[Closed] Megavalanche

Few mates were out, saw a vid of the snow and it looked much better than the 2 years I did it, smooth and fast as opposed to porridge the first time and boulders the second!
This vid should play as public

Rule 1 don't let go of the bike

butter up the wife - last tango in paris?

I saw some of the practice (I was there for roadie stuff!) and it looked awesome. Plus the comedy of watching everyone fall over in the snow.

My mate was out, 8th in his heat, 95th overall (and KOM on Strava 😉 )

Due to various reasons I've never managed to do it, including having to cancel. It's on my to do list for sure!

That vid is brilliant.

[quote=cbmotorsport ]That vid is brilliant.

It did bring back memories, looking down staying upright in the snow and seeing a mate lying face down in front of me, missed most of him...

Ridden the course, but not the race. Best trail anywhere imo.

Got a mate did it, and did pretty well.
I rode the course last summer non-competitively. Brilliant fun, but I think the actual race would just be immensely frustrating in terms of being held up by traffic and refusals...

Went out to do the Mega last year but didn't even make it to the qually - I crashed out in practice and smashed my thumb to bits.
Want to go back again before I'm too old, just need to convince the Mrs and kids it a good idea!

[quote=kayak23 ]Got a mate did it, and did pretty well.
I rode the course last summer non-competitively. Brilliant fun, but I think the actual race would just be immensely frustrating in terms of being held up by traffic and refusals...

If you have the right attitude it can work, it's a race - you just have a bike with you. I ran sections round people trying to ride rock gardens slowly in traffic.

It is very different (from my experiences) to a normal alpine weeks holiday. We eased off the riding did just enough but not too much - still broke myself and raced. The carnage levels were very high which does make me consider if I would do it again as it would be part of a big trip back up north. It's also a bit of a lottery.

love that video!!

being held up in the race is frustrating but it just encourages you to try even crazier overtaking manouvers

Its an awesome track, best Ive ever ridden, riding it race pace is bonkers too

Ive ridden it on a 120mm xc bike twice and a 180mm dh freeride bike twice too

both had their benefits

really want to take my current 150mm enduro bike out and ride it though!!

Yup, just did it for the 2nd time. Came 25th in my qualifier so frustratingly just outside the main race, but was at the front of the Challengers which was lots of fun even if I did mess up the snow section really badly and got dragged back into the pack

There was a crazy amount of snow this year though and it seemed to go on for miles. Lots of skiers were going down as we were waiting for the start too which made for an odd mix

It's a great event with a fantastic atmosphere and if you're even slightly thinking about doing it just go for it!

There's a some incredible aerial photos on Pinkbike. Shows just how steep and long the snow section at the top is. I'd never really appreciated how big it was! Good effort to anyone who entered and got down in one piece.

That's my summer 2014 project. Can't afford it this year (time or funds) due to other foreign races but next year should be doable. When do entries open, and do they sell out quick?

January normally, sells out promptly not instantly I think. Cost is not massive for entry too.

Thanks. I'll keep an eye late December onwards.

tbh its a bargain for 100 or so quid??

you get qualifying, the race, some post race grub and a weeks lift pass and do you still get a free jersey?

Think we paid €90 last year for the race and 5 days lift pass, no free jersey.

I was out there this year. The snow was gash in the week, but froze later so was awesome come race day.

I qualified 13th in my race, which was great, considering I got involved in a crash off the start line & ended up losing loads of places (was front row, and ended up with the first two rows of riders past me. I also managed to have 2 off the bike crashes which wasn't ideal...

Main race was a write off, I flatted just off the snow, so fixed that, but was near enough at the back. Managed to overtake a few riders and ended up in about 250th, which sucked, but couldn't really do anything about that.

I chickened out of doing it this year but am determined to sign up next year. I was concerned about the terrain, there seems to be a technical rocky section after the snow at the top with what looks like some steep drops. It's difficult to see what they're like from the various helmet cam shots. I'm fine with steep technical stuff in the uk (Peaks, Lakes) and trail centre black stuff, but have no idea how that compares with the terrain on the Mega. How does it actually compare?

If it's anything like the Transvesubienne (run by the same people) it will scare the bejesus out of you. But will be a lot of fun.

haha what a fantastic video! I was there this year and well, chickened out of going after a mass start spot after doing a full run down from the top earlier in the week, so just qualified for the Affinity run, which was super good fun but a lot less carnage 🙂 such a good event all around.

I'm fine with steep technical stuff in the uk (Peaks, Lakes) and trail centre black stuff, but have no idea how that compares with the terrain on the Mega. How does it actually compare?

The course only has a couple of really tricky bits on it. Its how long it goes on for which makes it difficult.

After my Quali and the affinity race we went up and took a bunch of photos of randoms.

Mega Quali: [url=

Then for the pro final some more.

Mega Final: [url=

Maybe some of you will be in there somewhere :O

nice carnage on the rocks there, where was that, looks like a change from a couple of years back

Mike Smith, thanks. I think you're right. Tackling tricky terrain in your own time is one thing, but when you've got a shed loads of people coming up behind, it is a different matter. I don't think anything can really prepare you for that though, and I wouldn't expect to be qualifying up front anyway (if i'd qualify at all). It doesn't look that challenging compared to some of the stuff i've done in the past and currently do, but its difficult to tell from photo's and GoPro footage.

I was there, had a bad qually, wasted a front row grid slot then my rear brake failed, one of the pads separated from the backing which meant the front would overheat and fail when I got behind somebody, not sure if its bad form to use other riders to slow down. Awesome riding, can't wait for the next one.

theres only a few really technical sections they are on the rocky bits after the glacier and on the way toward ADH and as said they are only really an issue because of the volume of riders, such that in many cases it can be quicker to get off and walk down them instead

the toughest part is hanging onto the bars over such a long time

^ that's where I crashed in practice. Probably would've have had walk that bit in the race due to volume of traffic anyway 🙄

Oh and the hardest bit aside from the altitude and length of time standing up on the bike is being forced to ride slower than you would want on a technical bit or a line you don't like because of other riders. It's easy to ride a section fast, a lot harder to ride slowly off a drop for example.

Of those who have done it what bike (or at least frame/fork) did you use? Were you overbiked/underbiked or about right?
I'll need something beefier than my XC bikes to do it on, but am on a limited budget. Searching fleabay for frame and fork combos , looking for Orange Patriot/SC Bullit/Kona Stinky, are these sensible options or would a 'proper' DH bike be required? Spec BigHits can be had for cheap for example? I've got some big brakes (Formula The Ones with 8in rotors) and a dropper post to use.

Were you overbiked/underbiked or about right?

Biggest debate out there
Year 1 DH bike for Quali & Race due to injuries and poor Quali - OK for fun but not competitive for me.
Year 2 Heckler with 160mm Forks Perfect in a lot of ways. Nothing that big I struggled pedalled better than a DH bike, started to get sore arms to the end but my forks had given out.

The best thing you can do is really work on technical rock riding.

Proper DH bike would be too much though I have heard some people use a bigger bike for qualifying which is on a slightly more technical course.

I did it on a 5" Heckler which was fine and there were a lot of others there too but a little more travel wouldn't have hurt.

(Caveat : its a few years since I rode)

I'm doing it next year (Well got permission from the wife) But I really want to do it on a HT but my Holeshot it’s to small to ride up hill and my PA is to XC Hmmm... Maybe stick with my prophet.

scott plan on heading out too with a few others if you are billy no mates welcome to join us

hopefully camping in allemont (cheaper option but a lot quieter than ADH)

I will be racing with the QECP crew but up for campting at the same place, Stoned fish/QECP Colletive vs. France! 😈

Slight derail but I just heard from No Fuss that this is going to be the last yer of the Macavalanche- it's on the weekend after next at Glencoe, no helicopters or europop but otherwise the closest thing you can get to the Mega in the UK. Going to try to get up myself, thought it might be of interest

I'm now sat at home back in Blighty nursing a broken arm, thanks to some **** deliberately pushing my bar during the Mega Amateurs race on sunday morning.

Had been enjoying the event up to that point, was pleased to get into a mass start race despite going down hard on the first corner in the quali and was doing pretty good in the race itself.

Sad not to have got the chance to race the brilliant woodland sections. ****ing fuming that I won't be riding for a few months and can't cut up my own dinner atm.

👿

On the plus side Chakaping, thats better typing, paragraphs and grammar than most manage with 2 hands 🙂

cha****ng that sucks, heal up fast!

cheers kimbers, healing as quick as i can

🙂

heres a good vid and isnt that atherton fellah a lovely chap

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/The-Megavalanche-Experience-video-2013.html

Dan and Martin Maes walked past our apartment in matching GT t-shirts and caps while we were tinkering with bikes the night before the qualis.

I clocked them out the corner of my eye and thought they were gendarmes in casual uniforms, so hailed them with a hearty "bonjour".

Double fail as it should've been "bonsoir".