Every summer and winter in the mountains brings with it new technology and new fashions - and we would hate for you to be 'so last season'! Check out our guide to the latest mountain bikes, snowboards, skis and clothing to hit the shelves before you decide whether to update your look or upgrade your kit.
Mountain Biking - New for 2008
Mountain biking can be an intimidating world, full of technical jargon and strange small pieces of metal that cost an extortionate amount of money. This year, a number of technical innovations are on the market, alongside products that are still going strong. Read our guide to what's what in 2008 in this exciting, fast-growing sport, and spend your hard-earned pennies on the stuff that really counts.
Videos from Val d'Isere - Bicycle basics.
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Coming to the mountains in the summer and not getting out on a bike is like going to Vegas and not hitting the tables but if you are new to mountain biking it can be a daunting and expensive new hobby. The best thing to do is to get some advice and imformation from the people in the know and who better than the staff in Chamonix's Zero-G?
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Specialized Stumpjumper Comp
The Stumpjumper has always been the bike that's best for most trails for most people most of the time. This year, this still rings true even though the bike's front triangle has been totally redesigned. The suspension sits on a vertical plane now, which means Specialized have been able to lower the stand-over height and make the frame a lot stiffer. In real life, this means it's easier to get on and off of the bike, and the overall feeling is instant and responsive. Finally, you get a lot more seat-post travel, which means you can get the seat a lot higher for climbing and lower when you want it out of the way for riding downhill. Admittedly, it's expensive – the base model goes out at a shade over 2000€ - but it's the best bike you'll ever buy.
Specialized Pitch Comp
If you wanted a full-suspension bike with plenty of travel, you were previously restricted to spending nearly 2500€ on an Enduro class bike. Fortunately, this is no longer the case. Specialized's Pitch Comp bike, brand new for 2008, has a Rock Shox Pike front fork and at first glance looks very similar to the new, and considerably more expensive, Enduro SL. It's a joy to ride, with 140mm of travel to get you over all but the biggest rocks, and effective stopping power is provides by all-new Hayes Stroker disc brakes. For 1699€, you can't get better.
Armadillo Tyres
Flat tyres have always been the black fly in the Chardonnay of mountain biking. You're cruising along the trail enjoying the ride until you hear an ominous hissing sound, at which point you know you've got ten minutes of upside-down bike and frantic pumping ahead of you. Best to avoid that altogether, and that's been difficult……until now. These Specialized tyres have a stiff nylon casing that runs underneath the rubber to provide another layer of protection. Thorns, glass and sharp rocks are no longer an issue. Sure the tyres are a little bit heavier, and harder to get on and off the bike, but this is more than made up for by the simple fact that they simply don't pierce.
Beach Cruisers
OK, so Avenue Olympique in Val d'Isere isn't exactly Ocean Drive in Miami, but add a dash of sunny weather, some scantily-clad Italian tourists and a few sports cars parked outside the casino and you're not far off. Naturally, a mountain bike doesn't cut the mustard for such a day; this is when the Electra Beach Cruiser comes in.
These bikes take the Raleigh Chopper concept and simply make it a lot better. A huge, comfy saddle, high handlebars, a beautiful, flowing, streamlined frame, single speed gearing and easy-rolling tyres make these things an absolute pleasure for ambling around town. OK – so you may only use it two days a year – but for those two days, your South Beach dreams will come true.
Pimp Your Bike 08
In skiing and snowboarding, it has always been easy to customise your look with stickers, spray paint, a bandana or a replacement goggle strap. Now, the same is true for biking. It's straightforward, and very inexpensive to trick out your ride to make it stand out. Look at the bikes at pro competitions...there's nothing 'stock' about them. You can get that look too. There's no such thing as 'too much' here; now, more is more!
For example, nothing grabs the eye like a couple of stand-out handlebar grips. Take an unusual white or brown to complement your frame colour, or go nuts and contrast with luminous pink or green.
Next, ditch the boring black inner tube valve caps and screw on some Hell's Angels style skulls, some yellow back-to-the-90s smiley faces, a couple of 8-balls or even some iced-out dollar signs. Little touches like this really make a bike stand out.
Finally, stick a wild saddle on the top of your seat post to finish off your blinged look. You can get saddles in a ridiculous amount of different materials, from straight leather to cowhide to camo to snakeskin. The list is really endless and the only limit is your imagination.
Zero G - Chamonix Bike & Board Shop
This article is courtesy of Tom Wilson-North from Zero G – Chamonix's oldest, largest and best-known snowboard, skate and mountain bike shop. All the products mentioned in this article are all available in the shop, so why not give them a call on +33 (0)4 50 53 01 01, visit their web site at www.zerogchx.com or stop by the shop at 90, Ravanel le Rouge (the end of the street, just before Cha Cha Cha) for help, advice, rental, repair, or just to talk bikes!
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