Chamonix Activity Report: 26th July 2008
Had an awesome ride at Les Houches today with a couple of friends and a bike photographer. That part of the valley's mountain bike trail network just keeps getting better and better as we find more and more tracks - there really is so much stuff that takes you down to St Gervais. And on the last couple of occassions we've found tons of good bike routes down to Le Fayet, where we pick up the SNCF train or Tramway du Mont Blanc to get back up to the valley.
Today's ride was muggy and sunny, with big puffy cumulus clouds floating over the vistas - a great day for taking pictures. I'll put a few of them up as soon as they're processed. Furthermore, today was the first day I felt that dry, strong autumnal wind, just before the afternoon thunderstorm kicked it. Where did the summer go? It was only a couple of short months ago that there was snow on the ground, but it feels like days. Living in this place with it's high standard of living and quality of life makes time pass quicker. Hence the need for making the most of it as much as you can.
Our photographer Axel and riding partner Susie were both on long-travel cross-country bikes today, and they both ended up with punctures. Pretty much every time I ride I see someone with a one-wheeled bike sitting upside down, their frantic pumping raising the eyebrows of passing hikers. Locals, visitors, take notice...here is the checklist of How Not To Get Punctures In Chamonix:
1. Ride light!
COST: 0€
The majority of punctures people get here are rear-tyre, snakebite-style, pinch-flats. You know the drill...you hit a rock a touch too hard, the back tyre compresses squeezing the inner tube beteen the tyre and the rim. Result - two little holes in the tube. Avoid this by unweighting the back of the bike when you're going over rocks, or find a smoother line around them.
2. Feel the pressure!
COST: 0€
Make sure you run adequate pressure for your weight. We recommend at least 3 bars of pressure if you're around 80kg...but remember you've got all your gear on top of that. Bike handling will take a bit of a hit as your tyres won't flex and stick quite as easily with the increased pressure, but the time you'll save fixing punctures will make it worth it.
3. Fatten your tubes!
12€ each
Fit downhill tubes to your bike. Available in small- and big-valve sizes, these tubes are a lot thicker than normal inners, and more resistant to pinch-flats. Stop by Zero G and check you can fit one in your tire.
4. Tire up!
COST: up to 50€ each
Wider tyres are generally built stronger, and anything in 2.3 or over will tend to have a thicker sidewall and be less likely to pinch-flat.
Having thicker tubes and bigger tyres will critically increase the rolling weight of your bike, but in my opinion it's a small price to pay for having absolute confidence out there on the trails.
Finally, I was gobsmacked to hear the news of the opening of 7th Heaven Gentleman's Club in December this year. It's going to be in No Escape, the nightclub behind McDonald's. OK, it may be called a Gentleman's Club, but I've a feeling it'll be more about boobs and bums than cigars and whisky. Does Cham really need a strip club? Probably not. Will it be a success? Definitely, and it will undoubtedly make mini-celebrities of the club's hostesses. More news when we get tit.
See you next week!
