First Day Riding in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park?

The Whistler Mountain Bike Park is not like any other biking experience you have ever had. The trails often have sustained stretches of downhill riding and the lifts allow you to ride much more vertical than you would normally do in a long day of riding. This page is aimed at giving you the information that you need to have a great day and go home tired, dirty and happy.

Bikes & Gear:

• It is very important to ride the right bike for the job. You wouldn't use a finishing hammer to frame a house and this is no different. A downhill bike has plush suspension in both the front and rear to smooth out the bumps on rugged trails. Rent a bike if you don't have your own and ask the rental technician to tune the suspension to your body weight and skills.
• There is a reason why most riders are wearing armor- it works. Crashing is a possibility no matter how slow or cautious you ride and protecting yourself from cuts and scrapes with pads is a must.
• A proper fitting full-face helmet is the way to go. Protect your face and head by wearing it done up properly under the chin.

Riding Tips:

• Warm up your body and bike skills. Before dropping into the trail network get familiar with your bike and the features you will encounter by riding the new Olympic Skills Park (located at the top of the Fitzsimmons Chair).
• Stay low. Don't hop on the lifts and ride up to the top right away. Ride in the Fitzsimmons Zone (lower part of the Bike Park) for at least three laps before going up to the Garbanzo Zone.
• Stand up! Riding downhill requires an athletic stance on your bike so stand up to absorb bumps and keep your pedals level. 
• Ride a trail a few times before you move on. Ride the easier trails at least two or three times before moving on to a new one. Some riders will do 30 laps on a trail before moving on to a more difficult run.
• Take a guide along for your first day; guided programs are fully customizable and cost very little when combined with a rental package. You will be shown the best trails for your skill development, meet interesting people and learn more than you can imagine. Camps & Lessons »
• Take breaks, drink water, rest your hands and eat to keep your energy up.

Trails:

Here’s a quick guide to take you through the ideal 6-lap day in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park:

LAP 1

• Upper Easy Does It should be your first excursion. The upper section is wide and flat for warming up the braking fingers and riding body.
• Lower Easy Does It follows Upper and has rollers and bermed corners to spice up the riding.

LAP 2

• Upper B-Line adds bigger berms to the mix and throws some basic jump shapes at you, all of which can be rolled over if air is not your thing.
• After Atlantis, a green pedal trail to traverse over and see more of the mountain
• Crabapple Turns introduces singletrack riding to the mix out of the forest on the ski run
• Lower Easy Does It - you have been here before
• World Cup Singletrack, a wider single track ride, this time through the forest.
• Lower B-Line to Lower Easy Does It finish at Whistler Village

LAP 3

• B-Line top to bottom
• Finish on Lower Easy Does It

LAP 4

• Upper Easy Does It
• Golden Triangle, a good "Blue" singletrack trail to test your new skills
• World Cup Single Track
• Lowe B-Line
• Finish on Easy Does It

LAP 5

• Crank It Up top to bottom. This is our most popular trail in the Park, expect some traffic and pull off to the side if you need to rest or want other riders to pass. Expect a mix of small to medium sized jumps on a wider machine made trail.
• Finish on Heart Of Darkness. More jumps mixed with a few rough bits of singletrack.

LAP 6

• Choose your own adventure! You have now sampled the basic offerings in the lower portion of the Park. If the technical singletrack is what you fancy, consider trying Ho Chi Min or Lower Angry Pirate.
• If faster flow-style riding is what you enjoy, try Ninja Cougar & Karate Monkey,
• If you are ready for a bigger challenge consider riding the Garbanzo Chair to sample Blue Velvet
• If you feel confident on the Blue trails and want to move to Black consider Upper Angry Pirate, Hornet, or some of the tougher Blue runs; Devil's Club or Smoke & Mirrors.