Is Passportes du Soleil for me?
3 mates who I bike with fairly regularly are going (to try) and get tickets next week for Passportes du Soleil.... and they've asked me to go along.
Soooooooooooooooooo, questions for anyone who's done it before!
1. I know my beloved Anthems not up to the visit (if you think she is, please let me know). I'll sell some odds and sods and get a second hand bike for the visit (thinking Giant Trance / Remedy / Commencial meta 55 / Stumpy). Are these suitable?
2. Skill level - biggie for me, I'm happy thrashing around red routes in places like Cannock, Dalby and Winlatter. Usual weekend retreat is Swinley. I'd definitely get myself on a course, Aston Hills 15 min bike ride from home and there's a few guys running skills courses up there. What skills level would I need to be at to do this... if it's black run in Scotland type skills, I may be a bit out of my depth (as would my mates in fairness)
3. General comments or reccomendations.
Thanks all
Soooooooooooooooooo, questions for anyone who's done it before!
1. I know my beloved Anthems not up to the visit (if you think she is, please let me know). I'll sell some odds and sods and get a second hand bike for the visit (thinking Giant Trance / Remedy / Commencial meta 55 / Stumpy). Are these suitable?
2. Skill level - biggie for me, I'm happy thrashing around red routes in places like Cannock, Dalby and Winlatter. Usual weekend retreat is Swinley. I'd definitely get myself on a course, Aston Hills 15 min bike ride from home and there's a few guys running skills courses up there. What skills level would I need to be at to do this... if it's black run in Scotland type skills, I may be a bit out of my depth (as would my mates in fairness)
3. General comments or reccomendations.
Thanks all
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Comments
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No trail centre will really prepare you for the alps unless it has a freeride section. You'll want to practice riding downhill more than anything, as that's what the alps is. Most of the main trails are easy enough, but you'll want to practice large jumps/drops to get the most out of them. The passportes event is just a day event linking up a load of downhill trails with pointless fire road. According to a mate who's been to the alps a couple of times and done the passportes event, it's not really worth it. Like I say, practice downhill. No trail centre will prepare you for the stuff out there properly.
I'm heading out there this summer, can't wait!0 -
The passeportes event is quite tame, you could do it on your current bike easily. Two of us did it on halfords hardtails!
The rest of the alps? Not so much. It won't be fun and you'll be rattled to death without 140mm plus travel i'd say by experience. Not undoable, but not fun.0 -
I did it for the first time last year had a blast!!! I too own an anthem, there are hundreds of bikeshops in the area and you can hire what ever bike takes your fancy in my case it worked out cheaper as I was on holiday with the misses so was only riding one day
You would have to think about insurance for your bike and bike bag etc. if taking one with you. As for what awaits you breath taking views crazy long down hill runs, imagine all the downhill runs in your trail centre tied together and x10 when you get to the bottom of a section you get one hell of a buss and you head straight for the next lift 
. With the lifts I traveled about 90 miles in the day it was amazing!!!!!! Fitness wise I was doing laps of my local trail centre (brechfa) and entered 2 of the chain reaction 50 k enduros. I got round ok struggled on the last leg as I didn't stop towards the end of the day for a rest and didn't drink enough water!!! Work on your upper body strength as the main skill I found I needed was just the skill of HOLDING ON and letting the bike go. The event was a bucket list thing for me as I was turning 30 last year, there may be better events or better ways to see the alps on your bike but for me I could not fault it. Hope you go and have a blast. 0
