[Closed] Whistler trails and bike hire

Short answer is 'it depends'.

A day is going to be great, but it' also going to be like torture, as you're barely even scratching the surface.

You can ride the valley trails out of the park, something 140-160mm would be fine, but you are going self propelled to get up the hills. There are guided options for this type of riding. Bear in mind a significant amount of the day is going to be going up, as they are big hills.

Or, you spend a day in the park. You can ride a 160mm travel bike fine,you will just get a bit more beaten up than riding a DH bike, which is going to be fairly pointless, if you've never ridden one before, you'll spend most of the day learning how to ride it.

Best approach is to look at the trail legend and start working your way through it & see where you end up. There are flow & tech versions of each trail grading level. I would probably suggest just grabbing a tube - IIRC they don't supply repair kits, but at the lift stations there are tool stations to fix bikes.

Worst case you can always hop back on the lift to bring the bike back down.

I'd ride the park all day if i only had one day. I think that'll be max bang for the buck. After experiencing both, a trail bike will be fine in the park. Start on the easier trails however, and don't underestimate how massively huge the jumps on A line are. The green easy flow trails, i think Del Boca Vista or something, are absolutely brilliat. Perhaps get a top of the world ticket also snow depending?

Bearback biking, Whistler for guiding. Had a great day out with them, the trails were clear, did not see a soul all day, even got to see a Black bear and it's cub while having a pee in a bush (I was peeing btw, not the bear)

I was not too fussed about the bike park stuff, I really wanted to get out and explore around Whistler.

I’d ride the park all day if i only had one day

+1
You will get the most riding in this way.
A trail bike will handle everything on the blues & greens, which are great fun especially to warm up on, Top of The World would be good to ride after a few runs.
I went 2 years ago and took a DH bike, but only because I knew we were riding the park all day for 7 days

if you’ve never ridden one before, you’ll spend most of the day learning how to ride it.

That's kind of what I thought, but looks like it might limit me a bit in choice of hire places (based on a quick google). Would be fun to try it for the day, but probably not somewhere I've never ridden before!

I was not too fussed about the bike park stuff, I really wanted to get out and explore around Whistler.

Probably a daft question, but can you access non-bike park trails from the lifts? Currently off the bike due to injury and not quite sure how much fitness I'll have for going uphill!

We stayed with Bear Back Biking and he fixed several of our group up with trail bikes, maybe get in touch with them.

As above: If it's one day, then bike park with a TOTW pass.

Blue's are a great warm up too, these two runs are not jumpy:
B-Line > Funshine Rolly Drops > Smoke n Mirrors > Blueseum > Devils Club
B-Line > Ninja Cougar > Karate Monkey > Samurai Pizza Cat > Ho Chi Min
Crank It Up - Jump trail, but it doesn't matter if you case or overshoot these and they are a lot smaller and more forgiving than A-Line

Personally I'm not a fan of Una Moss or Blue Velvet, wide open trails, a lot of speed and some blind crests, then add a million braking bumps, I don't find it that interesting

Then when you want to step up from Blues:
Angry Pirate - Black & Blue
Original Sin
No Joke

I always find everyone is super helpful, I've had people show me the way down when I've asked what the trail is like.

Watch a couple of videos on Youtube to give you an idea of what each trail offers.

ebennett, I am not too sure to be honest. We did not use the uplift.

Probably a daft question, but can you access non-bike park trails from the lifts? Currently off the bike due to injury and not quite sure how much fitness I’ll have for going uphill!

Not really, most of the off piste/non bike park trails are on the other side of the valley. You have to pedal to get to the top, its not easy, but then I don't really do uphills! Have a look on trail forks, there are a few trails off the back of the bike park mountain (from TOTW), they are amazing trails (eg Kybers) but can be quite hard.

Thanks Milkie, that's really helpful! I've heard good things about Bear Back but we'll probably only be spending 2 nights in Whistler so might only be guiding I'd need - however, I'm leaning towards playing in the park for the day at the moment!

Probably a daft question, but can you access non-bike park trails from the lifts? Currently off the bike due to injury and not quite sure how much fitness I’ll have for going uphill!

You can access some.

Top of the world, take the option into Khyber Pass.

You can then ride Khybers > Middle of nowhere > Kashmir > Kush

Or Khybers > Babylon > SCAP > Highside

Or follow TOTW & drop into ride don't slide.

But, from your description of what you're comfortable on, they are going to be wild for you. We have raced the EWS's over the years on most of those options out of the park. They are steep, rough, long & rowdy as hell.

I think your best bet for the day is go wild in the park.

With one day you will barely scratch the surface, but you'll still have an absolute blast.

I would stick to the bike park - no doubt about that. If you attempt the valley trails you'll spend a significant amount of time climbing up hills / checking your maps and GPS. The tech trails are mind blowing out there; but you're in whistler, for one day, so ride the bloomin' bike park!

As others have said, do not underestimate the gradings of the trails and start sensible. Particularly on tech trails they are significantly more 'tech' in terms of grade than their UK counterparts. Just follow the suggestions of the staff or anyone you chat to on the lifts. For one day, avoid double blacks unless you're feeling proper fruity (e.g. goats gulley).

In my own opinion, unless you're after the tourist experience, I would avoid top of the world. It would eat a significant amount of your day, and whilst the views are nice it is a proper long haul trail which realistically requires a fully stocked pack (e.g. hydration, spares, pump etc). Up in the alpine is the last place you want a mechanical, or punctures with no kit to fix it.

If riding the bike park, either Fitz or Garbo zones, you don't need a pack for punctures or otherwise. If it happens it sucks, but you can just hop a lift down, or coast if you're midway. It's no biggie.

My first year I hired from Whilster blackcomb themselves. The bike was in good nick, they are right by the GLC, give you all the gear you need, and were pretty no hassle.

Bike Hire

One day in Whistler?  Bike Park all day for me!  In fact I have been in this position twice and done exactly that!

Warm up lap on greens, then Blues!  Beware the claw hand and make sure you have a decent lunch break.

I'm in the 'go to the Park and up to TOTW' too, in terms of getting the most out of one day.

If you decided for whatever reason that the Park isn't for you, but you are pretty fit, then riding up to the trail Lord Of The Squirrels would be another unforgettable option. You get above the trees and ride in the Alpine for a while (which is a big deal for people over here as there are bloody trees everywhere. For a Brit you can just ride on the Long Mynd etc 😀 ) and the descent is reasonably technical in places but I think most people would get down it without too much trouble.

as above really, head down some blues on a trail bike and have fun. There's a couple of fun greens (the run that includes del boca vista), and some of the blacks are relatively tame as well if you work up to them. If you're there at the right time of year, the new pumpy blues over on the creekside are super fun as well.

If its open, stop under the underpass on the new bit of dirt merchant to see some folks hitting serious jumps - they make a-line (which I'm very happy hitting all day long) look tiny..

you can get packages with a bike + a days uplift, or theres loads of bike shops around. For most of the summer the hours are long (10-8), so you can take sensible brakes and not knacker yourselves out. If its busy or too hot down the bottom, the top is normally empty and cool. The single riders line saves about 10 minutes of queuing per lap on a busy weekend.

The single riders line saves about 10 minutes of queuing per lap on a busy weekend.

Completely forgot about that, good call!
There are also drinking fountains at each lift station.
As somebody up there ^ said folk are really friendly and helpful if you get confused about trails, the whole place has a great vibe and didn't bump into one ****head all week either.

Thanks all, some great advice!

Reach out if your looking for a guide to make the most of a day and to see all the best bits that suit you, your ability, aspirations and expectations.

The xc/am/enduro trail network is superb and you'll get so much more from going with one of our experienced guides who will be able to dial in the progression rather than navigating by trail forks.
The bike park is much easier to navigate alone and the progression choice is fairly clear, however the bike park is not for everyone and it's all to easy to get pulled into the lift assistance and miss the more natural stuff.

We stayed in whistler for 3 nights as part of a longer holiday in bc.
Like you I wanted most bang for the buck. In the ended I signed up a group “lesson” all day with the main resort company. I got a dh bike from the main place at the gondola station and was taken up with a few others who were roughly at the same level as me. Quite quickly the group split and I ended up with 1:1 guiding with a lad from Leeds showing me round. We did lots of stuff like b line karate monkey etc. In the afternoon I was with a different group. A french couple who had just done the bc race. We did some stuff practicing drops and the like.
In the end I paid less I think than just hiring a bike and going on my own as you don’t pay any sort of damage waiver if you are with a guide as the guide is supposed to keep you safe!
I also signed up for the Tuesday night guys ride when I was there too. 3 hours of lift time with a guide taking you wherever you wanted to go- they split you into groups based on confidence and ability on the big stuff. I decided against trying a-line and had immense fun on crank it up. You get a free beer afterwards included as well...
We also hired some bikes to do the valley trails. 100mm Xc type fs bikes were fine for the lost lake area with wife and teenage kids.

An amazing 3 days. Would love to go back.

If you are hiring a bike to go on the park your only option is a DH bike. I don't know how they check whether its a bar code on the hire bikes that the lifts scan but if you get caught taking a hired trail bike down the bike park they can revoke your lift pass. Mate was told this by two different hire shops as he wanted to try a Santacruz hightower. We ended up doing Kill ME Thrill ME and Comfortably Numb. Lord of the Squirrels is alright but you have to pay for it on the climb up though.

A great ride is Top of the World into Ride Don't Slide into BC trail. Hit it all in on go then sit in a pool of sweat looking up totally knackered but very happy.

As others have said Trail Forks was a great app for finding your way around.

+1 for spending the day in the park. It’s regarded as the best bike park in the world for a reason.
There are quite a few places to rent bikes around the village and better deals if you go to one of the independents.
I was there for two weeks the summer before last so had time to explore the valley, do the Lord of the Squirrels and ride in Squamish too.
LOTS is an epic, I don’t know anything like it in the UK, an epic ride. However it’s a heck of a lot of climbing, I wouldn’t do it if you have only one day.
If you’re travelling up from a Vancouver then consider going to Squamish and getting a guide there (probably the same $’s as bike and pass in Whistler). If I could only ride one place for the rest of my life it’d be Squamish.

I was there in the summer, wanted to hire a trail bike, but they wouldn't let us as we were riding the bike park. Had to hire DH bikes which were set up far too stiff, noticed at the end of the day was only getting half the travel, so make sure they are set up for your weight.
It was really busy and the main lift from Whistler is super quick, lifties weren't the most helpful either.
Glad I rode at Whistler for the experience, but Squamish was far better.

I've now done two week trips to Whistler twice now

Both times I've done 5 day bike park passes and the rest of the time outside the park (5 days in the park was enough - I didn't feel like I wanted more)

Most of the non-bike park trails are easy to view on Trailforks and you don't need a data connection for the app to be useful enough for basic navigation

I did Lord of the Squirrels twice last year and it was easy to navigate via Trailforks - it's basically a very long pedal up (took me 2 hours) followed by a long descent. It was definitely worth the effort, bear in mind depending on the time of year there may be snow and/or midges. If you don't have a vehicle to get to the start point, then it's a fairly flat pedal down the marked Sea to Sky cycle trail.

As a general rule the pedalling up is easier in Squamish. We did try and sort a day with Bearback, who initially replied to my messages, but stopped replying to my mails. In the end we went with James at Ride BC ( https://www.ridebc.ca/) who picked us up from Whistler for a day trip out. We did trails near to Alice Lake, where the pedal up to most of the trails is shorter and easier. It's quite easy to repeat trails here if you like. For example let's say you really liked Rupert, then it's easy to loop round up the same climb back to the start. James put a very good day together for us & I'd definitely recommend him.

The trails in Squamish near the University (Mamquam Road) are pretty easy to self guide. There is a marked climb or fireroad pedal (which snakes its way up) and most of the routes down leave and re-join the fireroad at various points

There are trail marker posts directing the route (including the name of the trail) in both Whistler and Squamish