A few months ago, coming back onto wifi after a morning riding round FOD, my phone pinged with a notification saying my friend Matt had commented ‘Vicky Balfour’s your girl!’ to a request for a French speaker to work in the Alps, first week of July. Without a second’s hesitation I replied to say ‘yes!’. I had no idea what I was agreeing to but Matt’s recommendation and the chance to work in France for a week, was enough for me. A couple of messages and a phone call later I was signed up to work alongside Matt for Chain Reaction Cycles (CRC) on the demo stand at Megavalanche in Alpe d’Huez!  

Have skills, will travel!

The attraction of working at Megavalanche was huge but that wasn't the whole story; it was the chance to get back to event work and in France that also appealed.  I first developed a taste for it in my late teens at Cowes Week and the London Boat Show – the intensity, the teamwork, the sense of being part of a distinct moment in time, separate from everyday life – all of which heightens the experience. Mix event work with France and you pretty much have my idea of heaven!

Must be time for the Mega!

In spite of my notoriously itchy feet, I still find that my low-level anxiety tends to rear its head when I arrive in a new place. I’ve learned that it only ever lasts 24 hours and I now relish the knowledge that what feels hostile and abnormal when I first arrive will feel comforting and friendly after a night’s sleep. Arriving in Alpe D’Huez was no different and in a perfect demonstration of the power of mindfulness, the physical act of building the demo bikes distracted me from the sense of anxiety, freeing my brain to absorb the details of my surroundings and flex its muscles speaking and thinking in French again. The fact any bikes were built at all whilst I was staring in wonder at the mountains surrounding the car park we were working in, was a miracle!

Me, Sam and Matt get stuck straight in! Photo: Grant Norris

It was great to be working with Matt again. He was the first person I ever met from Biketart and we worked together for nearly a year, before he returned to Northern Ireland this Spring. Not for the first time he was heading up the CRC demo stand and, along with Sam, another nomadic CRC event mechanic, we quickly formed a strong unit. We spent the first full day building and checking the bikes in the demo fleet and that night I posted a picture of my new workshop in front of the mountains. To everyone’s amusement, I received a comment saying ‘Hi, can you fix my mate’s brakes, please?’ – of course we said yes and sure enough the next morning a guy called Rick pitched up at the stand with his mate and their bikes. That was the first of many impromptu brake bleeds… 

Our base at DMC

With practice sessions, the Enduro, Mega qualifying races and the chainless race all happening over the second half of the week  we set up the demo stand at the bottom of the main cable car, DMC Les Rousses (DMC).  I t was a perfect location: riders could sign in, choose a bike, hop on the lift and ride down any of the lower runs.   Our prime location worked very well for demos but we also shone as a beacon of hope in a sea of mechanicals. 

New wheel day...

I’d always thought that Megavalanche was an incredible race but not one I’d want to take my best bike to and a few days at the bottom of the hill confirmed that! The collateral damage on bikes was huge – broken hangers, shredded tyres, taco’d wheels and broken cranks were not uncommon. We did our best to help in any free time we had, gratefully accepting donations of beer in appreciation of our efforts, but as our main focus was running the demo fleet there were many we had to turn away. 

Bumped into Will from Okeford Bike Park, just after he'd come 2nd in the Enduro (Vets)!

In the cool, grey Alpine mornings pointy-full-face-helmeted hordes of riders swarmed in to catch the first lift up the mountain bringing to life the term 'park rats'. Standing out from  the anonymous masses were individual riders who became regulars at the stand, calling in as they spent the day going up and down the mountain. 

Just a small ding

Among them was one British lad who tested every bike in his size as he was waiting for a replacement shock to arrive from the UK and a Polish guy who appeared several times a day and made us laugh with his stories and mechanicals. When a rider sped over the finish line of the chainless race wearing little more than his pants and shoes, we weren’t surprised to find it was our Polish friend.

Would you trust us with your bikes?!

With long days we didn’t get much big riding done but in quiet times we were able to hop on the chair lift and do a run or two – just for quality control on the demo setup, of course 😉 . The Marmotte road race was coming to town the same weekend as Megavalanche and it wasn’t all about MTB for me either: the demo fleet had been shipped en masse to the Alps and included a couple of road bikes.  With a constant desire to push my comfort zone I didn’t need any persuasion when Guillaume suggested we do the famous Tour de France Alpe d’Huez road climb one evening after work. 

Cross dressing ;-) - MTB does Road! Photo: Grant Norris

A totally different beast to the road bike I tried a few weeks ago at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, I made my roadie debut on a nimble carbon Vitus Vitesse Evo. I love challenging hill climbs and couldn’t wait to get my teeth into the 14km ascent that lay ahead, but first I had to descend the 21 switchbacks that dropped us 1100m in altitude… I’ve never been so grateful for disc brakes in all my life as I rode behind Guillaume teetering along on skinny tyres, like a pre-teen in stillettos. By the time we reached the valley floor I’d found my swagger and was ready to head back up as we raced to keep ahead of the thunderstorm rolling in across the valley. The ride did not disappoint and finally I got the attraction of road riding as my legs found their cadence and the return on power put down through the cranks was addictive. 

Obligatory podium pic! Sam, me, Guillaume

Sadly due to prior commitments I had to head back on the Friday night, which meant I missed out on the zip-tie frenzy that was spannering at the big race. Maybe next time?! I started the week knowing only Matt and finished it with a bunch of new friends including my awesome roomy, Maria. Cheers guys for welcoming me into the ‘CRC events’ fold – I had a blast! 

Aaron, Gina, Grant, Maria, me, Guillaume

Freedom comes with consequences and responsibilities in my world – but as I’m learning all the time, for my mental strength, it’s vital (see ‘MTB and my mental health – an explanation’). Going away leaves my OH flying solo and I’m so grateful to him, my children and CeCe’s two carers for making it possible for me to go.  

Crossing the line in Qualifiers

Roomies - me and Maria. Photo: Matt McAnerney

Me, Matt, Sam & Guillaume in the dust at the demo stand

Impromptu mudguard creation

Yep, two people actually did Mega on a tandem! Sam and I barely made it round the car park...

Did it and loved it!