We came up here for this bike park and were not disappointed. I had put my kids in the class the…read moreday before so they got to go up before me. The school was very organized and the teachers were friendly and great with the kids. They learned a lot and I'm glad they did this first to build their confidence. That said, the mountain has something for everyone. There are some wide open spaces all the way to huge jumps. Technical trails and flow trails abound and we even saw a family up there with what appeared to be their regular bikes from home. The chairs are easy to load and unload and the day we went, we did not have to wait for more than a few minutes for a chair.

Trail Series, Part 33 After mountain biking in destinations…read moresuch as Mammoth, Breckenridge, and Vail, I am honored to report that an independent panel of authorities within the mountain biking community have upgraded my skillset from "Worst Ever" to "Really Bad." Although the patient coaching from younger family members is primarily to be credited (where you at Tim and Wesley! ), I've learned that trail selection is also really important. When presented with the opportunity to ride a technical trail, I've come to understand that flowing trails are much more to my liking. In fact, I enjoy them so much I briefly considered changing my social media handle to "Flo Rida" (but apparently that has already been claimed ‍). While the Whistler Mountain Bike Park has established a formidable reputation amongst skilled riders on an international level, I was impressed with their forethought in also considering the needs of wobbly riders like myself. Not only is there an entire section of the mountain designed for less accomplished riders, but it is almost entirely separated from the numerous daredevils who are intent on disproving the laws of gravity. That may seem like a trivial matter of mere convenience, but safety must also be considered when one rider is merely focused on remaining upright while a pack of bloodthirsty hyenas is rapidly descending upon them at speeds that seem to approach upwards of 60 kph. While I have no embarrassment regarding my lack of downhill riding skills, I have to wonder...is there a reason why the symbol for the beginner's course resembles a band-aid? I mean, is this intended to be foreshadowing of some kind? ‍ Whether you are an accomplished rider or a burgeoning one, I have no doubt that this park will keep you interested and engaged until either your hands, knees, or butt become too sore to continue riding. And that's...Henry's Take. #floridahenry Editor's Note: Absolutely none of the action shots of riders are of me. If they were, all of the following photos would be of me in the hospital.

I cannot say enough good things about Arbutus Routes, their staff, and our guide (Lizzie). We did a…read more5-day single track guided MTBing experience in June 2024; Alistair and Anna were quick to respond to all my questions and helped us customize the tour so we could have more days at the bike park. We arranged to bring our own clip pedals, they supplied full face helmets and other protective gear as needed for the bike park, which Lizzie help us fit. (Pro tip: remember to bring glasses or goggles for the bike park.) I was able to ride a DH bike for the bike park days, then switch to a Transition Relay (e-bike) for the other days. Lizzie made sure our bikes were adjusted to fit and we set off for the bike park! Lizzie is an excellent guide and coach! She made the experience fun for all of us, though we have different skill and endurance levels. She prepared us each step of the way and answered all our questions so we could just focus on having fun. She gave us tips on riding drops, jumps, and slabs and found the best places to session each. I appreciated that she gave us choices for each day's adventure. Often there were more and less technical routes that allowed us to ride "together," yet at our own levels. Lizzie also gave me some helpful tips for riding the e-bike that will come in handy back home. If you are planning your first trip to MTB in Whistler, I highly recommend working with Arbutus Routes to plan one or more tours. There are a dizzying array of trails to ride in Whistler/Squamish/ Pemberton, and a guide (Lizzie!) can get you to the trails that are the most fun and the most appropriate for you.

We rented e-bikes here. Friendly, helpful staff. Nice bikes - Specialized Cumos. The bikes were…read morewell maintained and there are a lot of places to ride on bike trails in Whistler.

a train wreck from 70 years ago has turned into one of whistler's most unique and surprisingly easy…read morehikes. the whistler train wreck happened on august 11, 1956, when a freight train derailed near what is now function junction. seven boxcars were eventually moved off the tracks and left scattered through the forest, where they've remained ever since. this year marks 70 years since the tragic accident. today, the wreck feels almost surreal, an unexpected open air art gallery hidden among towering trees and mossy forest. the old boxcars sit quietly beneath the canopy, their rusted metal covered in layers of colourful, ever changing graffiti. against the deep greens of the forest, the bright artwork almost feels cinematic, like a series of forgotten railway carriages frozen in time and slowly being reclaimed by nature. the trail itself is short and easy, roughly 2.5 km round trip with only modest elevation gain. even better, it makes for a particularly nice hike in the rain. much of the trail winds beneath a thick canopy of trees, with the sound of raindrops filtering through the leaves and the forest taking on that moody, misty whistler atmosphere. one of the highlights is crossing the suspension bridge over the cheakamus river. below, turquoise glacier fed water cuts through the canyon, rushing past the rocks while the surrounding forest disappears into the distance. the contrast between the vivid blue green water, towering evergreens and grey rainy skies makes the crossing feel like a scene from a movie. the current route and suspension bridge were established in 2016, creating a safe and legal way to reach the wreck without having to walk along the active railway tracks. definitely one of those whistler hikes where the journey is every bit as memorable as the destination, rain falling through the trees, glacier water rushing beneath the bridge and, waiting quietly in the forest, seven graffiti covered boxcars from another era. a little history, a little mystery and a whole lot of atmosphere, all wrapped into a nice easy hike.

I have done this hike on several occasions and it never gets old!…read more Located a short drive from Whistler Village near Function Junction. Best to get there early to grab parking though we found plenty of spots at 11am. A short and easy hike through the Sea to Sky Trail, it is easy for all with no steep drops or climbs through a pretty canopied woods! The trail takes you to a beautiful and picturesque suspension bridge across the Cheakakmus river and ends at the Whistler Train Wreck where an accident pulled several cars off the tracks and they were pulled into the woods to quickly clear the trails - they have become curious pieces of art with graffiti artists adding to the designs over the years! Well worth a visit for this unusual art exhibit in the middle of the woods !

We heard this was the spot to rent downhill bikes - the hype was justified!…read more The team here gets all your personal stats to adjust the bikes to suit you and your riding style (suspension, reach, and chainstays on the V10) so everything is ready to go when you pick them up. Our bikes were current generation Santa Cruz V10s. They came equipped with Fox 40 & rear coil, SRAM X0 drivetrain, Maven brakes, and Assegai/DHR tires with proper DH casings. The bikes were absolutely dialed and we had a blast riding everything from A-Line to double black tech with them. I've been on rental bikes in the past that were clapped and had soft brakes or wonky derailleurs - that was not the situation here at all. The crew was helpful making some last minute adjustments and locked the bikes up so we could sit down for lunch somewhere. One of the crew (maybe the owner?) also had some great recs for taking our bikes out in Whistler Valley on one of the days we weren't riding the park. We'll be renting from then the next time we visit. Highly recommend!

There are a plethora of bike shops around the Whistler area, and when you search online, this is…read moreone of the more recommended shops due to it being one of the few local, independent shops still around. I'm all for supporting local, but this shop has proved why large conglomerates are able to take over areas so easily. Being a small, independent shop doesn't mean you can get away with providing shoddy services and rude attitudes to your customers, as this place does. I rented a V10 here to ride at the bike park earlier in the summer, and I thought I was being pranked with how poorly tuned the bike was for my weight and size. It's as if they tuned it for a 300+ lb bodybuilder. I inputted my weight (140lbs) and height on the registration sheet, and it seemed to be completely ignored. I get that bike parks are extremely rough on the bikes, but practically maxing out the suspension and tire pressure will do nothing but provide an extremely poor rider experience and also risk injury. Maybe that's the strategy: wear out the riders by practically giving them no suspension so they ride less, resulting in less wear and tear on the bike? I consider myself an advanced rider, and as I did my first run down Crank It Up, I couldn't help but wonder if riding down cobblestones in Paris Roubaix on a tireless road bike would've offered a smoother experience as I was getting absolutely beaten to shreds on the bike. My buddy, a former bike shop mechanic, tinkered around with the tire pressure and so on before we brought it back to the shop to get the bike further adjusted. We were introduced to the presumably lead mechanic, the older Australian gentleman. As we explained the situation and what we did, he began to talk down to us for tinkering with the bike because we could have done some irreparable damage. I get that there are people who foolishly think they know more than they do, but I can't even wrap my head around how much damage we could have done taking air out of the tire or adjusting the compression on the fork. We had a four-day rental and brought the bike back four times within the first two days (not including the returns where we voiced our thoughts) with the same exact complaint before the Australian mechanic seemed fed up with us and decided to check out the suspension, only for them to realize that the bike had a completely damaged suspension and that it needed to be replaced. When you're paying more than $200 a day for a rental, you expect some level of service and functionality from the tool that you're using. Unfortunately, that was not the case for me. Despite all of the "adjustments" that were made, I felt like I was cosplaying as a first-day jackhammer operator riding that bike. My forearms and hands were absolutely beat because of the lack of a working suspension system, and I was mentally drained from the dread I endured knowing I would have to go back to the shop each time for adjustments and endure a condescending interaction with the mechanic. I'm sure the bike shop deals with beginners all the time who have a hard time conveying their experiences or blame the bike for their fatigue when, in reality, it is the physical nature of the sport. However, I ride multiple times a week, have no issues riding some of the more technical parts of the mountain, and conveyed this information to the bike shop, expecting them to be a bit more sympathetic and provide even a baseline level of customer service. Unfortunately, that was not the case. There were several other bike shops that my buddy and I stopped by within the Whistler Village that treated us better than Evolution, despite them being conglomerate-owned. I'm all for supporting local, but I can't in good conscience recommend this place, especially to beginners. With the way they set their bikes up, someone can seriously get injured or worse. If you receive even double the service I did, you'd leave disappointed and feel like your money was wasted. This bike shop is sadly an extremely poor steward of the sport and strongly highlights the negative, pompous attitude of biking culture.

I had my boots punched out after a particularly painful spring day. They were quick, cheap,…read moreknowledgeable, and did a great job. Well done folks. My feet thank you!

Friendly staff, ski boot fitters are good, bought new skis and bindings and since I was staying at…read morethe Hilton they told me they'll just put it with the ski valet after they're done so I'll have it the next morning

My family - in this case, a party of 6, 3 of whom were children - went to learn cross country from…read morethese great people. Let me just add: I DON'T ski. I'm one of those weirdos from Seattle who doesn't do winter sports. I loved cross country! Cross Country Connection took care of us. We were thoughtfully sized for our equipment and patiently helped - even though we were rather inept newbies. The teacher was very laid back, friendly and helpful with all sorts of tips. He handled the size and age range of our group well. The trail was beautiful and well maintained. The price was very, very reasonable. Given, they were running a promo for kids. For all of us, with equipment rental and lesson, was just around $90. Wow!

This was our first time mountain biking so we signed up for the Mountain Biking 101 course. Peter…read morewas our guide and he was very patient with us, explaining some key techniques. After the lesson, he suggested a route for us to try on our own. We were very glad we took the lesson and would recommend it to anyone interested in trying cross country mountain biking.

The team at Whistler Bike Co are amazing! They are knowledgeable, understanding and consistently go…read moreabove and beyond to ensure their customers feel heard with their bike concerns and inquiries and are quick and creative to fix any bike maintenance that come their way. They are welcoming, helpful and making everyone feel valued and I will continue to visit them for all my bike needs! (Lisa, Whistler BC)

The guys here are so nice! My boyfriend and I came to Whistler to go mountain biking and called…read moreahead of time to reserve bikes and gear. They were really helpful over the phone. When we got there, they seemed hyped to see us and got us all set up and made sure the bikes were just right for us. When we came back at the end of the day, they gave us a great deal and we paid way less than we thought we'd have to pay. Great deal and excellent customer service. I'd recommend them for sure. :)

I had an issue with my Hayes Dominion brakes while on a trip to Whistler. These guys saved the day…read moreand got me back on the trail the next day at an incredible price. Very highly recommended!

From the owner: From service to new suspensions and service parts, we have your suspension needs covered /…read moreReplacement suspensions and Rush service available to keep you riding !