[DHRlover]

Another Whistler thread. :evil:

I think several buddies and I are heading up to whistler in a few weeks. I was just wondering if people who have been there have any pictures, tips, and recommendations on what gear to bring, what trails to ride, how you dealed with getting your bike there (including getting it around the airport), and anything else important (or not important).


Thanks,
Chris

 

[jon-boy]

I can't give you much info on getting the bike there.... (I live in Vacouver so it usually goes on the roof rack).

However trails:

The bike park is soooo good. The number of trails has increased. The stunts are getting more inventive... it's all good. Favourties are obviously A-line, I also like Hornet, Dirt Merchant, Whistler DH, Clown shoes and Schelyer. Joyride is still a good rip too. Basically it's all good.

If you are there for a while tear yourself away to play in someof the non-bike-park trails. Runaway train, River runs through it and Kill me thrill me are great trails to try out.
THEN go to Pemberton. Such nice trails, pretty natural singletrack with epic views. Super technical trails are easy to find there, go to the local bike shop and buy a map. You'll not regret it...

Did I mention Squamish? Well.. bascially this is another superb place to ride.
You'll not wipe the grins off their faces for weeks.

As for gear.... bring a replacable drop out for you machine if it needs one. There are shops in Whistler for other spares, but maybe bring a spare tyre if you have one already and just lots of tools. It's pretty hard on your bike riding there (it's so fast that a lot of the bumps with just rattle stuff loose).

Personally.. well it can be HOT so riding gear for that. It can be wet, so again riding gear for that.
Obviously full-face helmet, pads etc.
Bike locks? Yes bring them. Better safe than bike-less.
Money... yep you'll need that for beers.

Other wise nothing springs to mind.

 

[Edgy]

If you want to go cheap put your bike in a decent size bike box..like the ones frames come in.
I put my med bullit w/spr T in one just fine(you'll have to take off the fork,tire & pedals).
Bubble wrap that sucker...specially the derialer,tape the funk outta that box(with decent grade tape) and your set. Or get a real bike box.

The airports have those carts you can use(costs you in the US, free in Canada ) Different airlines charge different fees to ship the bike.

The rest is whatever he said.....

and oh yeah...bring whatever you're gonna need.....cuz you're gonna.... blow... your..... load

 

[MMike]

This is about my only whistler pic. From opening day...

 

[OGRipper]

I was up there for a week a couple weeks ago for the second time. Can't beat it. Pretty much all the black and double-black diamond trails are way fun. There is some new stuff, like new stunts on Clown Shoes, the MTX course is different (better IMHO), and the big green box has been rebuilt with two separate levels.

Like that other guy said, bring gear for hot and/or rainy weather. It rained a few days while I was there. Riding the park in the rain is fun, but it was bad enough that they closed all the good stuff for a day or two. If it's raining when you show up each day I suggest checking the board to see what trails are open and what's been closed BEFORE you buy your lift ticket. If most of the good stuff is closed, skip it and go check out some of the local trails. On that note, since places like squamish and Pemby are kind of far you might think about renting a minivan or something so you can transport bikes, do shuttles, etc.

I always bring burly tires and run a dh tube in the rear. It's pretty rocky, flats are a drag, and it's not like you need to climb anything so bike weight isn't as big a deal as usual. I agree to you should bring a replaceable drop if you've got one. The shops may or may not have what you need and everything is pretty pricey up there.

Beyond that, it's hard to anticipate what'll happpen, so bring an open mind, a full wallet, and a laid back attitude. With all the hype, people expect it to be some kind of utopia, and I've seen people get pretty uptight if things aren't going perfectly their way. It is pretty much the best place on the planet to ride but you gotta respect the mountain and the people that work it...