Thinking of the Alps

aberdeenal

Apologies if this is in the wrong area - if it is perhaps it can be moved to the correct section...

My work, and cycling, colleague and I have been seriously thinking about doing a trip to the Alps to ride Alp de Huez and Croix de Fer in 2015 therefore looking for some tips:

1. When is best to cycle these two peaks?
2. Any recommendations on decent accommodation?
3. Any "lessons learned" that fellow cyclists would share?
4. Is it worth considering hiring bikes there rather than transporting our own ones across?

Anything else we need to think about?

Cheers,

Al

thefd

I have gone to Bourg d'Ossian the last two years. Start of June is the best time. Not too busy but the weather has warmed up enough that even the Galibier should be open.

I have used these guys for accommodation and hire - although not convinced they are the best. The bikes are ok, (not great but ok), but when returning we have had some issues! Customer service not the best!! The accommodation was also ok, not great but ok.

The big advantage of hiring is the cost and if there is a few of you, then to transport a few of you and your bikes can be difficult.

Bourg is awesome - right in the foot of Alpe d'Huez and Coix de fer is just round the corner.

aberdeenal

TheFD wrote:

I have gone to Bourg d'Ossian the last two years. Start of June is the best time. Not too busy but the weather has warmed up enough that even the Galibier should be open.

I have used these guys for accommodation and hire - although not convinced they are the best. The bikes are ok, (not great but ok), but when returning we have had some issues! Customer service not the best!! The accommodation was also ok, not great but ok.

The big advantage of hiring is the cost and if there is a few of you, then to transport a few of you and your bikes can be difficult.

Bourg is awesome - right in the foot of Alpe d'Huez and Coix de fer is just round the corner.

That's some great info for me to look at - cheers

thefd

Meant to say Easy Jet fly direct to Geneva - and it is about 2-2½ hours to drive to Bourg.

theobrixton

I went in late August last year and stayed in Bourg D'oisans. Not sure if it's like that every year or I was just lucky but for the week I was there the weather was spectacular. Sunny but not too hot and light winds. It was also not very busy. Can't offer any advice on bike hire, although I have been in that shop Prompt that TheFD linked to. The guys there seemed friendly and pretty cool so I'm disappointed to hear that their service wasn't the best. There's a couple of other bike shops in town. One of them hires out KTM brand bikes if I recall correctly.

Other advice:
1. Make sure your gearing is right. If you don't already have one get a compact 50/34 and a cassette with a minimum 28 cog. I'm a decent climber and I used the 28 A LOT! I could have managed with a 25, but why destroy your legs when you don't have to.
2. Do not take carbon clinchers as you will need to brake.
3. Do the Galibier. Way better than the Alpe, which is tough but not terribly scenic. The views along the Galibier are incredible. Do it both sides, the 8km from the Lautaret and the 20km from Valloire.
4. Have a crack at the Col d'Ornon early in your trip. Great warm up climb as it's not too long or steep, but tough enough. Very pretty too and easily accessed from Bourg. If you're feeling masochistic follow the turn off to Oulles. Short but horribly steep, and the descent is even worse as the road is tight and in terrible condition. I loved it. Will PM you a Strava link if you like.

thegreatdivide

TheFD wrote:

Meant to say Easy Jet fly direct to Geneva - and it is about 2-2½ hours to drive to Bourg.

Yip. Edinburgh to Geneva - two flights a day in the summer. We took our own bikes and had hire cars waiting at the airport. Having the cars gave us more freedom - but make sure you get a mini van, we didn't :-(

whoof

Have stayed here a couple of times the cabins are nice.
http://www.camping-colporteur.com/
June is a good time to go. Quieter than July August, also cheaper and can get really good weather. However, a couple of years ago we rode through the Apls in mid-June and a number of the higher cols including the Galibier were closed due to snow.
There are a number of bike hire places in Bourg d'Oisan I've looked and they seem quite expensive.
http://bike-oisans.com/en/cycling-oisan ... -bike-shop
Also the Col de Glandon is near and a nice ride.

sheffsimon

Went last year and stayed in St Jean du Maurienne. Nice town and right at the foot of Croix de Fer. Stayed in Hotel Bernard, which was grim but cheap. We went around 20th June, and the Galibier had only just opened a few days earlier.

From St Jean you have Croix de Fer, Glandon, Telegraph/Galibier and Madelaine in easy reach, as well as lots of other lesser known climbs.

We drove down from Sheffield over two days, got to St Jean about lunchtime on the second day, and got straight into it. Going back next year, staying in the same place. It was, without doubt, the best thing I have done on a bike. We had great weather, nice and hot and sunny.

Also rode up the Alpe on the last morning we were there, drove over to Allemond and rode along the valley to warm up. Glad to have ticked the Alpe off but wont be riding it again on the next visit, the other climbs in the area are nicer rides IMO.

Next year I might look at flights and car hire, its a long drive, but we enjoyed the whole "road trip" thing.

bernithebiker

theobrixton wrote:

I went in late August last year and stayed in Bourg D'oisans. Not sure if it's like that every year or I was just lucky but for the week I was there the weather was spectacular. Sunny but not too hot and light winds. It was also not very busy. Can't offer any advice on bike hire, although I have been in that shop Prompt that TheFD linked to. The guys there seemed friendly and pretty cool so I'm disappointed to hear that their service wasn't the best. There's a couple of other bike shops in town. One of them hires out KTM brand bikes if I recall correctly.

Other advice:
1. Make sure your gearing is right. If you don't already have one get a compact 50/34 and a cassette with a minimum 28 cog. I'm a decent climber and I used the 28 A LOT! I could have managed with a 25, but why destroy your legs when you don't have to.
2. Do not take carbon clinchers as you will need to brake.
3. Do the Galibier. Way better than the Alpe, which is tough but not terribly scenic. The views along the Galibier are incredible. Do it both sides, the 8km from the Lautaret and the 20km from Valloire.
4. Have a crack at the Col d'Ornon early in your trip. Great warm up climb as it's not too long or steep, but tough enough. Very pretty too and easily accessed from Bourg. If you're feeling masochistic follow the turn off to Oulles. Short but horribly steep, and the descent is even worse as the road is tight and in terrible condition. I loved it. Will PM you a Strava link if you like.

Lots of excellent advice here, agree with it all. The Alpe d'Huez is not my favourite climb in that area, Galibier is nicer.

September is a great time to go. The hordes have left and usually the weather is excellent, (as it has been again this year). Everything is cheaper too.

June can be touch and go with the snow if you're up high.

iron_duke

Agree with the good advice so far.

In my experience road bike rental in France (Alps) is not advanced as that elsewhere so have always tended to drive down so can take own bike.

Granted I am setting off from the south of England but if you have a couple of you to split the drive and petrol ends up being a good little road trip. Have tended to do the majority of the driving in France overnight when the roads are pretty empty and you can make good time.

Enjoy!

alex222

I have been looking into the same trip myself for next year. Looks like weddings are going to get in the way though.
I found this site below which looked to tick all the boxes, in terms of what I am after
http://www.cyclingascents.com/bedandbreakfast.html

mididoctors

august is surprisingly cheap. take your own bike. TAKE THE SMALLEST GEARS YOU CAN. Too many good routes to mention but consider the Vercours rather than the high alps in august

t4tomo

Iron_Duke wrote:

Agree with the good advice so far.

In my experience road bike rental in France (Alps) is not advanced as that elsewhere so have always tended to drive down so can take own bike.

Not in the Alps but I was very impressed with quality of bike hired from Bedoin (Mont Ventoux) this summer. Carbon Trek Domane.

davep1

This is getting my juices flowing!

navrig2

We went to just outside Bourg Saint Maurice last year (end May/start June) and again this year (start Sept).

We just got away with cycling some of the high passes last year:

Petit St Bernard was officially closed but we carried our bikes over the snow bank at either end,
Col D'Iseran was closed,
Courmet de Roselend was open but dam cold on top and subject to icy puddles on top.

In Sept everything was open but there was much more traffic, especially motorbikes. Descending La Madeleine was fun with bikes and motorbikes waltzing all the way down.

The weather was fine both trips (other than cold on the tops in June).

We flew to Geneva from Edinburgh taking our own bikes. With 7 of us we needed a van and a car to transport everything so it makes it expensive. If you can stay and hire close to your chosen routes then you may be able to reduce vehicle hire costs.

Tips?

Train/train/train even more. The climbs are just so much more than you expect from normal riding in the UK. Our downhill from La Rosiere to Bourg St Maurice took 30mins without any pedalling. The climb back up took a bit longer.
If you go in June be prepared for a variety of temperatures - freezing cold on top Courmet de Roselend and sweating like a pig on the climb up to La Rosiere.

phreak

If you go, head up to Villard de Notre Dame. It's the other side of Bourg d'Oisans to d'Huez, but is a much nicer climb. The gradient and length is much the same, but it's nowhere near as busy, and the views are an awful lot better. You've also got a couple of tunnels on the climb that are pitch black, so you might want to take a light with you.



Much more exciting At the top, there is nothing much there, but you can follow the road round and come back into Bourg via the Col d'Ornon I believe.

keezx

I've been in the regio 2 times and also a very nice ride is to La Berarde which is a basis for mountain climbing and skiing on 2000 m, surrounded by 4000+ m mountains.
Disadvantage is that you have to go back, there is no other road.
Lots of nice rides over there.
Both times stayed at camping "La Piscine" in Le Bourg d'Óisans, not too expensive, cabins and caravans, 100m from the foot of Alpe d'Huez.

aberdeenal

Thanks for all the replies, links and advice - very much appreciated - and always good to hear of peoples experiences (good or bad) - just need to get my finger out and book it.

Cheers,

Al :-)

phippss

I would also recommend bourg d'oisains. Great little town with a few places to eat and some good bike shops. Also plenty in the area to keep the family occupied. Alp d' huez is OK but not inspiring to climb but worth combining with col de sarenne and the balcon as the road is simply mind blowing. The galibier from le grave( left the family here to visit the ice cave, which they thought was great) is much better and the climb to Villard Notre is stunning but lights are a must for tunnel 3 its a few hundred metres long and pitch black. The tourist office has a great booklet with routes to follow. As said Oulles and Ornon are also well worth a climb. Cadre rouge hire KTM bikes but are not particularly helpful or knowledgeable. We hired a great little gite just behind the bakers on the main street. Was there at the beginning of August and the only time it was busy was on Alp d'Huez but bearable the rest of the time there was little to no traffic.

bernithebiker

t4tomo wrote:

Iron_Duke wrote:

Agree with the good advice so far.

In my experience road bike rental in France (Alps) is not advanced as that elsewhere so have always tended to drive down so can take own bike.

Not in the Alps but I was very impressed with quality of bike hired from Bedoin (Mont Ventoux) this summer. Carbon Trek Domane.

I will be riding one of their Di2 Domanes up the Ventoux on Friday!

phreak

Also if you wanted something a little different, you could always stay in Les Deux Alpes. Less busy than Bourg, and you get to climb back up to your base each day. It's easy enough to roll down the hill into Bourg to begin with, and you'll be a bit warmer before you tackle any of the climbs.

dodgy

The Alpe always seems the obvious choice for a first timer in the Alps, but don't rule out staying elsewhere in the Alps. Bourg can be a bit of a honey pot. This is good for seeing where the various concentrations of great cols are http://www.cyclingthealps.com/

Personally, I like the area around Samoens, might not be everyone's cup of tea, though!

bernithebiker

dodgy wrote:

Personally, I like the area around Samoens, might not be everyone's cup of tea, though!

Used to have a chalet in Samoens. It's one of most beautiful villages/ areas in the Alps with some amazing walks and rides and the Col de la Joux Plane on your doorstep, which affords superb views of Mont Blanc when you're 1/2 way up. Easy reach from GVA too.

qube

This guy has done a fair bit of cycling round there and has some good trip reports......

Not to mention some amazing photos!

http://www.steephill.tv/2006/alpe-d-huez/

aberdeenal

Managed to read some of the links posted during a slightly longer coffee break at work today ;-)

Thanks again, to all, for the information and help - very much appreciated - decision time :-)