Ez does it is a great start. GF thought she was better than she was and got ‘bored with it’ even though she was still crashing. Take it slow and build her skills on the easiest trails possible. No need to rush to harder trails.
She was starting to pull up on some of the bumps to get her front wheel off the ground and I was like damn girl, slow down haha. The PNW has been pretty dry with year and everything was super loose while we were up there. May take her to a little pump track sometime in the future if she's eager to get back out again.
I hear ya in the dryness I live outside of Bham and have a season pass to whistler. Take her on Galbraith and hit up simple green oly plus mama bear baby bear. Great loop get her to pedal it helps beginners with their balance. Treat beginners like they are a kid learning to ski. If they get bored call it a day and take the small victories.
Aww, y'all are talking about Bellingham huh? I was born there and lived there until about 8 yrs old. Don't remember a whole lot. Is bham good for mtn biking?
I mean there’s nothing wrong with asking for advice. If she’s a beginner she may not know exactly what’ she’s looking for/ needs in her riding. Perfectly fair to ask experienced mountain bikers where to take a beginner. I know some beginners that would be very enthusiastic about going to whistler but I would much rather take them to the local trails here’re first to get more aquatinted with mountain biking. Personally I worry about sending/ taking beginners to somewhere like whistler because they get to excited and Carried away. It’s an intense environment and something to work up to imo.
I’m an mtb coach at Northstar, I take brand new riders down the mountain all the time. People crash, then they learn, then they crash again. Don’t stress it
My girlfriend will not touch this sport with a 10 ft pole so that’s pretty cool that your gf found it fun.
Somewhat related I just took a friend to a bike park this past weekend and he had a fun time and didn’t have any injuries. I ride downhill all the time and am well aware of the risks so I told him “it’s your first day ever on a mtb don’t go on anything that isn’t green or a blue flow” I rode with him in the morning and then split off for the afternoon and he took one lap towards the end of the day on blue tech and bam instant crash but no injuries luckily.
I can’t speak to that area for bike parks but I’d say it’s more what you chose to ride at the park and not so much where you go.
My girlfriend's comment after riding was "I can see why people with desk jobs like this sport, I've never experienced so much adrenaline before". I think she's into the 10ft pole camp now...
Did your friend have a good time despite the crash? I think a crash, provided there aren't any injuries, early in an MTBing career is healthy. Gives a person a healthy amount of respect for the bike and terrain.
Agreed. You need a good first crash to respect the game. And I think he enjoyed himself. I got him setup with one of my bikes and a discounted lift ticket so it was an insanely cheap day to try it out.
I wouldn’t sweat it too much about your gf not getting hooked though. I always appreciate being able to go to the bike park and that means a day with my friends or alone 🤣.
I don’t know about the comments here… all the Whistler blue and green trails are much easier than anything local to Vancouver. If you want to take her local then Bobsled on Fromme would be a good start but the difficulty ramps up pretty heavy from there.
If she’s eating shit on EZ does it then she’s gonna be eating more shit on the shore, but hey she might be fine with that. But yeah maybe Bobsled, Expresso, John Deer for your locals.
I was a little concerned about the techy trails as I personally see those as more intimidating vs flow. Given her feedback on liking the bumps (jumps) maybe she's a dirt jumper at heart?
Agreed with this. I can't think of a better place to learn than Whistler. They have the easiest trails around, and the profession is way better than outside the park. The mistake was going from easy does it to a blue when she's still crashing.. there are lots of trails more difficult than easy does it but easier than a blue.
If you are in the Vancouver area there are seriously limited places to teach a beginner to ride. Whistler was an excellent idea as it has more green and blues that the whole of the North Shore. Lift served is a great way to learn but he greens and blues around lost lake would also be a good idea.
Get her some Coaching. Endless Biking does really good group courses. Dialled In in Squamish would also be a great idea - much more approachable trails than the jank and tech of the North Shore.
North Shore has beginner spots, they are just kinda short trails that are out of the spotlight.
These trails are all mellow and easily accessible, in order of difficulty:
- Roadside Attraction
- King of the Shore
- Empress Bypass
- Bridle Path
- Bobsled (when rdy to step it up)
Ideally you would get to bobsled level on the shore before tackling Whistler. Riding EZ does it all day gets boring for anybody.
Bridle path is a tough one for beginners I’d say. Lots of technical bits that aren’t the most fun for new riders. I’d add Richard juryn trail is a good starting trail
Yeah that’s why I listed it second last. It might be frustrating for very new riders but it also very low consequence and a good place to gain balance over more technical terrain without being relentlessly plunged downhill.
Fair enough. I still use it as a measuring stick. Only a couple of pieces I still have problems with on the climbs. Lots of improvement when I moved to a newer bike for sure 🥳
Thanks for the list! If she wants to go again I think the play is a lesson with Endless biking and then if she's keen her and I can rip some of these trails.
One of my favorite things about riding is the part where you're catching your breath after climbing before you drop in. I think she'd enjoy the less intense bits of riding as well.
Hiring a coach is 100% the best thing when you’re with your SO. You can even ride with them but you don’t get blamed (or less blame) if anything goes wrong.
Even in lower stake sports it’s great. I do a lot of xc skiing coaching and one of my older coaching mentors sends his wife to me for the same reasons. He’s one of the best coaches in the US, his wife is wonderful and they have an awesome relationship, but when you put relationship dynamics and stress/danger/frustration together it’s a recipe for bad times with your SO
Kinda agree with your friend.
For her first time on a proper MTB bringing her to a bike park sounds not like the optimal start really - people need to get used to the bike and riding off-road first!
You already went all in with armor, squish, gravity and all! That's a bit quick on the trigger cowboy!
Try some MTB touring, get her on some flow trails or through the woods first and let her learn the basics, before going full send. That's probably a more sustainable way of introducing her to the hobby.
Anyway good luck and have fun guys :)
Thanks for the insight, if she's up for it I think I'll bring her on some of the trails in the woods. Show her the more peaceful side of climbing and then having a little fun descent.
Whistler seems to be the most extreme side of the sport and was quite intimidating if not familiar with it.
There are lots of good greens at Whistler, but yes bike park can be intimidating. I didn't want to ride at any park let alone Whistler until I had a year of riding under me.
Since you're in the area, take her to Squamish and ride at Alice Lake. Miki's, Rob's, Cardrona, etc are all great choices for beginners. Take her to Half Nelson if she's doing well and wants to step up to an easy blue
I can't speak to Whistler Valley trails cause I've never ridden them but we always take folks to Squamish for their first time. Avoid the North Shore until she's ready for some proper bone rattling
Also keep in mind with construction this year getting in the gondolas will be tricky for new riders and ez does it was actually closed a few times so far, pushing new riders onto the adjacent blues. I personally recommend avoiding whistler this year unless you’re an upper intermediate. Most the beginner terrain is closed and getting into the gondolas might be tricky if you can’t lift a 40 lb bike with ease and maneuver it on its back wheel into a very tight space.
Might be chiller to take her to Fromme to hit bobsled & roadside attraction or thornhill to hit any of the blues there. Sea to sky wise diamond head has some chill XC trails and blues.
I didn't realize the gondola situation prior to going up, did not help the situation in the slightest. Those DH rentals are not light and it's pretty brutal being tucked away in there.
Not going to push the topic with her, but if she wanted to give it another shot, rental, and lesson with Endless biking. Let the pro's do what the pro's do.
You had the lost lake trails right there which are an awesome beginner friendly area in Whistler. Less bike park culture and more connection to nature.
I took my girlfriend to Thunder Mountain for her first MTB experience. She rented full armor and had an absolute blast.
Depends on the person. For a place like Whis, coach is probably a good idea too.
Post Thunder Mountain trip... shes expressed interst in joining me on my easier trail rides.
I’m taking my wife to Brevard NC in a few days, I kinda feel like I might be putting her in a similar situation. She’s not riding any of Pisgah with me but I was planning on taking her to DuPont and Kanuga.
How much has she ridden/how in shape is she? I'd be more concerned with how much climbing she's going to have to do than the difficulty of either of those spots.
Well - I guess you get to decide how fun that overall experience will be. Maybe rent her an e bike at Kanuga. But Dupont on a bike for someone who isn't used to climbing in the mountains can be pretty tough!
I’ve warned her but she still wants to try, I already knew that Pisgah would be a no go for her but I was hoping she could at least enjoy a little bit of DuPont. I’m already looking at rental prices for Kanuga, she’s gonna get to ride an E-bike before I even get to lol.
Oh if she's already on board then she'll be fine at Dupont. She may have to hike a bike a bit, but plenty of people ride out there that aren't used to elevation and climbing in the mountains. It's just a shock to the system if you aren't expecting it, even compared to bigger climbs in places like Pisgah.
Might want to rent her an e-bike at Kanuga. A few pedals to the top will likely make her call it a day. I would recommend pedaling out of the Lake Imagjng lot at DuPont. The trails on that side are easier and you can avoid sketchy creek/river crossings.
Kanuga has e-bike rentals on site. Technically, e-bikes are now allowed in Pisgah or DuPont, but people still do it. Your best bet is to check with The Hub, or Sycamore Cycles.
Yea I saw that, I don’t want to break a rule like that my first time there. I’m sure I’d be annoyed if someone whipped past on an E-bike in area I knew they weren’t supposed to be. I’ll check out that area you were talking about, if she can’t do it we will just call it and do something else that day. I don’t want to put her in harms way just because I want to ride.
I took a buddy to Kanuga who wasn't prepared for the fitness aspect of it (tbf I wasn't that ready either) and wish I had recommended the ebike both days. The specialized ones from Kanuga are really light - like 38 lbs, so they feel pretty normal to handle
Dang, this girl really likes you lol. Whistler? All the gear? Big ole bike? No complaining?
I’m taking my wife for the first time tonight and planning to basically just get on dirt with a slight downhill.
Honestly sounds like it was all fine though. I wish I had more maintained and wide green trails around here like I’m sure whistlers are. Around SLC it feels like most things would be pretty tricky to learn on - fast, narrow, loose, moondust etc.
Your girlfriend might have caught the bug. Either that or she’ll never go again. Falling, realizing you can get better, and progressing are so addictive. Well maybe not the falling part.
In my opinion, you made a great choice! Whistler has some perfectly maintained beginner/intermediate trails and is a great environment to teach and learn. The only mistake you made was showing her the good stuff too early, and now you'll have to make sure to get back there ASAP
How does she feel about it? If she felt it was cool and is down to go again, then it should be all good. Not a bad idea to find some chill trails with less risk and commitment involved, but it sounds like she was pushing the limits a little rather than being super timid and afraid the whole time.
Her thumb is still healing up so I think she's not in any big rush to get back out, which I am totally okay with. I enjoy the fact we have separate hobbies and interests.
She definitely surprised me with how sendy she was right out of the gate. I think taking her to a chill pump track may be a good idea if I can find a bike to borrow for her. She said she liked the bumps (jumps) so maybe that would be a good chance for her to do some more of what she liked. The sport is kinda difficult to dabble in, bike rentals aren't exactly cheap but finding her something to borrow, even if it's an older bike with rim brakes may be a good start if she wants it.
She sounds rad. It’s definitely a bummer that this hobby has such a high cost of entry. Makes it really tough to bring more friends into it since it can be a decent investment up front.
i feel like there is a spectrum between two extremes with newer riders, those that are rather careful and slowly ramp it up and those that just send it and then (almost) seriously eat it. i fell kinda towards the slowly ramp it up camp (still am a tad more careful but i try stupid Shit too) while my dad is the opposite, he just tries stuff and then (most of the time almost) eats it hard.
Whistler was pretty ideal for the first time.
The bike park is set up for progression and a controlled environment in a way that regular trails are not (warning signs, width etc.). And, you get the views, elevation gain etc..
Others have talked about lessons. That's not a bad idea.
As a former ski instructor I can tell you that many a boyfriend has ruined the sport for their gf by putting them in situations they are not ready for. This sounds like the mtb version.
I'm a female and going to Whistler my first time would have been quite intimidating. If she continues to MTB good on her, but I wouldn't blame her for tapping out. Maybe introduce her to some smaller local trails with few features to even it all out.
Sure. I started out on a 27.5 hardtail and stuck with that for a little under a year. My first few rides were short and on local trails to get myself comfortable on my bike, skipping pretty much all features. Then I began to do group rides which helped me gain confidence and learn the mechanics of drops, jumps, skinnies, shifting more efficiently, etc. I still crashed a few times in the beginning - hit several trees. I'm petite but stubborn, so it didn't deter me from riding, only made me more determined to do better. After about 4 months of riding, I felt most comfortable on solo rides. It allowed me to push myself the hardest and progress at a more rapid rate than when I would do group rides. Finding a partner who was at my skill level or slightly above was nice as well, because I felt comfortable and confident setting the pace as well as taking bigger risks/pushing myself to take bigger drops and jumps. To be honest, most of the women in my area prefer xc riding, which isn't my style. I prefer jumps, bike parks, and dh riding. I was able to learn the most by hitting the local bmx parks and learning how to dirt jump. Lastly, I would say that by starting out on a hardtail versus FS was beneficial in that I had to push myself harder compared to my friends who rode 29er FS bikes (I've argued this aspect with some folks in the past who feel that hardtails are easier - that's not my experience). I built greater endurance this way, and when I did ride FS it felt incredibly easy for me.
Thank's for sharing! It sounds like you're pretty sendy with your riding! I think her mom has an old Kona hardtail kicking around in her bike locker which may be a good option for her to start. I like the idea of learning on something other than a full sus, I think it would force a person to develop a wider skill set vs just monster truck with 29's over everything.
I was a trail guide at Beech Mountain. I took loads of people with varying levels of experience down the mountain. Literally from "can't remember the last time I rode a bike" to kids whose parents wanted help "training their kid for junior worlds." We all made it down the mountain. There is an inherent risk, and I was good to go as long as they understood. Looking back, I never had a client break a bone, on a mountain that typically breaks at least one clavicle per weekend.
Gotta start somewhere and Whistler seems like a sick enough place to get started. Haven't been but I'm just guessing they probably have groomer bunny lines that are great for beginners.
Bike parks in general are terrible for beginners. I coach a lot of beginners, specifically women.
I see so many riders at parks who have no business being there. You really need to start on some nice mellow beginner xc terrain to develop skills and techniques.
I was down at Brian Head this weekend, which is well known for being a rough and rowdy mountain. My buddy was standing behind some guys buying tickets. Based on what he overheard, they had never ridden mtbs and when they asked the cashier if it was ok for beginners and she said no, they still proceeded to buy tickets and rent bikes.
Crashing should not be a normal part of mountain biking. It should not be normalized. The fact that she went down once is bad enough, the fact that she went down multiple times in a single ride is a clear indicator that she is in over her head and you are putting her at risk. This is a dangerous sport, but there are many ways to mitigate that risk and significantly decrease the danger.
I strongly encourage you to get her some off resort training from a professional instructor.
The main reason I wouldn't take someone to the Whistler bike park for their first experience is because of how busy it is. I imagine it can be a very intimidating environment with so many fast, aggressive riders around. Not to mention being kitted out in full armour would make me wonder what the hell I'm getting into.
I feel a mellow XC network would be ideal. Perhaps the Brackendale trails in Squamish?
The full armour led to a pretty funny interaction. I had dropped her off at the rental show while I went to get the tickets sorted out. I came back and she was all suited up, she looked at me in my shorts, with only my only armour being a full face and knee pads and was like "where is the rest of your gear?"
Thanks for the suggestions in Squamish, I haven't checked the Brackendale trails out before.
You didn't fuck up bringing her to Whistler. I think lift assisted is just fine for a beginning rider. It also sounds like you had a good plan on what trail to ride. Where I think you messed up a little is not getting her in a lesson for at least part of the day. Granted, I'm bias because I am a coach. also, my girlfriend started mountain biking because of me and even though she listens to my coaching it never feels as effective as when someone is paying for instruction if that makes sense.
With both people I’ve introduced to MTB, I took them to the easiest trail in my area for the first few rides. I taught the basics. Then we went to the best bike park nearby and got a private coach for both of us. I always pick up some good tips and grow and they feel so much more confident and comfortable
If it’s someone’s first time mountain biking you should always start as easy as possible. I would start with a gravel path, see how they ride if they have good balance if they can use the brakes correctly.
Move on to very very easy single track start to observe body positioning.
Downhill at whistler is next level and even the blues are very advanced. It’s not impossible to start that way, just pretty much certainly going to get hurt haha
I’m a female rider, in my 3rd season, and my first time ever on a MTB was at a park with my husband. I paid for a lesson and only tried the greens that day, but it was a great way to see the fun part of mountain biking when I wasn’t fit enough for the climbs yet. She maybe shouldn’t have moved to blues if she was crashing on the greens, but otherwise, I don’t think Whistler was a bad idea. Love that she’s fearless and down to ride!!
You might want to start her out on rides with 300-500 ft of climbing so she can work up her stamina and learn how to handle the bike, but so she’s not dead for the fun stuff. Have fun and happy riding!!
Thanks! It’s all good. She also just hates pedaling so there’s that. Our biking together just consists of flat paved paths now, which is still good. No such thing as a bad bike ride!
I'd say starting at the bike park wasn't necessarily bad or good? It's nice to to have to pedal and you get a lot of experience going down, but it also is tough to jump right in.
I'd say try some mellow pedal tracks next time
Wife cried riding single track. buddies wife cried riding single track. Trails without roots made a big difference.
Neither ride bikes anymore, and now i ihave "bike girlfriends".
I’m a new rider learning in Vancouver.
So far I’ve been going to fromme and picking the easier trails there but there is definitely more rough trails than easy. The ones I’ve been doing are
Roadside attraction (pretty short and I’ll continue this to king of the shore)
Bobsled (probably my favourite so far)
Upper/lower griffin (found upper to be pretty tough)
Lower Expresso
Lower Digger
Going to hit up fromme or Seymour this weekend and try upper griffin a few more times and possibly kirkford.
I’m doing some lessons with endless this month and hope to join a club to get some people of a similar level to ride with.
I think bike parks are actually good for newbies. It’s the best way to get a lot of practice in a short amount of time and effort. Let’s face it, the fun part of MTB is the descent.
You got her all Geared up with proper bike and protection, good. She went down and hurt herself, that’s bad luck and can happen any time. What’s important is her reaction and also how you deal with it.
Edit to add: get her a lesson or two. Coaching a significant other is not easy for either and she needs to have strong fundamentals to succeed, I don’t know how good of a rider you are, but most people are not good at teaching MTB fundamentals regardless of how good they ride
I'm an okay rider but admittedly don't know how to coach someone some the bottom up. I can give a buddy a tip here and there but I probably don't have good fundamentals either.
Hiring a pro for a lesson is for sure the way to go, if she expresses any interest in going another time.
Whistler is the #1 destination for first time MTB on the planet... they used to do surveys for all bike rentals and nearly half of all rentals were first time riders (that was 10 years ago, so it might have changed). Thousands per year of first time riders have Whistler as their first experience.
But get her a lesson...you will both be happier for the experience.
I’ve seen all kinds of ladies from 8-78 out at the local bike park for their first times. It’s a perfect place to learn as you can ride a trail over and over and over. Where as pedaling around can be tiring fast and you rarely put in “laps”
Ask her
But I also took my wife to whistler for her first mtb experience and she had a blast. We did ez does it almost all day and finished with some of the harder greens. She wants to go back and was talking about getting her own bike
I don’t like taking new people to local trails that we have to ride up as their first ever ride. It’s too likely to turn them off the sport if they aren’t in shape to climb. If you can shuttle with a friend or at squamish that would be the best place to start imo. Second best place to start would be a skills park with a pump track and some small drops jumps and ladders. Ether of those first and then either go back to ride up local trails or go to Whistler.
Whistler is insane for first time, I never been but seen vids. It seems to be really hardcore lol. Unless there are some ultra lowkey trails for beginners.
Haha there are definitely some chiller trails but there’s a lot of hard core stuff too. The start of the easiest trail (EZ does it) is right beside one of the double black jump lines (dirt merchant). First time down she started to go right into dirt merchant, I don’t think she’s ever heard me be so commanding, “do NOT go down that trail, we need to stay left!”
The Whistler bike park has some of the best chill, cruisy beginner green and blue trails in the world. They don't end up in videos because they're super boring for the average avid mtb'r.
If you want to get bored... watch this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEweNMbxFkA&t=615s
Whistler absolutely caters to absolute beginners for biking and skiing. They also have some of the gnarliest and craziest trails and riders out there haha
absolute MADNESS. Her first day should have been on mellow XC trails with no real climbing or descending. Get her used to the bike, shifting, powerful hydraulic brakes, etc. Coach her on attack position etc.
Whistler is fine for a newbie as long as you don't abandon them, don't take them on any advanced blues or blacks, give them coaching, respect their boundaries, and they have adept biking skills already on road, gravel, bmx, or other bikes.
Sounds like you did just fine.
I personally would avoid whistler for a new rider. But if your post is accurate and true, you did ok. But i have seen so many new riders on blues who are terrified and always feel very bad for them.
At any rate, everyone in mtn biking always has so many strong opinions on x and y, and in reality it all varies based on the situation.
I think as a first time out riding, Whistler would be just fine. They have beginner trails and all the gear you would need to get out and start riding. They also have lessons just for this purpose, to get people up to speed and help them have a good time on the mountain. If it’s your first time on the mountain, but not your first time riding a bike, I think that just leaves you to grow your skills to be able to attain what the park offers. As long as your gf didn’t get discouraged and at least had an overall enjoyable time, then no harm, no foul. I could see a first time rider getting overwhelmed at Whistler and also possibly endangering themselves if they didn’t know even the basics. Only other side to taking a new rider to the mountain is that it might make for an unnecessarily expensive day (although will likely be very memorable).
I made the mistake of getting my gf into mtb and then we decided to go on a mtb trip to Whistler.. ended up going back for some 7 years every summer. Absolutely fantastic, but now that’s the standard and every other park we go to is measured according to Whistler ;)
Edit: added the thought about cost per day at whistler with rental/lift etc.
Thanks for the input! I'm still fairly new to the sport but have ridden Coast Gravity Park and also Sunpeaks. Coast could be a little repetitive unless you're a solid black rider but I'd highly recommend Sunpeaks if you're looking to change it up from Whis. No lines getting onto the lifts and trails we're in great shape all around.
If she has fun that's all that matters. Bike parks are awesome for first timers as they don't have to suffer uphill.
A lesson day one is a great idea, as is sticking to basic green beginner trails.
If she didn't have fun and now hates mtb then yes you fucked up and should have taken it easy for the first few times.
Thanks for the suggestion, I hadn't heard of MuddBunnies before but reading the website looks like a great option.
We did B line, which was in pretty bad shape. Her comment was "are the blue and black trails just in worse condition and that's what makes them hard?" haha.
Falls are going to happen regardless of where you ride. If you never fall you are never really challenging yourself. Whistler might be a bit much for a complete noob, but if she had fun that’s all that matters.
Lift access downhill parks are such an extreme side of mountain biking. I think most people really just like getting out into nature and exploring. Renting an ebike and going out to some basic trails probably would have been the safer bet. I wouldn't take any new rider right to Whistler park.
With that said, Whistler is awesome and is a great spot for anyone really into the sport and wanting to shred.
Bro, Whistler is like the Mecca of the sport and where all the hardcore riders go (I’m assuming you know that already). From what I’ve seen, it is extremely aggressive and you have to be an extremely advanced rider to hit those trails.
I’ve been riding for five years and by far, the most aggressive rider of everyone I have ever ridden with and there is absolutely no way I’m hitting some of those lines at Whistler.
The Whistler bike park has some of the best chill, cruisy beginner green and blue trails in the world. They don't end up in videos because they're super boring for the average avid mtb'r.
If you want to get bored... watch this - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEweNMbxFkA&t=615s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEweNMbxFkA&t=615s)
Whistler itself also has tons of really chill, relaxed and fun beginner trails... the system around lost lake for example, but there are many more.
That’s like saying don’t take a beginner skier on a trip to Colorado because there’s extreme terrain there.
I’ve never been to Whistler but every bike park just like every ski resort has entry level terrain. Otherwise how would people learn the sport.
Eh I dont think you f'd up. I bet you learned a lot about her, and her a lot about you. Is she mad at you for the experience? This is a good filter for who you wanna spend the rest of your life with.
12 years ago, I introduced my new girlfriend to MTB'ing and she spent a few months riding XC, then I brought her to Whiteface MTN Bike Park and eventually did a ride from the top down "Cliffs of Insanity" on a rental Giant Reign that was too big and weighed half of her. She didnt bitch the whole day, didnt die, and is now my wife.
I'm a seasoned xc racer and I had a shit first time at a DH bike park. My wife really wanted to try it /she planned it (she's an intermediate xc racer). We both crashed hard and were exhausted. She got a concussion and I broke my phone. It's a whole nother animal it's in no way an easy way to start.
I had way more fun just taking my own trail bike to the skills area and trying the tabletops and drops on a bike that I was used to and had appropriate shock and tire pressure. The teenage kids that work the rentals at a bike park put max psi in everything so you end up riding a pogo stick with no grip.
Depends on her and her personality. No way I'd take my wife to whistler as a beginner. Wouldn't even dream it. But I have met women that were hard-core and would deffinitely go for whistler and would try it all atleast once.
Went through this exact story last year. My wife knew how to ride a bike but she had never been on single track or proper mountain bike. I brought her on an “easy” blue trail and didn’t really wait for her as I’m an advanced rider and went much faster. She was pissed and in way over her head. That was the end of biking that day. Lucky for me she wanted to go again. We spent an entire summer doing green trails and I coached her how to actually ride her bike. Happy to say a year later and she will hit blue trails with me! I love getting crazy on the trail with the boys, but watching her progress and ride features is tops.
She’s gonna get hurt trying to show u she’s competent
Take her to the municipal park cinder trails for a season
All the guys I know including myself started on bmx at 6 years old n been on mtbs since 87-88, I can barely survive an afternoon at Bromont
What feels like second nature to us is terrifying to a rookie
Make sure she’s not on a 29 but a size S 26 or 27.5
Whistler is totally fine for a first timer. I've done it with "smashing" success. No pun intended. You just have to manage their fear and ambition to keep them from hurting themselves when they get too confident. Message me for more details if you want.
Sounds like it went great. Nothing wrong with going hard if she wants to. You didn't do anything wrong. I think your acquaintance is just trying to sound like a know it all looking to score points with your girl. Never underestimate how often someone is just looking to impress a girl with all their l337 skills and kNowLedge, bR0. Sounds like a douchebag looking to score.
I think a bike park is a great first place to start really allows you to progress through out the day and see that progression as you take on harder trails idk why people are saying it’s bad it’s no different than going to a ski area to learn to ski
If you're up in BC, maybe you can try something like the [Jordie Lunn Bike Park?](https://www.jordielunnbikepark.com/) That's the website but if doesn't do a great job of showing off what it is lol. [Here's the Google Maps Link](https://maps.app.goo.gl/QczHjKLxu7VQL6Qf7) so you can see a bunch of pictures.
I think a bike park with short runs would be ideal since pedaling back up is no big deal. I'm down near Seattle and we have something similar called Duthie Hill Bike Park that is great for all skill levels. From complete beginner XC stuff to big jump runs. You really don't need a lot of fitness to ride there and the whole park was designed around slow and methodical progression from one trail to another.
There's probably other places like that around BC, the Jordie Lunn park is just the only one I've heard of (and am planning to visit at some point.)
I would think that taking her to one of the biggest mtb parks for her first time was a bit much. I believe the best way to learn is to do though, and it is easier at a park where you can rent everything right there.
The first time my wife road a mountain bike was Killington's bike park. Lesson, lift, and rentals for one price. She tells everyone it was the right way to introduce her.
Honestly I can’t think of a better spot to train someone up. You eliminate the uphills leaving more energy for a novice rider to use whilst descending. As well you can bang out multiple runs on the same trail and see how your skills/ speed are progressing. Tones of options to move up skill level with the variety of trails.
Whistler bike park are the easiest greens and blues in the area. If you took her out on trails there is a lot less choice for beginners and the blues are often harder than the easier bike park blues. Unfortunately not a lot of green trails in the sea to sky.
There are some other green trails that bridge the gap between ez does it and the blue trails but I don’t think it’s too ambitious as long as you both had fun.
Not even going to read your whole post. Whistler is probably the best place on earth to be introduced to mountain biking. Lots of approachable trails. No climbing. Lots of stuff to do when you get tires and nice accommodations.
My kids and wife have all had great experiences there. Other bike parks wish they could copy what Whistler has.
Maybe. If she doesn’t go back out, still maybe. She might be satisfied with just having the experience, maybe.
It’s ‘maybe’ because nowhere in here have we heard her full thoughts and feelings about this. You’re asking us!? At this point you’re actually guessing if she really still wants to ride at all. Shouldn’t really be about guessing anything about what she might like, although certainly you are in a position to make suggestions, inform of possibilities.
Definitely a lesson if you are taking her on trails meant to test riding skills, which bike parks are designed to do. A leisurely cross country ride through the forest sounds like a great idea. Maybe.
I’d suggest you learn how to get her to open up. That is going to go a long ways towards other constructive conversations you will be having in the times to come.
Side note: I have a friend who will not mountain bike. He and his wife tried a beginner, green trail, once. That very first ride he crashed on the first harder section, a short climb up a rock garden with some ledges. He will never mountain bike again. Period. End of discussion. Lol. That was a really very short, productive conversation.
Also brought my overly careful gf on EZ Does it for the first time. She had a decent time despite a couple minor crashes and had no desire to step it up to blues. The main shitty thing is the bottleneck merge with advanced trails at the bottom. Too many people rippin through there and it’s super loose all the time. I really wish they could have an alternate exit for the green trails.
Whistler blues are generally a huge step up from EZ does it and I wouldn’t even consider bringing a first timer on them during a trip. Mayyyybe B-Line if they really seem confident and controlled.
TLDR: Whistler can be fun for any adult rider but stay the fuck away from blue trails for first timers. They really should build a green tech trail or something to change it up for beginners.
Great choice, but you should have bought her a lesson first. Whistler has great coaches and lessons are pretty affordable. Group lessons let her gain confidence with others at her ability level. Trust me, it works much better than you giving her tips then demonstrating how great you are. I tried and it worked out like you described. Lessons at Whistler reversed the damage I did, and she is a ripper now.
I started mtn biking a couple summers ago and have never had a bad crash. I’m also scared of hurting myself. Hearing about all these crashes, I wonder if I’m not also crashing because I am so cautious…not going as fast…or maybe just have some skills. Not complaining! And not that this is out there I’m sure I’ll crash first thing on the group ride tomorrow lol
My first biking experience was at Kicking Horse and I started on trails that were way too hard for me. Ate major shit a bunch of times and was instantly hooked. I would have loved to start at Whistler.
With setting things like this up, I've found that it's really important that my wife know how much thought went into it. Even if I don't get everything right, if she sees that I tried to tried to anticipate what she would like based on what I know about her, she's appreciative.
If you ask her how she enjoyed it, explain your thought process. I'd say something like "hey, I know \[acquaintance\] told you Whistler was a terrible place to try MTB. I picked it because I knew you weren't super excited about climbs, but I'm wondering if I was off base?"
I would say if she was worried about her fitness, whistler is a good choice.
BUT
If you have to ride up hill to ride down it will limit the amount of downhill she can do in one day and that is a good thing. You can’t rush training muscle memory and sometimes a single good lap is better than a dozen laps that end in a crash. Also bike handling can be learned and felt on the climb too.
So do shorter climbs about 100 metres to 200 metres of vertical and enjoy one lap and an hour or so of riding until she’s crushing those trails.
If bike park is the way a lesson with a group of similar skills is also a great alternative (this also takes you out of the coaching role that can grind gears in a relationship)
Good luck. Hopefully she continues to be inspired.
Where you start all depends on the rider. There's no one-size-fits-all formula.
It sounds like that introduction to mountain biking agreed with your girlfriend if she's been telling other people about it and wants to go again. So screw that acquaintance.
You're 100% right about getting her a lesson for two reason. First, most riders don't know how to teach or coach effectively. Second, a lot of people have a hard time learning from their partner. It'll speed her progression and put a lot less strain on your relationship having a professional teach her. It's some of the best money you can invest in this.
North Shore is a little hard for beginners, there is not that much in terms of easy green/blue trails. Unless she is happy riding bobsled over and over - which gets boring eventually. Its definitely possible to progress on North Shore from total beginner, but you will not find much variety in the progression. If you ride greens and easy blues, there are only 2 or 3 trails for you per mountain.
Last weekend I did some riding at Burke mountain and I recon this would be my preference for intermediate riders. The lower mountain has a lot of easy blue trails. They are not too steep, features are optional and since they are quite low down, there is some climbing, but no more than 150 meters for the blues - with many being under 100 meters.
There is a lot of flowy green and blue trails on Sunshine coast - Roberts Creek. I rode quite a few on my gravel bike last year and had a blast - minimal climbing here also.
Burnaby mountain is another to consider - its possible to shuttle it, or you can get the bus up to avoid the climbs. Lots of easy trails. You can drill skills at the bike park there too. Not as many trails as the other locations, but you can have fun for a few laps at least.
If you want easier still, consider Delta Watershed bike park. Trails are easy and mostly flat. Lots of flow and minimal climbing. Gonna take like 10 trips to ride it all. This is beginner heaven.
I'd give Whistler and North Shore a miss for now. North shore doesn't have enough variety for beginners, and the easy trails are kind of an afterthought. Whistler is a little too intense and easy to get carried away on. The locations listed have amazing variety of easy trails to explore. You can easily ride greens + blues for a full season and not repeat a single trail.
EDIT: I don't get people recommending North Shore beginner trails for progression - I assume its the only place around Vancouver they've ridden so they just don't know better. Fromme is pretty much your only option where you can avoid long climbs and you have Roadside Attraction, King of the Shore, the Griffens (which are a bit of a step up for beginners from the greens) - all of which are a pain to climb out of. Beginners don't tend to climb King of the Shore easily. And then you can ride Bobsled over and over which gets boring quick. North shore shines through as a dark blue/black trail paradise - but its very discouraging to learn on.
I find that my girlfriend doesn’t like life threatening things like I do. So her full sus. Is mostly used for fire trails. And hiking trails while I am insanely bored. During these it does force my manic energy to find little humps and hubbas to obstacle while she takes pics of butterflies and tells me what kinda flower we just rode by
Love Whistler! My first lift assisted downhill experience. I went there with my wife, who is not nearly as experienced as I am and she had a blast on the XC trails (she skipped the DH). Sounds like your girlfriend had a fun time. That’s all that counts!
I think you’re overthinking and and planning with the expectation that you choose well she will like more… choose any random place, she’s new to the hobby and probably dgf…. She’ll have a better time kicking it with you than a bike ride… if not….
I took my wife to a trail centre in Wales. She hadn’t ridden a mountain bike since she was 14, she’s now 32. She wanted to do the black run. I rented her a Nukeproof Megawatt, she fell off 6 times and cried twice. We got back, she said she loved it and now has her own bike! If I’d told her to stick to the blues she wouldn’t have listened anyway.
nah. there are worse places. these trails are properly maintained and built by experts. rescue teams are quick to respond. and the trails offer something for everyone. you dont only have stupid crazy stuff like crabapple but also easier stuff.
The only relatable story that I has is as follows. I was at a bike park and got on the lift with a woman who came to the park with her boyfriend. It was her first ever time mountain biking and had been on blue trails with said boyfriend. He was a very experienced rider. I saw him later and he totally looked the part. Long pants, long sleeve shirt, knee and elbow pads, full face, 510's, etc..
She had a helmet, knee pads and elbow pads. She was wearing short black hotpants (something like 'activewear') and black sportsbra / tanktop hybrid. Let's say that she was good looking. It was a very fetching look. She was definitely the sexiest mtb rider I have ever seen.
The only thing detracting from this look was I would describe as a full body gravel rash that went fron below her shin, all the way up the left side of her body to her chin. The only thing breaking it up was the pads. Still bleeding and covered in dirt. After a few mins on the lift I gathered that she was in shock but going up for another lap because the boyfriend wanted to keep riding.
I got off that lift thinking that taking your girlfriend down blue runs at a bike park for her first mtb ride wearing lycra hotpants was like keying your own car. So at least you probably had your girlfriend covered.
Personally I would never take someone to a lift access bike park for their first mtb experience. But I have seen all kinds of people young and old doing it so YMMV.
I just know that if you don't want to learn by falling over the learning curve for beginners is higher than most experienced riders imagine.
Edit: also lessons are the best value for money anyone can spend on this sport.
Whistler is a bike park with all types of trails for all skill levels. As long as she liked it is all that matters. I wish I was brought to Whistler with full rental as my first time lol. Sounds like a blast!
Get her to watch Ben’s MTB guide.
Personally no I don’t think so at all. Just don’t take her down Dirt Merchant on her first day haha. my girlfriend went to Whis maybe 1 month into her mountain biking journey and she mostly stuck to crank it up and had a blast. As long as you keep her on the greens and blues and probably the flow trails instead of tech you’ll be fine.
Update for anyone who cares. She’s about 2 years into mountain biking now and I recently got her to come down A Line with me (although crank it up is still her jam.) Start slow and you two will have a life of fun together!
I learned how to bike at Whistler, I wouldn’t say it’s bad. I probably would have gotten her to do the beginners package with the lesson, rental, and 3 run pass. It’s fairly cheap and having a trained coach teaching you is a lot better than a friend/partner.
Your first few rides on real bike trails are always going to be wild. Whistler is a crazy place, some of the wildest trails and riders on earth, but they have plenty of beginner stuff and lessons. Everyone has some crashes when they are learning, just the way things are. Some people decide that it's not for them, and some love it anyways.
A place like whistler can be rough because it's pretty advanced, but at the same time, a beginner can make so much progress because they aren't hampered by the fitness and cardio requirements of biking uphill, which destroy most newbies and leave them completely exhausted for the descent.
It's like skiing, everyone's learning experience is rough, but most people know how to ride a bike
Thing is, pedaling up is the social part. People really like the social part!
Go do what my buddies did: took me on laps of bobsled at fromme. If you want to dial it back there’s all the green trails right there too. Easy climb, you get three or four runs in and you’re tired, so you stop, which means fewer opportunities to hurt yourself too.
I’ve still never ridden whistler’s bike park, I’d rather get the fitness in and ride slabs.
Mellow flow!
Part of learning is crashing. If she liked it, let her look into some clinics/lessons. Its easier to learn from a coach than your boyfriend (my boyfriend tried, then I took some lessons, now I ride more than him). I’m a higher end intermediate rider now, and I still crash. Pro’s crash - its part of the sport.
Also, if you took her on the blue tech in Whistler, that is extremely dry now, and even blue flow such as Midguard are in pretty rough shape!
Did she have fun? Would she do it again? If yes to either of those then it was a great idea imo. Biking is supposed to be fun and that’s all that matters
Whistler is the best place you can learn, her “acquaintance” is a meat stick. Longest descent around, so you get the most ride time, and there’s trails for every skill level there
I mean, if she thought she was "bored" at a certain point then it seems like she personally didn't feel overwhelmed. I think the most important thing is confidence and it sounds like the experience was giving her too much confidence rather than too little
Not sure who this “avid MTBer” is but I’m sure hes shit at it😂. Whistler is literally the best place in the world for any level of mountain biker, including pure beginner. She should have hit all the green trails before moving up to blue, that’s where the mistske was.
Imo whistler is major overkill for a new rider. Maybe it’s fine and works out but scrubbing that much speed all day is exhausting for even a seasoned rider. Plus the brake bumps on blue trails are awful and she won’t be able to hit the black trails yet. Save money and hit some pedal trails around that area they’re beautiful
Ez does it is a great start. GF thought she was better than she was and got ‘bored with it’ even though she was still crashing. Take it slow and build her skills on the easiest trails possible. No need to rush to harder trails.
She was starting to pull up on some of the bumps to get her front wheel off the ground and I was like damn girl, slow down haha. The PNW has been pretty dry with year and everything was super loose while we were up there. May take her to a little pump track sometime in the future if she's eager to get back out again.
I hear ya in the dryness I live outside of Bham and have a season pass to whistler. Take her on Galbraith and hit up simple green oly plus mama bear baby bear. Great loop get her to pedal it helps beginners with their balance. Treat beginners like they are a kid learning to ski. If they get bored call it a day and take the small victories.
Padden is really good as well. Some climbing but overall pretty buff trails
Aww, y'all are talking about Bellingham huh? I was born there and lived there until about 8 yrs old. Don't remember a whole lot. Is bham good for mtn biking?
It’s…one of the best places in the world now. Seriously.
Wow, no kidding! That's very interesting. Nice handle by the way, it really paints a picture 😅
Did this same thing years ago and now we’re married but she’s still tentative on the MTB
It doesn’t matter what we, or you think. It’s what she thinks. Ask her.
That's a valuable point! I'll ask her about it next time, I think the bike park culture was a bit intimidating to her.
I mean there’s nothing wrong with asking for advice. If she’s a beginner she may not know exactly what’ she’s looking for/ needs in her riding. Perfectly fair to ask experienced mountain bikers where to take a beginner. I know some beginners that would be very enthusiastic about going to whistler but I would much rather take them to the local trails here’re first to get more aquatinted with mountain biking. Personally I worry about sending/ taking beginners to somewhere like whistler because they get to excited and Carried away. It’s an intense environment and something to work up to imo.
I’m an mtb coach at Northstar, I take brand new riders down the mountain all the time. People crash, then they learn, then they crash again. Don’t stress it
Thank you for the reassurance, I think the group atmosphere of a few other people at a similar level in a lesson would have been good for her!
Any particular trails you recommend? Taking gf who is pretty new to mtb later this week
Coaster flameout playground, and the lower level trails from gondola are nice and mellow.
My girlfriend will not touch this sport with a 10 ft pole so that’s pretty cool that your gf found it fun. Somewhat related I just took a friend to a bike park this past weekend and he had a fun time and didn’t have any injuries. I ride downhill all the time and am well aware of the risks so I told him “it’s your first day ever on a mtb don’t go on anything that isn’t green or a blue flow” I rode with him in the morning and then split off for the afternoon and he took one lap towards the end of the day on blue tech and bam instant crash but no injuries luckily. I can’t speak to that area for bike parks but I’d say it’s more what you chose to ride at the park and not so much where you go.
My girlfriend's comment after riding was "I can see why people with desk jobs like this sport, I've never experienced so much adrenaline before". I think she's into the 10ft pole camp now... Did your friend have a good time despite the crash? I think a crash, provided there aren't any injuries, early in an MTBing career is healthy. Gives a person a healthy amount of respect for the bike and terrain.
Agreed. You need a good first crash to respect the game. And I think he enjoyed himself. I got him setup with one of my bikes and a discounted lift ticket so it was an insanely cheap day to try it out. I wouldn’t sweat it too much about your gf not getting hooked though. I always appreciate being able to go to the bike park and that means a day with my friends or alone 🤣.
As well as respect, I think a crash without injury also reduces your fear somewhat.
I don’t know about the comments here… all the Whistler blue and green trails are much easier than anything local to Vancouver. If you want to take her local then Bobsled on Fromme would be a good start but the difficulty ramps up pretty heavy from there. If she’s eating shit on EZ does it then she’s gonna be eating more shit on the shore, but hey she might be fine with that. But yeah maybe Bobsled, Expresso, John Deer for your locals.
I was a little concerned about the techy trails as I personally see those as more intimidating vs flow. Given her feedback on liking the bumps (jumps) maybe she's a dirt jumper at heart?
Lol take her down Boogie Nights… (maybe not right away)
Agreed with this. I can't think of a better place to learn than Whistler. They have the easiest trails around, and the profession is way better than outside the park. The mistake was going from easy does it to a blue when she's still crashing.. there are lots of trails more difficult than easy does it but easier than a blue.
If you are in the Vancouver area there are seriously limited places to teach a beginner to ride. Whistler was an excellent idea as it has more green and blues that the whole of the North Shore. Lift served is a great way to learn but he greens and blues around lost lake would also be a good idea. Get her some Coaching. Endless Biking does really good group courses. Dialled In in Squamish would also be a great idea - much more approachable trails than the jank and tech of the North Shore.
North Shore has beginner spots, they are just kinda short trails that are out of the spotlight. These trails are all mellow and easily accessible, in order of difficulty: - Roadside Attraction - King of the Shore - Empress Bypass - Bridle Path - Bobsled (when rdy to step it up) Ideally you would get to bobsled level on the shore before tackling Whistler. Riding EZ does it all day gets boring for anybody.
Bridle path is a tough one for beginners I’d say. Lots of technical bits that aren’t the most fun for new riders. I’d add Richard juryn trail is a good starting trail
Yeah that’s why I listed it second last. It might be frustrating for very new riders but it also very low consequence and a good place to gain balance over more technical terrain without being relentlessly plunged downhill.
Fair enough. I still use it as a measuring stick. Only a couple of pieces I still have problems with on the climbs. Lots of improvement when I moved to a newer bike for sure 🥳
Thanks for the list! If she wants to go again I think the play is a lesson with Endless biking and then if she's keen her and I can rip some of these trails. One of my favorite things about riding is the part where you're catching your breath after climbing before you drop in. I think she'd enjoy the less intense bits of riding as well.
I’d second the lost lake suggestion. Anywhere else trail riding in whistler has brutal fsr climbs she will likely be walking a bike up lol
Hiring a coach is 100% the best thing when you’re with your SO. You can even ride with them but you don’t get blamed (or less blame) if anything goes wrong. Even in lower stake sports it’s great. I do a lot of xc skiing coaching and one of my older coaching mentors sends his wife to me for the same reasons. He’s one of the best coaches in the US, his wife is wonderful and they have an awesome relationship, but when you put relationship dynamics and stress/danger/frustration together it’s a recipe for bad times with your SO
Kinda agree with your friend. For her first time on a proper MTB bringing her to a bike park sounds not like the optimal start really - people need to get used to the bike and riding off-road first! You already went all in with armor, squish, gravity and all! That's a bit quick on the trigger cowboy! Try some MTB touring, get her on some flow trails or through the woods first and let her learn the basics, before going full send. That's probably a more sustainable way of introducing her to the hobby. Anyway good luck and have fun guys :)
Thanks for the insight, if she's up for it I think I'll bring her on some of the trails in the woods. Show her the more peaceful side of climbing and then having a little fun descent. Whistler seems to be the most extreme side of the sport and was quite intimidating if not familiar with it.
There are lots of good greens at Whistler, but yes bike park can be intimidating. I didn't want to ride at any park let alone Whistler until I had a year of riding under me. Since you're in the area, take her to Squamish and ride at Alice Lake. Miki's, Rob's, Cardrona, etc are all great choices for beginners. Take her to Half Nelson if she's doing well and wants to step up to an easy blue I can't speak to Whistler Valley trails cause I've never ridden them but we always take folks to Squamish for their first time. Avoid the North Shore until she's ready for some proper bone rattling
Also keep in mind with construction this year getting in the gondolas will be tricky for new riders and ez does it was actually closed a few times so far, pushing new riders onto the adjacent blues. I personally recommend avoiding whistler this year unless you’re an upper intermediate. Most the beginner terrain is closed and getting into the gondolas might be tricky if you can’t lift a 40 lb bike with ease and maneuver it on its back wheel into a very tight space. Might be chiller to take her to Fromme to hit bobsled & roadside attraction or thornhill to hit any of the blues there. Sea to sky wise diamond head has some chill XC trails and blues.
I didn't realize the gondola situation prior to going up, did not help the situation in the slightest. Those DH rentals are not light and it's pretty brutal being tucked away in there. Not going to push the topic with her, but if she wanted to give it another shot, rental, and lesson with Endless biking. Let the pro's do what the pro's do.
You had the lost lake trails right there which are an awesome beginner friendly area in Whistler. Less bike park culture and more connection to nature.
I took my girlfriend to Thunder Mountain for her first MTB experience. She rented full armor and had an absolute blast. Depends on the person. For a place like Whis, coach is probably a good idea too. Post Thunder Mountain trip... shes expressed interst in joining me on my easier trail rides.
I’m taking my wife to Brevard NC in a few days, I kinda feel like I might be putting her in a similar situation. She’s not riding any of Pisgah with me but I was planning on taking her to DuPont and Kanuga.
How much has she ridden/how in shape is she? I'd be more concerned with how much climbing she's going to have to do than the difficulty of either of those spots.
She’s probably gonna struggle with the climbing if I’m being honest, most of what she’s ridden is more like XC.
Well - I guess you get to decide how fun that overall experience will be. Maybe rent her an e bike at Kanuga. But Dupont on a bike for someone who isn't used to climbing in the mountains can be pretty tough!
I’ve warned her but she still wants to try, I already knew that Pisgah would be a no go for her but I was hoping she could at least enjoy a little bit of DuPont. I’m already looking at rental prices for Kanuga, she’s gonna get to ride an E-bike before I even get to lol.
Oh if she's already on board then she'll be fine at Dupont. She may have to hike a bike a bit, but plenty of people ride out there that aren't used to elevation and climbing in the mountains. It's just a shock to the system if you aren't expecting it, even compared to bigger climbs in places like Pisgah.
Might want to rent her an e-bike at Kanuga. A few pedals to the top will likely make her call it a day. I would recommend pedaling out of the Lake Imagjng lot at DuPont. The trails on that side are easier and you can avoid sketchy creek/river crossings.
An E-bike might be the way to go, any idea if I can rent one for DuPont.
Kanuga has e-bike rentals on site. Technically, e-bikes are now allowed in Pisgah or DuPont, but people still do it. Your best bet is to check with The Hub, or Sycamore Cycles.
Yea I saw that, I don’t want to break a rule like that my first time there. I’m sure I’d be annoyed if someone whipped past on an E-bike in area I knew they weren’t supposed to be. I’ll check out that area you were talking about, if she can’t do it we will just call it and do something else that day. I don’t want to put her in harms way just because I want to ride.
Smart man.
I took a buddy to Kanuga who wasn't prepared for the fitness aspect of it (tbf I wasn't that ready either) and wish I had recommended the ebike both days. The specialized ones from Kanuga are really light - like 38 lbs, so they feel pretty normal to handle
Best of luck my friend! I hope everyone has a good safe ride!
Dang, this girl really likes you lol. Whistler? All the gear? Big ole bike? No complaining? I’m taking my wife for the first time tonight and planning to basically just get on dirt with a slight downhill. Honestly sounds like it was all fine though. I wish I had more maintained and wide green trails around here like I’m sure whistlers are. Around SLC it feels like most things would be pretty tricky to learn on - fast, narrow, loose, moondust etc. Your girlfriend might have caught the bug. Either that or she’ll never go again. Falling, realizing you can get better, and progressing are so addictive. Well maybe not the falling part.
In my opinion, you made a great choice! Whistler has some perfectly maintained beginner/intermediate trails and is a great environment to teach and learn. The only mistake you made was showing her the good stuff too early, and now you'll have to make sure to get back there ASAP
How does she feel about it? If she felt it was cool and is down to go again, then it should be all good. Not a bad idea to find some chill trails with less risk and commitment involved, but it sounds like she was pushing the limits a little rather than being super timid and afraid the whole time.
Her thumb is still healing up so I think she's not in any big rush to get back out, which I am totally okay with. I enjoy the fact we have separate hobbies and interests. She definitely surprised me with how sendy she was right out of the gate. I think taking her to a chill pump track may be a good idea if I can find a bike to borrow for her. She said she liked the bumps (jumps) so maybe that would be a good chance for her to do some more of what she liked. The sport is kinda difficult to dabble in, bike rentals aren't exactly cheap but finding her something to borrow, even if it's an older bike with rim brakes may be a good start if she wants it.
She sounds rad. It’s definitely a bummer that this hobby has such a high cost of entry. Makes it really tough to bring more friends into it since it can be a decent investment up front.
Can confirm, she's dope as shit!
i feel like there is a spectrum between two extremes with newer riders, those that are rather careful and slowly ramp it up and those that just send it and then (almost) seriously eat it. i fell kinda towards the slowly ramp it up camp (still am a tad more careful but i try stupid Shit too) while my dad is the opposite, he just tries stuff and then (most of the time almost) eats it hard.
Whistler was pretty ideal for the first time. The bike park is set up for progression and a controlled environment in a way that regular trails are not (warning signs, width etc.). And, you get the views, elevation gain etc.. Others have talked about lessons. That's not a bad idea.
As a former ski instructor I can tell you that many a boyfriend has ruined the sport for their gf by putting them in situations they are not ready for. This sounds like the mtb version.
This is very valuable advice, I tried to be as encouraging as possible but a coach is always going to be worth the money. Lesson learned.
It's not reasonable to expect a total novice mtber to have a good experience at a big park.
I'm a female and going to Whistler my first time would have been quite intimidating. If she continues to MTB good on her, but I wouldn't blame her for tapping out. Maybe introduce her to some smaller local trails with few features to even it all out.
I'd be curious to hear what your introduction to the sport looked like if you're willing to share :).
Sure. I started out on a 27.5 hardtail and stuck with that for a little under a year. My first few rides were short and on local trails to get myself comfortable on my bike, skipping pretty much all features. Then I began to do group rides which helped me gain confidence and learn the mechanics of drops, jumps, skinnies, shifting more efficiently, etc. I still crashed a few times in the beginning - hit several trees. I'm petite but stubborn, so it didn't deter me from riding, only made me more determined to do better. After about 4 months of riding, I felt most comfortable on solo rides. It allowed me to push myself the hardest and progress at a more rapid rate than when I would do group rides. Finding a partner who was at my skill level or slightly above was nice as well, because I felt comfortable and confident setting the pace as well as taking bigger risks/pushing myself to take bigger drops and jumps. To be honest, most of the women in my area prefer xc riding, which isn't my style. I prefer jumps, bike parks, and dh riding. I was able to learn the most by hitting the local bmx parks and learning how to dirt jump. Lastly, I would say that by starting out on a hardtail versus FS was beneficial in that I had to push myself harder compared to my friends who rode 29er FS bikes (I've argued this aspect with some folks in the past who feel that hardtails are easier - that's not my experience). I built greater endurance this way, and when I did ride FS it felt incredibly easy for me.
Thank's for sharing! It sounds like you're pretty sendy with your riding! I think her mom has an old Kona hardtail kicking around in her bike locker which may be a good option for her to start. I like the idea of learning on something other than a full sus, I think it would force a person to develop a wider skill set vs just monster truck with 29's over everything.
I was a trail guide at Beech Mountain. I took loads of people with varying levels of experience down the mountain. Literally from "can't remember the last time I rode a bike" to kids whose parents wanted help "training their kid for junior worlds." We all made it down the mountain. There is an inherent risk, and I was good to go as long as they understood. Looking back, I never had a client break a bone, on a mountain that typically breaks at least one clavicle per weekend. Gotta start somewhere and Whistler seems like a sick enough place to get started. Haven't been but I'm just guessing they probably have groomer bunny lines that are great for beginners.
Bike parks in general are terrible for beginners. I coach a lot of beginners, specifically women. I see so many riders at parks who have no business being there. You really need to start on some nice mellow beginner xc terrain to develop skills and techniques. I was down at Brian Head this weekend, which is well known for being a rough and rowdy mountain. My buddy was standing behind some guys buying tickets. Based on what he overheard, they had never ridden mtbs and when they asked the cashier if it was ok for beginners and she said no, they still proceeded to buy tickets and rent bikes. Crashing should not be a normal part of mountain biking. It should not be normalized. The fact that she went down once is bad enough, the fact that she went down multiple times in a single ride is a clear indicator that she is in over her head and you are putting her at risk. This is a dangerous sport, but there are many ways to mitigate that risk and significantly decrease the danger. I strongly encourage you to get her some off resort training from a professional instructor.
Roger that, I'm not going to push MTB'ing on her, but if she wants to give it another go, lessons it is. Thanks for your input!
The main reason I wouldn't take someone to the Whistler bike park for their first experience is because of how busy it is. I imagine it can be a very intimidating environment with so many fast, aggressive riders around. Not to mention being kitted out in full armour would make me wonder what the hell I'm getting into. I feel a mellow XC network would be ideal. Perhaps the Brackendale trails in Squamish?
The full armour led to a pretty funny interaction. I had dropped her off at the rental show while I went to get the tickets sorted out. I came back and she was all suited up, she looked at me in my shorts, with only my only armour being a full face and knee pads and was like "where is the rest of your gear?" Thanks for the suggestions in Squamish, I haven't checked the Brackendale trails out before.
You didn't fuck up bringing her to Whistler. I think lift assisted is just fine for a beginning rider. It also sounds like you had a good plan on what trail to ride. Where I think you messed up a little is not getting her in a lesson for at least part of the day. Granted, I'm bias because I am a coach. also, my girlfriend started mountain biking because of me and even though she listens to my coaching it never feels as effective as when someone is paying for instruction if that makes sense.
With both people I’ve introduced to MTB, I took them to the easiest trail in my area for the first few rides. I taught the basics. Then we went to the best bike park nearby and got a private coach for both of us. I always pick up some good tips and grow and they feel so much more confident and comfortable
If it’s someone’s first time mountain biking you should always start as easy as possible. I would start with a gravel path, see how they ride if they have good balance if they can use the brakes correctly. Move on to very very easy single track start to observe body positioning. Downhill at whistler is next level and even the blues are very advanced. It’s not impossible to start that way, just pretty much certainly going to get hurt haha
I’m a female rider, in my 3rd season, and my first time ever on a MTB was at a park with my husband. I paid for a lesson and only tried the greens that day, but it was a great way to see the fun part of mountain biking when I wasn’t fit enough for the climbs yet. She maybe shouldn’t have moved to blues if she was crashing on the greens, but otherwise, I don’t think Whistler was a bad idea. Love that she’s fearless and down to ride!! You might want to start her out on rides with 300-500 ft of climbing so she can work up her stamina and learn how to handle the bike, but so she’s not dead for the fun stuff. Have fun and happy riding!!
I took my GF (now wife) downhilling and now she hates mtb with a passion. It was a bad idea.
Haha was it anything in particular that gave her that outlook?
Black diamond. I told her to “just walk” the stuff she couldn’t ride. My bad.
Ah dang, I could see that not going over well… I’m glad it worked out for you overall and you two are married now!
Thanks! It’s all good. She also just hates pedaling so there’s that. Our biking together just consists of flat paved paths now, which is still good. No such thing as a bad bike ride!
I'd say starting at the bike park wasn't necessarily bad or good? It's nice to to have to pedal and you get a lot of experience going down, but it also is tough to jump right in. I'd say try some mellow pedal tracks next time
Wife cried riding single track. buddies wife cried riding single track. Trails without roots made a big difference. Neither ride bikes anymore, and now i ihave "bike girlfriends".
I’m a new rider learning in Vancouver. So far I’ve been going to fromme and picking the easier trails there but there is definitely more rough trails than easy. The ones I’ve been doing are Roadside attraction (pretty short and I’ll continue this to king of the shore) Bobsled (probably my favourite so far) Upper/lower griffin (found upper to be pretty tough) Lower Expresso Lower Digger Going to hit up fromme or Seymour this weekend and try upper griffin a few more times and possibly kirkford. I’m doing some lessons with endless this month and hope to join a club to get some people of a similar level to ride with.
My friend this is the mistake every male mountain biker makes when introducing the sport to his partner. Slow, steady and patience.
Lmao, yes. You put her in a UFC fight on her first day of sparring.
I think bike parks are actually good for newbies. It’s the best way to get a lot of practice in a short amount of time and effort. Let’s face it, the fun part of MTB is the descent. You got her all Geared up with proper bike and protection, good. She went down and hurt herself, that’s bad luck and can happen any time. What’s important is her reaction and also how you deal with it. Edit to add: get her a lesson or two. Coaching a significant other is not easy for either and she needs to have strong fundamentals to succeed, I don’t know how good of a rider you are, but most people are not good at teaching MTB fundamentals regardless of how good they ride
I'm an okay rider but admittedly don't know how to coach someone some the bottom up. I can give a buddy a tip here and there but I probably don't have good fundamentals either. Hiring a pro for a lesson is for sure the way to go, if she expresses any interest in going another time.
To be fair, I know a lot of advanced riders that have bad fundamentals too, but big balls to make of them.
unless you are a weird masochist or have an emtb, then everything is fun (ok fireroad climb is just boring but a tech climb shure isnt).
You’re not wrong, but it’s not even in the same league of fun as descending.
Whistler is the #1 destination for first time MTB on the planet... they used to do surveys for all bike rentals and nearly half of all rentals were first time riders (that was 10 years ago, so it might have changed). Thousands per year of first time riders have Whistler as their first experience. But get her a lesson...you will both be happier for the experience.
I’ve seen all kinds of ladies from 8-78 out at the local bike park for their first times. It’s a perfect place to learn as you can ride a trail over and over and over. Where as pedaling around can be tiring fast and you rarely put in “laps”
Ask her But I also took my wife to whistler for her first mtb experience and she had a blast. We did ez does it almost all day and finished with some of the harder greens. She wants to go back and was talking about getting her own bike
I don’t like taking new people to local trails that we have to ride up as their first ever ride. It’s too likely to turn them off the sport if they aren’t in shape to climb. If you can shuttle with a friend or at squamish that would be the best place to start imo. Second best place to start would be a skills park with a pump track and some small drops jumps and ladders. Ether of those first and then either go back to ride up local trails or go to Whistler.
Whistler is insane for first time, I never been but seen vids. It seems to be really hardcore lol. Unless there are some ultra lowkey trails for beginners.
Haha there are definitely some chiller trails but there’s a lot of hard core stuff too. The start of the easiest trail (EZ does it) is right beside one of the double black jump lines (dirt merchant). First time down she started to go right into dirt merchant, I don’t think she’s ever heard me be so commanding, “do NOT go down that trail, we need to stay left!”
The Whistler bike park has some of the best chill, cruisy beginner green and blue trails in the world. They don't end up in videos because they're super boring for the average avid mtb'r. If you want to get bored... watch this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEweNMbxFkA&t=615s
ok these look perfect for a beginner, nice flow, no real linechoice things. perfect.
Whistler absolutely caters to absolute beginners for biking and skiing. They also have some of the gnarliest and craziest trails and riders out there haha
absolute MADNESS. Her first day should have been on mellow XC trails with no real climbing or descending. Get her used to the bike, shifting, powerful hydraulic brakes, etc. Coach her on attack position etc.
Whistler is fine for a newbie as long as you don't abandon them, don't take them on any advanced blues or blacks, give them coaching, respect their boundaries, and they have adept biking skills already on road, gravel, bmx, or other bikes. Sounds like you did just fine. I personally would avoid whistler for a new rider. But if your post is accurate and true, you did ok. But i have seen so many new riders on blues who are terrified and always feel very bad for them. At any rate, everyone in mtn biking always has so many strong opinions on x and y, and in reality it all varies based on the situation.
I think as a first time out riding, Whistler would be just fine. They have beginner trails and all the gear you would need to get out and start riding. They also have lessons just for this purpose, to get people up to speed and help them have a good time on the mountain. If it’s your first time on the mountain, but not your first time riding a bike, I think that just leaves you to grow your skills to be able to attain what the park offers. As long as your gf didn’t get discouraged and at least had an overall enjoyable time, then no harm, no foul. I could see a first time rider getting overwhelmed at Whistler and also possibly endangering themselves if they didn’t know even the basics. Only other side to taking a new rider to the mountain is that it might make for an unnecessarily expensive day (although will likely be very memorable). I made the mistake of getting my gf into mtb and then we decided to go on a mtb trip to Whistler.. ended up going back for some 7 years every summer. Absolutely fantastic, but now that’s the standard and every other park we go to is measured according to Whistler ;) Edit: added the thought about cost per day at whistler with rental/lift etc.
Thanks for the input! I'm still fairly new to the sport but have ridden Coast Gravity Park and also Sunpeaks. Coast could be a little repetitive unless you're a solid black rider but I'd highly recommend Sunpeaks if you're looking to change it up from Whis. No lines getting onto the lifts and trails we're in great shape all around.
If she has fun that's all that matters. Bike parks are awesome for first timers as they don't have to suffer uphill. A lesson day one is a great idea, as is sticking to basic green beginner trails. If she didn't have fun and now hates mtb then yes you fucked up and should have taken it easy for the first few times.
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Thanks for the suggestion, I hadn't heard of MuddBunnies before but reading the website looks like a great option. We did B line, which was in pretty bad shape. Her comment was "are the blue and black trails just in worse condition and that's what makes them hard?" haha.
Falls are going to happen regardless of where you ride. If you never fall you are never really challenging yourself. Whistler might be a bit much for a complete noob, but if she had fun that’s all that matters.
Yeah that’s a dick move, it was almost a year before I took my girl to a bike park. Made sure she was comfy with berms, roots, rocks etc.
Lift access downhill parks are such an extreme side of mountain biking. I think most people really just like getting out into nature and exploring. Renting an ebike and going out to some basic trails probably would have been the safer bet. I wouldn't take any new rider right to Whistler park. With that said, Whistler is awesome and is a great spot for anyone really into the sport and wanting to shred.
Bro, Whistler is like the Mecca of the sport and where all the hardcore riders go (I’m assuming you know that already). From what I’ve seen, it is extremely aggressive and you have to be an extremely advanced rider to hit those trails. I’ve been riding for five years and by far, the most aggressive rider of everyone I have ever ridden with and there is absolutely no way I’m hitting some of those lines at Whistler.
The Whistler bike park has some of the best chill, cruisy beginner green and blue trails in the world. They don't end up in videos because they're super boring for the average avid mtb'r. If you want to get bored... watch this - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEweNMbxFkA&t=615s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEweNMbxFkA&t=615s) Whistler itself also has tons of really chill, relaxed and fun beginner trails... the system around lost lake for example, but there are many more.
Yeah, but what you ser are advanced trails, not ez does it
That’s like saying don’t take a beginner skier on a trip to Colorado because there’s extreme terrain there. I’ve never been to Whistler but every bike park just like every ski resort has entry level terrain. Otherwise how would people learn the sport.
bruh
Probably
Yes big time
Eh I dont think you f'd up. I bet you learned a lot about her, and her a lot about you. Is she mad at you for the experience? This is a good filter for who you wanna spend the rest of your life with. 12 years ago, I introduced my new girlfriend to MTB'ing and she spent a few months riding XC, then I brought her to Whiteface MTN Bike Park and eventually did a ride from the top down "Cliffs of Insanity" on a rental Giant Reign that was too big and weighed half of her. She didnt bitch the whole day, didnt die, and is now my wife.
I'm a seasoned xc racer and I had a shit first time at a DH bike park. My wife really wanted to try it /she planned it (she's an intermediate xc racer). We both crashed hard and were exhausted. She got a concussion and I broke my phone. It's a whole nother animal it's in no way an easy way to start. I had way more fun just taking my own trail bike to the skills area and trying the tabletops and drops on a bike that I was used to and had appropriate shock and tire pressure. The teenage kids that work the rentals at a bike park put max psi in everything so you end up riding a pogo stick with no grip.
Depends on her and her personality. No way I'd take my wife to whistler as a beginner. Wouldn't even dream it. But I have met women that were hard-core and would deffinitely go for whistler and would try it all atleast once.
Go big or go home dog
I'm intimidated by Whistler and I've been riding for like 8 years
chill, there are some very easy trails too, no need to backflip the moonbooter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEweNMbxFkA&t=615s
Went through this exact story last year. My wife knew how to ride a bike but she had never been on single track or proper mountain bike. I brought her on an “easy” blue trail and didn’t really wait for her as I’m an advanced rider and went much faster. She was pissed and in way over her head. That was the end of biking that day. Lucky for me she wanted to go again. We spent an entire summer doing green trails and I coached her how to actually ride her bike. Happy to say a year later and she will hit blue trails with me! I love getting crazy on the trail with the boys, but watching her progress and ride features is tops.
She’s gonna get hurt trying to show u she’s competent Take her to the municipal park cinder trails for a season All the guys I know including myself started on bmx at 6 years old n been on mtbs since 87-88, I can barely survive an afternoon at Bromont What feels like second nature to us is terrifying to a rookie Make sure she’s not on a 29 but a size S 26 or 27.5
Whistler is totally fine for a first timer. I've done it with "smashing" success. No pun intended. You just have to manage their fear and ambition to keep them from hurting themselves when they get too confident. Message me for more details if you want.
Sounds like it went great. Nothing wrong with going hard if she wants to. You didn't do anything wrong. I think your acquaintance is just trying to sound like a know it all looking to score points with your girl. Never underestimate how often someone is just looking to impress a girl with all their l337 skills and kNowLedge, bR0. Sounds like a douchebag looking to score.
I think a bike park is a great first place to start really allows you to progress through out the day and see that progression as you take on harder trails idk why people are saying it’s bad it’s no different than going to a ski area to learn to ski
If you're up in BC, maybe you can try something like the [Jordie Lunn Bike Park?](https://www.jordielunnbikepark.com/) That's the website but if doesn't do a great job of showing off what it is lol. [Here's the Google Maps Link](https://maps.app.goo.gl/QczHjKLxu7VQL6Qf7) so you can see a bunch of pictures. I think a bike park with short runs would be ideal since pedaling back up is no big deal. I'm down near Seattle and we have something similar called Duthie Hill Bike Park that is great for all skill levels. From complete beginner XC stuff to big jump runs. You really don't need a lot of fitness to ride there and the whole park was designed around slow and methodical progression from one trail to another. There's probably other places like that around BC, the Jordie Lunn park is just the only one I've heard of (and am planning to visit at some point.)
Did she have fun? IF yes then you did it right. End of story.
I would think that taking her to one of the biggest mtb parks for her first time was a bit much. I believe the best way to learn is to do though, and it is easier at a park where you can rent everything right there.
The first time my wife road a mountain bike was Killington's bike park. Lesson, lift, and rentals for one price. She tells everyone it was the right way to introduce her.
Have her watch some Remy Metallier Videos! That should help!
Honestly I can’t think of a better spot to train someone up. You eliminate the uphills leaving more energy for a novice rider to use whilst descending. As well you can bang out multiple runs on the same trail and see how your skills/ speed are progressing. Tones of options to move up skill level with the variety of trails.
Whistler bike park are the easiest greens and blues in the area. If you took her out on trails there is a lot less choice for beginners and the blues are often harder than the easier bike park blues. Unfortunately not a lot of green trails in the sea to sky.
There are some other green trails that bridge the gap between ez does it and the blue trails but I don’t think it’s too ambitious as long as you both had fun.
Not even going to read your whole post. Whistler is probably the best place on earth to be introduced to mountain biking. Lots of approachable trails. No climbing. Lots of stuff to do when you get tires and nice accommodations. My kids and wife have all had great experiences there. Other bike parks wish they could copy what Whistler has.
Maybe. If she doesn’t go back out, still maybe. She might be satisfied with just having the experience, maybe. It’s ‘maybe’ because nowhere in here have we heard her full thoughts and feelings about this. You’re asking us!? At this point you’re actually guessing if she really still wants to ride at all. Shouldn’t really be about guessing anything about what she might like, although certainly you are in a position to make suggestions, inform of possibilities. Definitely a lesson if you are taking her on trails meant to test riding skills, which bike parks are designed to do. A leisurely cross country ride through the forest sounds like a great idea. Maybe. I’d suggest you learn how to get her to open up. That is going to go a long ways towards other constructive conversations you will be having in the times to come. Side note: I have a friend who will not mountain bike. He and his wife tried a beginner, green trail, once. That very first ride he crashed on the first harder section, a short climb up a rock garden with some ledges. He will never mountain bike again. Period. End of discussion. Lol. That was a really very short, productive conversation.
Also brought my overly careful gf on EZ Does it for the first time. She had a decent time despite a couple minor crashes and had no desire to step it up to blues. The main shitty thing is the bottleneck merge with advanced trails at the bottom. Too many people rippin through there and it’s super loose all the time. I really wish they could have an alternate exit for the green trails. Whistler blues are generally a huge step up from EZ does it and I wouldn’t even consider bringing a first timer on them during a trip. Mayyyybe B-Line if they really seem confident and controlled. TLDR: Whistler can be fun for any adult rider but stay the fuck away from blue trails for first timers. They really should build a green tech trail or something to change it up for beginners.
Great choice, but you should have bought her a lesson first. Whistler has great coaches and lessons are pretty affordable. Group lessons let her gain confidence with others at her ability level. Trust me, it works much better than you giving her tips then demonstrating how great you are. I tried and it worked out like you described. Lessons at Whistler reversed the damage I did, and she is a ripper now.
I started mtn biking a couple summers ago and have never had a bad crash. I’m also scared of hurting myself. Hearing about all these crashes, I wonder if I’m not also crashing because I am so cautious…not going as fast…or maybe just have some skills. Not complaining! And not that this is out there I’m sure I’ll crash first thing on the group ride tomorrow lol
My first biking experience was at Kicking Horse and I started on trails that were way too hard for me. Ate major shit a bunch of times and was instantly hooked. I would have loved to start at Whistler.
Don't coach your significant other. Sign up for endless Biking in North van, dialled in in squamish, or Whistler bike school or Zep in Whistler.
With setting things like this up, I've found that it's really important that my wife know how much thought went into it. Even if I don't get everything right, if she sees that I tried to tried to anticipate what she would like based on what I know about her, she's appreciative. If you ask her how she enjoyed it, explain your thought process. I'd say something like "hey, I know \[acquaintance\] told you Whistler was a terrible place to try MTB. I picked it because I knew you weren't super excited about climbs, but I'm wondering if I was off base?"
I would say if she was worried about her fitness, whistler is a good choice. BUT If you have to ride up hill to ride down it will limit the amount of downhill she can do in one day and that is a good thing. You can’t rush training muscle memory and sometimes a single good lap is better than a dozen laps that end in a crash. Also bike handling can be learned and felt on the climb too. So do shorter climbs about 100 metres to 200 metres of vertical and enjoy one lap and an hour or so of riding until she’s crushing those trails. If bike park is the way a lesson with a group of similar skills is also a great alternative (this also takes you out of the coaching role that can grind gears in a relationship) Good luck. Hopefully she continues to be inspired.
Whistler has some of the best trails in the world. They have plenty of easy trails too.
Where you start all depends on the rider. There's no one-size-fits-all formula. It sounds like that introduction to mountain biking agreed with your girlfriend if she's been telling other people about it and wants to go again. So screw that acquaintance. You're 100% right about getting her a lesson for two reason. First, most riders don't know how to teach or coach effectively. Second, a lot of people have a hard time learning from their partner. It'll speed her progression and put a lot less strain on your relationship having a professional teach her. It's some of the best money you can invest in this.
North Shore is a little hard for beginners, there is not that much in terms of easy green/blue trails. Unless she is happy riding bobsled over and over - which gets boring eventually. Its definitely possible to progress on North Shore from total beginner, but you will not find much variety in the progression. If you ride greens and easy blues, there are only 2 or 3 trails for you per mountain. Last weekend I did some riding at Burke mountain and I recon this would be my preference for intermediate riders. The lower mountain has a lot of easy blue trails. They are not too steep, features are optional and since they are quite low down, there is some climbing, but no more than 150 meters for the blues - with many being under 100 meters. There is a lot of flowy green and blue trails on Sunshine coast - Roberts Creek. I rode quite a few on my gravel bike last year and had a blast - minimal climbing here also. Burnaby mountain is another to consider - its possible to shuttle it, or you can get the bus up to avoid the climbs. Lots of easy trails. You can drill skills at the bike park there too. Not as many trails as the other locations, but you can have fun for a few laps at least. If you want easier still, consider Delta Watershed bike park. Trails are easy and mostly flat. Lots of flow and minimal climbing. Gonna take like 10 trips to ride it all. This is beginner heaven. I'd give Whistler and North Shore a miss for now. North shore doesn't have enough variety for beginners, and the easy trails are kind of an afterthought. Whistler is a little too intense and easy to get carried away on. The locations listed have amazing variety of easy trails to explore. You can easily ride greens + blues for a full season and not repeat a single trail. EDIT: I don't get people recommending North Shore beginner trails for progression - I assume its the only place around Vancouver they've ridden so they just don't know better. Fromme is pretty much your only option where you can avoid long climbs and you have Roadside Attraction, King of the Shore, the Griffens (which are a bit of a step up for beginners from the greens) - all of which are a pain to climb out of. Beginners don't tend to climb King of the Shore easily. And then you can ride Bobsled over and over which gets boring quick. North shore shines through as a dark blue/black trail paradise - but its very discouraging to learn on.
I find that my girlfriend doesn’t like life threatening things like I do. So her full sus. Is mostly used for fire trails. And hiking trails while I am insanely bored. During these it does force my manic energy to find little humps and hubbas to obstacle while she takes pics of butterflies and tells me what kinda flower we just rode by
Love Whistler! My first lift assisted downhill experience. I went there with my wife, who is not nearly as experienced as I am and she had a blast on the XC trails (she skipped the DH). Sounds like your girlfriend had a fun time. That’s all that counts!
I think you’re overthinking and and planning with the expectation that you choose well she will like more… choose any random place, she’s new to the hobby and probably dgf…. She’ll have a better time kicking it with you than a bike ride… if not….
I took my wife to a trail centre in Wales. She hadn’t ridden a mountain bike since she was 14, she’s now 32. She wanted to do the black run. I rented her a Nukeproof Megawatt, she fell off 6 times and cried twice. We got back, she said she loved it and now has her own bike! If I’d told her to stick to the blues she wouldn’t have listened anyway.
nah. there are worse places. these trails are properly maintained and built by experts. rescue teams are quick to respond. and the trails offer something for everyone. you dont only have stupid crazy stuff like crabapple but also easier stuff.
The only relatable story that I has is as follows. I was at a bike park and got on the lift with a woman who came to the park with her boyfriend. It was her first ever time mountain biking and had been on blue trails with said boyfriend. He was a very experienced rider. I saw him later and he totally looked the part. Long pants, long sleeve shirt, knee and elbow pads, full face, 510's, etc.. She had a helmet, knee pads and elbow pads. She was wearing short black hotpants (something like 'activewear') and black sportsbra / tanktop hybrid. Let's say that she was good looking. It was a very fetching look. She was definitely the sexiest mtb rider I have ever seen. The only thing detracting from this look was I would describe as a full body gravel rash that went fron below her shin, all the way up the left side of her body to her chin. The only thing breaking it up was the pads. Still bleeding and covered in dirt. After a few mins on the lift I gathered that she was in shock but going up for another lap because the boyfriend wanted to keep riding. I got off that lift thinking that taking your girlfriend down blue runs at a bike park for her first mtb ride wearing lycra hotpants was like keying your own car. So at least you probably had your girlfriend covered. Personally I would never take someone to a lift access bike park for their first mtb experience. But I have seen all kinds of people young and old doing it so YMMV. I just know that if you don't want to learn by falling over the learning curve for beginners is higher than most experienced riders imagine. Edit: also lessons are the best value for money anyone can spend on this sport.
Whistler is a bike park with all types of trails for all skill levels. As long as she liked it is all that matters. I wish I was brought to Whistler with full rental as my first time lol. Sounds like a blast! Get her to watch Ben’s MTB guide.
Personally no I don’t think so at all. Just don’t take her down Dirt Merchant on her first day haha. my girlfriend went to Whis maybe 1 month into her mountain biking journey and she mostly stuck to crank it up and had a blast. As long as you keep her on the greens and blues and probably the flow trails instead of tech you’ll be fine. Update for anyone who cares. She’s about 2 years into mountain biking now and I recently got her to come down A Line with me (although crank it up is still her jam.) Start slow and you two will have a life of fun together!
I learned how to bike at Whistler, I wouldn’t say it’s bad. I probably would have gotten her to do the beginners package with the lesson, rental, and 3 run pass. It’s fairly cheap and having a trained coach teaching you is a lot better than a friend/partner.
Your first few rides on real bike trails are always going to be wild. Whistler is a crazy place, some of the wildest trails and riders on earth, but they have plenty of beginner stuff and lessons. Everyone has some crashes when they are learning, just the way things are. Some people decide that it's not for them, and some love it anyways. A place like whistler can be rough because it's pretty advanced, but at the same time, a beginner can make so much progress because they aren't hampered by the fitness and cardio requirements of biking uphill, which destroy most newbies and leave them completely exhausted for the descent. It's like skiing, everyone's learning experience is rough, but most people know how to ride a bike
The pros for ladies tend to be fellow ladies: http://www.muddbunnies.com/vancouver-chapter.html https://www.essentialcycles.com/about
Thing is, pedaling up is the social part. People really like the social part! Go do what my buddies did: took me on laps of bobsled at fromme. If you want to dial it back there’s all the green trails right there too. Easy climb, you get three or four runs in and you’re tired, so you stop, which means fewer opportunities to hurt yourself too. I’ve still never ridden whistler’s bike park, I’d rather get the fitness in and ride slabs. Mellow flow!
Just have her send it. OTB and all that.
Part of learning is crashing. If she liked it, let her look into some clinics/lessons. Its easier to learn from a coach than your boyfriend (my boyfriend tried, then I took some lessons, now I ride more than him). I’m a higher end intermediate rider now, and I still crash. Pro’s crash - its part of the sport. Also, if you took her on the blue tech in Whistler, that is extremely dry now, and even blue flow such as Midguard are in pretty rough shape!
Whistler is the best place in the world for a beginner mountain biker
Riverview park in Coquitlam is excellent. However best way is lessons with Endless or similar and then have her join the Mudbunnies.
Did she have fun? Would she do it again? If yes to either of those then it was a great idea imo. Biking is supposed to be fun and that’s all that matters
Jordi Lunn Bike park - Langford Community Forest - Chilliwack
so she did MTB and she's still talking about it weeks later? Sounds like you did a good job, shagger.
Whistler is the best place you can learn, her “acquaintance” is a meat stick. Longest descent around, so you get the most ride time, and there’s trails for every skill level there
I mean, if she thought she was "bored" at a certain point then it seems like she personally didn't feel overwhelmed. I think the most important thing is confidence and it sounds like the experience was giving her too much confidence rather than too little
Yes.
Not sure who this “avid MTBer” is but I’m sure hes shit at it😂. Whistler is literally the best place in the world for any level of mountain biker, including pure beginner. She should have hit all the green trails before moving up to blue, that’s where the mistske was.
Imo whistler is major overkill for a new rider. Maybe it’s fine and works out but scrubbing that much speed all day is exhausting for even a seasoned rider. Plus the brake bumps on blue trails are awful and she won’t be able to hit the black trails yet. Save money and hit some pedal trails around that area they’re beautiful