Looks like we have the possibility of being in/around Vancouver with bikes for a few days later this year. One day will be spent visiting (non riding) folks who are over towards Sechelt but other days are open. Thinking of Squamish and at least one day at Whistler but we’re typical UK red trail plodders so won’t be hitting the skinnies or silly steep tech so are these the best places to go? Not sure how best to get around with a couple of bikes in tow (rent a van?), best places to stay (comfortable budget) and suchlike. Any tips welcome!

Nothing to add except lucky you! Vancouver is probably my favourite city anywhere. Love being able to see the north shore mountains from downtown, and walk to the beach as well. Granville Island via a water taxi. Dinner at Guu to combat jet lag. Have a great time.

I used Bear Back biking when I went and hit the trails in Whistler. Great fun. I didn’t really want to ride the bike park.
I also had an amazing days riding on Vancouver Island in Cumberland. I enjoyed Cumberland more than Whistler as all the trails naturally join up. Whereas Whistler there was a bit of road as you cross between mountains.

Also, the free walking tours on Granville Island were good.

What’s a few days? If you’re visiting friends there have you thought about perhaps the ferry on to the Island seeing as you’ll probably be catching it at Horseshoe bay? We drove from Whistler all the way down and hopped on the ferry to go and do a killer whale boat tour (which was awesome) and then we stayed in a campsite overnight and I rode Mt Benson the day after. If you take a look at trailforks for that area there is a TONNE of blue trails and coal city cycles is an amazing shop if needed.

Worth noting that generally speaking I would say a Canadian Blue is equivalent to our reds and the difference between a blue and a red for Canada is some larger features so big rock rolls etc. This is a generalisation and there will be scope within these gradients but I would say definitely dont look at blues and think ‘oh they’ll be too easy’ because if you’re a firm red trail centre rider I would be sticking to these especially if you have limited time to acclimatise.

I absolutely LOVE squamish and actually prefer it a little to Whistler. I would have recommended the northshore but as you said ‘no super skinnies’ I’m going to say that everything there wont really be what you’re after.

If you have a matter of two days bear in mind the time it takes to drive to Squamish and then Whistler as I’m sure you don’t want to waste time driving around. Cheaper and more convenient at Squamish than Whistler as well. Although you have the mega ease of the lifts within Whistler bike park, there is a tonne of stuff outside of the park as well.

You’ll love it! We’re going again next year for my 40th and it’ll be third time there and there’s still so much to ride.

If you’re in Vancouver, Squamish is a hour up the road and Whistler hour and a half to two. Bear in mind that the Canadian trail rating; green, blue, black, double black is roughly equivalent to our green, blue, red, black so there plenty on offer to entertain even riders that would class themselves as average ability.
whistler is a must really, even if you roll down A-Line it’s worth it just to see the 10 yr old sending it over your head. if you can get to the “top of the world” trail you owe it to yourself to do it. the trails are so much fun, the village has all the bars and restaurants you’d need. 7mesh is a little more homespun and the trails are more varied, but massively less traffic on them. A day at each would be memories for years

If it was me, I would definately spend a day in the bike park, it has so much to offer other than the flowy jump lines. There’s tons of natural feeling trails that are suitable for all tastes and abilities.

I would also consider hiring a guide- if you’re time limited you could waste a lot of time looking for trails or going down an ‘unsuitable’ trail for your riding preferences.

Pemberton is also worth a consideration.

Wish I was going back there.

At whistler there is a trail called Top of The World, its on my bucket list, it really looks amazing.
NAte Hills follow Friday video is the nuts.

https://www.trailforks.com/trails/top-world

Whistler’s Top of the World Trail: A Rookie Drops In

Top of the World will depend on the time of year that you go and conditions on the day. We’ve done it twice, the first time almost the last of the season and on the way up the final chairlift we had freezing sleet which was all across the trail as well, I couldn’t feel my hands for the first section of trail, a truely terrifying experience. Did it again the following year in much better conditions and it’s highly recommended.

Depending on the time of the year you could do Lord of the Squirrels. The first time we went the climb hadn’t been completed so was more of a heli option, the second time unfortuantely snow was right at the top and so it was closed but we did half way. It’s one of the few trails where ebikes are strictly prohibited so if I do it next year I’ll probably be solo.

I’d definitely say Whistler too.

It’s easy to navigate and ride without too much thought or planning, so you can make the most of a day (which won’t be enough).

Squamish great too though.

But Whistler has loads of ace trails that anyone will enjoy. Blues are rollable, as are most of the reds – there is a great progression chart to help guide you towards / away from techie stuff to suit. Whistler Progression Chart

Whistler is way more than a park just for the super-gnarly. Although that is there and gets all the attention.

Whistler also less weather-dependent than Squamish due to the larger number of flow trails, so if the weather looks crap on one of your days, I’d head to Whistler that day.

Pemberton and Northshore of Vancouver also great, but will require a bit more prep in terms of trail planning and travel for Pemberton.

Hiring a guide is a great idea as they really will find the best stuff for your level and make sure you make the most of every minute. And you get to jump the queues at Whistler, which leads to one more point…

…Whistler lift queues can be lengthy (>45mins on a busy day), especially on the weekend, so I’d avoid sat / Sun if you can or you’ll lose time getting back up the mountain.

Final point… Top of the World is a great bucket list challenge, but you’d be doing well to complete the descent and then feel up to any more riding that day. So whilst it’s an amazing challenge, I would say that it’s not necessarily the right one if you’re only visiting for a day.

You’d need to be used to riding big descents (arm pump etc) and just getting used to the bike again as it is pretty techie from the off. IMHO going straight to the top following a few days off the bike is asking for trouble. But YMMV.

Thanks folks – all good stuff so far. Yes I know I’m a lucky so & so for having the chance. It’s looking like we’ve got up to 4 days riding so plenty of time to visit a couple of areas. The bikes we’re taking for later in the trip are on the cusp of trail & down-country (yuk) so not really ideal for that massive descent, and I notice the bike park site suggests full face which we’ve never worn and seems a bit OTT if we’re not hitting the bigger stuff?

The bikes we’re taking for later in the trip are on the cusp of trail & down-country

Be prepared for most stuff being better served by more gnarly bikes than you might otherwise be used to in the UK.

Technically, to use the lift in the Whistler bike park for example, you need a DH spec bike. In practice, they’re not fussy, but the extra travel and robustness does make even the blue trails a bit more bearable. The cross-country routes in Sqaumish also tend to be better served by something enduro travelled (>150mm).

If funds allow, maybe look at renting a bike if you go to Whistler BP? With that would come an FF helmet too. An FF is not critical, but I’d be surprised if you don’t end up riding (much) faster than you would normally in the UK on the blues, so an FF does bring a bit more protection.

Based on 4 days, depending on the time of year, I’d be inclined to do 2 days in Whistler, then a day in Squamish followed by a day somewhere more remote that tickles your fancy. Pemberton possibly?

Staying in Whistler would sit between the other resorts, so you could ride them all from one base.

Link to the Bike Park guide on what to ride.

Link

DIFFERENT TYPES OF BIKES YOU SHOULD RIDE IN THE PARK

DOWNHILL

ALL-MOUNTAIN

CROSS-COUNTRY
(not recommended)

Downhill – Downhill-specific bikes are intended for all levels of riders who want to enjoy the most out of the Bike Park. A full suspension, downhill-specific bike like the GIANT Glory handles the Bike Park’s technical and free-ride terrain the best and is specifically designed for descending, not ascending. We recommend this type of bike for any level of rider in the bike park.

All-Mountain – All-mountain bikes combine full suspension in the front and rear with a more upright design allowing riders to descent yet ascend when needed. At the minimum, bike park riders should have an all-mountain, full-suspension bike, similar to the GIANT Reign, which is best suited for beginner and intermediate terrain only. Please note, uphill riding is not permitted in the bike park.

Cross-Country (Not Recommended) – Cross-country bikes generally have less suspension than most mountain bikes, making them ideal for pedaling long distances. The GIANT CTV is a hard-tail bike (no rear suspension) that’s ideal for the cross-country trails in the Whistler Valley. Cross-country bikes are not recommended in the bike park.

I’d generally say that the trails in the bike park are less gnarly and tech than those on the north shore and squarmish – there’s a mix everywhere, but its easier to find easy stuff in whistler.

rental out there is easy, the specialised store in squarmish is cheap if you do wanna go there, and the shred shuttle in squarmish gets you up the hill if you’re feeling lazy

whistler is great fun. the park is the easy option. as mentioned, top of the the world is great. if you combine it with the blacks that go down to creek side you get a very long natural feeling descent.

the village is full of tourists. absolutely packed. i don’t mean “adventure tourists”, but “normal” folk on family holidays. creek side is less busy and cheaper.

you could possibly stay in Squamish and hire a guide for the cost of staying in whistler

just read about your bikes. if you do plan on renting bikes book them as toon as you know your dates.

and protection, knees, arms and full face is a minimum for me in the park. you do pick up speed very quickly. plus a small off early in the day resulting in a bashed knee could ruin your ride. with pads you’ll feel nothing. armour is also available for hire through bike shops.

whatever you decide, you are set for a good time. roll on summer

and car rental, you’ll probably need an suv like a ford escape/cherokee size. rental cars tend to be saloons rather than hatchbacks.

My tip is: wait for Walleater to come and tell you about it. He lives, rides, works and build trails there. Squamish mostly I gather. He’s probably got a Yo Eddy Fat Chance somewhere he can let you borrow. A bit of a collector of retro as well as having some nice current bikes.

Don’t ignore the Sunshine coast while you’re already there. it has some great riding for the bikes you’re taking and there’s a good couple of days worth of riding to be had over there.
I personally wouldn’t waste a riding day on the bike park unless you typically do alp’s trips, bpw etc and feed off the gravity aspect and are happy spending not insignificant amounts of money renting bikes and buying a ticket.

LOL at BigJohn.

You don’t need a DH bike in the Park, but you do need a bike that you feel comfortable on and won’t snap going off a 2ft drop. I rode my Chromag hardtail most of the season and it was fine. I just stayed away from Goats Gulley and the like. You (and most certainly I…..) are not going to keep up with a local shredder on a V10 anyway, so just pick a suitable trail and ride it at a speed suitable for your bike 😉 Plenty of people hire DH bikes and are completely new to the pastime and really slow, so no need to be hung up on having exactly the right bike or having to ride at a certain speed. Unless you try and ride A-Line on a Sunday afternoon 😉

Not sure how best to get around with a couple of bikes in tow (rent a van?)

A van is a good idea, along with some substantial locks. Unfortunately, bike theft is a problem in some places, so apply some common sense….