Want to ride your bike in the biggest Mountain Biking area in the world? 2.0

[Guest Omega Man]

[patches]

STOP THAT! STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!!

 

Waiting 14months to go again is going to be tough enough as it is!

[Guest Omega Man]

STOP THAT! STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!!

 

Waiting 14months to go again is going to be tough enough as it is!

I'm so frikking amped. 32 sleeps

[hyltonenglish]

I'm waiting for some hero to say "I earn my turns"

 

Just for the record I earn my turns too. I go to k@k places like Lagos to earn money. I buy a lift pass with the money. Ergo. I earn my turns too.

Ja vertical. It's an estimate tho. i figure 12 runs a day (conservative) dropping 600m that's 7200m. I'm gonna take some form of GPS device this year and get an actual value.

 

On that. does anyone know if I can run Strava and only update when i have WIFI?

Add to that - the 7 - 10km isn't distance - it's ELEVATION. 7,000 to 10,000 m of elevation change in a day. That's a bucket load.

 

Also why I really really really wanna go myself.

@Hylton.

 

Don't think for one second that using the lifts is a soft option. On a good day you'll do 7-10km of vertical descending. There's 12 mountains (and I mean Alps) with trails on them and most of the descents are multi km trails. For example the Pleney main line is 3.5km long and drops 600m.

 

Last year i took my cat eye along to see how much riding i was doing On the sunny days I was averaging 70km a day and on the day I went to Morgins I did 85km That's 85km on a DH bike.

@ Hylton...

 

like they said. We didn't go in particularly fit. (Mind you I also didn't train for Sani... not so smart )...

 

Ski lifts all the way! virtually NO ONE rides UP those hills. Even the XCers on their carbon hard tails use ski lifts.

 

There is a bit of "climbing" along the ridge from Zore to Avoriaz (when you want to get to Chatel), but it's doable on a DH bike and moderate fitness.

 

That said... Peach and my bodies took a beating! (and not only cos we both broke bones hahaha)

 

We thought we were goig to ride everyday, all day, for our 13 day pass. After 1 day we were popping back Cataflam and icing out hands in the water troughs. It's a totally different physical strain. I imagine more like riding dirt bikes. (Super_mil will be able to comment better on that).

 

Our first 2 days we went all out (over 70km each day), 3rd day we were shattered, so did a "lazy day" trip to Chatel. Peach was so tired that he figured it was better to crash into a big hole and catch an ambulance back, than ride along the ridge line again

 

But yeah... the more fit you are, the more fun you'll have. But it's not essential. trying to prep your hands, arms and legs for the bumpity-bumpity is more worthwhile.

You use the lift system. There's 24 lifts and you do NOT want to ride up an Alp trust me. You can try to ride up but I guarantee you'll be buying a lift pass by lunch time on the first day.

 

Even the xc guys buy lift passes cos a lot of the xc riding is ridgeline based. Your hands and arms take a beating so some hand strengthening is recommended. Also suspension setup and brake positioning and grip thickness are critical. The fitter you are the better obviously.

 

But it's not critical. what's more critical is a desire to have fun. Lots and lots and lots of fun on your bike.

 

I must admit I'm a bit nervous this year cos I've done precisely zero physical prep work. Last year I spent months working on hand (grip) & arm strength.

 

The first year I couldn't even remotely do a full run. Last year I could but I still suffered a bit. The syndrome people get is commonly called the claw. It feels like someone has been tapping away at your knuckles with a small hammer for hours. It's not arm pump. hit your cnuckles on a desk for an hour. It feels like that. It's a good pain tho.

 

I have a strategy for dealing with it.

 

1. Anti inflams. 1 in the morning and 2 in the evening

2. Protein shakes post ride

3. Post ride arm icing (the water troughs help for this)

4. Beer (This might be a placebo but I'm not going to take the chance)

5. Bike setup (critical) I'm hoping my fox 40 and carbon rims will help alleviate some of the trail buzz.

Indeed. Also - if you're not breathless at the bottom, you ride like a fairy.

 

I've had sessions where I am literally panting at the bottom of a ride due to the intensity of the descent and how hard it's been going.

 

Having said that, Omega (and I) are about as fit as your average garden variety panda. And Omega could handle it!

I think it is a totally different type of fitness as I think your upper body and hands goes through way more than when doing normal riding.

Thanks for all the Feed back! Time to start saving a few pennies I think!

[Guest Omega Man]

Thanks for all the Feed back! Time to start saving a few pennies I think!

 

Yup. I guarantee it will be the best trip of your entire life. So should I pencil you in for 2014?

[Guest Omega Man]

So it looks like we've cracked double figures for the peeps who have indicated they are in. So that's good. Of course doing it and saying it are not the same thing.

 

There are 20 spots available in total.

[patches]

So it looks like we've cracked double figures for the peeps who have indicated they are in. So that's good. Of course doing it and saying it are not the same thing.

 

There are 20 spots available in total.

 

Good job Omega! Keep the numbers rolling in! Hope you get a full house! Those who haven't ever been there before are in for the time of their lives. Those that have already know... that's why they're going back!

[Guest Omega Man]

Good job Omega! Keep the numbers rolling in! Hope you get a full house! Those who haven't ever been there before are in for the time of their lives. Those that have already know... that's why they're going back!

Yerp. I'm telling all my mates that have been before what our dates are. I'm hoping that some of them pull in on the same dates too. Obviously they'll sort themselves out. You must also try pull in on the the same dates.

 

Imagine having a train of 30 South Africans rolling down Chavannes. With any luck there would be a WC on and We'd pull in to the bar (with flags of course) and watch Greg take a win. That would be a damn good day.

 

The Wyndam WC was on when we were there last year and we went down to the bar with a big flag to watch. Unfortunately Greg took 8th I think.

Edited June 4, 2013 by Omega Man

[hyltonenglish]

Yup. I guarantee it will be the best trip of your entire life. So should I pencil you in for 2014?

Wish I could just say YES!

[Murray_Lotus7]

Hey omega man hope you are counting me in your count. I have now bought a Downhill bike to join you on the trip.

[Guest Omega Man]

Hey omega man hope you are counting me in your count. I have now bought a Downhill bike to join you on the trip.

Saweet. What did you buy?

[Murray_Lotus7]

Bought a trek session 10.

Dam heavy(all the extra bracing in the frame design) so I guess I cann't break it while learning.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Bought a trek session 10.

Dam heavy(all the extra bracing in the frame design) so I guess I cann't break it while learning.

 

Ooooooooh! Nice!

[Guest Omega Man]

Bought a trek session 10.

Dam heavy(all the extra bracing in the frame design) so I guess I cann't break it while learning.

Yeah those are very overbuilt. That and the Tomac 204 were the first of the linkage single pivots so good design. Don't worry. where we going you don't need a light bike. I saw a dude last year who had removed the motor from a KX 250 and he was rolling that down the hill.

[patches]

I was looking up some of those trails on Strava.

 

Mont Chery: -25% grad. 1.2km long. 294m descent.

Les Chavannes: -13% grad. 3.4km long. 436m descent

Poride Super Morzine: -33.5 grad. 1.3km long. 424m descent

Super Morzine Super Black: -50% grad. 0.2km long. 96m descent

Pleney GREEN run: -11.7% grad. 4.2km long. 490m descent (that's what they call the "family line" and steeper than a most "black" trails in SA).

Pleney Main Line: -15.7% grad. 3.2km long. 494m descent.

Champery WC track: -26.1% grad. 2.0km long. 516m descent. The KOM is sitting at 14:19. Some riders are taking just under 1hr to get down. Now you can imagine how insane that must be! I think Super_mil said their first run of Champery took 30min to get down)

 

Those are just a fraction of the trails in the area! I'm getting super jealous here!

[Guest Omega Man]

Pleney GREEN run: -11.7% grad. 4.2km long. 490m descent (that's what they call the "family line" and steeper than a most "black" trails in SA).

 

That's actually a super fun trail. It's easy but something of a challenge if you wanna go fast. Pity It's gonna be closed. Well officially. hehehe.

 

I'm not even gonna bother going to Champery. I don't need to be reminded how bad I am.

Edited June 5, 2013 by Omega Man