Frequently asked questions
Here are a selection of questions that may answer common queries that we often get. If you would like to ask a question that isn't covered here then please mail us.
Can I take my
bike on the plane, and if so how much does it cost?
What if I break
a component on my bike?
What will the weather
be like?
How much does the ferry
cost if we drive?
Can you cater for
vegetarians?
Do you get many women
out there biking?
How long is the
transfer from Geneva to Chamonix?
My wife would like
to come but she doesn't ride bikes.
If I choose to fly,
which is the best airport?
How much do the lifts
and cable cars cost?
Can I take
my bike on the plane, and if so how much does it cost?
Yes. And it shouldn't cost a penny. Swissair charge about £75
for the return journey so we advise MBMB clients to steer clear
of the money grabbing Swiss airline. British Airways reserve the
right to do the same but in 5 years we haven't had a single client
charged for their bike. EasyJet
have opened up a new cheap service from Luton to Geneva which we
may advise clients to use. However it remains to be seen whether
they will make a charge for bikes.
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What if I break
a component on my bike?
Chamonix is not in the middle of nowhere and is serviced by a great
collection of shops, a few of which are bike shops. The best bike
shop is English run and carry a complete range of Shimano parts
and even a lot of specialist components too.
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What will the
weather be like?
My normal reply to this when clients ask is, "Who do you think I
am, Michael Fish?" Seriously though, the weather is generally good.
In 1997, we had sunny days non-stop from the end of June to the
beginning of October. However, it can be changeable in the mountains
so (although it is only a possibility)be prepared for a bit of rain.
In late September and early October, there is a slim possibility
of cold conditions so bring an extra top and some leggings.
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How much does the
ferry cost if we drive?
How long is a piece of string. They seem to have so many tariffs,
it's hard to say. A friend once phoned up and asked the cheapest
way to get across and was told to buy a cheap day return on the
way out and the same on the way back! Not sure if it works though.
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What's the drive
like?
OK. But I've done it so many times so I am used to it. If you go
on motor way (A roads) all the way, it will cost about £30
each way in tolls. Route National (N and D roads) is fine if you
don't mind negotiating French towns. In my opinion, if there's 2
or more in the car (cuts cost), use motor ways. There's a new bit
opening soon which cuts off Macon (goes from Dijon to Bourg en Bresse),
that should take an hour of the journey bringing it well under 8
hours if you toe it a bit. If you own a diesel car, it is a real
bonus. Diesel fuel is considerably cheaper than petrol, (cheapest
I've seen is about 4.19 Frs a litre. It is much cheaper to tank
up at supermarkets. Motor way service stations are the most expensive
places.
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Can you cater for
vegetarians?
Yes, no problem, we can cater for most diets, but please let us
know in advance so that we can be prepared and be sure to give you
exactly what you want.
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How fit do I have
to be?
Tricky one this because people have different ideas of what fit
is. If you ride a few times a week and get your heart up to a decent
rate, you will be fine. If you do cross training like running, swimming,
squash etc. then that's great. We don't discourage less fit people
from coming, we just remind them that they will have to work a little
harder and may find it more uncomfortable.
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Do you get many
women out there biking?
Yes, but in our opinion, not enough. Very few women come independently
i.e.. without their partners. The women we do get are normally with
their husband or boyfriends. I would say on average we have a ratio
of about 5:1. Those that do come out with us have a great time.
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How long is the
transfer from Geneva to Chamonix?
It is exactly 100 kms and is all on motor way so only takes about
1 hour and 10 mins door to door.
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Can I do a 2
week holiday?
Yes, sure, but it will cost twice the weekly rate. However, we will
discount a fortnights holiday by 10%. A popular idea last year was
doing a week in the chalet as a warm-up and then doing the 3 countries
tour.
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My wife would
like to come but she doesn't ride bikes.
If you are not into riding mountain bikes there is still a lot to
do in Chamonix. There's tennis courts, squash courts, climbing walls,
walking, rafting, swimming pools, paragliding and loads of other
things too. However, one of the most popular non-riding activities
is sitting outside the chalet in the sun. Villa Cachat has a beautiful
sun-soaked garden and once you're there with your book, a view across
the Mont-Blanc Massif and a cold drink, it's easy to do nothing
else.
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Chalet layout?
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If I choose to
fly, which is the best airport?
British Airways have scheduled flights out of Heathrow, Gatwick,
Birmingham and Scotland too. Fortunately for cyclists, they don't
charge to take bikes on planes. Obviously the further north, the
more expensive the flights get. EasyJet are flying from Luton now
for a knock-down price but we are unaware as of yet if they will
be charging extra for bikes. I think we will find out when the first
person tries their luck.
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How much do the
lifts and cable cars cost?
There is not a week pass and we only really use the lifts once and
maybe the train twice. The lifts are about £5.50 and the train
about £3.00 so total price won't be much over a tenner.
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How high do we
cycle?
On the chalet we generally cycle to mountain passes at 2000 metres
twice. On the 3 Countries Tour, we cross 2 passes over 2500 metres
and 2 over 2000 metres.
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