Alps - 8 more sleeps.........

Woody80

Off to the Alps (Les Arcs with Trail Addiction) in a little over a week, starting to get a little excited about it
Was hoping to get a few more rides in but the car failed the MOT so I'm stuck at the weekend with no decent riding on the doorstep. Going to make the most of it though with final preparation and shopping!

Was looking at a set of spare tyres - currently running Fat Alberts 2.4 tubeless, was considering a set of supertacky Minions? Worth bothering with spare tyres and if so are Minions the go to choice? Also do they come up small?

Was also considering kevlar pads as a compromise between wear rate and bite, not sure if it's just worth sticking with sintered though (Elixir 7s on 203 rotors).

Also how would you pack your helmet - carry on or cram it in a bag? Seems like a dodgy option in a suitcase?

Other than that, I'll give the ride a clean and sort out my GoPro mounts

donncha

I'm heading at the end of August so please let me know how you get on!

Woody80

Will do! Same place?

donncha

Yep! Les Arcs with Trail Addiction on the 25th of Aug.
I was going to stick with 2.25 tubeless Nobby Nics - in my case it'll be the rider, not the bike or tyres, that will be the limiting factor.
Enjoy!

gingerrob25

I'll be out there in two weeks

fyldesmurf

I'm leaving on the same day, i will be in les get sthough

Woody80

What've you all done about tyres and brake pads etc?

trailpuppet

Minion comes up small, go for 2.5 dhf. Rear II used an Advantage(60)
Spares? Trail addiction and others will no doubt recommend a spares list. Rear mech hanger should be carried at all times, DH or heavy duty tubes + all usual trail kit. 3ltr bladder for hydration. Brake pads? I bought 4 spare sets and swapped each day to ensure good braking and you can always use worn pads when you get home. Cable ties, gaffs tape, tyre boot, nuts'n bolts peculiar to your bike, spokes.
Helmet? Mine gets packed along with clothes on my NF duffel bag as do shoes and tools.
Only bike issues in the group I was with we're the poor quality of Avid brakes!!

Just noticed you are using Avids. Not sure about yours but a lever repair/overhaul kit would be advisable. The failures we had were something to do with a bit of plastic attached to the lever/inside master cylinder. Best checking imo.. Do you know how to change the pads? Some people don't :!:

Woody80

trailpuppet wrote:

Minion comes up small, go for 2.5 dhf. Rear II used an Advantage(60)
Spares? Trail addiction and others will no doubt recommend a spares list. Rear mech hanger should be carried at all times, DH or heavy duty tubes + all usual trail kit. 3ltr bladder for hydration. Brake pads? I bought 4 spare sets and swapped each day to ensure good braking and you can always use worn pads when you get home. Cable ties, gaffs tape, tyre boot, nuts'n bolts peculiar to your bike, spokes.
Helmet? Mine gets packed along with clothes on my NF duffel bag as do shoes and tools.
Only bike issues in the group I was with we're the poor quality of Avid brakes!!

Just noticed you are using Avids. Not sure about yours but a lever repair/overhaul kit would be advisable. The failures we had were something to do with a bit of plastic attached to the lever/inside master cylinder. Best checking imo.. Do you know how to change the pads? Some people don't :!:

Just bled my brakes and popped fresh sintered pads in. Another 4 pack is on its way as well. Bought a spare hanger and special bolts. Running tubeless but will take some tubes.

Did anyone actually need to change a tyre? One of the group is taking a spare pair so might just use them as the emergency backup - unless it's likely several people will destroy tyres?

Spokes.....censored . I meant to order some since I'm using Crank Brothers wheels. That could be problematic if all goes wrong... Probably left that one a bit late now :oops:

paul.skibum

I have never damaged a tyre in the Alps enough to need a new one - I patched a hole with a few layers of gaffer tape - I thinkt he tyre went another year like that.

ANYTHING specialist (like spokes) take with you as the bike shops there buy their supplies for the season and pretty much tell you you are on your own if they dont have it. I struggled to find a new chainring once.

Woody80

Managed to sort spokes for a set of CB Iodines at short notice. The UK distributor are posting me some out FOC, can't ask for more than that! Top bit of service

Roostoids

Make sure you link your videos. love to see them!

Ive got my first trip to Wales coming up and cant wait so you must be wetting yourself by now.

Good luck!

Woody80

Roostoids wrote:

Make sure you link your videos. love to see them!

Ive got my first trip to Wales coming up and cant wait so you must be wetting yourself by now.

Good luck!

Will do, we have 3 GoPros between 5 of us so should get plenty of footage. Taking a laptop to edit in the evenings as well.
Getting paranoid now as my mates shed got broken into last night. Luckily his bike was secure so is still there, phew. Two of us have already lost bikes this year and we can't afford to this close to the trip...

Majski

Just got back from morzine. TIP: don't fall off and brake your scaphoid 100m from the top of the first lift you get like the Mrs did. She still rode Hattock with her cast on though which is pretty hardcore

fyldesmurf

Majski wrote:

Just got back from morzine. TIP: don't fall off and brake your scaphoid 100m from the top of the first lift you get like the Mrs did. She still rode Hattock with her cast on though which is pretty hardcore

How on earth did she manage that? on both counts

Woody80

Certainly not planning on doing that. Being over cautious with the armour as well, just in case we get a bit "loose"!

bennett_346

I'm already out here in chatel second year running. First day back riding and already saw someone snap their trek session on the river gap and another girl in front of me crashed doing a whip on the table and broke her collar bone.

Woody80

bennett_346 wrote:

I'm already out here in chatel second year running. First day back riding and already saw someone snap their trek session on the river gap and another girl in front of me crashed doing a whip on the table and broke her collar bone.

Filling me with confidence :shock:

Majski

fyldesmurf wrote:

Majski wrote:

Just got back from morzine. TIP: don't fall off and brake your scaphoid 100m from the top of the first lift you get like the Mrs did. She still rode Hattock with her cast on though which is pretty hardcore

How on earth did she manage that? on both counts

Count 1 - major f*ck up. She's ridden out there 4 times before and does all the trails I do easy enough, just got caught in a rut on a bit of singeltrack off pleney and went over.

Coun 2 - pain killers and luck

fyldesmurf

Majski wrote:

fyldesmurf wrote:

Majski wrote:

Just got back from morzine. TIP: don't fall off and brake your scaphoid 100m from the top of the first lift you get like the Mrs did. She still rode Hattock with her cast on though which is pretty hardcore

How on earth did she manage that? on both counts

Count 1 - major f*ck up. She's ridden out there 4 times before and does all the trails I do easy enough, just got caught in a rut on a bit of singeltrack off pleney and went over.

Coun 2 - pain killers and luck

I feel like such a mong. I thought you meant she'd fallen off the chairlift, for some reason it didn't occur to me she could've fallen off her bike :oops: Hope she recovers well

Majski

ha ha, I should have clarified that it was 100m 'after' the lift stopped, not before.

I've just finished a 20minute vid from the trip i'll upload next week. Pretty chuffed with it, it's taken me 40 odd hours to sort through the footage and edit though :?