Mountain Biking @ Whistler
Whistler is one of the top places in the world for all things mountain biking. Since there is plenty of information about the world renowned Whistler Bike Park online we will get more into the cross country trails on this page and where to rent or service your bike when you are in Whistler.
If you need a bus to get to Whistler check out EpicRides.ca they take bikes in or out of box for free.
Whistler Trail Network
Whistler and the surrounding area has 100’s of km’s of quality cross country biking trails, from the valley trails for beginners or anyone who just wants to ride a bike around and take in the sites and sounds and explore Whistler and area to the intermediate and advanced cross country / downhill trails which require bikes with suspension.
Where to Rent Bikes
There are 2 primary places to rent downhill bikes in Whistler: Fanatyk Co. and from the mountain.
On a typical year bike rental places will buy bikes at the beginning of summer, rent them out and sell most of them before winter, so the best time to rent a bike is typically in the spring or early summer.
When you rent a bike in late summer or the fall you will typically get a bike that has been used quite a bit and may have semi worn tires.
Fanatyk Co rents newer more high end bikes than what you would get renting from the mountain. You will pay a premium for this but a higher quality bike that is maintained better may save you from injury. We highly suggest that you don’t cheap out on the bike or the gear if you are going into the downhill bike park for the day.
Beginners in the Rain
The bike park and downhill / cross country biking is inherently dangerous there is no doubt. The one thing that has always flustered us is watching the Whistler bike park rent bikes to beginners in the rain without warning them what happens when rubber meets stone and wood.
Throughout the spring and fall when the rains come, the bike park still stays open and for those of us who spend a lot of time in there we watch first time downhill bikers rent a bike and head up the lift not knowing what they are in for.
When it is raining or wet and you have never been on a downhill bike, don’t go for the first time. Your tires were slide off all of the wooden structures and rocks and the chances of having a bad crash and / or braking a bone is much higher than normal. We see first timers frequently braking their arms in the wet.