cycling and skiing

northernneil

my 2 mains sports, I guess they go together being linked in with mountains and wanting to go downhill very very fast with any engines, any other skiing cyclists out there ?

I want to move and live in the alps

Wappygixer

How do ytou ride your bike with skis on?

northernneil

have you not seen these :-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmftcXkf-gI
look amazing fun

Wappygixer

I think your right it does look amazing fun........as long as you don't expect to go to work for a few days.

Maybe I could make a road version on rollerblades :idea:

EdZed

Oh yes. There really is nothing like hurtling down a mountain at speed with the Chemical Brothers 'Out of Control' playing over and over again in my head.

I've no ambition to try a ski-bike though, I cherish my gonads too much for that

The only thing is both cost a small fortune to kit-up I find cycling helps with fitness for skiing. That said there's really nothing you can do to prepare for days spent with bent legs or walking down ice covered paths/roads etc. in ski boots! And there's nothing like the cold mountain air to clear your head after a night's drinking. :roll:

Where's the best place you've been skiing/your favourite skiing destination?

berliner

Yeah I do both. Not sure where most pleasure comes from -skiing downhill or cycling up.
Would like to give x-country skiing a go. Alpine skiing is very expensive, last year I saw more an more using "skins " on the ski base to trek up before skiing down, not so much to save on the lift pass but get the uphill workout first. Maybe I'll give that a go as well next year.

touchy

Almost.
I do cycling and snowboarding.
Its hard to say which i enjoy more. Im always more exicted about going snowboarding but thats most likely because you only get a few weeks of snowboarding during the winter.

hammerite

I'm a very new skier, only one trip under my belt, but I loved it. Apart from my extremely experienced OH scaring me witless taking me down slopes that were way out of my depth in the afternoons after ski school!

We had our summer and winter holidays last year at Alpe d'Huez. Fantastic place.

We're booked to go away for New Year already, Ellmau in Austria, really looking forward to it. It's a lot lower down than AdH so fingers crossed for the snow!

knedlicky

I ski and cycle. This year I had 9 full downhill skiing days in the Alps, in two trips, one a week long, the other a long weekend. Usually I manage 10-11 days downhill and 1-2 days cross-country.

One trip this last Winter was with a ski club to which I belong, but normally I only go with them about once every 4 years. In Winter they have a weekly ski-gymnastics class and in Summer they ride bikes, because they believe cycling is the best Summer sport for skiers.

knedlicky

berliner wrote:

Alpine skiing is very expensive, last year I saw more an more using "skins " on the ski base to trek up before skiing down, not so much to save on the lift pass but get the uphill workout first. Maybe I'll give that a go as well next year.

Those you saw with skins or furs probably didn't come down the piste but went off into 'wilderness' somewhere, doing a ski tour. And if you want to do that, you'll also find that expensive as you definitely need different bindings and really need different skis and boots, as well as various other different clothing and equipment.

Mr_Cellophane

Anyone skied and cycled down the same slope.

Alps :? give me the Pyrenees any day.

ddraver

Mr_Cellophane wrote:

Anyone skied and cycled down the same slope.

Alps :? give me the Pyrenees any day.

yeah - actually not all that difficult to acheive as you normally go up the roads that are the green runs in winter....

Le Commentateur

I do x-country skiing when I'm not cycling.

The intriguing thing I noticed when I joined my skiing club was that it was like a cycling club but with the male/female ratios and abilities in revervse.

Basicallly quite a lot of novice ladies are generally better than a lot of the novice men in my group, presumably because they don't have the brute strength and so begin to focus on the technique earlier on -- and in skiing efficient technique is much more advantageous than just raw power at novice/intermediate level, perhaps unlike in cycling.

EdZed

Never skied and cycled down the same slope. I have skied down the roads from the Col du Petit Saint Bernard (TdF went up it this year) and from the Col de l'Iseran; not what I'd call good ski runs. In fact I'm yet to find a ski run on a road that's half way to being a decent run - they're merely links to get you between proper runs and lifts etc. Having seen a few ski runs in the summer, I think even the best MBRs would struggle over some of them e.g. boulder fields etc. I am often amazed at what's below the runs, the snow hides an awful lot of very rough terrain.

Watching the snow bikers going down the speed skiing runs is amazing though. Not that I'd want to have a go. Check this out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJb351pB6Ow

fungus_the_muffin_man

I lived in Canada for 8 months in 1990 lived in Banff so skiied sunshine mountain, lake louise, nakiska, fortress mountain, norquay and occasinally jasper and whistler every day for 6 months. Have skiied in Italy and Austria neither of which hold a candle to the hugeness and variation and snow quality of skiiing from Banff,

I'd love to live there just so I could ski it all winter then get out on the MTB and roadie throughout the rest of the year. It'd be the best.

hammerite

I agree with EdZed, after it's hard to believe what's under the snow. I had it in reverse, a summer holiday at AdH before a winter one. The OH was trying to explain what would be there and I just couldn't visualise it!

In fact skiing came up last night as we were riding together. I took her up a particularly nasty hill (i'd not ridden it for a while and forgot how tough it was) I got to the top and rode back down to meet up and she was off and walking. Her response was "that's a typical man thing to do you wait til I get you on the blacks this winter".

EdZed

hammerite - If you're heading back to AdH I wouldn't worry about the blacks too much. The Sarenne and Chateau Noir are actually quite easy (IMO) - once the top sections are over they're effectively blues. The Tunnel's mogul field is fun though, as is the drop into it from the tunnel exit.

There is one run, a red I think, possibly Canyon or Olympique, that has a nasty little bottleneck just after a steepish drop to the left that can be a nightmare to negotiate due to the narrowness of the run at that point, the number of people coming to grief at the start of or in the bottleneck itself and the mogully nature of the piste at that point, especially as the piste bashers tend not to visit it very often. IMO the French are the worst for piste preparation, even the Italians do a better job.

knedlicky

EdZed wrote:

Never skied and cycled down the same slope. I have skied down the roads from the Col du Petit Saint Bernard (TdF went up it this year) and from the Col de l'Iseran; not what I'd call good ski runs. In fact I'm yet to find a ski run on a road that's half way to being a decent run

It’s very unlikely you’ll ever find a road which makes good ski run.

A ‘blue’ run, so the easiest piste run, can have an average slope of up to 25% on both longitudinal and tranverse directions, and is allowed to be even steeper for small stretches in open terrain. Of course it’s unlikely a blue run will be up at this limit for all of its length, but even it’s average is almost certainly steeper than most alpine roads, when you remember most pass roads are only 5-8% average and their steepest stretches 'only' 12-18%.

Go to a ski resort in summer and look at the slope you skied down. Whether blue, red or black, you’ll be surprised how steep it appears without snow.

hammerite

EdZed wrote:

hammerite - If you're heading back to AdH I wouldn't worry about the blacks too much. The Sarenne and Chateau Noir are actually quite easy (IMO) - once the top sections are over they're effectively blues. The Tunnel's mogul field is fun though, as is the drop into it from the tunnel exit.

There is one run, a red I think, possibly Canyon or Olympique, that has a nasty little bottleneck just after a steepish drop to the left that can be a nightmare to negotiate due to the narrowness of the run at that point, the number of people coming to grief at the start of or in the bottleneck itself and the mogully nature of the piste at that point, especially as the piste bashers tend not to visit it very often. IMO the French are the worst for piste preparation, even the Italians do a better job.

We're going to Ellmau this winter. I struggled on the blues I tried at AdH let alone the reds and blacks - it was my first ski holiday though. As for the tunnel..... we took the DMC to the top of Pic Blanc and saw the drop from the tunnel, to me it just looked like suicide

Part of the problem with me struggling on the blues weren't the slopes themselves, but just how busy it was (we went over New Year as we have an 8yo and the OH is a teacher) and how fast a lot of other people were going - when I want to go down in a steady controlled manor. The OH is a very expereinced skier and she said she wasn't interested in trying out the blacks as after watching a few people she felt there were too many people out of their depth making it dangerous for others.

She may have been talking crap though as I've seen her descending on a bike and she's not the most confident!

hammerite

Have any of you been tempted to give this a go? http://www.sbr-racing.co.uk/winter_triathlon.html

EdZed

hammerite wrote:

We're going to Ellmau this winter. I struggled on the blues I tried at AdH let alone the reds and blacks - it was my first ski holiday though. As for the tunnel..... we took the DMC to the top of Pic Blanc and saw the drop from the tunnel, to me it just looked like suicide

Part of the problem with me struggling on the blues weren't the slopes themselves, but just how busy it was (we went over New Year as we have an 8yo and the OH is a teacher) and how fast a lot of other people were going - when I want to go down in a steady controlled manor. The OH is a very expereinced skier and she said she wasn't interested in trying out the blacks as after watching a few people she felt there were too many people out of their depth making it dangerous for others.

She may have been talking crap though as I've seen her descending on a bike and she's not the most confident!

Sorry, I missed your earlier post about going to Ellmau. You should enjoy Ellmau and the Ski Welt - much less hectic than AdH, the locals are much more friendly and it's a lot cheaper than France.

The drop from the tunnel isn't suicide, just good fun That said, I would have thought something similar years ago. Some off-piste look like suicide to me now, but if the snow's deep enough it's not really a problem - losing a ski is though

I know what you mean about those runs back into AdH, they're great for hitting some serious speeds but with all the beginners snaking their way across the runs it can be dangerous for all. That said, any resort with runs back to the village will get crowded at times, especially at the end of the day, which is even more dangerous as people are tired by then and accidents happen more frequently.

Your OH is right about some people being out of their depth, but for some it helps their learning curve. I was one of them once, still am in some off-piste situations (but I'll never go there on my own). I do remember being in Val Thorens a few year's back when a Brit was killed; a beginner who'd been taken on reds by his mates and couldn't cope and ended up killing himself in an accident - absolutely awful. It's a shame you have to go in school holidays, going in early Jan or mid-Dec is bliss, it's the quietest time - my friends and I have often had pistes to ourselves - plus no lift queues

Irrespective of the above - don't let anything put you off, the better you get the more you'll enjoy it and the easier it becomes, and consequently your legs will feel less like lead at the end of the day

A triathlon has never really appealed to me plus it's a no go for me now as I can't run any distance any more due to a dodgy knee and I'm under orders not to.

ddraver

knedlicky wrote:

EdZed wrote:

Never skied and cycled down the same slope. I have skied down the roads from the Col du Petit Saint Bernard (TdF went up it this year) and from the Col de l'Iseran; not what I'd call good ski runs. In fact I'm yet to find a ski run on a road that's half way to being a decent run

It’s very unlikely you’ll ever find a road which makes good ski run.

A ‘blue’ run, so the easiest piste run, can have an average slope of up to 25% on both longitudinal and tranverse directions, and is allowed to be even steeper for small stretches in open terrain. Of course it’s unlikely a blue run will be up at this limit for all of its length, but even it’s average is almost certainly steeper than most alpine roads, when you remember most pass roads are only 5-8% average and their steepest stretches 'only' 12-18%.

Go to a ski resort in summer and look at the slope you skied down. Whether blue, red or black, you’ll be surprised how steep it appears without snow.

well yeah - I never said they were good runs...Some of the MTB tracks "switched back" across the red/black runs but i was nt sure that counted

pneumatic

One of the best day's skiing I ever had was at Alpe D'Huez. The Mure (wall), a mogul-rich black run accessed by an ice tunnel, had my heart in my mouth all the way down and when I got to the bottom the adrenalin was phenomenal.

One of the best day's cycling I ever had was at Alpe D'Huez. When I got to turn 11 and realised that I might be able to make it up without putting a foot on the ground, I was rocking and when I got to the finish line the adrenalin was phenomenal.

Alps? Pyrennees? Take me there and leave me there! All year around.

knedlicky

hammerite wrote:

We're going to Ellmau this winter.
Part of the problem with me struggling on the blues weren't the slopes themselves, but just how busy it was (we went over New Year as we have an 8yo and the OH is a teacher) and how fast a lot of other people were going - when I want to go down in a steady controlled manor.

Re the crowds on blue pistes, always try and avoid the village runs around 3.30, and also the blue runs near the top of the main lifts about 10 am and those near the largest restaurants about 1-1.30 pm. Although I’m not dependent on the blues, I still nearly always ski when the majority take their lunch break and then have a short break when they re-appear. I also keep away from the valley runs until after 4 pm (in fact I never come down until after all the lifts have stopped working).

Also, when you book a ski holiday, try and make it when the others aren’t on holiday - so in the case of Ellmau, the Germans and Austrians. In Austria during Winter 2010, the best weeks in terms of fewest people on holiday are: any time up to 19 Dec, 10-28 Jan, and 21 Feb–7 March. If you’ve already booked, I hope it’s within one of these.

knedlicky

hammerite wrote:

Have any of you been tempted to give this a go? http://www.sbr-racing.co.uk/winter_triathlon.html

If you’re in Ellmau in mid-January, you could go to Kaprun (about 40 miles to the SE) and take part in one!
I’d have a go, although I’d much prefer it if the skiing were downhill.

I’ve twice done a winter duathlon, where the first time both the running and the cycling (mountain-bikes) was through snow, the bike route hard-packed but the running route less so. I managed very well, without spikes. The second time I took part, though, there was no snow around. A hit-and-miss type thing. The distances were 5/22/2.5 km.

hammerite

Thanks for the tips guys.

Unfortunately we're bound to school holidays, having an 8yo at school, and the OH is a teacher.

I would really like to have some lessons when I'm in Ellmau, I thought the ESF instruction I had at AdH was excellent. But I've noticed all the resident ski schools in Ellmau (and Austria in general) run a split 10am-12pm, 2-4pm instruction. I really don't fancy this. I'd like 2-3 hours instruction every morning, but then the afternoon to myself so I can try things out, explore and push myself a bit. Any ideas?

Someone else has mentioned talking to the BSIA who should be able to recommend a British instructor in the area who may be able to help. There are two of us of the same standard as we're going with another family, the other guy also has a wife who is somewhat more experienced than him (yet he still went on his first skiing holiday for a honeymoon, there's dedication for you!).

EdZed

The split hours for ski school is common in Austria. You could always skip the afternoon sessions, but for the first couple of trips I wouldn't recommend it. Getting private lessons is an option, albeit a more expensive one. Could the OH teach you? Or is that a bad idea? :? The OH may be glad that ski school runs in the afternoons as well, she won't have to dawdle round in the afternoons!

The honeymoon story reminds me of a friend's wedding in Chamonix in the nineties, the groom and ushers etc were skiing in their morning suits, complete with top hats, a couple of hours before the wedding - that got quite a few looks of surprise. They were all experienced skiers though. Very entertaining.

hammerite

EdZed wrote:

The split hours for ski school is common in Austria. You could always skip the afternoon sessions, but for the first couple of trips I wouldn't recommend it. Getting private lessons is an option, albeit a more expensive one. Could the OH teach you? Or is that a bad idea? :? The OH may be glad that ski school runs in the afternoons as well, she won't have to dawdle round in the afternoons!

The honeymoon story reminds me of a friend's wedding in Chamonix in the nineties, the groom and ushers etc were skiing in their morning suits, complete with top hats, a couple of hours before the wedding - that got quite a few looks of surprise. They were all experienced skiers though. Very entertaining.

The OH teaching me would not be a good idea! We'd probably not talk to each other after the holiday. She has openly admitted that she'd struggle to teach as she learnt years ago and a lot of things she doesn't have to think about - so would probably assume I'd be able to do things already.

She claims she quite likes skiing with me, and also with Jnr in the afternoons. So long as she can go and do the exciting stuff in the mornings!!

EdZed

Look at it like this, if you're in ski school in the afternoon, you can't get dragged to the more 'technical' slopes as revenge for the hill climb! From memory there aren't too many blacks in the whole of the SkiWeld and most that I recall are above Soll, so you should get away with it.

Go for another tough hill on your next ride. I think you'll be fairly safe. Although you might end up sleeping in the shed

hopper1

+1 for the cycling and snowboarding...

I think I prefer the 'boarding, as it's definitely more adrenalin charged, and a lot less effort getting to the top!