MEGAVALANCHE 2007?

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  • straightliner
    straightliner Posts: 82
    I've recently signed up and just booked my flights and I am both excited and terrified by the prospect of riding it.Really looking forward to the weekend though, and as I haven't managed to convince any of my XC mates to come with me, will be looking to meet some Brits while I'm there to at least say hi and enjoy a cold beer or two.

    Cheers for the advice regarding kit, I'm sure it will all come in useful.

    The straighter the line, the faster I go!
    The straighter the line, the faster I go!
  • terrywinnan
    terrywinnan Posts: 146
    Yeah cool.

    I am at the moment trying to sort out transfers from geneva airport. We have quotes of around 700 euros for a minibus. There is only me and my mate though, so i'm beginning to wonder if we could get more people in such a minibus, splitting the cost down a bit.

    Our flight is Easyjet 08.15 26/07 from Gatwick. Anyone on the same flight and need a transfer? Actually i may start i thread saying just this!

    Apart from that though Straightliner, ol Geordie biker from earlier in this tread is going too. All in the same boat so to speak. Anticipating the ultimate ride!

    I am winding right up for it now, next month guys. So cant wait!




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  • straightliner
    straightliner Posts: 82
    I'm going out on the evening of the 26th on a BA flight, so not entirely useful to you. However I've seen hire cars for about œ120 for that time period which is a lot less that your minibus cost even when you add in a bit of petrol and a few small tolls. It should be less than 3 hours from Geneva in the summer.



    The straighter the line, the faster I go!
    The straighter the line, the faster I go!
  • terrywinnan
    terrywinnan Posts: 146
    Oh right, that sounds better. We looked into hire cars, well people carrier type vehicles (Bikes, bags and riders!) and they were about 5 - 600 Euros for four days.

    Have you got a link to wherever you saw that hire car offer?



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  • straightliner
    straightliner Posts: 82
    Try www.holidayautos.co.uk as they seem to search the hire companies for the best rates. I was only looking at somehting like a Focus though for size.

    The straighter the line, the faster I go!
    The straighter the line, the faster I go!
  • terrywinnan
    terrywinnan Posts: 146
    Cheers i'll check that out later.

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  • geordiebiker
    geordiebiker Posts: 38
    Hi all, still haven't done owt about accommodation, got an email through from one company œ230 for a week in 2 person S/C studio - cheap enough but looked like a box room. i love my bike but i dont want to share my bed with it!!
    As for transfers terry, i'd look at hiring a car, at least you've got transport while your there - for the beer runs!! and you can go to your own schedule. its ok driving out there, just remember the wrong side of the road. i usually f**k that up regularly when im driving over there!! No crashes yet touch wood! Even 500 euro's would be worth it for the savings on hassle.

    I ride in northumberland mainly terry, chopwell, rothbury and the likes. we're only a couple of hours from glentress here in newcastle so most of my 'proper' riding happens up there. Im going up on saturday to do the black run (I'd rather do the red!) and hopefully do the red downhill after - i know a shortcut to the top!!
    Im having a running debate with my mate about whether we need fitness or bike handling skills, im in the bike handling camp, he reckons that regular riding will suit him best. what do you'se reckon? its downhill after all for f**ks sake!!! will keep checking for more posts... only 6.5 weeks to go!!!
  • terrywinnan
    terrywinnan Posts: 146
    Hi Geordiebiker,

    Looks like you have some decent places to ride which is cool. Down ere south ive got Aston Hill, PORC and Cwm Carn. Aston Hill is a brilliant place. The pushing uphillis a B**tard though. "20-25mins up, 2 mins down. Do that about 8 times every weekend whilst riding 8 miles a day on my commute and i think that will do for the MEGAVALANCHE for me!

    On that, the debate with your mate. Well, everything is the answer. Fitness and bike handling. If you dont cycle everyday, do something else in the week like swimming, then as long as you keep yourself downhilling as close to every weekend as you can get, you should be ok for the MEGA. I find that the bigger the gap between my downhilling the more i feel ive lost it, and scared of it! It usually only takes one or two runs though before i'm back up.

    Got your doctors certificate yet? The one my doc did is crap and so unreadable. I'm getting him to do it again!






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  • homers_double
    homers_double Posts: 8,028
    Is there no regular bus service you can take?

    <b><font size="1"><center><font color="red">When God created mountains he meant them for climbing, not to be used as glorified toboggan runs.</font id="red"></center>
    <center> <font color="blue">Riding for <i>Team Cake </i>in 2007</font id="blue"></center></font id="size1"></b>
    Advocate of disc brakes.
  • geordiebiker
    geordiebiker Posts: 38
    still need the doc's note mate, should get it next week. I figure the bike handling is the way to go, regular off-roading keeps me sharp, i feel pretty 'at home' with my bike at the moment, everything is flowing nicely! im reasonably fit anyhow so i reckon i can cope with the pedalling bits. I reckon the arm pump will be a killer, must w**k harder!!!

    I know what the arm pump was like last year in the pyrenees, this one is going to be twice the height of luchon!! will have forearms like popeye when im done!
  • terrywinnan
    terrywinnan Posts: 146
    I dont think there is a regular bus service to Alpe De Huez from Geneva airport. Not that i know of. Good thinking though i will look into it.

    Geordiebiker good to see you are keepin it up. Im riding Aston Hill again tomorrow although i have to be careful as it's wet. I'm turning up a bit later so some other people can dry things up a bit. Sooooo sketchy on those off camber roots. I want to keep up the DH but also i dont want any broken bones for the MEGA!

    This arm pump thing. I'm sure i underestimate it just know. The MEGA is not like riding down an hour and a half long Fort Bill DH though is it. Is it?

    Big open fast sections but also i'm sure there are bits where you can take your hands of the bars for a quick excercise, also the uphill bits will take the pressure off for a bit, albeit onto your legs!

    To be honest like you said yourself at the beginning of this thread, i'm not doing this to compete really. I just want to survive it first. After all my preconceptions are blown away i will know exactly what its like.

    Ive never even been anywhere that is 9000 feet high and not been in a plane! Its going to be F**king mental and no doubt i will be feeling distinctly less than 100% on the day. Still I absolutely cant wait.





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