What to take to the Alps: Hard/Full? Light/Heavy?

stomith

I've managed to confuse myself with respect to XC trails in the Alps and the most favoured choice of gear.

I've got a summer week in the Alps booked and was reflecting on my last experience where I took my 23lb hardtail. The weight of the bike + slope + XT brakes seemed to work against me and the result was a leisurely pace, tentatively.

My second bike is a 34lb Trance which I normally take to Wales. Going up isn't that bad but going downhill is definately quicker and I think safer too.

My question is: Is it the Giants Full Suspension that is making me feel safer on the slopes, the 34lb weight with the bike ploughing thru anything in its way or is it the mediocre brakes (Juicy 3-180mm) NOT locking up?

bluechair84

I definalty think that there is a lower weight limit for bikes, below which they become too sketchy to thoroughly enjoy. Despite the climbing, a 34ib bike will feel relaxing on the descents as it will do a lot of the work for you.

bomberesque

angles will make a difference aswell. Dunno what XC bike you took the first time but probably a race-y geom, steep HA & SA and body forward positioning will feel precarious pointing down. Mrs B rode a Cannondal F1000 in Morzine a few years ago, to appreciative nods from bike mechanic dudes as they fitted hydraulic discs (the Vs were immediately overwhelmed). She felt out of sorts but I assured her if she could ride an XC hardtail down those slopes, even slowly, then a slacker bouncier bike was going to be a blast. now she has a yeti 575 and my predictions have come true!

boz64

I'm off to the Alps this summer too... I'm doing the Passeportes du Soleil ride in June. I'm hoping my '09 EX8 will be enough to cope, with its slack-ish angles and 130mm of travel. My only question is over tyre choice. Most people seem to recommend fatter tyres to cope with the faster speeds and thus greater grip requirements. Will probably go 2.35 front and rear? Usually ride 2.2 F and 2.1 R.

Bomberesque - you wife is a lucky lady! The 575 is one of the best bikes I've had the pleasure to ride, uphill or down. Would have been my first choice if I'd had double the budget!

Northwind

bluechair84 wrote:

Despite the climbing, a 34ib bike will feel relaxing on the descents as it will do a lot of the work for you.

That depends so much on the bike, some heavy bikes are just heavy, weight by itself isn't an advantage IMO. But it does sound like the Trance is more suitable. I'm off for a fairly uplifty week in france later in the year, really I'd like to take my Soul but I'll be taking the bouncer instead- but robbing the nice kit off the Soul to get the advantage of the travel and angles of the Hemlock without being too lardy. Seems like a best of both worlds.

stomith

The first bike I took was a Trek 8500 HT.

My hidden agenda was that I was trying to work out if I would be better off selling both bikes and getting perhaps a Trek Fuel EX8, EX9, or equivalent to replace both. They drop in at ~28lb too which would be bang in the middle.

I think the answer seems to be that on uplifted XC singletrack; weight in this case; should assist, but is not the only factor to be considered.

The Giant has Nobby Nics 2.2" and I don't think it will take anything bigger.

I think I've just realised to some degree that they're different tools for different jobs.

P-Jay

After a couple of years going now I take the biggest gnarliest DH I can lay my hands on 8.75" rear travel, 888 WC's and 200mm rotors, beautiful....

Course I using lifts for everything.

The XC dudes - Cap doffed because they were taking a hell of a beating - in our chalet were using Stumpjumper FSR's fitted with 2.3 high-rollers or mud tyres and it was working out very well for them.

Fogliettaz

If you are driving take all three!

stomith

Wife has a Stumpy but she'd notice if it went missing.

I might attempt a DH section on a HT (once)...but I'd never nick the bike from the Mrs.

P-Jay

stomith wrote:

Wife has a Stumpy but she'd notice if it went missing.

I might attempt a DH section on a HT (once)...but I'd never nick the bike from the Mrs.

IIWY I'd certainly rent a DH bike for the day and try some of the DH runs, it's a real blast.

When I got my first DH bike it took my a while to recalculate my brain to how much grip they have and what type of stuff you can ride through, it all seem to smack the rules od physics in the face at first ha ha.

ilovedirt

A 5in fully trail bike should cover near enough every base for any occasion, ever. Should be perfect for the alps

prb007

Took a Felt Compulsion 2 to do the Passeportes last summer and shod it with Maxxis Minions 2.35's F&R - well worth the £45 or so you can get them for (2-ply if you don't want to change flats every day!).
I'd definitely take the Giant Trance to do the PdS, but maybe rent a 'big-boy's bike' for a day from over there.
The bike will take a hell of a bashing - 4 sets of brake pads in 6 days last year (mind you I'm 100kgs!). I had Juicy 3's and ended up changing them for Code 5's for the extra stopping power also went up from 165/180 to 203/303.
A lighter bike might serve you well for the actual event - it's a LONG day in the saddle - don't be fooled by the uplift, it's still a big ask to get around the whole circuit, but will fall apart if you ride it for the rest of the week (I assume you're going for 5-7 days?)

Whatever you take, whatever you do - enjoy it, the riding is phenomenal - see you out there!

Sarnian

I am off to Morzine at the end of June, I will be taking my Surge with 140mm I am hoping this will cover must things.

JamesBrckmn

could you do the alps on a ht? say an ns surge with 36 talas?

boz64

Some interesting comments here... cheers. Certainly feeling happy that I'm going for the 2.35 F & R.

prb007 - I'm only around 65/67kg so I'm not expecting to be get through many sets of pads! And will only be riding for a couple of days sadly... time constraints and all that! Will also stick with my stock 160/185 rotors.

Northwind

JamesBrckmn wrote:

could you do the alps on a ht? say an ns surge with 36 talas?

A mate of mine does the alps most years on a 100mm travel Dialled singlespeed, chasing people on Fives and Hecklers. But he's wrong in the head to be fair.

Pands

boz64 wrote:

I'm off to the Alps this summer too... I'm doing the Passeportes du Soleil ride in June.

Snap!!

What resort are you starting from?

joshtp

take the trance, use the lifts, upgrade the brakes, sell the old ones.



sorted

el loco pollo

I normally take a 5 with 36s - can do xc and the gnarlier stuff all day.

Edit oh yeah take the biggest baddest brakes you can

prb007

just noticed on my post, earlier.......

'also went up from 165/180 to 203/303'

now THAT would be a front brake - a 303mm disc!!!

should be 203, of course!

furby

I dont like this thread, this many mm travel and that many mm brakes!

Im taking my hardtail cube attention with tora forks and standard brakes, bring it on!

prb007

furby wrote:

I dont like this thread, this many mm travel and that many mm brakes!

Im taking my hardtail cube attention with tora forks and standard brakes, bring it on!

Iain..............take a gumshield and a suit of armour! Not a dainese bodysuit - a suit of armour!

furby

Cheers dude, thanks for making me feel better. :roll:

Northwind

If I didn't have my Hemlock, I'd take my Soul. And if I hadn't replaced my Scandal with the Soul, I'd take the Scandal. And if I hadn't bought the Scandal, well hell I'd take my Carrera. You can do anything on anything if you set your mind to it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAmi5LLf-P8

prb007

Northwind wrote:

If I didn't have my Hemlock, I'd take my Soul. And if I hadn't replaced my Scandal with the Soul, I'd take the Scandal. And if I hadn't bought the Scandal, well hell I'd take my Carrera. You can do anything on anything if you set your mind to it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAmi5LLf-P8

yes................but given the choice of 21st century suspension, frame and hydraulic disc technology, you would'nt choose to take the Carrera, would you?
Any more than if I went back to Moab, 16 years on, I wouldn't take my old Marin Bear Valley with cantis, Farmer John's, PowerStraps and a Flexstem!

stomith

boz64 wrote:

Some interesting comments here... cheers. Certainly feeling happy that I'm going for the 2.35 F & R.

prb007 - I'm only around 65/67kg so I'm not expecting to be get through many sets of pads! And will only be riding for a couple of days sadly... time constraints and all that! Will also stick with my stock 160/185 rotors.

78kg and got my 2.35 High Rollers today. They round off a bit as they're on Mavic 717s but will do for now. 185F/160R wil do too as my Toras won't take much more apparently. Brake upgrade might be on the cards...but i'd rather wait and try to buy stuff that'll last.

Like a child....I'm excited about doing the 7 days in July already!

Northwind

prb007 wrote:

yes................but given the choice of 21st century suspension, frame and hydraulic disc technology, you would'nt choose to take the Carrera, would you?

Well, my Carrera had all that :? The more recent one anyway. Now it has carbon forks instead but it's still got all the rest. But no, I wouldn't take it now that I've got better stuff, that'd be daft, but you don't need the better stuff to have a laugh on bikes.

supersonic

I'd take my Zaskar LE. V brakes, 80mm of travel...

nickfrog

supersonic wrote:

I'd take my Zaskar LE. V brakes, 80mm of travel...

Absolutely. And it doesn't even take that much skill to smoke the poseurs on their big bikes. Well, some of them anyway...

boz64

Pands wrote:

Snap!!

What resort are you starting from?

Starting from Chatel.


Dual ply or single ply tyres for PdS??

EuroWarrior

'When in Rome do what the Romans do'...when riding in the Alps ride with bike made for the Alps, CUBE design and tested in the backyard of the Alps. So as the GHOST.