs with family in 2011. Kids were 9 & 11. The blues are like UK reds, especially below Arc 2000, and it’s quite a pedal back to Bourg if you follow the blues all the way down. The kids enjoyed it (on occasion my daughter felt a little overwhelmed on a couple of obstacles) but there were other activities they enjoyed there.

Go to the hospital? Mate had an OTB incident 10 days ago and resulted in a sore neck. Turns out he’d cracked a vertebrae in the neck. Lucky man (not to have broken it).

We did figure of eight: 2 ascents & 2 descents of Helvellyn. Ride down sticks pass: don’t see the point of riding down Dollywagaon Pike (we ascended via Dollywagon). They’re not rain bars at the top, they’re stone lined ditches. Sticks Pass descent is great: fast, flowing, rocky technical.

man that’s a really Rad bike, like totally awesome, so gnarly. I bet you’re PRO. But there’s no rotors, dude. I’m stoked just to see it. I’ve got love for the enduro colours: those look like16.5b wheel. sweet. peace.

Stans rims seal better with non-tubeless tyres than UST rims and at least as well with tubeless ready and UST tyres as UST rims. So where is the folly?

I’ve not used Stans rims so can’t comment. My observation for other rims I’ve used:

Bonty TR tyres on Bonty TR rims: tyres go on really nicely (just put one on tonight). Soap and track pump, easy. But you have to have sealant (I always use sealant on all tubeless) and I find the tyre walls on Bonty TR tyres just too thin. I have about 4 or 5 bonty tyres that have lots of life in them but can’t be run tubeless due to unrepairable sidewall tears or kinked beads. Getting Mavic Minions & Conti RQs to seat on bounty rims is tough. Lots of sweat, swearing & soap.

I’ve 2 sets of UST mavic rims: 819 & 823. UST tyres go on beautifully. Such a good fit you could run them sealant free. Rims are bombproof and the weights confirm that. 819s are just too narrow though. I’ve burped RQ USTs off on 3 occasions. I’d love to build a set of EN821s on Hope bulbs for pedalling in the Alps this summer but think I’m going to have to put up with the 823s.

I only use TR & UST tyres for tubeless.

Trai Addiction

Returning 3rd time in 4 years for their Destination X package in July.

Stay at one of their Les Arcs Chalets and they’ll assess you on the first day and then stick you with other riders of similar ability for the rest of the week.

Great trails that you’ll never find on your own. Really nice technical single track, high mountain routes, black technical, some cheeky local built free ride stuff & DH trails in resort: depends on your ability.

Last year I took 18 riders to Chatel & we explored PDS on big bikes. Our Chalet host said he was going to guide, but it didn’t pan out: he just wasn’t up to the job. Our week was a glorified bike park session, which was OK but none of us will be returning. The guides at Trail Addiction make the trip what it is: superb local knowledge and seamless riding.

With this option stans & mavic EN821 same price:

Moonglu[/url]

Thanks JD. Bagged a couple of sets of 3do gloves at £13.50 each with the coupon code.

for my shed: 12″ x 10″ , I built ply shuttering moulds 30 x 30 x 30 cm x 12. Buried 15cm in ground and poured concrete into each one. These acted as the pillars for (3 x 2) x 2 = 3″ x 4″ pressure treated beams laid in a lattice work (damp proof membrane between wood & concrete) for the floor support. Not much concrete to pour and air gap under the shed.

Yep: the other half is and I assume my kids are 2nd generation? I’ve just been having a go at the UK citizen test: I defy anyone born in the UK to pass it without studying.

My own lineage is northern/Scottish/Scandinavian/Norman/Anglo Saxon/roman/Celtic/Neanderthal sort of mix. Repatriate me!

Ahh fond memories; my first experience of being hit by a car was at E&C. I’m going to miss the duel of death dual-roundabouts and the p*ss suffused atmosphere of the subways.

Commencal Outlet: Frames only

Voltage on eBay

I bought a Scott voltage FR20 about 2 yrs ago (Evans sale) for uplift days & trip to Whistler (perfect bike, which our guide was also riding). It’s a bit of a lump but I got mine to around 18kg. Means I can still pedal it if required.

Remember pedalling a mates old Santa Cruz V10 around the car park: it was horrible. So beware getting an old 40lbs + DH bike, it may be a bit like an oil tanker: tough to get started, three miles to stop.

just missed the start so I’m wasting time on here until its available on i-player catchup…….

but, yes I find it gripping, despite the odd inconsistency. Agree with IanMunro; really, the greasy guy works for the Belgium PM?

I’m rebuilding my 160mm FS for the Alps (I pillaged it to build up a DH frame 2 yrs ago).

Most of the other guys I’m riding with are on Alpines; they’ve moved up to coil shocks but kept air forks. I think the RP23 is not sufficient for the Alpine in an Alpine environment. I’d at least want a Monarch plus/DHX or CCDB air. They also seem to be migrating to 1 x 10 / clutch mechs & ditching chain devices.

For my build I’m going with;

Mavic EN821s with hope hubs (replace EN823s)
1 x 10 NW
Zee FR clutch mech
Hope chain guard
replacement saint callipers
Lyrik U-turn coils (converted from 2 step air)
keeping the RP23 oversized air can
reverb

I’m trying to lighten it up as its going to get pedalled up as well as down.

That can’t be Ffestiniog….its dry!

Northwind – Member
Are you definitely going to Morzine, or is it just “the alps”? Reason I ask is, there are places to go and some cater brilliantly to more normal bikes, frinstance I’ve been out twice to the Les Arcs area and I’d not dream of taking the dh bike there, my normal full suss is perfect and my hardtail would be fine too. So, maybe you could tailor your holiday slightly more to the bike? (whether that be the bike you own, or the bike you’re about to buy).

Good advice above.

If I was going back to Morzine/Chatel I’d take my DH bike. For Les Arcs this July I’ll be on a 160mm FS.

this seems the best I can find (I want the Hopes/Mavic 821 combo)

Moonglu[/url]

a MET parachute saved me a broken jaw and losing all my teeth – it was replaced under crash replacement. That said I’ve been wearing a Urge Endur-o-matic for the last 12 months. The MET parachute is possibly going to get used for the Alps this summer as we’ll be pedalling between lifts and vans/buses.

Wear as much protection that you can without hampering your riding. On uplifts I get fully kitted out as it seems stupid not to, everything else is risk vs comfort.

TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR – thanks. Spot on.

The footage on the donut is good; the video copes with the fast moving images, no rolling shutter. The stills look very good. Think I’ve made my decision.

molgrips – Member
Something tough, by which I mean one of the ones labelled as ‘tough’ ie waterproof etc. I clip mine to my camelbak strap in a holster not a bag, and it’s held on by bungee cord. I just grab and shoot without fear of dropping it, and if I get it muddy I just rinse it off. I don’t even have to stop to take photos, because it’s external not zipped away in a bag.

Exactly what I want to do. Has to be tough though; was with guide from TA when he crashed and killed his new camera which was strapped to his chest. Like the look of the Olympus TG2.

TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR – Member
Olympus TG2 – has quite a fast lens for a compact too @ f2.0

Get some decent results with mine and it produces some fabulous underwater shots. Recently survived a very wet and gritty trip to BPW strapped to my chest and shot some decent quality video (which would have been great if I hadn’t cocked the angle up).

Hows the video? I’d like to use it to get additional video to the go pros on various riders.

8.5 miles each way. Carry a clean change of clothes every day: cycle in baggies and cycling jersey. A friend puts on a clean t-shirt for first 30 mins after riding in, when he’s cooled down its on with the work clothes.

richwales – Member

My ust on the rear has deformed after a cornering burp type incident. Looks like a big buckle in the wheel. 32psi Stan’s arch. Only 5 rides old. Common (1 in 20) problem apparently

I dinged the bead on my rear UST RBQ. It now longer holds air (tubeless) stans milk blows out, so its now tubed. I’ve also burped RBQs of Mavic 819s thrice now. I really liked the RBQs but after hearing stories of deformation (see Jedi’s latest video blog) I’m considering something else for the Alps this summer, but don’t know what yet:

+1 for snowcard. Use for the Alps & Whistler. One of our riders had a face plant. Snowcard picked up all the hospital bills without issue.

For the OP. I know its old, but its funny.

I’ve ridden at Bardonecchia. I was with the family and I sneaked off the blues for a couple of reds. Good for a day but not any longer.I didn’t really like the place though: rude service in the restaurants and a terrible campsite nearby. We left after a day.

Enjoyed that.
Did he snap it purely on landing pressure on pedal ? I didn’t see him put a foot down.
I like the “J C I wouldn’t come down ‘ere boyz” whilst everyone rides around him effortlessly

Flat landing on the pedals.

The guy at the end is one of the best riders in the park: he hit all the big stuff in Chatel, but he’s less happy on the techy stuff.

thegman67 – Member
I snapped my Achilles tendon doing the gap jump at Ae forest. Hope he is doing well

He is. I thought he’d be out of action for longer; but after operation in August and subsequent casts, he’s been back on the bike since December and re-building fitness, ready for an Alps return.