Mountain Biking - North Shore Riders

What's the deal with North Shore?? Does North Shore refer to the mountainous terain in North Vancouver? Is there world class cycling there?? Are the rider there supposed to be the BEST in World? I heard there is world class marijuana there as well, I need answers??

I think North Shore refers to Canada itself. I guess its the mecca of mountain biking.

EDIT:

Read this:

http://v10.pinkbike.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=46602

Isn't "north shore" slang for gay?

Originally posted by stinkfist
Isn't "north shore" slang for gay?

Ok...watch it...

North Shore refers to a fairly small section on the north shore in vancouver. It is where most of the best freeriders in the world come from and where the number 1 xc racer comes from. It is about 2 hours from the other mecca whistler bc. Generally yes the riders are better because there are no easy trails in the area. Our easiest trails are not fun for first timers. North shore is definately the best in the world when it comes to stunt riding but other areas are catching up like australia, Nelson BC and a couple of other small spots.

And yes.. BC weed is ranked 1 and 3 in the world in amsterdam and 4 of the top 10 weeds come from canada. :D...

Do you speak from experience? :D lol

i think i would agree with Maelstrom's take on North Shore...

so a follow-up:

what are some of the other major MTB/Freeride spots of the world?

US:
*Moab UT
*California (never actually ridden there, but Marin County or is that now "old")
* ? somewhere in Colorado?

Europe:
*Lake Garda Italy (over 2000m vertical of extreme rocky trails - although i would say more extreme "downhill" than freeriding as there aren't so many drops and jumps) <--currenlty my 2nd home - got back last week and going again in October*-->
*i think somewhere in France, but only been MTbing once in France

Also forgot to mention Greece ...loads of rocky duste FR/DH trails. 3000m vertical descent Mnt Olympus, Rhodes island, Kos Island.

Originally posted by tokus
Do you speak from experience? :D lol

I DO live in BC...;)

Nathank, you just expanded my list of places to visit in the world haha

"Best" is a subjective term. Here in Oregon we have the kind of trails you will want to take all your riding buds to experience.

:D

:D...sweet play on words...one of my goals this year was to travel from seattle to Cali to ride a lot of pnw and west coast. Ended up falling through. Maybe next year :)

Funny, one of my goals this year was to head up to BC for some riding, but my friends flaked out... Next year for sure!

Well if you do plan on coming up here pm me. We can hookup for a ride. And besides I work for 14 hotels I may be able to help you find cheapish (for whistler) lodging. If you do intend to come out here, this is what I would tour

1 - North shore - just for the experience
2 - Squamish - land of the hardcore. Very underated riding but still tops
3 - Whistler - no need to comment. Dh, big air, freeriding and some wicked local xc trails
4 - pemberton - for huge dj's.
5 - Nelson - Manmade stunts that rival the shore itself
6 - Golden (kickhorse) - some of the most rugged dhilling in bc

I would try to hit all those in 2 weeks. Lots of fun :)

So I was wondering, at Whister you can just take the ski lifts up, right? Are all the same lifts opperating as in the winter? (I've snowboarded up there before).
Also, does the Blackcomb side run, too?

If my riding buddies flake out next year I'll just have to come up solo I guess...

Well if you think of Whistler is two types of riding you have the lifties (Whistler only blackcomb closed although I have a gut feeling that will change) or the valley trails. The valley trails would be non shuttle, some xc, some freeride and some dh trails (3 hours up 30 minutes down :)). Yes they are the same lifts with mods for bikes.

:)

Nathank, you just expanded my list of places to visit in the world haha

hey Maelstrom... i'm hoping to put together a 3-4 day "downhill camp" the first week of October in Lake Garda. haven't decided if i'm going to offer it as a "course" with riding tips and video (for like $50 for the weekend) or if i'm just going to get a group of interested riders together to ride some sweet downhill... i'm even considering arranging a shuttle -- never done that and probably won't but with over 2000m vertical you could definitely ride more (there is one lift but it doesn't service the REALLY good trails)... doing it without the shuttle you pretty much get one long downhill per day (although 2000m or 6600ft of vert. ain't bad) but hey, riding uphill is fun too!

you should hop on a plane and come on over! to visit and/or tag-along... from my experience most (there are exceptions) European riders are more fit than they are technically strong (in MTB races here i get wasted on the climbs, but pass everyone on the downhills - and i literally mean everyone) --- it would be cool to ride with some North American style freerideers... i'm kind of known as a major freak here who'll ride/attempt anything, but i'm really not THAT crazy (i don't like big air for example)

GoneSh9, Maelstrom... i too had a MTB trip up to Whistler/Squamish planned that never worked out... although i did do a multi-day Washington trip -- some freeride east of Seattle, plus stuff in Eastern Washington (a freeride friend was studing in Ellensburg so knew some sweet "secret" trails)

i did ride some of the stuff up that way when i did the Sea2Summit Adventure race in '99 and we rode a lot of trails between Vancouver and Whistler, but i don't remember anything as i was busting my gut racing (although i do know we did a lot of climbing)...

in Oregon i rode some great singletrack, but i never rode anything super extreme (maybe just b/c i didn't know about that kind of riding yet) but i think the ?trails? from Timberline down to Government Camp are supposed to be pretty rugged... never ridden them though

Cmon guys, we all know Las Vegas is the best. Where else can you go riding, gamble, go to a strip club, eat .99 cent steak and egg breakfasts and do some world-class shopping all within 20 minutes of each other :)

Wow Nathank that sounds like fun. I am considering joining a week camp next year to hone some more of my skills. I have a lot of difficulties riding uphill on really technical terrain as I just get stuck. I do like to try and pedal everywhere but next year intend to go up the mountain in order to really work on my air. If you ever want to get some practice in the air just come to whistler and ride a-line. 75 tabletops from top to bottom. You either get used to it or get off :)...

Europe is another place I would love to visit. Maybe some day :) That race must have been Squamish and it is really an unsung hotspot of trails. Glad you enjoyed.

Ahh the love of biking, so far reaching. Oh and I would get smoked on uphills there. My technical skills are getting much better but on climbs I mentally shut down and get too bored. Unless the climb has a lot of fun things to do :D

hey Maelstrom it would be cool to ride with you some time... some day i will make it back to Whistler and i will definitely look you up. (for snowboarding or mountain biking depending on the season)

but you are welcome to visit here in Europe any time.

i think i am too lazy to do all the organization to put on a real "camp" --- need to find a new roommate starting Sept 1 and have done little, need to start thinking about looking for a new job, etc... but i just keep on riding a lot (got a 2-day MTB tour planned in the Alps with my new super-cool, super-fit MTBing girlfriend this coming weekend), so it looks like i'm too lazy to put it all together and organize and try and find participants.

plus one of my buddies from Oregon who now lives in Chicago (poor him he was unemployed 6 months and _had_ to move, but he seems to be surviving) he's visiting the weekend i wanted to do the camp and he broke his leg in cyclecross last winter and is still not strong and daring like before...

so i think it'll just be 3-6 friends and we'll be bombing some technical stuff.


Ahh the love of biking, so far reaching. Oh and I would get smoked on uphills there. My technical skills are getting much better but on climbs I mentally shut down and get too bored. Unless the climb has a lot of fun things to do

yeah, i have always loved technical climbing on singletrack, but when i first moved to Europe i had the attitude "uh, is there a cool singletrail on the other side, or _why_ are we climbing this forest road?"... and i still sort of feel that way, although i have really gotten to enjoy climbing as well as downhill.

the typical Euro XC MTBer is super fit for riding forest roads and lots of vertical, but the _average_ downhill skills are pathetic! wednesday i was leading my "race" group of about 12 guys and i tried a new trail which dead-ended into a drop and steep slope. they all dismounted immediately and i was like "hey, it's not _that_ bad" and scoped it out and then tried it. i made the drop ok, but the runout was super steep and loose and i ended up sliding the front out (too much front brake!) - it was steep but rideable. but the point is of all these super fit experienced riders (on a big road hill at the end i got toasted) no one would even think about trying...

i don't hang out in the bike parks so i don't know many of the downhill/freeriders (the ones i see seem to often be smoking drinking and riding the shuttle up, but then i still pass them downhill - i'm sure there are exceptions)

Cmon guys, we all know Las Vegas is the best. Where else can you go riding, gamble, go to a strip club, eat .99 cent steak and egg breakfasts and do some world-class shopping all within 20 minutes of each other

well, not sure if you're being serious or sarcastic...

and i have heard that there are some cool trails near Las Vegas...

but all the other things on your list are things that make me puke: gambling, strip-clubs, massive development, conspicuos consumption... uh. not my deal but then i guess LV attracts lots of tourists who might otherwise be throwing beer cans on the trail, so i guess it serves a purpose, even from my perspective.

Originally posted by nathank
hey Maelstrom it would be cool to ride with you some time... some day i will make it back to Whistler and i will definitely look you up. (for snowboarding or mountain biking depending on the season)

but you are welcome to visit here in Europe any time.


Thats three places I have to visit. Europe to ride with you and Math, Florida to ride with a2 and Cali to ride with dbd. Could be an expensive trip :D...

This will be my first year snowboarding. I have never been a winter sport person at all so this is going to be a very new experience. Kind of odd considering I have lived in whistler 3 winters :D...

And also all of the riders out here are decent to good goind up (not a lot of roadies) but all of them are exceptional coming down. As you know the bonus of the mountain is "if you must go up there is always a down" haha :)

Hey Mael, are all guys ridng up your way skinny arse riders (physicaly not the stunts)?

A group of riders from down here just got back from The Shore and surrounding vacinity and all the locals were teasing them how fat they were. The leanest guy has about 10% body fat so you guys must look like Tylor Hamilton after Le Tour.:D



:beer: :beer:

I am 6'5 250 solid...(not super man solid more defensive tackle solid). But most people around here are tiny (height and weight). I am definately a monster in this town as I don't fit into the 'norm'. It is really annoying but you learn to live with it.

I would say the biggest guy I ride with is 6'2 and 170pnds...tiny little people in this place :)

This will be my first year snowboarding. I have never been a winter sport person at all so this is going to be a very new experience. Kind of odd considering I have lived in whistler 3 winters ...
um, so what do you do in the winter? i personally snowboard, alpine ski, ski touring (my new - meaning 2 years- BIG thing), do snow/alpine climbing and have an interest in ice climbing, plus a little XCskiing.

but i think that should be a crime to live in Whistler and not snowbaord or ski!


And also all of the riders out here are decent to good goind up (not a lot of roadies) but all of them are exceptional coming down. As you know the bonus of the mountain is "if you must go up there is always a down" haha
well, unfortunately not always true. there are great mountains here, but
a) so many stupid forest roads when there could be trails and
b) on yesterday's tour there were 3 times super trails that were signed "hikers only" and the forest roads was signed "bike route" ---- i ride all the hiking trails that aren't specifically forbidden (but hardly anyone else does) and
c) there's stuff like what i saw yesterday: there is a short moderate downhill trail (i mean NOT hard - i could ride it without brakes i think) and we - me and my new MTB girl :) - stopped for a snack before and so i could give her some downhill tips on the line and i let her wear my armour. some guy rides up and i think "cool, we can watch his line and i can comment to her about his riding". well, looks like experienced rider, comes cranking up the hill, over the saddle and ready to ride downhill, and... he promptly dismounts, shoulders the bike and RUNS the whole 100m of technical downhill!!! i was very UNIMPRESSED and my girlfriend was like "see, maybe i should skip this one"... ugh!! dang Euro downhill-wussies anoy me sometimes (ok, just a little rant). needless to say i was later faced with a LONG forest road descent and experimented on basically a cow-path and streambed --- was SUPER extreme and i crashed 3 times and met my arm on a rock after rolling over the bars once, but it was cool!

I would say the biggest guy I ride with is 6'2 and 170pnds...tiny little people in this place
just for the record: i'm 6'1", 162lbs, about 7% body fat(summer), 10% winter... and i'm more muscular (especially upper body) than most XC guys (but then i also wieght train in the gym)

Hey nathank,
Hate to burst your bubble dude, but at 6'1" and 162 adding muscular to your physical description, well it should not be there.

Wow, I thought I was thin... 5'8" @ 160.

Hey nathank,
Hate to burst your bubble dude, but at 6'1" and 162 adding muscular to your physical description, well it should not be there.

well, no offense taken... and i am definitely no Hulk or anything, but i frequently get comments on my arms and (ok, cycling freinds) call me "Schwarzennegger"... and while most guys in the gym are bigger nobody seems to treat me like i am small (they used to when i weighed 135 to 150lbs). 2 years ago i was up to 170lbs...

anyhow, with less than 10 body fat i am pretty cut, so the muscles i do have really stand out - i guess my triceps the most.

here at the office i don't have any better photos, so this one will have to do:

Well I am at a loss as to the reason for your posting. However in the spirit of self portraits.

While I would love a trip to BC, I am perfectly happy on the east coast, especially since MTN Creek opened. Diablo Park, oh yeah.

Well I am at a loss as to the reason for your posting.
well yeah, i guess it was off topic... but then you seemed to question my use of the term "muscular" so i thought i'd let you decide from the actual evidence...

so whatever. we can get back to talking about freeriding and downhill stuff now. looks like my "downhill camp" thing in October is going to probably work out --- probably not as a "course" but just as friends hanging out to ride --- have at least 2 friends interested.

i'm really tempted to get a helmet camera set up before then, but video cameras are still so expensive... but i would love some footage of out trails!

I have heard good things about diablo. Glad it is working out there. :)

Hunter - you now scare me :D ;)

Nathank - Mtb girl eh? So did it work out with that girl you were talking about previously?

Hey mael. Arrange that trip to Europe man! Its going to be awesome. When i am done with the Phd and get some cash i think that you ll have to expect me to Whistler. If people up there are so skinny then we r gonna have some fun. I am 6ft3" 220lbs . I try hard though to drop to 190lbs. However due to being a semi-pro swimmer in the past , the lightest i can achieve is 185lbs (thats only muscle bones and tissue left on me). God i really hate my fat now , and i really hate that i cant hook up with mael and A2 everyday

My 'lean' weight is around 220 to 230. Thats just about my light limit and I don't get there without nearly killing myself :)...You need to find yourself a good group to ride with out there. I am sure there are more mtbers than just you in greece
:D

Originally posted by nathank
um, so what do you do in the winter? i personally snowboard, alpine ski, ski touring (my new - meaning 2 years- BIG thing), do snow/alpine climbing and have an interest in ice climbing, plus a little XCskiing.

but i think that should be a crime to live in Whistler and not snowbaord or ski!



I know...and I should...in fact I might now that I have a roomate and my rent has been cut by 75%. I just a) don't want to spend precious bike money on another sport and b) don't like the winter. :)...I moved here to escape onterrible and it worked.




well, unfortunately not always true. there are great mountains here, but
a) so many stupid forest roads when there could be trails and
b) on yesterday's tour there were 3 times super trails that were signed "hikers only" and the forest roads was signed "bike route" ---- i ride all the hiking trails that aren't specifically forbidden (but hardly anyone else does) and
c) there's stuff like what i saw yesterday: there is a short moderate downhill trail (i mean NOT hard - i could ride it without brakes i think) and we - me and my new MTB girl :) - stopped for a snack before and so i could give her some downhill tips on the line and i let her wear my armour. some guy rides up and i think "cool, we can watch his line and i can comment to her about his riding". well, looks like experienced rider, comes cranking up the hill, over the saddle and ready to ride downhill, and... he promptly dismounts, shoulders the bike and RUNS the whole 100m of technical downhill!!! i was very UNIMPRESSED and my girlfriend was like "see, maybe i should skip this one"... ugh!! dang Euro downhill-wussies anoy me sometimes (ok, just a little rant). needless to say i was later faced with a LONG forest road descent and experimented on basically a cow-path and streambed --- was SUPER extreme and i crashed 3 times and met my arm on a rock after rolling over the bars once, but it was cool!

That just sucks. I know some people are worried but you at least try. I have my weak points but I still try...:)

Congrats on the girl. I read the other thread where you explained your 'catch'. Nice :beer:

Being European doesnt mean you are a dh-wussie. I started dh on a ht at 1991 in Greece , 40mph on a HT even on a fireroad (with rocks) itsnt exactly what i would call DH wussy. Anyhow. Mael in Greece exist some of the best mtb trails in the world. Unfortunately the Greek bike scene is road/xc biased. For example , the fattest tire you can get is 2.2 to 2.3 , the biggest fork .....Marzo MX series. They dont know about the Z1 ,JrT etc. and they consider 2.5 tires only for motorcycles....:( . At least i know that i am one of the few FR/DH riders in Greece..... i just hate a strictly XC/Road discipline although i respect all disciplines i want variety....