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Looks like we'll manage to get a couple of days riding in whistler as part of a West coast of Canada trip this summer. Neither of us "need" a downhill beast as we simple don't have the skills. A big trail bike will be fine. Any recommendations as to where to hire from our any other tips?
I guess we'll probably take a bag of helmets, shoes, pads etc.
Can't recommend a specific place but wherever you rent from make sure they can switch the brakes (e.g Avid are easier than Shimano for this). Start slow and work your way up.
Fanatik bike hire out all types of bikes,dh,trail all sorts and will switch the brakes for you, they also rent out helmets,pads etc. there are also loads of other places in whistler that rent bikes , garbanzo bike and bean right by the main lift in the bike park.
Ta. Got the brake switching thing at the top of my list!
You can't fall over in the village without falling into bike shop / rental place.
I'd rent some huge 20" travel monster for a laugh.
I'd rent some huge 20" travel monster for a laugh.
Good idea. Could be a right giggle.
I would definitely rent a DH bike while you're there, its perfect for it - lots of the trails are big, fast and open and a DH bike will give you a lot more confidence/security. Getting a trail bike would be like going to Silverstone for a track day, passing up on the Ferrari and taking your Audi A4 round instead!
Evolution if you want an awesome bike. Fanatik also have some nice ones. A ton of other places if a standard bike will do.
I'd highly recommend doing a day of each. One park and one trail. Rent the appropriate bike for each day! We used to recommend summit but they just got absorbed by the mountain so i'd look towards independant shops.
Also, get in touch with us for a guide to make the most of the days you have and ensure you go home an even better rider 😉
I rented from Summit Bikes last year - a standard fleet Giant Glory did me fine, brakes were swapped over, and it was in perfect condition.
Tip 1 - Get a DH bike. You WILL need it. Even if just for the braking bumps, and that little bit of extra assurance it allows.
Tip 2 - Wherever you rent from, check what they mean when they say they supply armour. Summit bikes were the only one I found who when talking about bike and armour packages, actually had armour which included a spine plate (the others just had hockey type chest protectors and elbow pads).
My mates and I rented bikes from these guys when we were last there. The price was very competitive, and the bikes were in pretty good shape (better than I expected for Whistler, where they get hammered daily)
On a similar note (and a slight thread jack), has anyone done any longer term rentals in Whistler? By long term, I mean a full week?
I'm heading back there this year and I am weighing up whether it is more sensible to buy a cheapish 2nd hand dh bike (i.e. nukeproof scalp) and then flip it when I return, or just suck up the rental cost for a full week.
Has anyone had any similar experiences?
There are normally some very cheap ex rental giant glorys for sale at the lift place. Last summer they had 2 year old ones for $1200, you could buy there, bring it home and maybe even make a little money.
I'd join the Whistler Bike Sell page on Facebook, fly out there without anything, pick something up the first day, ride it all week & bring it home in a box & sell it.
If the CAD stays where it is, second hand stuff is pretty cheap & there are bucket loads to pick from.
There are normally some very cheap ex rental giant glorys for sale at the lift place. Last summer they had 2 year old ones for $1200, you could buy there, bring it home and maybe even make a little money.
I'd join the Whistler Bike Sell page on Facebook, fly out there without anything, pick something up the first day, ride it all week & bring it home in a box & sell it.
This is a very sensible idea (why did I not think of this?!).
I'm actually flying out to meet a friend who lives in Vancouver, so this is totally do-able, and makes flipping the bike seem so much more appealing (the scottish buy / sell for DH bikes on PB is horribly stagnant, and has been for as long as I can remember).
I'd say balls to the dh bike and get a nomad or something.
I had a lot more fun doing that on everything other than the double black tech trails.
Most of the stuff is mega railed out there. The ones I borrowed had knackered headsets, tyres and badly damaged drivetrain.
Not much info yet, but this is Whistlers newest rental store. Its being opened ready for the summer by two of the fantastic guys that made Summit great!
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Not bike related but if you are into cars as well and anywhere near Vancouver, check these guys out www.scenicrush.com I did it last September while on holiday and I'm still buzzing from driving an F430, Nissan GTR, Lamborghini Aventador and a 650bhp supercharged Corvette on the Sea to Sky Highway :-). Highly, highly recommended.