Dammit’s adventures in mountain biking

Happy to post you the Shockwiz when I’m back- PM me your address.

I drove to Rambouillet with my girlfriend, she’s currently riding Paris-Brest-Paris whilst I ride in Morzine, I’m riding on my own/don’t know anyone here.

In terms of family friendly stuff there’s a lot- playgrounds, water parks, specific family trails. I would recommend speaking to someone with an actual family who has been here though- I’ve got 1.5 cats so I don’t really know what I’m talking about.

Santa Cruz do demo days around the country, I’m going to book onto one to check out the Hightower- I may be better off riding the Scalpel and hiring.

The hire cost for the Megatower was €600, which feels both expensive and actually fairly reasonable, still making up my mind on that.

Cataclysmic thunder over night, lying in bed at the moment and I can hear how wet it is on the roads whenever a car drives past- wonder if the trails will dry out?

Bugger

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I’m still in the Alps, so this morning I’ll go and get some water trousers and a better jacket. I bought an emergency waterproof with me but it’s a shell- I’ll freeze on the lift.

Any French speakers or those who know the area I have a favour to ask- I need a good garage to check my wheel balancing on the 911. I don’t want to inadvertently go to a place that’ll just hammer lead weights to the external rim- somewhere that’ll look after the car is my preference. Can anyone help?

For Santa Cruz, Transition, Specialized + more demos try https://brink.uk/
Good shop worth a visit

It’s also next to Chicksands, a great place for practicing wheels off the ground

For what it's worth I've been riding the Scott Ransom Tuned for a while now and it's an amazing bike. Climbs incredibly well for such a long, and long travel, bike thanks to the lockouts (which a lot of people seem to hate). Needless to say it's stiff as all hell and very fast down hill too.

And just pretend you’re in Wales and just get riding

Morzine gets a bit claggy when wet :(

Is there much to do there for my non cycling wife and 5 year old kids?!

Morzine is a very large and legit town - there’s a huge outdoor pool and excellent hiking as well as all the usual indoor stuff. Loads of English speakers there in the summer for the cycling.

A reason to blow more money on Mud tyres then

Just you wait

MTB cosplay warning given

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You're going skydiving instead?

BASE jumping is more Morzine style.

Just don’t hit the ground too hard.

I feel like I should have a tank and fins.

However- due to me wearing waterproof pyjamas the sun is now coming out.

I’m sure all of Morzine will thank me later, when they have stopped laughing.

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Try Red 25 today! HAH

Two runs in, I’m never wearing anything other than my pyjamas impermeable again.

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I’m thinking maybe not.

Could always rock a Bin-bag gilet for the seasoned rider style. Cheaper and lighter and others will quietly nod approval as you ride by "yep, done that myself"

Overheard two small children “I’m not feeling it today, way too slow”.

I am quite enjoying it.

I was part joking but would love to borrow it! I'm sure we can come to some sort of compensatory arrangement.

The actual hire cost of a decent bike is something I hadn't really thought about much. At first €600 seems like a bonkers high amount but I suppose you would pay around £60 for a full days hire of a DH bike at Fort William.
I'm surprised to hear the hire folk say you can only jump if you hire a v10. That seems ridiculous. Surely it's a given that all bikes they hire out are going to be hammered. It's a bit off putting and another reason to take my own bike.

Driving to Morzine is hugely appealing. I could take two bikes if I drove in our Volvo. But if I go with family we would have to fly and have the hassle of taking a bike on the plane. Would need bike bag etc.

It feels ok riding there solo then? Easy enough to find everything? Are you doing purely lift assisted riding, up to the top then ride back down? Any longer whole day rides linking up singletrack planned?

Oh and embrace the rain and mud. Treat it like its good practice and training. Get used to that slippy slidey point that happens just before you wash out completely.

I’m getting the lift up, riding down- or diagonally to get to the base of the next lift.

Morzine is really easy to find your way around, I had planned to head for Super Morzine/Avioraz today but being more open they shut trails when it rains as temporary rivers form (according to the chap in the bike shop this morning).

Weather here is nuts- the forecast is literally never the same twice when I look at it. I was feeling quite smug at getting some time in before the lightning arrived- and yet I’m sat outside in a T-shirt drinking a beer right now (14:30). We were meant to be an hour and a half into Armageddon right now.

Anyway! I’ve dropped the car off to have the wheels balanced, so that’s one more thing checked off the list.

On the hire costs- a cheap full suspension bike is £40/hour at Swinley, put like that a Megatower for €100/day seems ok. If the pound hadn’t dropped like a stone it would seem better value, of course.