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Frequently asked questions:

Here are some of the questions that we get asked the most, if you have any more then please feel free to call or e-mail us with them.

• Do you use the chairlifts?

  - During July + August, yes. We don't just ride them up and down all day however, we use them to access more high level backcountry trails with a bit less effort. We don't use them everyday because some of the sweetest singletrack is miles away from the nearest ski resort or chairlift and anyway, sometimes the extra effort you put in makes the descent all the more worth it!

  During June and September the lifts are shut and we have the mountains totally to ourselves! There is a bit more climbing but don't let it worry you – there's also a mini-bus if you're feeling a bit pooped.

• Will the group rides be too fast for me?
  – Not likely. Because we keep the groups small we can let everyone ride as much as they possibly can, even doing separate rides and giving some people a head start via the chairlifts or the minibus.

• Will the group rides be too slow for me?
  - Again no, we’ve had elite cat racers out for training weeks as part of larger groups and they’ve always done pretty damn well when they got home. With two guides we always take a faster ride, with Sam and the guys even rotating the rides so one of them is always fresh-legged for the speedy one (“cheaters!”). A BikeVillage holiday is the perfect way to get in some altitude training before a glorious return to the British race scene. This approach also helps friends/couples of mixed abilities to ride their respective socks off.

• What should I bring?

  - Not exactly an exhaustive kit-list, but here goes:

  For your bike bring spare brake pads, 1 or 2 spare rear mech hangers, 4 or 5 inner tubes and all of your regular trail tools. If you have any weird parts that need special tools then bring them too. A small tube of lube will also help keep your chain happy. A 2-3 litre drink bladder and a 20ish litre day pack to carry it in are ideal – you'll have packed lunches and spare clothing to fit in too, hence the day pack. Finally, a little first aid kit never did anyone any harm...

  On the clothing front, bring all of your summer riding kit – ideally 5 sets of shorts and jerseys, or else just one pair of shorts and of lot of sudocrem ;-) Add to this a waterproof and some cold weather kit (if it rains at 2400m it gets cold very quickly...) such as a long sleeve thermal, riding fleece, pair of tights and some warm under-gloves and a buff for your head. This is doubly true for late september, when the mornings can be a touch fresh. Also, don't forget your sunnies!

  Aside from that, it's just whatever clothes you want to wear off the bike and the usual camera, toothbrush, sun-tan lotion, passport etc. We have plenty of towels here if needed.

• Should I bring my own bike?
  - From experience, people tend to have more fun on their own bikes because they are set up just right from the word go. They are easy to travel with and the risk of damage really is minute, so we think it is worth making the effort to bring old-trusty out to share in the Alpine joy.

• Is a hardtail/my bike OK for the Alps?

  - Yup. Don't be fooled by mags that insist you need 180mm travel front and rear – they're talking about battering down endless euro style DH courses and that isn't what we do. We do endless backcountry singletrack and for that you need whatever you're happy on. Most of us ride on hardtails, primarily for the reliability they offer day on day. The majority of guests are on 120mm ish full sussers, as is the UK norm. We've also had rigid 29ers and 160mm travel rigs – the advantages and disadvantages of each are exactly the same as at home.

• What tyres should I bring?

  - Something with volume, about 2.3”, but lightish. Our faves are Conti Vertical 2.3s. Maxxis run a pretty similar tread and the new Conti Mountain Kings look quite nice too.

• Can I come on my own?
  - Absolutely, about half of all people do. By the time you've tucked into your meal on the first evening you'll have made new friends. And even if you're a really horrible person, Sam and Co. are paid to like you so you'll have at least five buddies!

• Do many women go?
  - Yes, independently, as parts of larger groups and even dragging their other halves kicking and screaming! If you're the only girl in your group and would like to know there'll be some more when you get here then give us a shout and we'll point you towards the best weeks.

• How should I pack my bike for flying?
  - Right, we'll start with the basics and get progressively more anally retentive from there. Just follow the list until you can't be arsed, chuck everything in your bag/box and you'll be right!

  1. Take off your pedals and wheels and remove the skewers.

  2. Loosen your stem and turn your bars sideways or pull the stem + bars off the bike and tape them to the frame.

  3. Undo your rear mech and tape it to the inside of your RH chainstay.

  4. Either make sure the brake levers wont be squeezed or wedge something (lollipop sticks are popular, anything the thickness of your brake disc will do) inbetween your brake pads.

  5. Remove the discs from your wheels so they cant get 'tweaked' en route.

  6. Pad your frame up with some lagging/bubblewrap/clothes.

  7. Space out your front + rear drop outs. You can use wood, cut to size (usually 135mm rear, 100mm front or 110mm for 20mm bolt thrus), old hubs from battered wheels, threaded steel + spacers or even special plastic spacers that bike shops might give you as most new bikes come with them.

  8. Enough already! If you can think of much more then you have too much free time!

• How much money should I bring?
  - After the hol + food, all you have left to cover is the wednesday rest day and beer + inner tubey type purchases. If you're careful then about £30 will be fine and beyond that it's totally up to you. You can bash the plastic in most places and there are cash machines that will accept nearly all credit and debit cards. Eating out costs from £6.00 and beer is around the same as the UK, wine of course is much cheaper.

• What's the weather like?
  - Most of your time with us will be spent basking under fantastic blue skies that would put a British ‘summer’ to shame, with temperatures firmly in the mid to high twenties. However we are in the mountains and when it rains at 2600m you can get cold very quickly. We have even been snowed on in the middle of July, just after a 30°C day, so always be prepared for a little cold snap.

• Can I stay for longer? (please)
  - How long you stay is entirely up to you. We give prices for one and two weeks, if you want more just let us know and we'll give you a price. If you want to extend your stay while out in France this isn't a problem, if we have room we'll accommodate you or we can find you a place to stay in town.

• Who do I have to thank for this wonderful website?!?
  - In no particular order... Will Bryson is the technical genius behind it all, Lee Vickers designed the logo for us (if you like his work then contact leevickers@excite.co.uk ) and many of the photos were supplied by the creative hand of Rod Burns, one of the greatest chilliophiles of our time.

e-mail us on info@bikevillage.co.uk or call/fax us on 0033 479 07 54 88