E-Mega Megavalanche 2023

[Chriss111]

I'm way ahead in time and right now and it's just an idea to participate in the extremly cool
Megavalanche race.

My main goal is to have participated and finish with both myself and bike fully intact. It will be a personal victory even if I end up last in the race!

Is there any riders here that is thinking of participate/compete in the Mega next year?
I'm eager to 'hear' how you will prepare your self and what bike you will use.

It would also be really interesting to get input from those of you that have competed in the Mega race.

I have spent hours from elite to amatures POV recordings (from start to finish) so I almost know the 2022 track by now
I know where I will struggle to get by...

In my on case I will do alot of spinning which is extreamly good cardio training. Muscle-wise the whole body?!

My bike will be a Rotwild R.E375, Shimano EP8, 29"F-R

Since I'm a light rider, only 65-67kg (143-147lbs) with full gear-setup so tyres I'm thinking of Maxxis Assegai DD 2.50"(front) and DHR2 DD 2.40"(rear) both with inserts.

Besides tyres a hellish amount of spare parts ;-)

I have seen Richard Hurst 'Dicking about TV' how he prepared for Mega 2022 but smashed his hand during a free practise session so a full race had to be canceled :-(

 

[Infex]

I have recently booked my stay in Huez and I'm waiting for the registration to open (should on the 22th of this month). One thing that's not realy clear to me is what the e-MTB format for Megavalanche will look like...

 

[MBj1703]

I'm still not sure.

The skills and the bike is not the issue. I talked to a few people and all of them said, it is about "standing" on the bike all the time is a nightmare and the hardest part.

 

[Redlemon]

You should step up to DH casing tires, not double down.

Most of the race is downhill anyway so it won't really matter.

 

[Infex]

I would consider myself pretty fit, but I do expect to suffer .
Tyre wise I've been running the Pepi's combined with the Maxxis DD tyres (these are DH casings as far as I know).
Is the concept the same for Both ebikes and analog bikes?
Or should I expect some "power stage" to be put in as well?

 

[B1rdie]

In my dreams, I would not go with an ebike, but a FS 27,5 wheeled bike. I would then practice by rolling down the steepest rock gardens around on full armoured kit …. withou the bike

 

[rzr]

also, depends a bit on weather

 

[B1rdie]

All that muddy mess on this video can still be fun if compared to crashes at the first bend on the glacier ... riders where being hit by others at full speed, I think if you survive the top, then the rest is all like trai or enduro riding.

 

[rzr]

not if everyone stops in a middle and blocks you....

 

[Chriss111]

I have change my mind about the tyres- it will be Schwalbe's Magic Mary Super Gravity, Soft.

https://www.schwalbe.com/en/mtb-reader/magic-mary.

I have ridden with Schwalbe's since o got this Rotwild-bike and really like them. On my former bike I used Maxxis, DHF/DHRII/High RollerII...

 

[Chriss111]

In my dreams, I would not go with an ebike, but a FS 27,5 wheeled bike. I would then practice by rolling down the steepest rock gardens around on full armoured kit …. withou the bike

Great practice

 

[Chriss111]

I have recently booked my stay in Huez and I'm waiting for the registration to open (should on the 22th of this month). One thing that's not realy clear to me is what the e-MTB format for Megavalanche will look like...

I have also booked for my stay in Alpe d'Huez .... But I have also got the Medical Certificate signed by a doctor after a health check.

Next is to sign up the for the race this Sunday Ohhh maan, I'm already nervous...

The track is the same for all competetives, both e-bikes/non e-bikes (power stage question)

 

[dobbyhasfriends]

this is on my bucket list, waiting for Sam (my son) to be old enough to drive us back if I get broken

 

[Lee c]

I have also booked for my stay in Alpe d'Huez .... But I have also got the Medical Certificate signed by a doctor after a health check.

Next is to sign up the for the race this Sunday Ohhh maan, I'm already nervous...

The track is the same for all competetives, both e-bikes/non e-bikes (power stage question)

Hope you will be recording the carnage and posting it on here ! Have you done anything specific to the bike to get it prepared or just inserts, schwalbes and hoping for the best. Race looks phenomenal definitely out of my league tbh

 

[Chriss111]

Hope you will be recording the carnage and posting it on here ! Have you done anything specific to the bike to get it prepared or just inserts, schwalbes and hoping for the best. Race looks phenomenal definitely out of my league tbh

Registerd and approved for the race...

Whatch this clip posted by Ben Deakin mocking the amateurs
Hehe.... It will be me this year, being the last one getting down from the top

Do I dare to say that I consider not to use inserts? It may be extremly stupid not to?! But I am also a very light rider and not a big jumper.

If I decide to use inserts this would be the only modification to my bike, besides fresh components like tyres, rotors/pads, chain and so on...

I have not figured out what action camera to use, we'll see

 

[Rawmance]

When I did there was a British data scientist and he had plotted the starting positions to finishing positions and your starting row mostly determines your placing. But if you aren't looking to win what does it matter so I would definitely start from the last row. Everything looks tamer on video, not so easy when you get there. And especially the deep snow sections suck to ride. And the bottlenecks. That's the problem with Mega mostly. Not enough wide enough. When I did it the start was downgraded lower because there was too much snow. So it was really wide and you could over take a lot of people.

Although with normal categories there are qualifications and you had to get 64th to qualify for a mass start. Not sure if the later races still aren't mass starts and if that's the case with the e category as there is so much less participants.

With the bottlenecks just get off your bike and run the side. Although I think they've decreased the amount of bottlenecks there are. They really don't belong in races like this.

Cedric Garcia said 1 min on 1 min off for like 12 rounds is good training for Mega as you are constantly forced to hard and then you have to recover.

Your hands will fail as it's such a long race even the shorter qualifying. That's where I really learned hand pressure. You need forearm training and then you also need to learn to keep weight off the hands. But if you ride with significant elevation you probably have already learned. And even if you do train the elevation is so much that you don't get used to it. Ideally you would be there 2 weeks before hand to get used to it but that's not gonna happen.

I was so nervous I didn't record it even though I had a gopro but was just focused on racing. Wish I had though. Overtook over 60 riders and finished 80th from last row. So got retaken by about 20. And did it on a DH bike because back then bikes weren't as good so had shitty weak brakes on an all mountain bike that started smoking in Leogang.

Going DH casing isn't bad advice but if you are riding DD that's what I would go with. It's what I ride as well and would ride for Mega.

 

[Colsandy]

Planning on doing mega in 24 it will be my first ill have just hit 60 unsure whether to do it on my ebike or analog my heart says analog my body says ebike (Dh tyres definitely)
If ebike, tyres will be the only modification and a good service.
Bit of advise required on accommodation i will be in morzine for 4 days then heading to a d h on the Wednesday I will be with my wife so will need a decent hotel so she will be happy while I'm trying to injure myself any recommendations !

 

[NicoMTB]

Planning on doing mega in 24 it will be my first ill have just hit 60 unsure whether to do it on my ebike or analog my heart says analog my body says ebike (Dh tyres definitely)
If ebike, tyres will be the only modification and a good service.
Bit of advise required on accommodation i will be in morzine for 4 days then heading to a d h on the Wednesday I will be with my wife so will need a decent hotel so she will be happy while I'm trying to injure myself any recommendations !

Hi , good idea. here is the advice i can share, Analogue race , a lot more people and more aggressive / lunatics in the back and mid pack who ride 150% of their capacity. e bike less people and i guess they are more aware. make sure your brakes are upto it. ebike is good every where , except if the snow is soft like this year... it meant running / walking 4 km and a heavy ebike . prob best, if you can bring both and try them.

 

[2WheelsNot4]

I reckon with this race, the only thing you need to do is finish. Even if that means walking in carrying a broken bike, or at 3am where everyone else has gone home, or all thats left on a post race BBQ is the burnt sausages nobody else wanted. But to finish is the pinnacle of your participation.

 

[RichardGB]

I'm planning on racing next year ('24). Booking accommodation this week and race when it entries open. Need to get that certificate sorted.

I'll be driving out on the Friday before and returning on the Monday after. Should give a little time to prep and recover.