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Just wondering what people generally favour..
I recently bought a Kona Process 153, which i guess is ideal for the trails we'll be hitting in Morzine.
The option for hire is a Pivot Mach 6, which is essentially very much the same bike in most contexts etc.
Hire for 4 days riding is £300 give or take some change.
Putting the bag in the luggage is £70 (£35 each way)...
I guess the argument is that the bikes take a bit of a hammering on the trip, which i'd rather have on someone elses bike i can hand back at the end of the trip.... but then again... That's what it's designed for !
What's your preference and why ?
If you damage a hire bike you pay for it.
If I was hiring I'd go for something I didn't have like a dh bike.
Take your bike.. you're used to it - they don't really take a hammering.. I think the thought is that people normally don't look after their gear too well so when they use it more than normal it falls apart, I've got full seasons without any expenses just normal servicing and brake pads. Just go over it with an allen key and give it a service before you go and you'll be fine.
Agreed, of course, if you destroy it you're paying.
No point in a DH bike at my level of ability, it won't turn me into a DH god, if i'm not prepared to do it on a Pivot/Process, then putting me on something with 25mm more travel isn't going to make me jump/drop it.
No point in a DH bike at my level of ability, it won't turn me into a DH god, if i'm not prepared to do it on a Pivot/Process, then putting me on something with 25mm more travel isn't going to make me jump/drop it.
I took my own out last year, broke it and ending up hiring a DH bike - the DH bike was mega, so much more confidence and much faster than the 160mm trail bike I was using prior. More about the angles than the extra travel. Honestly, even if its only for a day, hire a DH bike.
Regarding crashing, lad with us nailed a brand new rental Commencal DH bike, smashing the cranks (we couldn't understand how he'd done it either), pedal, rear mech and back wheel. The bloke running the shop laughed and charged him £50.
Agree with what flange said. We hired some of those bikes the boys in pyjamas use and it made it so much easier. I was going much faster and my wife was happily nailing stuff she'd normally be off and walking down. It's almost cheating.
That said we tend to take our own bikes as we tend to do the same sort of xc and trail centre riding just with less human powered climbing and it's nice to be familiar and to let the bike get a little bit closer to how it's supposed to be ridden.
I'd say if you fancy a change, and why not on holiday, hire something bigger; if you want to do your normal riding just more of it and faster then take you own.
Take your own, if you 'usual riding pattern' is anything like mine you're going to be getting a couple of months worth of descending in a week in Morzine - yeah it'll show on your bike, but I'd rather that, than get all that experience on the 'wrong bike'.
Rent a DH bike for the day though, they're great fun.
It would be daft to have a bike ideal for the Alps but not take it. I wouldn't like to ride bikes I'm not used to, not without enough time to have gotten used to them.
That said, hiring a DH for the day, then yeah.
p.s. default brake position is reverse in France.
Also, if you were prepared to spend £300 on hire, consider driving instead and take bike(s), and with enough sharing it's no more or less cost than flying, but you can take whatever you want and plenty of tools and spares.
Can't be bothered driving, rather fly in honesty
Most shops will swap the brakes over for you prior to hiring it - they did with the gambler I took out
We'd be hiring from Torico who are Brit based and provide bikes UK spec if wanted.
Most hire shops in Morzine already have the brakes the right way round. Its quite popular with BritsMost shops will swap the brakes over for you prior to hiring it
Took my 153 out in 2014 - loved it!
2015 took my DH bike.
2016 sold my DH bike and took out my 153 again!
Only thing I did was put 200 rotor on back to match the front and some supergravity tyres on for bit more protection.
I've got 203s both ends. I'm leaning towards taking mine.
Such a fun playful lightish bike that can handle the DH runs as well as happily get you on the PDS trails to get to other areas like chatel / morzine and to some natural stuff like Col Du Cou etc.
I took my own. Didn't need to spend time getting used to a different bike, and gave it a good service when I got home. Top tip though, wrap your stanchions in bike lagging or similar. I didn't, and now have a dinged stanchion thanks to Sleazyjet's baggage "handlers"...
baggage "[s]handlers".[/s] chuckers " is probably more apt.
I always take mine (Covert) as that's what I bought it for ! I'd rather ride the bike I am familiar with on the hardest trails I'll ride all year. My bike has 180 front/rear (ample) and a chain device. I have some dual ply HR's but last year just used my Hans Dampfs, you migrht look at a larger sized front tyre (2.4 Minion?) and something tough on the back (lots of dragging with locked up rear ?) or use your UK tyre ?
Hiring a DH is fun to ride the bike park trails where they really shine. As most days I ride a mix of bike park and off-piste where a DH bike is generally a monumental pita.
You'll need a bike bag, ideally a decent one and be used to disassembling the bike, eg bars off, mech off, disc rotors off etc. Lots of pipe lagging etc. Note I flew with a Duffbag and lots of packaging one year and kashima shock got scratched and one rotor slightly bent (not removed from wheel). That was a bore and partly why I usually drive fyi. If I where to fly regularly I'd buy a proper bag, eg EVOC.