French alps two up

[Dave h]

Hi

For the last couple years i have been taking my wife on holiday with me on the back of my 1200 Gsa ,been to black forest,ardennes,vosges,This year i would really to go and play around in french alps July time.Problem i have is that she does not like the really really tight hairpins on narrow roads, Bit of a handful two up on a Gsa i must admit, Are all the cols tight and twisty for two up, really fancy this or am i better taking her back to old haunts and saving Alps for couple of mates and myself. advice appreciated from you well travelled adventures


Dave

 

[sven]

Hi

For the last couple years i have been taking my wife on holiday with me on the back of my 1200 Gsa ,been to black forest,ardennes,vosges,This year i would really to go and play around in french alps July time.Problem i have is that she does not like the really really tight hairpins on narrow roads, Bit of a handful two up on a Gsa i must admit, Are all the cols tight and twisty for two up, really fancy this or am i better taking her back to old haunts and saving Alps for couple of mates and myself. advice appreciated from you well travelled adventures


Dave

I've ridden the upper end of the Routes des Grande Alpes from the Col du Bonnette to Annecy and I don't recall any challenging hairpins

Certainly not anything stupidly tight like the Umbrail pass or north side of Stelvio

 

[russ996duke]

some pass roads have tighter hairpins than others, altho most roads are in very good nick well maintained with good surfaces there are a few (going north on the cormet de roseland out of bourg st maurice, for example. However the road more than makes up for this higher up with fantastic views and great bends) where sectors of hairpins are quite tight.

on the other hand, some are more like sweepers than hairpins!

Yep, they are all different and all enjoyable in their own way..

If you compare the alps with, say the picos, more roads in the picos are narrow with tight bends, with the alps, the variety is endless...

the more you "practice" hairpins, the better lines you will pick out around them, be careful though, because this will lead you to actively seek more and more of them as you become addicted!

just do it, you will both think its worthwhile

 

[John Armstrong]

From my experience the hairpins are nowhere near as bad in the French alps compared to the Stelvio / Dolomites. Even the road up to Alpe d'Huez is easier / less tight / more fun.

Probably worth you getting some idea of a route from the Michelin maps and checking that the road looks pillion friendly, and then checking it out on google earth / bestbikingroads.com / alpineroads.com / youtube. There is bound to be a video of someone going up / down every decent road.

 

[Blackal]

Col d' Allos can be a bit "nadgery".

Some of the narrower roads, with traffic coming the opposite direction - can be a bit nerve-wracking, or where there has been some subsidence at the edge of the road - with only a 700 ft drop to the right

Best bit of advice (found out the hard way ) is - in a line of traffic - stay well back from the car/bike in front. If they brake on an uphill hairpin - you want to be at the beginning of the hairpin - not half-way around it

Al

 

[Bury_Dave]

I thought the Iseran and Izoard had some tight bends. Personally I wouldn't want to do them 2-up. You'd be focussing even more on what you were doing and have less time to enjoy 2-up. At least I would. I'm also pretty sure my missus (who loves riding on the back normally) would get a bit sick of them too. I would think it would also get even more tiring so your riding time per day might want to be a bit (or lot?) less.

Some routes have the odd one or two but others have plenty of tight ones. Perhaps try a google ride through and see what you both think. There's nothing worse than a man telling his lady 'it'll be all right love' only for her to make his life a misery for 'conning' her into doing something she felt he ought to have known she wouldn't like ..... and that's not just bike riding

The fact you might decide not to do this trip with her doesn't make you any less of a riding god than others who would do it. It's simply different strokes for different folks.

Personally, I can't see going 2-up being as much fun as riding solo no matter where you go. She's just extra weight in exchange for some evening entertainment ;-)

Dave

 

[Dave h]

french alps

Hi

Thanks for taking trouble to post back with advice,She loves the more open roads so that she can look around at scenery and not have to worry about whats coming up,Will google some more got some maps as well of the regions,just thought i would get a perspective from someone who has done the routes cheers,

Dave

 

[Wapping]

Hi

For the last couple years i have been taking my wife on holiday with me on the back of my 1200 Gsa ,......Problem i have is that she does not like the really really tight hairpins on narrow roads, Bit of a handful two up on a Gsa i must admit........., Are all the cols tight and twisty for two up, really fancy this or am i better taking her back to old haunts and saving Alps for couple of mates and myself. advice appreciated from you well travelled adventures

So Dave, who is it that is nervous?

You?

Her?

Both of you?

The GSA is built for roads like the Alps and, indeed, any road apparently.

Hi

........., Are all the cols tight and twisty for two up,

The Alps is a big place..... The roads can vary from goat tracks (only really available if you go specifically looking for them, which you won't I promise) to something approaching a motorway, blasted through rock..... and of course, quite a lot between.... The roads you'll be taking? Well, they are used and ridden everyday by 100's of bods.

My suggestion: You will never know until you try; so why not try? If you really don't like it, it's only a day or so's hop back to the Vosges / Forest Black anyway.

Have a look at Rasher's trip reports on the Alps. He writes some good tales and was himself a comparative newcomer to the Alpine adventure, two-up.... There's no stopping the b'sted now, it seems.

 

[Dave h]

french alps

Hi Wapping

Me as well mate,she screams at me lol. what triggered it for both of us is when coming out of eiffel region last year was taking a shortcut up to a motorway, steep uphill single track road with seven hairpins on top of each other like stacking bricks, full lock with two up and luggage with no room for cars as well, lucky for us a van was coming down right at the top otherwise f--- knows what we could have done very lucky we were ok(due to my riding skill i have no doubt lol) so yes bit nervy on finding that every couple miles

Dave

 

[flash of the gap]

try the stelvio

 

[Wapping]

Hi Wapping

Me as well mate,she screams at me lol. what triggered it for both of us is when coming out of eiffel region last year was taking a shortcut up to a motorway, steep uphill single track road with seven hairpins on top of each other like stacking bricks, full lock with two up and luggage with no room for cars as well, lucky for us a van was coming down right at the top otherwise f--- knows what we could have done very lucky we were ok(due to my riding skill i have no doubt lol) so yes bit nervy on finding that every couple miles

Dave

Easypeasy solution.... Avoid single track shortcuts to motorways

Seriously, if you both get into a state before you go it will do you no good at all. Bikes prefer the relaxed rider, as it lets them (the bike) get on with it. Bikes hate the 'death grip, eyes on stalks, I am going to surely die' rider... as it upsets them, emotionally.

Go deep (as in VERY DEEP) into the harpin and look (as in LOOK) right around the bend......your head may well get to 90 degrees.... and LOOK (that word again) as far as possible along the road, into the distance you want to go in; vision is everything.....the bike WILL go round all on its own. Inevitably you'll cock some up, we always do.... the most common problem being turning in too early, hitting the apex at very nearly right angles, which is usually the steepest bit and the most rucked up....

As you approach the hairpin..... LOOK what is coming up the hill or coming down.... if there is nothing coming you can go in really wide and deep, increasing the bend's radius, which makes it much easier. If you think you'll meet the vehicle on the apex (which is not clever) slow down. 9 times out of 10 the other vehicle will slow too, as they do not want to knock you off any more than you want to hit them. If it's a big lorry or a coach (if they can do it, you certainly can) STOP somewhere safe and give them room to complete their manoeuvre first; it's common sense, really.

Let the engine rev.... it won't die. It makes the bike responsive to drive and / or slows it quickly on the engine braking. Drive is good (as in GOOD) Rolling is not good (as in NOT good).

===

If all else fails.....

Work out that you will not be the first go up and down and probably won't be the last. If these duffers (plucked at random from Google images) can do it.... so can you...

 

[Greg Masters]

the most common problem being turning in too early, hitting the apex at very nearly right angles, which is usually the steepest bit and the most rucked up....

I took the cage down to Exmoor last week - cruised around a tight steep hairpin with medium gas applied. Car just sat on the tightest bit of the bend with the inside rear doing about 30mph and the rest of the car stationary!



But as you say, on a bike where traction isn't likely to be an issue, looking where you're about to go is all you need.



Greg

 

[Pablo1]

Hi

Thanks for taking trouble to post back with advice,She loves the more open roads so that she can look around at scenery and not have to worry about whats coming up,Will google some more got some maps as well of the regions,just thought i would get a perspective from someone who has done the routes cheers,

Dave

she would love the route napoleon then, fantastic road

 

[Dave h]

french alps

Hi

Cheers everybody, More practice coming on, will have a look on some routes around that area, got 9 days away so plenty of time no rush.



Dave

 

[(RIP) andrewgsadv]

Dave H,

Was checking some routes around Castellane,Briancon and Annecy ,made in mapsource then viewed in google earth. Allows you to check roads in great detail. As in my case found some interesting new roads to explore
My speed two up touring is a lot slower and we stop and explore more.
Whatever you do discuss and plan it well. Enjoy

 

[Dave h]

french alps

Thanks mate,will enjoy

Dave

 

[johnnyboy]

I'd suggest getting some lessons to improve your slow speed manoeuvres or some basic off roading. Practice on your own, which will help your own confidence and do lots of it; something none of us do enough of IMO.

 

[Giles]

Some basic off roading ???

Yer gonna need more than that if you go off road via an Alpine hairpin ...

 

[Dave h]

french alps

Can always pack a chute

Dave

 

[Peirre O`Bollox]

try the stelvio

Looks like bends in the french alps are going to be an appitiser for an alps newbie like me, in preperation for the corsica and Stelvio, as I`m following the basic path of rivendell`s "tour De Corsica" route in July. by the time i get to Stelvio the training wheels should be off the bike, so hopefully I won`t fall over