2015 gravity season

Tonggi

Tonggi

Active Member
Johnny Utah said:
I am sure the JORBA folks will be more than happy with $25, but if you want to do a larger donation, that would make them happy too.

For the car, this is the way to go. Service was on time, both drivers rode and we had an awesome discussion. The drive up from Vancouver is gorgeous. Vans were clean, and they can take a boxed bike. We drove in a Dodge Sprinter each way.

http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/re...ort-Transfers/mg_129/v_3938/Ridebooker.detail

The shuttles run at all times, they pickd us up last summer for the airport at 5AM so we could get an early flight out of Vancouver.

I haven't been to Coast, but I can tell you I barely touched Whistler in five days, there was a ton more left to ride, and I was doing 8+ hrs a day on the bike without partying at night. I hit all of the DH trails in four days, but didn't touch any of the xc/am trails.

You should be fine for Highland in June, especially later in the month, May and early June can be wet at Highland.
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Cool. I will look into it. I researched coast more and it seems getting there is a bit of a hassle. Its past Vancouver airport and you need to take a ferry. We are thinking of extending our trip and might do a night there but that would mess up logistics badly
 
Johnny Utah

Johnny Utah

Well-Known Member
Coast is a trip in itself! These parks are so big, and cover so much terrain, it takes a day just to figure the mtn out.

Crank it up at Whistler starts up the first lift (it takes three lifts to get to the top of the mountain, "top of the world"). Crank it up takes 9 minutes plus for the average rider to make it down. Non stop. There are over 65 trails on the DH portion of Whistler, but most aren't as long as crank it up, then again, some are much longer.

Four days gets you comfy enough to hit most of the lines, and that is riding non stop. By day five I was shot. Just could ride three or four minutes at a clip on day five without my biceps freezing (that's right, biceps, I worked through arm pump on day three).

Good thing is you should have daylight from 5:30 to 9:15 that time of year, roughly.

With four days, I would stay put at Whistler. But that is just my 0.02.
 
Tonggi

Tonggi

Active Member
True that is something to consider. Someone from a bike shop told me to bring a trail bike and not hte DH bike because the trails are super nice. I would supposedly get tired of DH and want to do trails. But from your experience it seems to be the opposite. My plan was to do nothing but DH there. I will try my best to get ready for 4 days of non stop riding. We plan to go out one night in the village to party but probably relax for the most part.
 
Johnny Utah

Johnny Utah

Well-Known Member
I rode a V10 there and had no regrets. We were there during a heat waive (90+ for five days, not normal in July at Whistler), so some of the trails were rotted out. I am sure the locals may be good on the Enduro/trail bike, but with the length of the runs comapred to what is on the East Coast coupled with the fact you are going to try to marathon it and ride four days straight, you may want the bigger bike (I would).

There is a ton of XC right out of the resort, so you may want to pedal. You can always rent a XC bike for roughly $90 - $140 a day, depending on what you rent.

If you have DH on your mind, it will be hard to leave the hill.
 
Tonggi

Tonggi

Active Member
True. Did you guys get a guide? I think its a good idea. Someone who is coming thinks he is too cool for a guide and will "speak to locals" as he said. THe mountain being so big I think its a good idea for one.


Also sorry to everyone for monopolizing the thread. If I have further questions I will PM you but great info for anyone looking to go to Whistler!
 
Johnny Utah

Johnny Utah

Well-Known Member
No guide, as the place is well mapped and I did a ton of research. I guess my trip was ten years in the making, I had watched so many go-pro videos over the past five years that there were several trails that I knew pretty well without riding (I know, pretty pathetic).

It was a near religious expierience for me....

As for the thread, I wish a group would get together and go from here. I will be back next year for sure, wedding/new house/and re-tool of bikes has me staying local this year (at least for now).
 
Ian F

Ian F

Well-Known Member
My Whistler experience is a bit out-dated (went in 2004), but it essentially echos Utah's. At the time, my XC and DH bike were the same: my Yeti Lawwill DH-6 outfitted with a a 3x8 drive train and a 7" Boxxer and UST DH wheels left over from my retired/sold M-1 race bike. It was sort of an "enduro bike" ahead of its time. For better or worse, the group I was with were not DH'ers so most of the riding we did was XC oriented, but I was able to spend one day on the mtn and we did a guided heli-drop. The latter was an incredible amount of fun and I highly recommend it if it's still available.

After 11 years, I get the impression much of the mtn has changed. At the time, the Garbonzo lift was brand new and there was only one or two trails from the top, which were steep and loamy. Otherwise, I think A-Line is the only trail that is essentially the same and I'm sure even that has been tweaked here and there.

For DH riding, I packed a second set of tires and a shorter seat post, swapping them the morning prior to DH riding.

I've been wanting to go back ever since. I'd be hard pressed to only bring one bike. The XC trails around there are so much fun and different than what we have around here, but as Utah mentioned, I'd want a full-on DH bike for the Mtn itself. Granted, my current Carbine is almost as much of a DH bike as my old Yeti is/was. Same rear travel and only 20mm less up front.
 
Tonggi

Tonggi

Active Member
How did you guys transport your bikes there? We are having an issue with the airline. It is becoming $450 one way. This is insane. or 2 boxes for $150 each.
 
Ian F

Ian F

Well-Known Member
I rented a bike flight-box from my LBS and flew with it. The one friend who tried using an old cardboard bike box regretted it. I did have to pay extra for the bike, but this was 2004, so prices have gone up I'm sure. No idea how much.

I'd like to go to Whistler next year (especially since there will be no World Cup in the USA), but I may take off extra time and drive. Would allow me to take two bikes, for one - trail and DH. Plus, I could pack friends' bikes and save them the shipping hassle/costs and hopefully they'd float me a few $ to cover the round-trip driving expense. Might be an interesting conversation at the border, tho...
 
Tonggi

Tonggi

Active Member
So to anyone ever thinking of going to Whistler. save up and f*cking go. Its the best place in the frickin world.

 
BiknBen

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
I've been at Creek on the regular. Progressing every week. I got my son up there a few times although our visit was short over the weekend when he hit the deck. Both my son and I have spent some time with Jeb. Doing a beginner session with my son and then some more advanced stuff with me. The jumps and drops are far less intimidating when you have someone breaking them down for you and providing some constructive criticisms.
Ryan and @Jeb going over body position and balance.

Jeb and I getting ready to conquer the step down jumps that I haven't been able to figure out.
 
qclabrat

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
Tonggi said:
Thank you sir. One last video. I'm in the neon green jersey in front. Kept them nice and short so people don't get bored easily lol

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That is some great stuff, I was just there for Crankworx
But sadly I'm not a DHr but regret not giving it a try for a day. Went to Whistler for few days with the family after not seeing them for a few weeks, so was reluctant to abandon them for one of the two full days we stayed there.

Anyone know when MCBP closes for the season?
 
mattybfat

mattybfat

The Opinion Police
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Looks like the last weekend of the month will be the annual highlands weekend with my son...
Parking lot slumming...
 
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mattybfat

mattybfat

The Opinion Police
Team MTBNJ Halter's
This weekend @highlands.

@ktmrider you in.

Anyone else?

You don't need a big bang bike here. Plus I heard there is some really good xc on and around the park.
 
Johnny Utah

Johnny Utah

Well-Known Member
mattybfat said:
This weekend @highlands.

@ktmrider you in.

Anyone else?

You don't need a big bang bike here. Plus I heard there is some really good xc on and around the park.
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Bring the big bike if you have a choice, the midsummer ruttage was evident on some of the green/ blue trails.

NE style is looking gnarly as always......very nice.
 
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