Downhill/Freeride Mountain Bike Days

Sports and Hobbies
121
If your gonna ride the trail they used for the Maxi Avalanche(at least I think its the one) you want it to be dry. There are a few northshore wooded sections that are slippery when wet. Its a very fun trail though.

122
some one go to ride in the end of this week? a/m ride or xc in these places?

i need to ride abit more mountain biking trails (with technik sections), all

123
Congrats, Eire.

and for those on the french side and Valais:

Champery every day until 18/10

Chaumont (Neuchatel) all year i think

Crans Montana weekends until 25/10

Chalais (to Vercorin) all year i think

Vercorin (to Sigeroulaz midstation) every day until 25/10 and weekend of 1/11

Saleve (Geneva) all year

I've heard that Zermatt and Saas Fee will let you take bikes up anytime but haven't tested it out.

although it's getting close to make the transition from bike to ski....

124
I am in + 1 (not picky about where we go as long as it is fun - Davos was awesome! )

125
I'm in for tuesday and thursday!

And then I the last week of October I am in fact considering seeing some white stuff in, say, Sölden.

126
its posible to ride there with hard tail? (front sus 100 mm), or u need fs bike?

127
hell i only got 70mm of travel at the front and rim brakes - but what the hell - i'd give it a go! i could get a day off next week too.... have a bike rack for 3 bikes on the back if anyone wants to go together....

stacks can't be much worse than hitting a tree on a motorbike

128
weather on tuesday seems to get better, let me know where you want to go, i will try my best to join the trip.

also, next sunday (11oct) i will head to the Gurten.. yea, busy day but i dont have a DH bike so it will be more for the climb and some fun following the track down.

..here a nice track and video that no doubt, many here have seen already:

if anyone is up for a ride around the Gurten send a pm or reply on this thread.

/f

129
i will want to join to if its ok

130
hey all,

so looks like everyone has some interest to do this

should we try to set a date for next week and a location?

as a total n00b i'd be open to someone suggesting where best to go that isn't too extreme - or offers different levels for riders

the only thing that worries me is the weather.... this weekend the snowfall level is meant to drop under 2000m - e.g. Flims weather

thoughts anyone?

131
I have created a doodle entry for choosing the best date for everyone interested on joining:

http://doodle.com/summary.html?pollId=pudpbgxd668nk6rk

In the meantime lets consider places.. Looking for something that doesn't represent a lot of time on the train or car, i found this in the Pilatus (Luzern):

http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=nilymcygagwxkiuy

Looks short, 10km only, but that could well mean time to better explore the place and see if we can get to the other side of the mountain, from where getting back to luzern will be faster...

132
I need to play it by ear, and see how a few things work out before I know exactly what I can do next week.

Places like Gurten are certainly doable on a hardtail with 100mm travel. Places like Lenzerheide, Flims, Filzbach etc are definitely more suited to something with more relaxed angles.

133
I go to Wallis every weekend with my scott gambler. Not expensive, nice long natural trails as well as bike park trails (north shore, jumps) Last weekend was the Swiss downhill cup in Bellwald which is 25 francs for a day pass. Reideralp is also really good (and cheap) and is open for biking until there is too much snow on the ground. http://www.riederalp.ch/index.php

They dont advertise for a biking destination but they have two really good, long trails. (one steep, one not so steep) and a 3 or 4 ride card will set you back 16 francs. 4 rides is enough considering how long they are. I will be there next weekend, might have some room at the in laws house in Brig if my other friend cant make it.

134
likewise... my son is going to football camp too and might have to drop him off and pick him up - gonna make getting down to mountains early very hard

135
oye, so i destroy my hakler to soon

136
Yesterday I rode up+down the Gurten, I have to say that on a 120mm front and rear end suspension travel bike I was at the limit with the amount of bumps you find on the track.. not the jumps or falls, but the breaks on the terrain be them roots, loose wood or multiple and continuos holes (bumps).

Easy Conclusion: The Gurten could be declared DH only trail. I doubt it will be a pleasant ride on a hardtail, you will be either trying to break on the bumps (in the air).. or playing as the lost tourist.

I was lucky (easy for a monday) to find the trail only for me, so I had the chance to ride it and stop at ease to see it in detail, it was big fun but it will be even better to go down on a proper DH bike though I won't change my all mountain for an impaired bike+lift. No way.

137
The biggest problem for XC bikes in Gurten are the braking bumps. The first time you ride down they are brutal, but you get used to them if you do multiple trips down in a day. They are worse on an XC bike then a freeride bike, but they are ok to do. The first time I rode Gurten I put in 10 runs on the trail on a 100mm travel XC bike (full suss), and I know people that do it on all mountain hardtails. You take a bit of a beating but it is possible, and can still be fun. I've seen guys ride there on sub 10kg, XC hardtails with their saddle up around their necks and still pass guys on freeride bikes. If you do it once the braking bumps really make it a hard time, do it a few more times and you will loosen up and the let the bike float over them a little more.

138
i can't do anything this week anyway - and looks like the weather is turning so think next week might be out too (i guess...)

139
so its good time to save money for enduro bike (now i ride on 10.5 kg hard tail bike).

140
like this thing

http://gb.cannondale.com/bikes/10/CE/model-0FS0S.html

(yeah i know i know - another Cannondale)

but checked it out in the shop the other day (not that i'm going to buy it!) and man it's NUTS - like 7.5kg or something

and the seat post flexes back and forth so absorb some of the bumps/kickbacks/whatever

pretty sick