Anyone been to Whistler?

[Edge_Design]

I'm planning to go to Canada a few times this year for work and after seeing a few of the video's of the trails I thought renting a bike and taking a day or two of riding lessons at Whistler could be fun. I'm not very technically gifted and generally keep both wheels glued to the ground on XC trails hence the need for lessons to make it a worthwhile trip (I don't want to go all that way and then just admire the trails for 2 days!).

 

It looks like they have some really awesome rental/demo bikes and have a good range of lessons on offer.

 

What I was really interested in is whether anyone has been there and could recommend somewhere to stay that is nice and isn't excessively excessive - I guess <$200 (CAD) per night if possible (I've had a look through the site so only really looking for anyone with first hand experience).

[V12man]

I have been there - but only in winter - so not much use to you I am afraid.

 

Great place - you will enjoy it - I am envious.

[lechatnoir]

It's beautiful. Really an amazing place. But what you see in film and foto is different from reality... It's really commercial, so brace yourself. But I guess we didn't get too far off the beaten path as we had a short time and doing so will probably reward the explorer.

 

Enjoy. BC's a huge place to play in (Texas fits in it to the part that Canadians don't use)

[Edge_Design]

I have been there - but only in winter - so not much use to you I am afraid.

 

Great place - you will enjoy it - I am envious.

 

I assume the accommodation is all the same so any suggestions of places worth looking at (or worth avoiding)? Hoping to get there next winter as well if the cost isn't too crazy - I was over there in March, but didn't get a chance to travel.

[Edge_Design]

It's beautiful. Really an amazing place. But what you see in film and foto is different from reality... It's really commercial, so brace yourself. But I guess we didn't get too far off the beaten path as we had a short time and doing so will probably reward the explorer.

 

Enjoy. BC's a huge place to play in (Texas fits in it to the part that Canadians don't use)

 

I'm only planning on spending a weekend there (hopefully with 8 hours a day of riding) so I'm happy with commercial. I'm not a good tourist - I don't like going too far off the beaten path.

[NickGM]

I'm planning to go to Canada a few times this year for work and after seeing a few of the video's of the trails I thought renting a bike and taking a day or two of riding lessons at Whistler could be fun. I'm not very technically gifted and generally keep both wheels glued to the ground on XC trails hence the need for lessons to make it a worthwhile trip (I don't want to go all that way and then just admire the trails for 2 days!).

 

It looks like they have some really awesome rental/demo bikes and have a good range of lessons on offer.

 

What I was really interested in is whether anyone has been there and could recommend somewhere to stay that is nice and isn't excessively excessive - I guess <$200 (CAD) per night if possible (I've had a look through the site so only really looking for anyone with first hand experience).

I went there for a few nights with the intention of riding but unfortunately it rained heavily on both days. But we still thought about it and chatted to the rental company, so I can at least confirm that the rental bikes they had there were top quality full suspension bikes (Norco aurum if I recall correctly) that were very well maintained. It's a very commercial professional set up. Whistler itself is a buzzing and expensive ski-resort styled town basically. I was backpacking around N&S america so I had to camp, which even then was a bit expensive compared to elsewhere in Canada. But the camp sites are great and were walking distance (about 2km) from the bike rental and uplift service. 

 

A lot of the trails there are made for everyone - ie: there are huge tabletops that you can either fly over, clearing the whole thing, or just roll them with both wheels planted. Don't take this as a rule though!

[V12man]

I assume the accommodation is all the same so any suggestions of places worth looking at (or worth avoiding)? Hoping to get there next winter as well if the cost isn't too crazy - I was over there in March, but didn't get a chance to travel.

I went heli skiing - so nothing was budget - but in general the further away from a ski lift the cheaper it will be - maybe call the bike shop at the whistler bike park and ask where to stay - sure they will know.

[GLuvsMtb]

We finished BC Bike Race at Whistler in 2013. We only did a 27km loop on the final day, and left the next day for New York, so my riding was limited to the 27km loop we did on stage 7.

 

What I saw was trails suitable for varied skill levels and riding styles. We went up a slalom type run that was smooth and beautifully bermed througout. The 700m climb in 9km on tired legs were not so bad as the gradient was more or less consistent, apart from the switchbacks that kicked a little. This is usually a down-run, so I would imagine that it would be extremely fast, even on a XC hardtail.

 

We did some slalom sections down too. The jumps were mostly table tops, so the risk of casing a rim was minimal. I had to resist the urge to give it air. No good doing something stupid and missing out on my BCBR belt buckle.

 

We also rode some XC type sections with moderate drop-offs, steep rooted climbs and saw a bit of North Shore type skinnies and some other interesting woodwork, many of which was bypassed by the race into chicken runs (500 people queuing on the last day would have spoiled it for us).

 

The town is smaller than what you think. Bike rentals are plenty in the town and cater for recreational cyclists to DH pro's. Rentals were on the high side with pro specced DH bikes hitting almost CAD $100 if you include a helmet. You could have just as much fun on a 140mm travel bike for about half of the DH rental.

 

We got a good rate through the race to stay at the Aava hotel. We paid around $70 per room, but the normal rate would have been around $100 per room

 

The restaurants and shops were reasonably priced compared to Eurpean ski resorts.

 

If you are going a few times, take a day or 2 to ride some of the trails in Squamish as well. I rated the Squamish trails on BCBR as some of the best I have done ever.

[Edge_Design]

We finished BC Bike Race at Whistler in 2013. We only did a 27km loop on the final day, and left the next day for New York, so my riding was limited to the 27km loop we did on stage 7.

 

What I saw was trails suitable for varied skill levels and riding styles. We went up a slalom type run that was smooth and beautifully bermed througout. The 700m climb in 9km on tired legs were not so bad as the gradient was more or less consistent, apart from the switchbacks that kicked a little. This is usually a down-run, so I would imagine that it would be extremely fast, even on a XC hardtail.

 

We did some slalom sections down too. The jumps were mostly table tops, so the risk of casing a rim was minimal. I had to resist the urge to give it air. No good doing something stupid and missing out on my BCBR belt buckle.

 

We also rode some XC type sections with moderate drop-offs, steep rooted climbs and saw a bit of North Shore type skinnies and some other interesting woodwork, many of which was bypassed by the race into chicken runs (500 people queuing on the last day would have spoiled it for us).

 

The town is smaller than what you think. Bike rentals are plenty in the town and cater for recreational cyclists to DH pro's. Rentals were on the high side with pro specced DH bikes hitting almost CAD $100 if you include a helmet. You could have just as much fun on a 140mm travel bike for about half of the DH rental.

 

We got a good rate through the race to stay at the Aava hotel. We paid around $70 per room, but the normal rate would have been around $100 per room

 

The restaurants and shops were reasonably priced compared to Eurpean ski resorts.

 

If you are going a few times, take a day or 2 to ride some of the trails in Squamish as well. I rated the Squamish trails on BCBR as some of the best I have done ever.

 

Thanks for all the info - if it goes well then I'll definitely be back there in the future so very useful to know. Would you recommend the Aava hotel? That's reasonable even by ZAR standards. 

 

With my riding experience I'd probably not go the full DH route as I enjoy the climbs as well, but I guess it depends on what I can work out for lessons.

[Paul Ruinaard]

I'm planning to go to Canada a few times this year for work and after seeing a few of the video's of the trails I thought renting a bike and taking a day or two of riding lessons at Whistler could be fun. I'm not very technically gifted and generally keep both wheels glued to the ground on XC trails hence the need for lessons to make it a worthwhile trip (I don't want to go all that way and then just admire the trails for 2 days!).

 

It looks like they have some really awesome rental/demo bikes and have a good range of lessons on offer.

 

What I was really interested in is whether anyone has been there and could recommend somewhere to stay that is nice and isn't excessively excessive - I guess <$200 (CAD) per night if possible (I've had a look through the site so only really looking for anyone with first hand experience).

I have been and ridden.

 

Some guidelines:

 

1.) Use Air BnB to book accommodation. THis place is like Moncao if you go up market so its pretty much whatever your budget can bear. Plenty of supermarkets and shops so you can self cater and tons of restaurants and bars etc 

 

2.) Pre Book your bikes and gear - hire a DH rig as the trails are steep and you will use it. Its popular and the weather, if good, means it fills up. Its an hour drive from vancouver (or by train) so if weather is good the jet set arrives.

 

3.) Hire all the safety gear - dont skimp. And ride in baggies and DH gear or you will be laughed at.

 

4.) Get riding lessons and go slowly if you are only an XC rider. THe riding is totally different to anything you have done and much more radical. I wish I had taken lessons rather than just head up the slopes and hack it. Its much bigger than anything you have ever done but it also also very safe and controlled and very do-able. THe bikes, being DH, dont get pedalled much at all. Just things like that. You maybe want to learn to ride flats now...

 

5.) Its not cheap and its pretty physical so make sure you get a day or tow break between days riding.

 

6.) You can do more Enduro style trails there as well - not all lift riding and DH - but that is also pretty scary compared to what you have done in SA.

 

Good luck mate - experience of a lifetime and you will come back a changed man.

[GLuvsMtb]

Thanks for all the info - if it goes well then I'll definitely be back there in the future so very useful to know. Would you recommend the Aava hotel? That's reasonable even by ZAR standards. 

 

With my riding experience I'd probably not go the full DH route as I enjoy the climbs as well, but I guess it depends on what I can work out for lessons.

I would rate the Aava as 3,5* (not quite 4*). The rooms were big enough for 3 of us and all our kit and 2  x packed bike boxes, beds were comfy and bathrooms nice and modern. Get a ski pass as you will want to get as much free vertical as possible. Even 4 hours of riding is hard on the body, even with most of it going down.

I hope to do BC Bike race again in the next 3 or 4 years and will definitely spend at least a week in Whistler next time.

[Edge_Design]

I have been and ridden.

 

Some guidelines:

 

1.) Use Air BnB to book accommodation. THis place is like Moncao if you go up market so its pretty much whatever your budget can bear. Plenty of supermarkets and shops so you can self cater and tons of restaurants and bars etc 

 

2.) Pre Book your bikes and gear - hire a DH rig as the trails are steep and you will use it. Its popular and the weather, if good, means it fills up. Its an hour drive from vancouver (or by train) so if weather is good the jet set arrives.

 

3.) Hire all the safety gear - dont skimp. And ride in baggies and DH gear or you will be laughed at.

 

4.) Get riding lessons and go slowly if you are only an XC rider. THe riding is totally different to anything you have done and much more radical. I wish I had taken lessons rather than just head up the slopes and hack it. Its much bigger than anything you have ever done but it also also very safe and controlled and very do-able. THe bikes, being DH, dont get pedalled much at all. Just things like that. You maybe want to learn to ride flats now...

 

5.) Its not cheap and its pretty physical so make sure you get a day or tow break between days riding.

 

6.) You can do more Enduro style trails there as well - not all lift riding and DH - but that is also pretty scary compared to what you have done in SA.

 

Good luck mate - experience of a lifetime and you will come back a changed man.

 

Thanks. I was thinking about point 3 yesterday - going to have to invest in something less skin tight to ride in! At least one day of lessons is guaranteed or I will be wasting the opportunity of going somewhere like that. I've had a quick look on Bookings.com and there seems to be a fair amount of accommodation at relatively reasonable prices, but there is a huge range of options as well.

 

Any specific accommodation you would recommend?

[Edge_Design]

I would rate the Aava as 3,5* (not quite 4*). The rooms were big enough for 3 of us and all our kit and 2  x packed bike boxes, beds were comfy and bathrooms nice and modern. Get a ski pass as you will want to get as much free vertical as possible. Even 4 hours of riding is hard on the body, even with most of it going down.

I hope to do BC Bike race again in the next 3 or 4 years and will definitely spend at least a week in Whistler next time.

 

I guess clean, comfortable and well positioned are the priorities - I'd only be there for 2 nights so don't need anything too fancy and don't want to waste time trying to get transport to the trails. The prices for Aava look quite reasonable so that might be a nice option.

[dirtypot]

I've ridden in Whistler - as I've said before on here, it's the best riding area in the world (in my opinion / experience) bar none.

It was so good in fact that I had to change my plans and go back again two weeks later to ride again!  I hired a full on DH bike which was awesome.  Really well looked after and solid.  I can ride up hill anywhere else - in Whistler all that you want to do is grab the lift and hit the downhills.  I still dream about going back there.  I never did try Squamish, but I'd really love to give that a go with a normal bike.

 

Sorry, I can't comment on the accommodation as I have Canadian family so stayed for free.

 

@GLuvsMtb - looking for a partner for the next time that you hit BCBR?  I'm itching to give that one a go, it's at the top of my bucket list.

[GLuvsMtb]

...

 

@GLuvsMtb - looking for a partner for the next time that you hit BCBR?  I'm itching to give that one a go, it's at the top of my bucket list.

 

We did it solo last time around and shared costs for accommodation etc. That way we could ride together, or if my riding buddy felt strong he could wing it. Most do it solo. If I go again I'll take the hotel option (sleeping on a thermarest for 6 nights might just kill me) and I will probably meet up with the family in Whistler for some R&R before coming back home.

[Paul Ruinaard]

Thanks. I was thinking about point 3 yesterday - going to have to invest in something less skin tight to ride in! At least one day of lessons is guaranteed or I will be wasting the opportunity of going somewhere like that. I've had a quick look on Bookings.com and there seems to be a fair amount of accommodation at relatively reasonable prices, but there is a huge range of options as well.

 

Any specific accommodation you would recommend?

I was staying in a log cabin that was owned by a mate of a mate who had a hedge fund so lets just say we weren't slumming it.

 

Stay in town if you can as it's all within riding or walking distance.

 

As the men say - the bikes are all basically new and in excellent condition - suspension is pumped for you and all the safety checks are done. Better bikes= higher prices.

 

I confidently rode walls and berms and tabletops I would never normally have attempted.

 

All the runs are cumulative and built by experts - so you start to learn a skill slowly and then add to and add to it until you are confidently doing more and more - and you learn quickly, so if you do fall the get off is pretty big and fast, ask me.

 

THe key thing is to allow the bike to carry you through and stay off the brakes - all these lines are really brilliant and require you to carry speed.

Going downhill on a big DH rig is very different from anything you have done from an XC bike. And the tyres are big 2.3 gumballs which grip like sh&t to a blanket so its far far more corner speed than any XC bike will carry. PLus with 200mm suspension you can absorb massive hits and just float over it.

 

Its very different to France - all the lips are marked with flags and a lot of the braking stutter bumps are smoothed out so the trails are pristine - all are graded and the lift riding is insane. A lot safer and more organised and forgiving.

 

Your first ride up on the lift you will SH#t in your pants as you carry on going up and up and up. Lessons are good as you will be helped to avoid the obvious noob mistakes like loading your bikes on the lift etc.