On your marks. Get set. Pedal straight up the Whistler Mountain Bike Park! Those weren't the starter's exact words. (I think he actually used a whistle.) But that might as well have been the instruction that preceded the weekly "Toonie" race in early June that's a staple of the town's vibrant cycling scene.

Every Thursday in the spring and summer, members of the local trail advocacy group (Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association or WORCA) gather for a little friendly cross-country racing action. The difference between this throwdown and your typical weekday world's is that WORCA has about 1200 members, and around 500 of them showed up for what ended up being a 4.7-mile straight-up-straight-down leg smasher with roughly 1,000 feet of climbing. Fast folks were done in about 27 minutes. Mid-packers (yours truly included) took about 35.

Check out part 2 of our Whistler Experience series here and read about Outerbike Whistler here.


Bike parking at the Toonie race after party, which this week was held at the Whistler Golf Club.

Bike parking at the Toonie race after party, which this week was held at the Whistler Golf Club (click to enlarge).​

But this isn't a race story. It's about community. A community that embraces mountain biking - in all its forms. Before that whistle sounded I looked around at my 500 new best friends and saw a little bit of everything. Up front was the smooth-legged, Lycra-wearing hardtail crowd, power meters ready to measure watts. Further back, a twenty-something in a sleeveless T-shirt sat low on his long travel Giant Reign spec'd with toothy trail tires. Right next to me was a 12-year-old boy on a 24-inch Specialized. He was smiling and chatting with his mom. She was racing, too.

And that's when it struck me. The common perception of Whistler (and its rightfully world famous mountain bike park) is a mishmash of Crankworx big hucking mayhem, and flat brim wearing, Red Bull (and sometimes vodka) chugging adolescents gone wild. And don't get me wrong, if you're single, in your early 20s, and like to ride mountain bikes, Whistler is heaven on earth. But turns out it's also an amazing place for 40-somethings with kids and a spouse and no real burning desire to clear a massive tabletop unless it's covered in sushi. Indeed, the Whistler mountain biking experience is one of great diversity where experts, newbies, young and old can all find two-wheeled thrills.

This is the image most oft associated with Whistler. But there is much more to this place than big air. Photo courtesy Tourism Whistler/Mike Crane

This is the image most oft associated with Whistler. But there is much more to this place than big air (click to enlarge). Photo courtesy Tourism Whistler/Mike Crane​

This was just one of the conversations I had later that evening at the Toonie post-race party, which as it turns out was one of the best of the season. The way it works is each week all the participating WORCA members pay $2 (or "two loonies" in Canada'speak) for race entry, plus a plate of food and a beer. These parties are hosted by a rotating group of local sponsor businesses (the Whistler Golf Club in this case) who in turn gain notoriety and goodwill from the cycling community.

"The bike culture here is phenomenal," affirmed Rob McSkimming, Whistler Blackcomb's VP of business development and a regular Toonie racer. "You see it here how the whole community comes together. Cycling is the predominant sport in the summer."

The notion that cycling is No. 1 during Whistler's summer season is not a novel idea. But exactly what that means may surprise you.

Continue to page 2 for more on the Whistler Experience »

For a true high alpine experience, head to the expert-rated Top of the World trail. Photo courtesy Tourism Whistler/Mike Crane

For a true high alpine experience, head to the expert-rated Top of the World trail (click to enlarge). Photo courtesy Tourism Whistler/Mike Crane​

For a lot of bike riders the Whistler Mountain Bike park is an intimidating place. Stand at the base of the Fitzsimmons Express chairlift in summer, and you'll witness a steady stream of young adrenaline-fueled males decked out in all manner of stormtrooper'ish protective gear. Or at least that's what it looks like.

But according to McSkimming the average age of the Park's riders is in the 33-34 range. "There's this image that it's an aggressive and gnarly young man's place," he said. "But we actually attract a broad cross section of riders. We really want people to know that there are experiences in the park for all abilities."

The bike park remains the No. 1 summertime draw - and for good reason. Photo courtesy Tourism Whistler/Mike Crane

The bike park remains the No. 1 summertime draw - and for good reason (click to enlarge). Photo courtesy Tourism Whistler/Mike Crane​

To further that message, the most recent version of the park's trail map has taken a novel approach to difficulty ratings. Instead of just the standard green, blue, black, double black breakdown we've grown accustomed to, Whistler went a step further, splitting all its 66 trails into two categories (technical or freeride) and then ranking them in relation to each other.

"In the past we really wrestled with how we try to communicate to someone how to approach the park," McSkimming continued. "Now people have a resource where no matter their skill, there's a road map of how to work your way up the difficulty ladder with less chance of getting in over your head. It's a suggested path of progression."

Progression is the name of the game. Photo courtesy Tourism Whistler/Mike Crane

Progression is the name of the game (click to enlarge). Photo courtesy Tourism Whistler/Mike Crane​

Freeride trails are typically more man-made with machined berms and jumps. Technical routes have more natural terrain, such as roots and rock gardens. Riders are encouraged to pick a trail type and a level they think they are at and go from there. Once you feel solid on a trail move one step up the ladder. It's a great way to progress.

McSkimming says establishing the actual hierarchy was a tough process. Whistler Blackcomb pulled together a diverse team of people with intimate knowledge of the bike park, and asked them to rank each trail from 1-15 based on difficulty. Those numbers were then tabulated to come up with the final ranking where, for instance, within the freeride category A-Line is the toughest single black trail on the mountain, while Dirt Merchant is next in line as the easiest double black.

Lost Lake is among the best post-ride cool-off spots.

Lost Lake is among the best post-ride cool-off spots (click to enlarge).​

"It's certainly not perfect yet," admitted McSkimming. "If you have a certain skill set, your ranking might be different than ours. But it is definitely a good starting place."

I can't say with total authority how accurate the scale really is, because I can't ride double blacks. But just knowing that if I could competently get down Crank It Up and Blue Velvet (hardest freeride blues), that a next good option was Dual Slalom (easiest freeride black) was a confidence booster in itself. Of course the other option is to take a lesson. Just like during the winter season, Whistler Blackcomb offers a full array of lessons, ranging from Bike Park 101, to private and group lessons tailored to your particular skill level. And this applies to kids, too. Check out part 2 of the Whistler Experience to learn more.