They're all old military tracks on the French Italian border between Briancon and Sestriere. The area is riddled with old forts. It gets harder every year as what used to be remote tracks get ashpalted to serve new ski lifts. Also the environmentalists don't like it much. I'm generally very respectful of walkers and cyclists, but when you're down on power at 10,000 feet and you're trying to get up a rock strewn hairpin, you may have to nail it in first, and I have to say the TTR was embarassingly antisocial under those circumstances.
Mike
Great pics. Looks fun trailing there. I have been to the alps on my road bike and I love it round there.
Yes Pete, when I first went in '78 we did the same tracks on road bikes, mainly old Beemers and holed sumps were par for the course. The pics don't show the difficult bits because you're too busy getting up them! A lot of the tarmac is great though, series of up to 50 hairpins, I'd love to ride my Speed Triple down there but unfortunately a long term coccyx injury means I can't ride the distance anymore hence the van.
Looks great! I'd be interested in among other things how you've got the bikes on the van??? Dave
It's a Dave Cooper bike rack bought s/h many years ago. For years I laboured under the misapprehension that it was rated at 175kg and have used it many times to carry a BSA 441 an XT600 and a Honda Dominator. A Vauxhall Cavalier with a Dominator on the back is a sight to behold, I got a lot of interest from the French police, I'm sure they wanted to find something to fault but couldn't be bothered with the paperwork! Anyway I subsequently found it's only rated to 125kg hence my quest this year for a lighter bike. I genuinely didn't notice the bike on the back of the van except for railway crossings or the like. I'm pretty belt and braces though and have always provided secondary support to stop the rack from flexing too much. The aforementioned Cavalier would cheerfully carry the bike at 105mph but only when my ex was asleep! I was younger and even more stupid then, I wouldnt push it so much now. The van returned 50mpg on the way down to Italy running at 70-75 and 48mpg on the return trip which was very slightly faster.
These old beemers had knobbly tyres on them did they?!...
What an outrageous suggestion Pete! No until the GS's came along it was TT100's Conti K112's or whatever they were, we just got used to falling off a lot and manhandling the bikes!
Thanks for that Mike. ..been looking g at options for the back of my van but im not sure what weight rating my towbar is.....
Not thar keen on towing a trailer as there a bit of a pain....ta d