Avoriaz Mountain Biking

The main MTB season in Avoriaz and the Portes du Soleil is July and August. The full lift system is open from the last weekend in June and closes the first weekend in September.

However, from the middle of June the Morzine/Les Gets/Mont Chery areas are accessible via the ski lifts and there is more than enough riding to keep most people happy for a week’s holiday. This area alone is bigger than most other resorts that are moving into the summer MTB season.

As a general rule if you dislike pedalling or are unable to because you are a gravity assisted downhiller with a bike to match, then stick to the peak season of July/August.  If you are prepared to do more pedalling to access areas or are a hardcore cross country person, then June and September are good months to visit, particularly with respect to the weather as things are a little bit cooler. The only downside to this time of year is that Avoriaz itself will be quieter than the peak months and has a reduced number of restaurants and bars to frequent.

A full suspension (FS) bike is one with both front and rear suspension that is effective at absorbing lumps, bumps and jumps thus providing better performance and a smoother ride. A hardtail refers to a bike with no rear suspension. Suspension forks may be added to the front of the bike but its back post is rigid. There are numerous makes and models of both types available to the potential buyer so when deciding on which type of bike is best, it is important to consider the following:

• Your budget!!
• The type of riding you and your bike will be undertaking
• The typical terrain and angle of decent you will be riding

In general, hardtail bikes tend to require less maintenance and perform better on steep uphill climbs and sprints to the finish line, whereas full suspension mountain bikes are much more comfortable and arguably have more control over the rough stuff. Sadly, along with an increase comfort, FS bikes increase in price quite significantly.

Whether to go full suspension or hardtail is one which can create a lot of healthy debate amongst the mountain biking community. Inexperienced or beginner riders may prefer to start with a hardtail complete with front, lockable suspension; progressing to a full suspension bike after they have got a feel for their preferred type of riding. Although a full suspension bike will give you more options to adjust to suit the terrain, it can be more energy intensive on the uphill as unless you have a ‘lock out’ facility on the rear suspension as energy can be lost through ‘suspension bobbing' as you climb. And there is a weight penalty for all that bump proofing suspension. Furthermore, you could potentially have more moving parts to repair should anything go wrong. On the positive side, it is worth remembering that you can make a full suspension bike ‘lock out’ so the experience is like riding a hard tail, but it is difficult, if not impossible, to make a hard-tail ride like a full suspension bike!

There are many different routes/areas in Avoriaz which are suited to different types of mountain bikes so if you’re an experienced rider then you’ll undoubtedly be bringing your own mountain bike with you and you'll already know your preferred terrain. However, if this is your first mountain biking experience and you’re not familiar with the lingo or sure of the differences between a cross country (XC), trail, freestyle or downhill bike; or whether to take the hardtail or full suspension option, then here’s a few thoughts for you to consider:

These days’ different bikes are designed and built for different terrain and uses.

Cross country bikes offer only a small amount of suspension movement. Whilst they can handle most trails they are not as effective on the rocks, roots and generally very demanding terrain as seen in Avoriaz and the wider Portes du Soleil area.

“All Mountain” bikes are generally heavier than their XC relatives, and provide more suspension travel at the front and possibly rear. They are generally designed to ascend and descend the mountains, integrating some of the cross country bike’s climbing attributes with the strengths of a downhill bike.

Freeride bikes are heavier again and designed for hardcore abuse by the rider. They’re most suited to riders who enjoy big drops, the most demanding of terrain and park jumps so they therefore have a significant degree of suspension travel.

Downhill bikes are the biggest of the ‘bad boy’ bikes out there. Designed for the experienced and highly technical downhill rider, they are generally the heaviest of full suspension (FS) bikes and are capable of high speeds whilst absorbing most obstacles (within reason!) thrown at them. They are most definitely not good for ascending Alpine trails – that’s what the lifts are for!

If you don’t own your own mountain bike and plan on renting equipment then there are a number of rental shops in Morzine which generally hire out full suspension “All Mountain”, Freeride and Downhill bikes. The cost of daily rental varies from store to store and by the type of bike you choose to rent. On average you can expect to pay between €16 - €80 euros for a days hire. Prices vary depending on whether you select a basic bike without suspension, or a full on Freeride/downhill bike.

You can find a list of Morzine sport shops on our Shopping page.

If you bring your own bike then there's no point loading up your excess baggage with spare bike parts (unless your bike requires specific specialist component parts). The shops cover the more obvious bike spares and all offer a repair service; Dert, Francois Baud , the latter right next to the Pleney downhill course, amongst others. However, remember the spares list does not extend to some obscure pivot in your one off special downhill rig. We are talking rear mechs, pedals, cranks, chains, cassettes, brakes, brake pads, cables etc from the more popular manufacturers. The exception to this rule is the rear gear hanger; bring one with you for your bike, especially if it’s of the super funky alternative/rare type. The bike shops do not carry this part for all the different bike manufacturers and the models they make and it is probable the most frequently damaged part in the event of a crash. Even a relatively innocuous fall can damage this part and although they can often be bent back into shape, it would be a shame to ruin your holiday if this were not the case. Most of the rental shops will in addition do a good line in clothing (to buy), helmets, body protection, repairs and servicing.

It’s probably worth noting at this point that it is highly advisable to ensure your own bike, if you bring it, is in tip top condition. A days riding in the Alps equates to many rides out in the UK and the wear and tear on your bike reflects this. If you start the week with your bike in a poor to average state of repair it will let you down at some point and spoil the day if not the week. If you are not a competent mechanic then your local independent bike shop will provide a service for your pride and joy to ensure you and it remain friends for the week. It is money well spent to upgrade your tires if they are of the lighter weight cross country variety and purchase some free ride tyres with a 2.3 section to smooth your way and avoid the punctures. There is every chance a set of brake pads will disappear in a week so bring a spare pair and carry them with you on the trail to avoid that metal on metal effect!

There are numerous options for getting to Avoriaz:

By Air - Several airlines from around Europe will get you to Avoriaz without too heavy a hit on the old purse strings. Flying to Geneva from the UK is the easiest of all options available, check here for further airline information.

Low-cost carriers such as Easyjet or Flybe regularly fly between Geneva and the UK. You then have a number of options to get from the airport to Avoriaz which are explained in the following sections. A review of airlines terms and conditions in relation to sports equipment baggage indicates that it is highly likely that you will be subjected to a standard charge for taking your bike on board. Easyjet; bmibaby; Aer Lingus; and KLM indicated that there was an average additional charge of between £15 (€22.50) and £25 (€36) to take your mountain bike, one-way.

However, having recently travelled from the UK to Geneva with our mountain bikes on a low cost carrier we feel the need to clarify this minor detail as we ended up getting stung at check in for 'excess baggage'!! Having duly paid the £15 for bike carriage, and with our luggage weighing in at about 20kgs, we were informed that even though we'd paid to take the bike on board, the combined weight permitted for all luggage was 32kgs. Anything over and above that would be subjected to 'excess baggage' charges. Full suspension bikes although light are generally not below 12kgs so our excess baggage payment ended up costing us another £35 - if you have a full downhill rig then I hope you have a heavy wallet to match or are good at trimming your holiday equipment – leave those hairdryers at home!

Our bike was carried in its original cardboard box (the best and cheapest way) so who knows what the charges would have been had it been transported in a plastic case! It is worth noting that a judicious selection of your check-in staff, a friendly smile and bit of banter and you may be on to a winner, particularly on your return from Geneva, no excess baggage charges. I guess that's the random lottery that is excess baggage charges and check-in staff!

The more conventional airlines such as British Airways and its code share partner Swiss airlines permit free transport of bikes providing they fit within the free baggage allowance, and are packed in a hard shelled container.

There are a few options available in transporting your bike. Hard bike boxes tend to cost in the region of £300 and like a hard case suitcase it will minimise the risk of damage occurring to the your bike. A soft bike bag is the cheaper option, costing around £100. Whilst this will provide your bike with a little more padded protection it is not as reliable as the hard box. On our recent trip from the UK to Geneva, we transported our bike in its original cardboard box, protected the key areas with bubble wrap and cardboard and it arrived safely and undamaged. Most airlines stipulate the following:

• Bikes should be contained within a protective box or appropriate bike bag;
• Only one bike should be carried per box/bag, and no other items (except protective padding) should be included within the box/bag;
• Handlebars and pedals must be fixed sideways against the frame or removed; and
• Tyres should be deflated slightly to reduce the risk of damage.

If you are transporting your bike, you should also check out your travel insurance arrangements. A lot of travel insurance companies will not cover your expensive mountain bike without an additional excess payment, and a lot of airlines will not be held responsible for any damage sustained whilst the bike is in their care. Check out your household insurance policy to see whether it can be covered as 'contents away from home'. There may be a slight surcharge for this option, but it's potentially better than having to fork out for a new bit of suspension, or a brand new bike!! We travelled using this option, paying an additional £50 to Direct Line for our £1000 bike. This option offered us up to 60 days European coverage which is plenty for a week's break or month touring the Alps.