Eurofighter Part Duex "Oh Five"

Photos Paul Thomas, Paul Lake, Ben Jarvis

With the season well under way and a well earned day off the bike today it’s time to update on what’s been going on and all the new trails that have cropped up…and there is a lot going on!

On the riding front, there are new trails to be found everywhere. In my 7 years here this summer has seen the most development and the word from the locals is that there is now money to develop 3-4 tracks every season for the next 5 years.

First off, the Pleney has a new section to it (about time) just after the tunnel. Hang a right, pop the jump and you are into steep singletrack that is very similar to Morgins North Shore steep section. Bigger catch berms make life a little easier but a good alternative to the usual. It spits you out onto an off camber field that joins the lower final section of fire road. On one ride I somehow got my lower foot pulled off the pedal by a tree stump and with all my weight on it, I surfed 30 metres with a nice top tube to nuts interface and then high sided into a bush. Nothing like setting a good example.

Sorry were you sleeping? - Alex rockfest crash

The Super Morzine single track that was once ‘undiscovered’ by the masses has now developed with some North Shore drops, a nice gully jump by the road and a good set of doubles. The work of the lads who live here in the off season and want something to play on when the snow is melting it makes the track more rider friendly now and opens up the debate on ‘natural or man made?’ See next issue of DIRT for some more qualified views on this…

Over in Les Gets there is quite a bit of change on the Mont Chery side. The new Kona Bike Park is up and running and the first change is the lift we use after the gondola. No longer is it the slowest lift in the world on the left out of the cable car cabin run by the laziest woman (why get a woman to do a mans job?). Now it is on the right, the lift used for the world champs. The top of the bike park starts off very similar to the top of the Downhill course Les Gets 2 (this top section of the DH course is no longer used alas). Berm to berm, to pop jump, to berm to berm for a minute or so.

Then into the ‘Playground’ of Roof drop, see saws, rhythm section and a large set on the left up and over a winter ski hut. This jump will be the one that guy by the bar will be talking to you about, either bragging he did it, or that he would have but it was his first day. I’m impressed by the work done on it, but not convinced if it is the best use of the hill. Why not another line all the way down by the original down hill course instead of Dirt Jump style rhythm section jumps that not many people are fussed to do on big downhill bikes? The Red Bubble car is for some reason still running and not retired (as it is in the winter) they really need to open up the big chair lift by it and that will open up more vertical feet of playtime and stop us losing 4lbs through sweat as we hot box ourselves.

Up on over towards Switzerland and the work carries on! First up is a modification to the Be One course at the top of Mossettes. A whole new top section that is: A. Rocky. B. Fast. C. ‘I jump there and land where? There?!’ This is a better use of the shale top section bit and then as it joins the dirt section, there are loads of doubles, some big, some small, most floaty. Then as you finish two decent sized gap jumps to end the run on a high. This was raced on this weekend with a good turn out, and will now be perfectly worn in to ride.

French Canadian?

The last major development is the other side of Linderets. On the way down the hill from Fantasticable (the high wire from Mountain to Mountain that you are strapped to and then sent down at 80mph) they have build an 8-10 line North Shore style bike Park! From easy and flowing to big and ballsy it has it all. Very well made and enough lines to keep you busy all morning riding different lines. This is what we need! Up and down like yo yo’s until you really should stop to eat. Hypoglycaemia is a pain. The largest of the drops is one to size up at around 9 foot or so and was amusing as the French guys surrounding it when we were riding thought I was rubbish as I couldn’t make the 90 degree left hander just after touchdown. You what?!

I’ll leave the ‘social’ bits for next time, lots of lads out in ‘team’ T shirts with Morzine 2005 on them (is this the next Magaluf?) a few more girls in the mix and some terrible chat up lines by some and you get the Vibe…

I’ve been sent a Suunto T6 heart rate monitor and Bike Pod to test by the people at www.suuntot6.com for Dirt Bike Rider, and have been putting it through its paces for a couple of weeks now. With all the features of a top dog heart rate monitor, wireless bike computer integrated and an altitude metre, it really does warrant its £300 price tag and well worth a look for those of you serious about getting the most from your training. Taking it riding up over 2250 metres above sea level and seeing all the data on the computer afterwards was useful and interesting for a sad trainer like me but the most interesting thing was wearing it when we went to the North Shore trails.

All morning I’d been pushing on the flat and climbs and was topping out at 175bpm, not full guns but steady, hard effort for me. I couldn’t get it above this on the ride. We arrived at the North Shore trail and as we reached the new, large drop, I new it had to be done as there was a fair crowd gathered and I don’t like passing up drops. As I sat on the bike waiting to run in, I looked down at the monitor. 186 BPM. Bosh, welcome to the power of adrenalin!

As you can imagine, with having to ride all day long in the sun, things get pretty stressful so I took a trip over to Rome to see my Brother and have a break. No bike interest here but if you want a break with the Missus, take her here and she’ll love you forever. But not if you get caught checking out the 4 million beautiful Roman women. And that will probably take 20 minutes. Amazing.

When in Rome....Perv like the Italians...Camera phone Spanish Steps!

Something that seems to be rife this season is injuries. Too many people are going all guns and hurting themselves to quickly it seems. One of the lads out with the Loughborough University club crashed over the hut jump in Les Gets and broke BOTH his wrists on day two. Gutted. However, he must have done something right as instead of having to work out how to drive through the border in 2 casts he pulled and stayed a couple extra weeks. Good lad.

Another very unfortunate injury was sustained in possible the shortest time of actually being in town- after being in town an hour or so and paying for a weeks hire of a VP Free, one of our guests crashed on the first grass bank he rode down, into a chalet and broke his collar bone. No lift pass even bought…I am not immune to it either and after quite a big get off on my way down to Champery, things didn’t look good for my right hand. The knuckles had disappeared and my hand resembled that of one of those fat, ignorant and annoying American tourists that I bumped into in Rome. The middle finger is broken but with a bit of a bodge of the Troy Lee Glove and a finger sleeve over two fingers (thank you God for my skinny digits) and I’m okay to ride.

Good job on the hand!

Chas after the Mutzig

The last injury, that really is a public service announcement, was sustained by M- Sports finest, Chas. After far too many Mutzigs, Chas decided to ride his bike home and 20metres from our door he crashed on the tricky, flat, smooth tarmac. This photo was taken as he walked in and wandered upstairs (to I don’t know where as his room was on the first floor.) I am not including this photo to glamorise this as I know how much claret he lost and how many stitches it took to close everything up. The funny thing is that the day before he had decided to shave his head, taken one stroke with a grade 1 and then thought ‘Nah, won’t bother’ so there was a confused look on the Dr’s face as he surveyed the absolute state the lad was in.

The Goodridge hoses have also been given a good seeing to and I’m happy to report that not once has the brake faded, or done the age old trick of pulling right to the bar after heavy braking. Relief and a good nod to Adam at www.goodridge.net and their distributor Hotlines (01208 821775). I’m now noticing weaknesses in other areas of the brake and the standard pads are not enjoying a good roasting on the steep slower stuff which is hard on braking and one set had to be chucked as the friction of porcelain isn’t ideal.

Deux cent Vingt quatre?

Steve Wade made the trip over to say hi this week. After stopping in Verbier with the world best guide Phil and his better half Lucy of www.bikeverbier.com he brought along a 224 prototype to shake down on the trails here. The bike looks more refined and aesthetically pleasing than the previous models and with a better pivot point is a beauty. You’ve just got to smile as the questions roll in ‘are those custom stickers on your 223?’ ‘Where did you get that?’ ‘Deux cent Vingt quatre?’ After some good solid days in the sun, a set of brake pads and Fox 40’s that still weeped, and it was time for him to head back for a few weeks. We’ll see some other incarnations of this and other citrus treats in a few weeks when he’s back out for more ‘R and D’ as he calls it (!)

Enjoy the ride.

Alan