Mountain Bike Holiday Equipment |
Chamonix is in the heart of the French Alps surrounded by the Mont Blanc Massiff. As a result of the mountainous terrain, the area experiences many different types of weather. Most days it is predictable and usually of the hot and sunny variety, however it can change day to day, hour to hour, hot one minute, wet and windy the next. We have compiled the information below along with a rough kit list to help prepare you for your 10fifty mountain bike holiday trip.
Mountain Bike Bits
Chamonix
town itself is very well appointed with respect to bike shops
so buying spare parts and equipment is not a problem. They also have full
workshop facilities if we are for example unable to fix any problems that
you may encounter. We will say however that if you have uncommon parts
on your bike, please brings out any spares in case you break/wear them
out on your trip, i.e. disc brake pads, pedal cleats etc.
At the chalet we do have tools that will enable you to assemble your bike
pain free and most of 10fifty staff are also pretty handy at putting bikes
together, a beer token usually will ensure your steed will be ready to
go for the first ride!
Please bring out your own lube/grease/degreaser, as supplies at the chalet
will be limited.
It really does not matter whether you ride a hardtail or a fullsuss, both
bikes have been ridden to equal success on the Alpine trails. However,
any bike must be in good working order and of a descent standard, able
to take on rocky technical trails.
Mountain Biking Clothing
As previously
mentioned, the weather
can be very changeable in Chamonix and is also compounded by the high
altitude and mountainous terrain. This means that you will need to bring
a range of clothing that can cope with high temperatures, the wind, the
wet, the cold and other mountain weather conditions. Below is a list of
kit that we have found to be pretty essential:
• Biking shorts, several pairs if possible, as there are not many
options to wash clothing apart from hand washing and line drying.
• Biking jerseys, great for hot days and also for cooler conditions
as part of a layering system.
• Long sleeve jersey/base layers, for cooler conditions.
• Tights/leg/knee warmers, as above.
• Windbreaker/gillet, keeps the chill off sweaty bodies at the top
of those Alpine climbs.
• Waterproof jacket, when the rain does start to pour it can be
ferocious so something fully water proof and breathable will mean we can
ride in bad weather conditions.
• Helmet, nuff said.
• Camelbak/water bottle plus fannypack, there are water stops everywhere
in the Alps so you can get away with a 2L bladder or two water bottles
for fluids. You will need some way of carrying some of the above kit and
also your lunch, so a mid sized pack is needed.
• Plus all of the usual riding gear, gloves, socks, sun glasses
etc.
You - The Mountain Biker!
If you are partial to a particular type of riding food, then bring some with you, energy bars, drink etc. Sunscreen is an essential as is any medication that you may be taking, (please notify members of staff if you are) and you should have already informed us of any special dietary requirements when you book.
That’s all, if you do have any queries please contact us office@10fifty.com
and we will be happy to help.
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Check out the weather in Chamonix
