 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
As per title... Full face or "normal" helmet? From the videos I've seen it looks like there is an even split. I'm guessing that by the end of the day I'll be shattered, making mistakes etc and probably will have a couple of spills..
So, what are people's opinions on what's really required?
I have always used my normal trail lid (met kaos) couple of guys have used the Met Parachute which gives a bit more protection.
http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/product/378/3helm98/met-parachute-full-face-helmet.html
If you crash onto your face you will wish you were wearing a full face!
I have taken both with me. Used the skid lid for XC days and wore the full face on DH days. Only had a trail bike with me so the DH days weren't too mental. Going back this year and will be doing the same
Obviously a full face will pay for itself come the first face plant.... I'm no downhiller by any means but I'm not adverse to giving it full beans when required...
Its for the full 80km single day event so its mostly downhill. Thinking a fullface may be worth the investment as I'm sure we'll be back afterwards!
Normal for the PPdS I'd say. Uplifted cross-country really.
And I'm no downhiller nor am I saying that for bravado.
I rode last year with my normal open-face trail helmet and will do again this year. There was enough flat or uphill riding where I'd have boiled in a FF and I even rode one road section with my helmet off anyway. It's more of a long XC with a few park bits thrown in ride than a full on gnar fest. I'll be taking the FF for the following days as I expect we'll do a few days in the various parks but for the passportes event, open face all the way.
Up its not technical (not in 2011 anyway) a full face would be daft.
Did it last year for the first time and used my DH lid. There is some DH, but a lot of xc and thankfully it was cool. XC helmet next time.
Wear whatever you are comfortable with.
It's not a particularly hard day so unless you are very unfit or have had a heavy night before you shouldn't be losing concentration by the end of the day. You're not forced down any particularly difficult trails, they're just steeper for longer than most UK riding so speeds will be higher. If you're tired you have brakes and a map to plot a quick way back to base.
It's about comfort I'd agree but as Scamper said, in a DH lid it's not likely to be that comfortable.
I guess thats why most of the guys used the Parachute, on the xc stuff they used it as a normal lid, then on the dh sections they just clipped on the chinguard. Best of both worlds, and not too sweaty. (mind you last year on the tops there were snowdrifts, and it was bloody freezing on some of the chairlifts) 😕
I'd say normal lid but if you faceplant I will feel guilty if you smash your face up. As @igm says it's uplifted XC and has quite a bit of pedalling, I've seen a few nasty crashes but there are only a few remotely technical sections (steep Champery option if they still have it, rooty section into Morzine)
By the way when you come down GR5 from Les Crosettes to Linderets drop into the black Toboggan (sign posted on your left) rather than the dull gravel fireroad. If you want the ride to be more interesting take all the "DH" options.
steep Champery option if they still have it, rooty section into Morzine
Both still in. Last time tho any half competant rider would have ridden the Champery bit so perhaps they chose a different route. The Morzine thing was a bit hairy in the torrential rain but I'm sure in the dry is as much a mental challenge as bike ability.
The GR5 was closed last year I presume due to snow and the Morzine rooty bit officially seemed to miss out the cheeky stuff which in the mud was almost welcome.
Battered forearms from a damaged front hub on a Bfe were more of a concern than a DH lid 😀
Scamper - I thought the easy option was the one closed last year and the "hard" one was the one people were funnelled down.
Excellent. Normal lid it is. Now I've made that decision I may as well get used to the fact that I'm guaranteed to faceplant now... Watch this space for pics! 😉
@atlas I looked at the map and it seems to follow a different route into Champery than the one I did (a few yeas ago), the option involved a left turn at a farm onto a singletrack traverse then a steep trail through the woods into Champery.
@chief - where are you starting from ? I think playing around in Linderets (Avoriaz side) or Chatel Bike Park blues/red trail (eg Air Voltage) for example is more interesting than the trundle round to Les Gets and back from Morzine. It takes a little planning but is worth it, if lift operators make a fuss you just say you got lost.
@atlas I looked at the map and it seems to follow a different route into Champery than the one I did (a few yeas ago), the option involved a left turn at a farm onto a singletrack traverse then a steep trail through the woods into Champery.
Ah yeah, that wasn't there for sure but I don't recall even seeing a trail closed sign (unless it was near where there was a traffic jam where some unfortunate woman took a bad spill)
Normal if you just stick to the PP route. FF you'll be taking off all the time as you overheat. That said, take the FF anyway as you may want to have a play in the bike parks or do a dh session. Maybe not on the same day though as carrying both while riding could be tricky.
We're taking both an FF and XC lid.
XC for PDS day. FF for the others.
@jambalaya - Staying in Morzine so starting there. Will see if we can get round to Linderets or Chatel Bike Park then. First time riding in the Alps so all new to me!
@chief, if you are staying in Morzine ride the Les Gets trails another day, the PDS event route round Les Gets is a bit boring and doesn't take in the best stuff so save the time for use elsewhere. The official route wants you to take the Pleny lift to Les gets, skip that and go to Super Morzine lift over the gorge. The bike show is in Les Gets but there will be nothing to see first thing in the morning so either go that evening (you can roll back down the road into Morzine from Les Gets after the lifts have shut) or visit it another day.
When you head towards Linderets from Morzine/Avoriaz there are a few red trail options which cut off the gravel road, one of them is highlighted as a DH option some of the others are more interesting though. The black Toboggan is on the slope facing you the other side of the valley, its a series of berms snaking down the hill and is worth doing and not that hard.
The PdS route brings you to Chatel Bike Park (not in Chatel itself btw) at the Pierre Longue lift. If you don't have time for a play there during the day of the event go back, the blues are an excellent as is the Red Air Voltage off the road
Have fun it's a great intro to the Alps, good atmosphere and you can do more challenging riding before and after.
[url= http://info.chatel.com/toutes-les-caracteristiques-du-bike-park-de-chatel.html ]Chatel Bike Park[/url]
[url= http://www.portesdusoleil.com/images/upload/portfolio_img/pds_plan_pass_portes_2014_bd.pdf ]PdS Route[/url]