Getting ready for the 2016 Swiss Alps trip.

[EddiePJ]

Well that's the carry with me kit all sorted for this years Swiss trip.

The next week of waiting to head off, is going to seem very long.

Unless I decide to play with the gearing, the sprocket won't be required. I'll also only carry one of the chain lubes for each ride depending upon conditions.

I now just need my mate that owns the bike shop to hurry up and return my wheels to me, after he has finished giving them a thorough once over and spoke tension.

Can't wait to be back here again.

Also on a very positive note, Instagram has done me some good, and a couple of lads that ride in the area where I am heading to, have offered to take me out on a couple of rides if I fancy it.
I thought that I already knew the whole area, but from the gps mapping that they have sent me, and the photos that I have seen, I certainly don't.

It'll also be good to go back to the site that I placed the memorial plaque last year. Despite having never met him, I still miss the online chats that I used to have with Pete.

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/news/giving/

 

[LeighPing]

That's a nice, touching gesture, and that scenery is breath-taking.

 

[chris130256]

I lived in the Serre Chevalier area of the French Alps for 8 years and mtb'ed all and every summer and still didn't know the whole area. The chairlifts were open for 6 weeks in July through August, so that opened up a hugh space that was out of reach with pedal power. Hundreds of kms of pistes to ride down . Often 2500m up, cycling at that altitude was hard. I wished I'd had my Haibike then.
If you're out on your own Eddie, always let someone know your planned route. The mountains are fantastic places but very unforgiving. Have a great time.
Btw, nice story about Pete.

 

[EddiePJ]

If you're out on your own Eddie, always let someone know your planned route. The mountains are fantastic places but very unforgiving.

Thank you for the kind words Chris, and you are certainly right about the mountains being unforgiving.

Last year I had one such incident where I fell from the bike and went tumbling down this bank, until a tree broke my fall.
It was areal struggle to get back up again, and when I did get back up, I realised that my phone was down the bank somewhere, and it had to go back down again to find it.

For practical reasons of time, I couldn't go back the way that I had come, and light was fading fast. My only option was to for forwards and down on a pathway that I spotted.
That was my next mistake as I didn't have my map with me, and I didn't realize just how step that the footpath was, or how close that it would take me to the side of a cliff edge.
At one point I resided myself to removing the battery and console from the bike, and just leaving the bike behind, to return for it the next day.
Luckily within metres of making that decision, I hit another track that I was familiar with, and all was good.

It wasn't until the next day when I rode the opposite side of the valley, that it sunk in just how close that I had been to going over the side of the cliff when I fell. I had no idea.

Three further items not shown in the above to carry kit, are a map that I now go nowhere without, a foil blanket and extra base layers of clothing.
I already knew just how the temperature could change so quickly from previous trips there, but boy does that get cold when the sun goes down, and you are coming back down the mountain at speed on a bike.

One further thing that I have in relation to safety, is a gps location app on the phone, which subject to reception and being able to operate it, will send a message to one person giving the coordinates.

 

[chris130256]

I'm looking forwards to seeing all the photos. It'll make me feel very nostalgic!

 

[chris130256]

My wife riding near the top of the Grand Serre. We had come down from the top of the telecabin and had around 12kms to go to the bottom. I know, its not a good advert for health and safety but we were'nt intent of doing a rapid downhill that day.

 

[EddiePJ]

Looks good Chris.

 

[chris130256]

Steady Eddie! lol.
That is above the tree line around 7500 ft. The mountain forest finishes at about 6500ft. The mountain is stunning in the forest and also cooler. Temps can reach 105f even up at the top but can fall to 35-40f at night in mid summer. I spoke to a friend a few days ago and it was snowing at the top! You're right to take all the survivor gear. You're missing a bow and arrow to catch marmottes for food though.

 

[EddiePJ]

I found the time to pick the wheels up after leaving them at my friends bike shop, for him to tension the spokes and true the wheels.
Nice to get the bike back together and to give it a final once over.

Fully serviced and good to go, and given the conditions that the bike gets used in, it still doesn't scrub up too badly.

 

[soundwave]

you changed the motors over or blown up the old one and got a cx for it lol

 

[EddiePJ]

Well spotted SW.

I've actually swapped the motors, as I want to kind of winterise the hardtail, and use the full suspension bike for 'slightly' drier conditions.

Oddly I actually prefer the look of both now.

 

[soundwave]

just need this for them both now



i think you can also spin the screen round and mount it like a Garmin on the stem

 

[soundwave]

you cant spin the screen round ;( but more info here http://ebike-mtb.com/en/bosch-2017-new-purion-display-nyon-update-compact-charger/

 

[RobF]

I noticed the full sus bike had acquired a CX motor.

Makes sense to me to have the pokier motor on the heavier bike.

Is there much difference between the two?

 

[EddiePJ]

Being completely truthful Rob, other than faster battery drain, I haven't really noticed very much difference. It might possibly give a one gear advantage, but I think that if I were just plonked onto the bike without knowing which motor was fitted, I might have a job telling them apart. The FS has actually also had a CX motor fitted for a while now as well, so maybe it is just that I have got used to things.

I've been sitting down looking at Google earth trying to work out some very ambitious routes, and I have a big hankering to try to either get to, or down from the Schilthorn, Piz Gloria, elevation 9,744ft, Lauterbrunnen where we are staying is 2,631ft.
I have no idea if it even possible, but I do know that there is a black sky run from there.
What I have just discovered, and I'm definitely going to be doing this, is that I should be able to at least climb and descent from the next cable car station down at Birg elevation 8782ft.

This looks amazing!

I've climbed and descended the 2.08 min point onwards several times, and oddly the clip does nothing to show just how steep that some of it is. I couldn't get enough grip to ride up the 2.52 point, and had to walk about 50 metres of it. You just catch a glimpse of this sign in the clip.

 

[chris130256]

I would love to be there now!
The local bike shops are a great place to get info, either the guys working there or customers. I've found like minded people are usually really helpfull. Look out for naked women on your bike rides!

 

[EddiePJ]

Once I figured out his sense of humour the lad that runs this shop in Lauterbrunnen has always proved to be pretty helpful http://www.imboden-bike.ch/de/home/index.html
I did find it odd that despite all of the hiking maps, that they didn't sell cycling maps. I had to go to Interlaken last time to get one, and even that was limited.
I've now had two Swiss eMTB riders contact me via FB to offer to take me out for a ride, plus one rather fit looking female, who is there training for a triathlon. We have been following each other on Strava for about two years now, but somehow I imagine that my life wouldn't be worth living if I were to take the last offer up. I don't fancy the 650 mile drive home in utter silence!!!
Only joking with that, my wife wouldn't really mind.

One very unexpected thing last year when visiting the shop for more brake pads, was that the Shimano pads were nearly half the UK price. Not sure how that one works given the price of everything else in Switzerland.

 

[chris130256]

Could be a way of getting your wife take up mtbing? Keep mentioning all the pretty girls you see on bikes when you're out on yours!

 

[anotherkiwi]

One very unexpected thing last year when visiting the shop for more brake pads, was that the Shimano pads were nearly half the UK price. Not sure how that one works given the price of everything else in Switzerland.

Because they sell them by the dozen probably. Remember they make direct drive motors with regen for a reason!

 

[soundwave]

Could be a way of getting your wife take up mtbing? Keep mentioning all the pretty girls you see on bikes when you're out on yours!




and get legs like mine