Have you literally got 'all the gear' but have no idea what to do with it?? Unless you want to look like Posh Spice on the slopes, knowing a bit about your skis/snowboards/transceivers etc will help you avoid being any old Wannabe... Having the right equipment for your chosen sport/activity will help ensure that you get the best possible introduction to your sport (if you are a beginner), or speed you along in your learning curve if you are looking to improve. The easier and quicker you learn, the more pleasurable your experience will be! In this section, you will find guides to help you select the most appropriate gear for your sport and your ability.
Mountain Biking - New for 2008
Mountain biking can be an intimidating world, full of technical jargon and strange small pieces of metal that cost an extortionate amount of money. This year, a number of technical innovations are on the market, alongside products that are still going strong. Read our guide to what's what in 2008 in this exciting, fast-growing sport, and spend your hard-earned pennies on the stuff that really counts.
Mountain Biking - New for 2009
Mountain bike kit evolves year-by-year, and who better to guide us through the latest trends in mountain biking than the guys down at Zero G, Les Deux Alpes's bike shop.
2009 is here, and with it comes a variety of different bits and bobs with which to spec out - or even replace - your bike. It's a confusing time of year, with some companies just giving last year's product a quick spraypaint, and other companies changing everything from scratch.
Let's take a look at some of the new big themes in mountain biking and assess their worth.
Videos from Les Deux Alpes - Bicycle basics.
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Coming to the mountains in the summer and not getting out on a bike is like going to Vegas and not hitting the tables but if you are new to mountain biking it can be a daunting and expensive new hobby. The best thing to do is to get some advice and imformation from the people in the know and who better than the staff in Chamonix's Zero-G?
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Mountain Biking - Track Pumps
Track pumps have now become so affordable there really shouldn't be a biking household without one. Fairly basic innovations, these foot-stabilised, dual-hand pumps inflate bike tyres in a fraction of the time taken by a hand-pump, and have a handy pressure gauge on them. With tyres at correct pressure, punctures become a thing of the past. Get one!
WE RECOMMEND: Specialized Airtool Sport - €35
Specialized Stumpjumper Comp
The Stumpjumper has always been the bike that's best for most trails for most people most of the time. This year, this still rings true even though the bike's front triangle has been totally redesigned. The suspension sits on a vertical plane now, which means Specialized have been able to lower the stand-over height and make the frame a lot stiffer. In real life, this means it's easier to get on and off of the bike, and the overall feeling is instant and responsive. Finally, you get a lot more seat-post travel, which means you can get the seat a lot higher for climbing and lower when you want it out of the way for riding downhill. Admittedly, it's expensive – the base model goes out at a shade over 2000€ - but it's the best bike you'll ever buy.
Mountain Biking - Get Value for Money
Call it a recession, call it an 'adverse economic climate', call it what you like. Right now people are still buying bikes, but instead of going for fads, people want value. And there's plenty of value out there right now. It's a great time to practise your negotiation skills to attempt to knock a couple of percent off the cost of a new bike. This year's Specialized Pitch Comp enduro for example, comes with tasty componentry vastly upgraded from last year's model...for the same price tag. Specialized's new Tahoe shoe is a shoe in which you can ride clipped-in, or with flats thanks to their excellent sole.
When you do decide for a product, plump for one that lasts. Simple & strong are watchwords. Look for companies with years of experience making quality materials, and ones that back their frames for at least five years. We're still servicing Hardrock mountain bikes that we sold back in 1994!
WE RECOMMEND: Specialized Pitch Comp MTB - €1699
Specialized Pitch Comp
If you wanted a full-suspension bike with plenty of travel, you were previously restricted to spending nearly 2500€ on an Enduro class bike. Fortunately, this is no longer the case. Specialized's Pitch Comp bike, brand new for 2008, has a Rock Shox Pike front fork and at first glance looks very similar to the new, and considerably more expensive, Enduro SL. It's a joy to ride, with 140mm of travel to get you over all but the biggest rocks, and effective stopping power is provides by all-new Hayes Stroker disc brakes. For 1699€, you can't get better.
Armadillo Tyres
Flat tyres have always been the black fly in the Chardonnay of mountain biking. You're cruising along the trail enjoying the ride until you hear an ominous hissing sound, at which point you know you've got ten minutes of upside-down bike and frantic pumping ahead of you. Best to avoid that altogether, and that's been difficult……until now. These Specialized tyres have a stiff nylon casing that runs underneath the rubber to provide another layer of protection. Thorns, glass and sharp rocks are no longer an issue. Sure the tyres are a little bit heavier, and harder to get on and off the bike, but this is more than made up for by the simple fact that they simply don't pierce.
Specialized Epic 2009
This is the bike that turned Christoph Sauser's debut test-ride into a World Cup Championship win.
The Epic, Specialized's ultra-lightweight cross-country attack weapon, has got a brand new frame for 2009. They've changed the shock position so it's horizontal and between your legs, rather than angled back on the seatstay. Rumour has it the 2010 Stumpjumper is going to look something like this...but for now, the Epic's sporting the Championship colours, winning not just the World Championship as well as Vélo Vert's Bike of the Year awards.
WE RECOMMEND: Epic Comp MTB - €2499
Beach Cruisers
OK, so Ave de la Muzelle in Les Deux Alpes isn't exactly Ocean Drive in Miami, but add a dash of sunny weather, some scantily-clad Italian tourists and a few sports cars parked outside the casino and you're not far off. Naturally, a mountain bike doesn't cut the mustard for such a day; this is when the Electra Beach Cruiser comes in.
These bikes take the Raleigh Chopper concept and simply make it a lot better. A huge, comfy saddle, high handlebars, a beautiful, flowing, streamlined frame, single speed gearing and easy-rolling tyres make these things an absolute pleasure for ambling around town. OK – so you may only use it two days a year – but for those two days, your South Beach dreams will come true.
Specialized SX Trail 2009
The SX has always been Spec's bombproof middle-of-range 'options' bike - this year it's got even better. Sam Hill specced one out for a 4x race with a triple-crown Boxxer fork on the front; we've seen them sent very light with long stems for enduro-type riding: we've seen them go heavyweight for Whistler-style jump trails. The colour of the SX Trail 2 has got to be seen to be believed; a spectral mix between orange, bronze, ochre and gold. The top tube has the curves of a mermaid, and the whole package simply makes your eyes feel good.
WE RECOMMEND: SX Trail II - €3699
Pimp Your Bike 08
In skiing and snowboarding, it has always been easy to customise your look with stickers, spray paint, a bandana or a replacement goggle strap. Now, the same is true for biking. It's straightforward, and very inexpensive to trick out your ride to make it stand out. Look at the bikes at pro competitions...there's nothing 'stock' about them. You can get that look too. There's no such thing as 'too much' here; now, more is more!
For example, nothing grabs the eye like a couple of stand-out handlebar grips. Take an unusual white or brown to complement your frame colour, or go nuts and contrast with luminous pink or green.
Next, ditch the boring black inner tube valve caps and screw on some Hell's Angels style skulls, some yellow back-to-the-90s smiley faces, a couple of 8-balls or even some iced-out dollar signs. Little touches like this really make a bike stand out.
Finally, stick a wild saddle on the top of your seat post to finish off your blinged look. You can get saddles in a ridiculous amount of different materials, from straight leather to cowhide to camo to snakeskin. The list is really endless and the only limit is your imagination.
Pimp Your Bike 09
Once you've got your bike, why stop there? Make it yours by adding a bling pair of pedals, some custom valve caps to the wheels, upgrading your brake hoses, putting a funky-coloured handlebar on or simply changing your seatpost clamp or grips.
British parts company Hope lead the way with bike-pimping; if a custom laser-etched brake lever isn't your thing, how about a brake disc with your name cut out around the outside?
Finally, rumour has it that there's a Club forming for this summer to help bikers to get around the valley; organised rides, lifts to Vallorcine, Les Houches and the Merlet park. It's true that the maximum-five-bikes rule on the train really limits one's ability to get around, so the Club's van and trailer will be a welcome relief.
So, there's plenty of stuff to get excited about, even in these purse-string-tightening times. Biking's never been such good value, and by checking out the above bits-and-bobs, you'll be able to cruise around on your reasonably-priced, long-lasting new Epic, wearing bum-flattering attire, with correctly-pressured tyres, with pimped out pedals and brake discs. The Petit Balcon Sud won't know what hit it.
All the products mentioned above are available in-store at Zero G, or through their website at www.zerogchx.com. Zero G is open 09.00-12.30, 15.30-19.00 every day of the year. They do bike rental, bike sales and have a renowned four-mechanic bike workshop for road biking and MTB.
Zero G - Chamonix's Bike & Board Shop
This article is courtesy of Tom Wilson-North from Zero G – Chamonix's oldest, largest and best-known snowboard, skate and mountain bike shop. All the products mentioned in this article are all available in the shop, so why not give them a call on +33 (0)4 50 53 01 01, visit their web site at www.zerogchx.com or stop by the shop at 90, Ravanel le Rouge (the end of the street, just before Cha Cha Cha) for help, advice, rental, repair, or just to talk bikes!
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