Make the most of your time in the Alps (Photo Chris McIntosh / Flowmtb)

Every summer, hoards of British mountain bikers flock to the French Alps for a dose of chairlift-assisted gravity riding, with many focusing their trips around popular events like the Megavalanche, the massively insane mass start downhill race at Alpe d’Huez.

There’s so much riding in the Alps though, and much of it designed for every level of rider, from beginner to advanced. From the downhill focus of Morzine to the high quality technical singletrack at other resorts, there really is something for everyone. And most of it with gravity on your side (which makes a change). So let the chairlift take the strain and enjoy the descending.

Hurtling down mountains on rock strewn tracks requires a few changes to your approach. With hundreds of metres of altitude to play with, chairlifts taking the strain and the hot sunny weather, it’s a good recipe for the best riding you’ll ever experience.

And with the ease of getting from the UK to the French Alps, it’s no surprise many make the annual pilgrimage.

On the bike

Bikes, bikes, bikes

The riding in the Alps is very different to the UK. Extremely rocky terrain almost demands long travel, so something in the 140/160mm region at both ends would be the ideal bike. Although that’s not to stop you riding something with less travel, or a long-forked hardtail.

The most important thing is to ride a bike that you’re comfortable on. But if you’ve got the choice, the current generation of 160mm travel machines are perfectly suited to hammering away all week in the French Alps; light enough for riding technical singletrack and capable enough to have fun on the downhill tracks.

Whatever bike you take out there though, you’re going to have fun. It’s worth making a few changes to ensure you do have fun and don’t spend too much time beside the trail fixing a mechanical.

Tyres

Wider tyres, 2.3/2.4in, provided your fork and frame can take them – would be a good investment. Look for gravity/downhill tyres with a robust carcass, dual ply, beefy sidewalls and a softer tread compound. There’s such a vast range of tyre choice that we don’t have room here to go into detail.

We would set them up tubeless, but failing that a thicker downhill tube will be harder to puncture. And treat your bike to some new tyres if yours are half worn.

Brakes

Ensure your brakes are in proper working order. You’ll be doing a LOT of braking in the Alps, so you don’t want them to let you down. Or worse, fail on you. So bleed them if they’re even a little squishy, and ensure you’ve bedded in a nice new set of pads before heading out.

Don’t forget to take some spares with you, they can be expensive or hard to track down in the French resorts.

Suspension

Now is the time to get your forks and shock serviced before going away. You want them to be in perfect working order. Make sure to correctly set the sag on both, and remember that the body armour, full face and loaded hydration pack all add to the weight. Take that into account when setting up. Other than that, you can run the same settings as you would in the UK. Some prefer to go a little softer, and as you’ll be hitting stuff harder, a little more rebound can be dialled in.

Frame protection

Add some clear tape to the downtube to prevent rocks scratching it, and wrap an old inner tube around the chainstays on the driveside to stop the chain slapping against the metal, damaging your paintwork and making a load of noise.

Spares

Your bike will take a hammering. So take some spares, including spare tyres, plenty of tubes, a spare chain and/or spare links, spare brake pads and a spare rear mech hanger.

Off the bike

It’s not just your bike that needs setting up. There’s plenty of kit you’ll need yourself.

Body armour

Riding all day, every day for a week ups the chances that you’ll take a tumble at some point. With the increased speeds any crash is likely to be a harder impact than what you might be used to at home. So get yourself a full face helmet, knee pads, elbow pads and a back protector.

Some may prefer to wear less padding; others will want to ensure every part of the body is padded up. Knee pads are the bare minimum, and how much you wear is down to personal preference. We’d advise, especially if it’s your first time in the Alps, to err on the side of caution.

Crashing out and injuring yourself on the first day is a very realistic proposition – body armour can be the difference between sitting out recovering for a couple of days or getting straight back up and on your bike.

Eyewear

Goggles are preferable if you’re focusing on downhill riding and will be wearing a full face helmet, otherwise your favourite pair of sunglasses will do the trick. It’s likely to be brilliant sunshine all week, so pick a pair with darker lenses to keep the glare down.

Tools

It’s necessary to be self sufficient out on the mountain. So you want to carry all the tools you would need to fix your bike in the event of a mechanical mishap. Clearly we’re not suggesting you carry around a bottom bracket removal tool or anything, but a high quality multi-tool, chain breaker and zip ties should see you well in most cases.

Clothing

Although it is most likely to be hot and sunny, it’s not a bad idea to take some wet weather clothing so that, if it does rain, you can still ride. It can also get nippy at the top of the mountains so a lightweight jacket you can carry in your backpack is a good idea.

Take some pain killers

Your body can get sore after a few days of hammering down the mountain! It’s well worth taking a medical kit too in case you need to attend to any cuts and scrapes.

Travel insurance

Make sure you’re covered for your week out there.

A large hydration pack, with enough storage space for carrying spare body armour when you’re not wearing it.

And finally, suntan lotion

Heading south to the Alps doesn’t guarantee good weather but, fingers crossed, there’s a high chance you’ll enjoy plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures, so make sure you pack suntan lotion.

Flowmtb

Everyone has their favourite type of trail.

For some it’s loamy tree-lined singletrack, the ground soft and roots the main obstacle of challenge. Others prefer rocky boulder fields, littered with steep drops and savage short climbs.

Some steer towards manicured trails with consistent surfaces (like those found at many trail centres), and others prefer the unpredictably of riding new trails all the time and never knowing what is around the corner.

What constitutes the ideal mountain bike trail is different from person to person, and depends so much on riding style, bike choice, fitness and many other factors. But what makes a trail great in your books, and gets you out riding again and again?

Tell us what makes a great trail in the comments box below:

The new service will start on Saturday May 5 and the buses will run at weekends and bank holidays until the summer holidays, when it will run every day from July 16 until August 31 and then weekends until September 30.

The bike and ride service will see specially converted buses, each able to carry up to 12 bikes and riders, travel through the heart of the Lakes along the A591 from Windermere Railway Station to the Whinlatter Forest visitor centre. The buses will stop at Ambleside, Rydal, Grasmere, Thirlspot, Keswick and Braithwaite on the way. Stagecoach has also adapted the open top 599 route buses to carry two bikes, running between Windermere and Grasmere.

The bike and ride bus has been created to make it easier for people to get around more sustainably, with many current visitors using their cars to carry their bikes to where they want to ride, and others put off cycling as an option to explore the area because they think it is too difficult to get around. 

Alistair Kirkbride, sustainable transport adviser for the Lake District National Park, said: “We hope the bike bus will become a core service for cyclists and mountain bikers visiting the Lake District.

“Visitors will use the bike bus to get to a new area to explore by bike, getting to the trails at Whinlatter Forest with mountain bikes or for families to access the trails around Thirlmere. It will also people to cycle further distances with the comfort of knowing they can hop on the bus to get back.

“The bike bus will really make it easier for people to get out of their cars for a day of their visit and explore the area on two wheels – and they will see a lot more and have a lot more fun by doing so.”

Nigel Winter, managing director of Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire, added: ”We have converted our buses by removing seating to allow more bikes to be carried. This service will make it easier for people to be able to leave their car at their accommodation and explore the area using the greener, and more fun, options of bike and bus.”

It’s been shot on their new Red Epic camera, a £25,000 bit of kit. To stretch its legs, they headed to the Lake District and shot this film.

Buy Off Road Bikes From Mpora Gear

With less than three weeks to go before the 2012 Absa Cape Epic, there isn’t much left to do. Any training that needs doing has pretty much been done, save for a few big power sessions and some mechanical training.

We’ve made our big lists, checked them about a dozen times; race fuel has been purchased, our Scott jerseys have arrived, and with some luck, our 2012 Sparks should land in London this week as well.

Looking back, it’s hard to gauge if it’s all been enough. I’ve never really been one for numbers, but I know my power is significantly greater than ever before. I know because I’m not getting dropped anymore and with every turbo session my legs feel stronger. Yes, the numbers have gone up too, but the real result is what is now possible on a bike.

Just a year ago I could only manage 11 hour training weeks and at the time I was in the best shape of my life. In the last seven days I put in over 24 hours of training, something which will feel like a pithy little walk in the park after the Epic. Besides coma-like evenings, peak training seems to have re-wired my brain in some wonderful ways.

There is no more stress. Well, there’s still occasional neurotic fear; but the niggling worry has evaporated with every passing drop of sweat. In the late 90s there was a fantastic Nike Ad which I’d hung above my bed at school. The line read: “Sweat is just liquid weakness leaving the body.” I blame this single piece of copy for not only my career but also for every punishing turbo session I’ve ever convinced myself to do. By this time next month it will all just be tears in the rain compared to what we’ll have put ourselves through, but for now, it will have to do.

Until about 7pm, I’m a zen master of focus. Any task that needs doing gets done. I’ve stopped listening to music while I work. There are no more distractions. There is only laser-like concentration on the task at hand. I blame my lack of time, but perhaps this is just what happens when you’re staring down at 800 kilometres of blistering African singletrack. After 7, I’m somewhere between shovelling food into myself as quickly as I can and falling asleep.

I’ve stopped worrying about the size of my thighs. My mother once sat me down (I must have been about 10 years old), lowered her tone and gave me that warning every budding young athlete hates to hear: “Honey, you’re going to have thunder thighs, just like me.” Awesome, Mom. I appreciate that. These thunder trunks are what just got me up Box Hill five times. They just totally took me out on an 8 hour ride. Even the extra fat on me is a little bit awesome: I’ve got wicked reserves. Give me a marathon any day, I’ll have it.

So here’s what I’ve been up to. These are some of the training sessions which have gotten me here, both on road, on the trails, and on the turbo.

3 Hour Corbin

I stole this turbo session from one of my heroes, the American Scott-sponsored Ironman triathlete, Linsey Corbin http://linseycorbin.com/ (hence the name). It’s perfect for endurance training and keeping your mind, legs and heart-rate going when the weather is just too horrible to face. You’ll need a HR monitor, speed or power meter, at least 3 bottles of water and 2-3 gel shots to keep you going.

30 minute warm-up, building up to race pace HR.

35 minutes broken into 3×10 minute sessions: 6min@HRZ 2, 2min@HRZ 3, 2min@HRZ 4 followed by 5 minutes active rest spinning the legs out.

35 minutes broken into 3×10 minute sessions: 5min@HRZ 2, 2min@HRZ 3, 3min@HRZ 4 followed by 5 minutes active rest spinning the legs out.

35 minutes broken into 3×10 minute sessions: 4min@HRZ 2, 2min@HRZ 3, 4min@HRZ 4 followed by 5 minutes active rest spinning the legs out.

45 minutes broken into 3×15 minutes: 3min@HRZ2, 2min@HRZ3, 5min@HRZ4, 5 min active rest.

Cool down, stretch, and you’ve just done a 3 hour turbo session. I’ve been doing this about once or twice a week for the last few months as an efficient mid-week endurance training session.

2×20

The name sort of says it all, but this has been a god-send for getting my power up. In some great advice from other racers, this turbo session shouldn’t be hell. It is two 20 minutes sessions at your lactic threshold, but no harder, and take 5 minutes of active rest in between.

If you feel like you can’t finish it, you’re going too hard. The key for the 2×20 is consistency: keeping your speed and power even throughout both pieces and from session to session, only increasing power when it starts to get a little easy and your heart rate starts to slow. It’s also important to do the 2×20 when you’re feeling rested. I tend to do this every Tuesday, or whatever day I’m freshest to ensure I’m really giving it my best effort.

The mountain bike ride out

I’ve been told “no Londoner rides out to Surrey”. Well, I do. It adds an extra 25 miles on the front end of the ride which means no matter the speed and route of the trails, I’ve already gotten a good work-out in even before hitting the trails. Add another 30 miles in the trails and you’re golden. I’ve never managed to ride BACK (I’ll leave that to the lunatics), but the fast train from Dorking leaves every 30 minutes most days. Here’s a brilliant and punishing route I’ve done a few times: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/141015459

Negative-Split Hill Repeats

I tend to do this on a road bike, and it is best done on a mid-length hill of moderate incline. My weapon of choice is Box Hill in the Surrey Hills. Tacked onto the end of a 65 mile hilly ride, I take my first ride up the hill at a steady pace. I don’t stand up; I don’t let my heart rate go too high, I just spin. And when I get to the top, I take note of my time. Back down, and this time, I take it up a notch: I let my heart rate creep up and I can feel my face warming up.

I’m not trying to smash it, just take about 30 seconds off my last climb. And then again, but harder. And again. Not only do I get more exhausted with every climb, I force myself to go faster. By the end I am climbing at race pace and seeing stars, but it’s all worth it when I start passing people in both directions. Thunder thighs for the win.

These four training sessions have gotten me through the last few months. They’re efficient, they’re hard, but they’re also just the beginning.

Last weekend Annie Last hosted a women’s skills masterclass day at Lee Quarry, Rossendale.

Hosted by Annie in cooperation with Rossendale Borough Council and Lancashire County Council, the event was free to take part in with the intention of inspiring women to get into mountain biking.

“I’d like to see more women take to cycling, in particular mountain biking” Annie said, when talking to the riders assembled.

“Putting something back into my sport by hosting the masterclass is something I am really passionate about and I hope the sessions will provide fellow female riders with the skills to get more out of their riding. In particular I like the idea of mums being able to feel more confident to go to parks or trail centres with the kids and enjoy traffic free riding, and post ride tea and cake!”

Cllr Sean Serridge from Rossendale Borough Council said: “It was great to see the enthusiasm of Annie and the participants on the course, despite the miserable weather which welcomed them to Rossendale.  Lee Quarry and the mountain bike trails are a great asset to our community, and it was a pleasure to observe the session, and the obvious enjoyment of all the participants.”

Annie had the idea of running her skills masterclass while training at Lee Quarry with the hope of providing an opportunity for women of all abilities to get together, improve their technical skills and give them the confidence to take to the great outdoors with their family or friends; an environment where they can experience the sense of achievement, the traffic free riding and the health and fitness benefits that come with her sport.

After a presentation on bike maintenance by Annie’s race mechanics, the group of riders took to Lee Quarry’s acclaimed trails. Usually home to Annie’s preparations for international and Olympic competition; the pump tracks and network of graded trails played host to a girls day out with a relaxed and fun atmosphere before returning to that reward of tea and cake!

With Annie’s ambition of inspiring more women to ride mountain bikes realised, she now jets off to South Africa where she will ride in the purple colour of the Milka – Brentjens MTB Racing Team for the first time this season, at the opening round of the UCI World Cup to chase her other dream – Olympic qualification – with additional skills classes to be held later in the year – something Annie is already looking forward to.

“Even though I have a busy racing schedule in 2012 with the World Cups, World Championships – and hopefully the Olympic Games – I am looking forward to hosting some more of these days in the future It was a great day out at Lee Quarry and reminded me of when I started out mountain biking myself!”

The young Kenta Gallagher, under-23 British XC Mountain Bike Champion, will join the Boardman Bikes Elite Mountain Bike Team for 2012.

He’ll be racing alongside Grant Ferguson to form a formidale team that will be looking for strong results in this, the Olympic year. It also means that both will race aboard the same Boardman EM1.7 bike that Milka-Brentjens MTB Racing Team member Annie Last is racing.

All three riders will bring their race experience and work alongside Chris Boardman to improve on a brand – which has already won mountain bike world championship medals and finished in the top ten of the UCI World Cup series on two occasions.

Gallagher’s first ride on a Boardman came at Lee Quarry, where he piloted the EM1.0 across the variety of skills sections and declared the bike “ready to race.”

Gallagher continued: “I can’t wait to start racing the World Cup Series on the new bike. To be able to jump on and immediately feel comfortable with a new setup, it’s exactly what you want as a rider and I can’t wait to work alongside Annie, Grant and Chris Boardman himself to further improve the range in 2013.”

“The EM range is the culmination of over 2 years of frame development - centered around XC World Cup athlete testing and cutting edge computer simulation combined with the worlds very best components to ensure that our World Class athletes have the best possible race bike,” added Chris Boardman. “We’re looking forward to Annie, Kenta and Grant racing the bikes fast this year.”

Annie, Kenta and Grant will all race their new Boardman Bikes at round one of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Series in South Africa on March 17.

www.boardmanbikes.com

This weekend ten cyclists will tackle the ultimate bicycle race of cycling around the world, in an 18,000 mile challenge that is set to rewrite the history books.

We introduced the ten cyclists who will depart from London this Saturday, and will be profiling several of them as they embark on this epic undertaking. The ten cyclists will start their race from the Greenwich Meridian outside the Royal Observatory in London at 9am.

Today we’ve chatted to Sean Conway

Bikemagic: What made you want to try and set a new record for cycling around the world?

Sean Conway: Challenging myself physically and mentally is something I have always done. I like to take the ordinary and try to find ways to make it harder. At the beginning of the year I climbed Kilimanjaro and did it in a Penguin suit to add extra effort. Cycling the world, swimming the channel and Everest have been on my list for ages, so I thought I would get the ball rolling with the toughest one first.

BM: Have you always been a keen cyclist?

SC: Not really. I cycled Lands End to John O’Groats in 2008 and didn’t cycle before or afterwards. I do love cycling now. I can’t see why anyone needs to drive the short distances we do. Get on a bike. It’s so much quicker and cheaper

BM: Why 150 days?

SC: 150 days was the record when I started training. It has now come down to 96 days which is what I hope to beat.

BM: Have you worked out how far you are going to have to cycle each day to make the record?

SC: I am aiming for an average of 200miles per day. 225 per day mean I cycle the world in 80 days which would be a dream come true. Just means I need to hold thumbs for some good weather and tail winds.

BM: How has your training been going? Are you feeling ready for the off?

SC: I go through stages from feeling very prepared and then five minutes later questioning everything from my bike choice, route selection and sleep strategy. The logistics involved have take twice as long as the amount of time I spend training. Right now I feel good though with no injuries.

BM: What was it like growing up in Africa and how do you think this has affected your love of adventure?

SC: I grew up a world away from where I am today. It wasn’t just Africa, it was deep in the heart of the African bush (my father is a game ranger) that imbedded a longing desire for adventure and discovery. My father always said he wouldn’t be surprised if I landed up back home and was actually telling me about it the other day when a heard of elephant walked across our garden. (Pretty everyday occurrence nowadays) It’s surreal. I became a bit blasé about it all growing up but I really miss it now.

BM: What’s the toughest part of planning such an immense trip?

SC: There are so many aspects to it. Budgeting, finding food, getting the right equipment getting enough training in, the list goes on. The thing that keeps me up right now is whether I have chosen a fast route and weather I will hit really bad headwinds which could destroy my attempt. There are millions of roads all over the world I could cycle on and it’s a matter of reading every blog possible to find out what other people have done in the past. I think I have got it right but it’s so hard to know until you get there.

BM: Are there any strict rules you have to stick to in order to break the world record?

SC: There are three main rules:

1: Cycle a minimum of 18000 miles

2: Pass two opposite ends of the earth

3: Cycling in one direction without going back on yourself

As you can see with such relaxed rules there are multiple ways of going around the world. Straight away I am doing something different by going west. Most people go east first but I need to head for warmer weather.

BM: You’re aiming to raise £100,000 for charity, how’s that going? Do you think you’ll make your target?

SC: £100,000 is a really hard target in the current climate, especially when I am going to be out of range to physically do the fundraising. I am hoping we can get some companies on board who want to help me solarise Africa as it’s such an important issue

BM: What or who do you hope this money will help?

SC: Solar Aid helps kids and schools in Africa with both personal solar lamps and large installations in schools. Smoke inhalation from flames based light sources kills more people than malaria in Africa so by providing a Solar Lamp for around £6 will allow a family to get rid of their kerosene lamp.

BM: Where are you planning on sleeping? And how are you going to ensure you and your bike are kept safe and sound?

SC: There will be a mixture of camping and hotels depending on where I am and how I feel. My bike will stay with me at all times and when I am camping I will chain it to my sleeping bag.

BM: What kind of thing will you be eating on the trip to keep those all important energy levels up?

SC: Nutrition is the most important element of this attempt. I will be burning 500kcal per hour and on the bike for 18 hours per day. I literally need to eat as much as my body will allow at all times. Luckily with cycling 200miles a day you tend to pass quite a few shops no matter what country you are in.

BM: What are your top packing essentials that you know you won’t be able to live without?

SC: My iPhone. This has my maps, GPS and music to keep me sane. That is probably the thing I will use the most , and Vaseline!

BM: Where are you most excited or intrigued to visit on your route?

SC: South America. I have heard nothing but great things and I will be cycling the iconic Pan American Highway all the way from Chile to Ecuador passing through the Atacama Desert – the driest place on earth. I can’t wait. I am hoping to learn some Spanish through audio books too. I figured 18 hours a day on the bike for 3 weeks will help me alot.

BM: Anywhere you’re not sure about?

SC: The only bit I am worried about is the last section of Peru into Ecuador. I have heard cyclist get mugged quite a lot there. I am hoping I am going to be so dirty and smelly (I am not carrying any form of cleaning products, not even toothpaste – it’s too heavy) that they will leave me alone, or feel sorry for me.

BM: What do you think the biggest challenge will be whilst you’re away?

SC: There are many challenges I will have to overcome from loneliness, fatigue, hunger and more, but the biggest one is my mind. This is as much, if not more of a mental challenge than anything else. There will be days where I will get puncture after puncture in the rain with a huge headwind going only 4 miles per hour. These are the times when I will have to dig deep to overcome the need to stop.

BM: Is there anyone or anything in particular that inspired you to do this trip?

SC: I have been following many of the old school round-the-world cyclist like Nick Sanders and then most recently Mark Beaumont. These guys gave me the idea that if you want to do something then go out and get it.

BM: Your bike is going to become your best friend over those 150 days, have you given it a name?

SC: For sure. She is called Maid Marian. Strong, yet Kind. We are best friend already.

BM: Are you going to come back and let us know how it all went?

SC: Yes, I already have another world record in mind. It’s a little shorter but a lot more adventurous. Watch this space. I leave late 2012 or early 2013 for that one. It’s going to be awesome!

World Cycle Racing: Ten cyclists to race around the globe

“Woven throughout the depths of the woods, and the heights of the mountain are a network of super fun, fast, flowing trails,” says film maker Sam Needham.  ”Into the Trees is a short film showing the Altura Trail in its best light. A trail that flies you 1,600ft above Keswick, carves you round berms and switchbacks, takes your breath away with beautiful views, inspires you to get loose on the trail, but most of all… a trail which never fails to bring a smile to your face.

“Thanks to Matt Wight and Ross Parkinson for their rad riding in the film. I hope this film makes you want to pick up your bike and take to the hills.”

You’ve won us over on that front, Sam. Time to pencil in a trip to the Lakes…

They’ve told us the trails at Lee Quarry are considered to be some of the best in the country to deliver coaching on and that, combined with Dirt School’s mountain bike expertise means every rider should walk away from the weekend with plenty of insights, tips and ideas on how to get the most out of their riding.

Lee Quarry has been designed as a venue to help riders progress their technical riding, with a range of sections from intermediate through to black grade technical drops, rock gardens and chutes. Throw in two pump tracks, a jump trail, trials areas and a skills loop and you have a great spot to learn, with even the British Cycling Olympic development team using the quarry.

Back on Track have designed and built many of the trails in the quarry and will be spending the week leading up to the weekend working hard to ensure they are in tip-top condition for the courses.

Ride- On have previously been called on to mechanic for Team Intense, Giant World team, helping to secure numerous national titles and a junior downhill World Championship win. On hand throughout the weekend, they will advise on riding kit and bike setup, and assist with repairs, while they will also have have a selection of demo bikes available exclusively to riders on the course.

There are a maximum of 20 spaces at a one-off subsidised rate of £55 per day. Head to www.dirtschool.co.uk/courses/xc/ to secure your spot.