[Closed] Whistler or Europe?

What sort of riding do you like? Biggest question....

Single-track, not too much jumpy stuff. Think Sierra nevada will be fun but testing for some. We're all pretty handy. My favourite is fast n flowy.

I have done a riding trip to BC/AB and a non-riding trip.
I have also spent a Summer riding in various parts of the Alps.

Firstly 1 week = Europe, you need 2 weeks for BC to be worthwhile IMHO

If you fancy BC I would say sample Whistler for maybe 4 days then there are a host of other places you can ride.
The North Shore, Squamish, Pemberton, Van Island, Sunshine Coast to name but a few.
Float Plane trips into the Chilcotins are amazing.

If you fancy heading further North and East, you have Lillooet, Kamloops, Revelstoke, Golden and into Alberta you have Banff and Jasper.

I love Europe but Canada is different and they have Bears and better donuts.

Whistler/Canada every time for me

Check back with me this time next year 😉
I have ridden The Sierra Nevada several times, you will love it, who are you booked with?

Been to Morzine several times too which is awesome, no pedalling up hill (not much anyway)

Booked Whistler with bearbackbiking.com for mine and a friends 50th next summer!

Not gay then?

Not gay then?

Ha ha ha ha no but my wife asked that too

[url= http://www.bearbackbiking.com/ ]Bear back biking[/url]

I think Canada does it for me. I've spoils the experience by doing a summer there now though so a couple of weeks really wouldn't feel like we were getting the best of it, as the trail network not just in the bike park, but in the valley too is monsterous.

The set up and infrastructure there is so much better than any alpine resort, the whole experience is better IMO.

That said we are going to the Alps this year to keep it fresh, we will go back to Canada again though.

My favourite is fast n flowy.

As said depends on time you've got, 1 week Europe, 2 weeks minimum whistler/ BC
Don't just spend 2 weekend in Whistker though, so much more to see and ride not much further afield.
Can't beat the awesome flat out speed of Lillooet! Simple trail but so much fun when your tanking it through the the dust!!

what`s the diffence cost wise?

I've been lucky enough to do. Whistler and surrounds, Morzine, Alp duez, Deux alp and cham

Without doubt I'd do Maritime Alps - Italian coast above San Remo

Cost wise, obvs there's a transatlantic flight involved, so the cost of that, plus for it to be worthwhile you've to go for 2 weeks, due to all the traveling time. Actual costs while you are there are the same, if not a bit cheaper in Canada, though not as cheap now, thanks to all this silliness with the exchange rate

I would compare it to my skiing experiences. When living in the US I didn't ski in Europe at all. When living in Europe I can't see the point of a 10hr flight to US/Canada. So OP for a special, once-in-a-lifetime trip then Canada but there is so much varied riding in Europe there is no need to go to Canada and if you are riding wheels on the ground singletrack even more so.

Whistler is expensive but fantastic, I think I spent £3k all told on a 10 day trip a few years ago, but we went deluxe and it included 3 days in Van.

Whistler Bike Park really is as good as you hope it will be, pricy of course, as is the Village, but worth it. I suppose the downside to it all is that, the park is pretty small, much bigger than BPW, but it's 80% fed from a single lift, so it's not like say PDS when you can spend your days on huge long excursions going valley to valley on a massive lift network. Outside the park is great too, but you need to earn you climbs which is all well and good, but you're limited to how much your legs can give you and it feels less like a holiday perhaps - it's rare treat for me to cruise up in a chair and spend all day flying down.

Europe is cheaper, more accessable, you're not spending a day or two in that horrible jet lag bubble and as above theirs almost endless lifts to explore huge areas.

I've enjoyed both, I guess if I had the budget and the time to go to Whistler again I probably would, it's great, but equally a 2 week tour of the resorts in the Alps would be awesome.

Been to Whistler 5 times (last in 2014)- 9-10day trips with 7 full days of riding. Always in early September and the only difference in price compared to a week in europe is the flight making the trips around £1200 all in. 600 on flight and about 600 for accomadation, transfer, lift pass (last time we got season passes as they were cheaper than 7 days !) and food. The likes of Bear Back couldn't touch the prices we as a group of 4 could rent a house and self cater.

Never done Europe but am a 4 time veteran of Whistler. Would kill to go back for a 5th tour of duty. Whether I will or not I don't know.

So, Whistler.

Only really done parts of alps, vosges (there again next week), Sierra nevada. August will be the first time fully guided. Going with ciclomontana. They seem to get a review.

@onehundrethidiot I think the Swedish Volleyball team are at Ciclo that week, lucky you.

There's just so much in BC that I'd want to come for a month to be honest. If you want fast and flowy, but not a bike park / DH experience then Whistler is probably not the place to go though. That's not to say that the 'XC' trails are not awesome in their own right, but they are generally anything but fast and flowy. If you come here, you at least have to escape Whistler for a while and ride Squamish, Pemberton and the Shore.

I've had plenty of trips to the Alps, but hit Whistler for the first time last summer.

I went for a little over a fortnight, which cost me about £2k all in. I did a 5 day bike park pass, with the remainder being trail riding outside the park. IMHO the better riding is outside the bike park & I certainly wouldn't want to book a full fortnight in the park. I was lucky enough to have a mate guide me outside the park & he put together an excellent riding plan. I did a couple of days in Squamish, which is well worth a trip - the trails are more flowing there than Whistler.

As others have said Whistler Village is on the pricey side of things - especially since the exchange rate isn't as favourable any more (I was getting $2 to the pound when I went).

I'm going back next year & will probably aim for 3-4 days in the park & the rest elsewhere.