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Tignes Mountain Biking
| Mountain Biking (MTB / VTT) |
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Tignes is like an entirely different town in the summer; the once snowy pistes make great mountain biking trails and the summer lift system provides access to the summits without you having to do too much uphill pedaling! (NB: In French, mountain biking is called VTT (Vélo tout-terrain!)) |
| Lift Pass Prices for Tignes - Mountain Bike |
| MOUNTAIN BIKE |
| Ticket Type |
Price |
| Day Pass * |
17.00 € |
| Extra Day (from minimum 2 days) |
9.00 € |
| Season Pass |
105.00 € |
| Children up to 13 years |
Free |
| * €3 LiberTignes hands free pass required |
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last updated 13-May-2008 |
| Tignes Bike Park |
The Tignes Bike Park has an excellent network of mountain bike trails located on the Toviere and the Palafour mountain areas. Conveniently accessed by the Aeroski gondola and the Palafour chairlift, you will find suitable trails for both beginners and experts. There is a specific mountain bike pass available that will give you unlimited access to the following areas:
The Toviere sector is made up of 4 downhill trails:
- Gunpowder: a blue trail for riders with some experience
- Funky Tufs: a blue trail for riders with some experience + a specialist freeride zone (ramps, jumps & bridges etc)
- Gypsy: a difficult red trail with specialist freeride zone (wall ride, gap jump, bridges and step up)
- Black Metal: a black graded trail for expert riders only!
Palafour has 2 downhill trails:
- Easyride: a green trail suitable for all levels of rider
- Jump Around: a blue trail for riders with some experience
If you are not averse to a little uphill pedalling, then there are also 8 endurance trails (68kms) to enjoy in Tignes, which range from steep mountain tracks to gentler forest trails. These are also accessed by the two main lifts, so in the main part they are downhill but with some short uphill sections.
With a reputation for it’s great snowparks in the winter, mountain biking in Tignes would not be complete without a freestyle area. The Dirt Zone is where all the gnarly dudes hang out, pulling off some amazing tricks on the man–made bumps. As with the snowpark, the obstacles are graded by difficulty meaning that anyone can have a go. However, if you are a bit apprehensive about trying tricks for the first time, you can have a practice run on the Water Jump, where you and your bike launch off a ramp and land in the lake! |
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last updated 22-Apr-2008 |
| What time of year is it best to come mountain biking? |
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Weather permitting, June, September and up to the end of October are good months to mountain bike as trails are quieter and the temperature a bit more ambient. Too early in June or too late in October and a number of the higher passes maybe covered in snow and are therefore unsafe to traverse. The lifts serving the valley tend to open during the second week of June and close mid-September. If you're not fond of the uphill or long ascents, you should consider the busy summer months of July and August; when the summer lift system is fully functioning. However this is high season where prices are high and trails extremely busy. There are also restrictions placed on certain trails and tracks during these months. Whenever you choose please remember to respect others users of the mountain, especially walkers, and control your speed of descent... |
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last updated 10-Apr-2008 |
| What sort of bike do I need for Tignes? |
Different areas within Tignes 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 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 built for different terrains 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 and roots that come with rugged terrain as seen in Tignes. "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 descent the mountains, integrating some of the cross country bike’s climbing attributes with the strengths of a downhill/freeride bike. Freestyle bikes are heavy and designed for hardcore abuse by the rider. They’re most suited to riders who enjoy big drops, rough 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! |
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last updated 10-Apr-2008 |
| What types of Mountain Bikes are available? |
The decision on whether to go Full Suspension or Hardtail is a difficult one....
A full suspension (FS) bike is one with both front and rear suspension that is effective at absorbing many bumps thus providing better performance and 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; and
- The typical terrain and angle 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. Furthermore, you could potentially have more moving parts to repair should anything go wrong. On the positive side, it is worth remembering though 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! |
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last updated 10-Apr-2008 |
| Mountain Biking shops in Tignes |
If you don’t own your own mountain bike and plan on renting equipment then there are plenty of rental shops in Tignes hiring out both full suspension and hard tail mountain bikes. The cost of daily rental varies from store to store and on 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 free ride descent bike. (It is also possible to hire mountain bikes for children from around €15 a day.)
If you bring your own bike then there's no point loading up your excess baggage with spare bike parts either (unless your bike requires specific specialist component parts). Tignes has some excellent biking shops that sell plenty of spare parts and components for your bike. 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 also do a good line in helmets, body protectors, repairs and servicing.)
It is highly advisable to ensure your own bike is in tip top condition before lugging it all the way over to France. 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 weeks enjoyment. 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! If you run out of time before you come away, Tignes's local bike shops will be able to carry out a service for you. Charges are approximately €40 per hour on a pro-rata basis depending on how serious a service your bike requires! |
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last updated 10-Apr-2008 |
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